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| I am looking to start new leaf growth in my dierama. Could I cut this all the way to the ground after flowering and not hurt the plant? Most people say that it needs only removal of old leaves, but mine looks a bit ragged even during it's growing season. Anyone ever try cutting it to the ground? |
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| No, I wouldn't dare. They took so long to flower (5 years of growing) and now I have a few good sized clumps, I dare not mess with them. Mine are looking a bit shoddy at the moment and, when fresh foliage grows, I will trim the worst of the dry leaves back. You could also try a bit of extra fertiliser, weighted towards nitrogen. I got quite obsessional about these plants and am always surprised how rarely they seem to crop up on GW. |
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- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 24, 13 at 15:43
| am always surprised how rarely they seem to crop up on GW. Maybe cuz they are not hardy in large parts of the US, among many other places :-) Whatever one can do to mimic its native growing conditions would certainly help.....unfortunately, it is pretty hard to replicate a South African montane climate throughout much of the northwest. |
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| I know Gardengal, but I usually post on the antique rose forum where there are heaps of californians - in fact all along the west coast....and I have never seen one dierama post. Given that there are over 40 species, growing from the eastern cape to zimbabwe, flowering as early as late April and as late as September...and the amazing lengths people go to protecting semi-hardy plants, I have to think it is more of a fashion thing (like, say, the US craze for hemerocallis or zinnia). For sure, they probs wouldn't do too well in arid Texas but these plants are stunning in Ireland and England and even parts of Scotland (west coast). Cannot see why they wouldn't grow well where you are GG - they are fine in zone 8 in the UK and will survive snow, freezing etc. with a bit of straw or fleece. Winter wet is much worse than cold so as long as the soil is free draining (but retains some moisture in the summer - yah know, that annoying prescription for 'moist, free-draining soil'), they will be OK. I am more anxious for some of my roses than I am for the dieramas, this prolonged and horrible winter. |
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| LOL, I was picturing putting little plants that doubled as trees beside GI Joe when I read this post. :) Now that's an avid gardener. Garden anywhere, even the home of Cobra! |
This post was edited by funnthsun on Mon, Mar 25, 13 at 14:55
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- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 26, 13 at 15:22
| They do grow well here, provided one offers them the right conditions.Unfortunately, PNW winters tend to be far wetter than these guys like, so a spotted or nasty looking foliage at this time of year is pretty much par for the course. I would also hestiate to cut them back completely - evergreen foliage is usually evergreen for a good reason and too severe a haircut presents the potential for problems. We have a number of excellent local growers and suppliers, so no shortage of sources but again, these are not plants that will have a widespread appeal throughout much of this country, simply because they are are not hardy much below a zone 7. I don't hang out in the rose forum so I have no idea what the relevance would be of discussing dierama there....honestly I'm not surprised it hasn't been much of a topic :-)) |
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| Mmmm, can quite see what you mean, Gardengal - but we do wander off on tangents a lot on the antique rose forum and many perennials are discussed. Anyway, have put out a specific query to my rosey pals - am just interested in cultural trends, I guess....and right now, we are all crazy for wildflowers, umbellifers and veggies (in the UK) while daylilies and hosta (while they are not without fans) have never been as popular as they are in the US. Horses for courses and I guess dieramas might be yesterdays faves (along with conifers and gladioli). |
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