What is up with this Aubrieta Blue King?

Hey all,

If you look at this image;

http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/9431/p1010041hy6.jpg

Does anyone know what's up with the middle of it please? The plant has gone empty and yellow in the middle (As shown on image)

Thanks,

-Sam

 

Hi Tea tree. I think thats perfectly normal. Aubretia grows upwards early in the season. As it gets older it flops. Its a bit like mens hair. When it flops you get a parting and can see the scalp. Thats what has happened here. The yellowing is the leaves at the bottom dying off, again perfectly normal. You don't usually see that, in the same way that you don't normally see hair roots - except at the parting.

Where it has gone thin, the light can now get in and it looks as though you have some new growth that may cover the patch up. But then it will just flop somewhere else! Aubretia can look pretty tired towards the end of the season.

 

When Aubrieta has finished flowering it is best to take a apir of shears to it and cut it right back to within a fw inches of the base. It will then regrow and possibly even flower again later on. It also stops the dratted stuff from seeding itself all over the place!

 

I do exactly what Palustris says - it works! I find topiary shears are best for this sort of thing, btw.

Love the hair analogy, Peter!! :D

 

Yep, get in there after it's finished flowering and give it a good haircut. The exeption is where it tumbles over a wall. In that case just leave it to get on with it's stuff as gravity will stretch it downwards and let the light in.

Aubretia also do well on poorer soils, too rich and it will leaf out and flop all over the place.