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question about Coreopsis

Posted by bgaviator 6 (My Page) on
Tue, Jun 12, 12 at 5:59

I bought some Dwarf Coreopsis as labeled by Lowe's garden center, and I have only seen a few blooms since I installed them last month. I know I have heard the phrase about perennials (sleep, creep, leap) but I was still expecting something more than what I am seeing. I only got a few blooms, and now nothing.....I haven't deadheaded the plants at all and maybe that's my problem? Should I cut the stems almost down to the plant, or just cut at the top right below the buds? Do you think this would help?

Also I am having the same thing with my May Night Salvia.....I finally cut the stalks to right below where all the spent blooms were, and it looks like buds are starting to form now again on the stalk, but overall haven't had much of a show from them.


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: question about Coreopsis

Adjust your expectations- if they have only been in place for one month they are still settling in getting their roots establiched.


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RE: question about Coreopsis

as to deadheading..

get down on your knees.. and trace back from the top ... down the stem ... where a leaf interfaces with the stem.. you can usually see [mind you.. i havent done this with coreopsis in a decade] .. and you ought to see.. tiny buds.. you can trim back to just above any new bud.. and once you remove that above.. that bud will trigger ... and flower in a few weeks or month ... usually.. on most plants.. they go all the way down the stem.. your choice as to how far to prune back ...

do NOT leave the seed to set .. a plant has only one goal in life.. procreation .. once seed is set.. and left.. the plant .. usually.. will not bloom again for that season ..

make any sense?? .. hope i am right on this plant.. lol ...

and i agree on the expectation comment.. you bought potential.. with a long lived perennial ... they do not perform.. their first season. like annuals ... its alive.. be happy ...

ken


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RE: question about Coreopsis

If you want blooms, plant some Agastache. They bloom a lot more than that Salvia. The Coreopsis will bloom once and then a few blooms here and there.


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RE: question about Coreopsis

Plant annuals to fill in while your perennials establish themselves. If you want non stop flowering that's the way to go, or else you have to have a well orchestrated group of established perennials, calculated to bloom in succession.


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RE: question about Coreopsis

i did happen to stumble across mine.. it does have the buds down the main stalk.. just snip above whichever you want to start growing ..

if you want a stouter plant.. that will hold itself up.. go low ....

the whole goal of a great garden.. is the noted succession of plants.. we dont rely on one.. we basically schedule it all out .... we just keep adding things.. and keep the ones we like.. and get rid of any that irritate us for ANY reason ....

the real hard time period .. is what will bloom or look good the last few weeks of august.. not much blooms with vigor at that time ... and then we move into the fall plants.. like mums and asters ...

have fun doing it

ken


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RE: question about Coreopsis

One of my Coreopsis plants still hasn't produced a single bloom all summer.....nicely looking set of full leaves, but not 1 stalk even. The other two coreopsis plants at least have produced stalks/blooms. Do I have a dud plant? I wouldn't think so since the leaves are nice and lush.


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RE: question about Coreopsis

there is not really such a thing as a dud plant ...

its most likely a 'cultural' issue ...

ken


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RE: question about Coreopsis

what do you mean, ken?


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RE: question about Coreopsis

My coreopsis are just getting ready to bloom--and they'll bloom the rest of the season until frost. It's C. 'Full Moon'.


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RE: question about Coreopsis

no blooms on mine yet ; although many little buds are forming. The immense amount of rain in northern europe has made everything grow massive but flower a bit later than usual.
Wieslaw, would you agree?


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RE: question about Coreopsis

I just wanted to chime in. Although Ken is by far more educated on all these topics than I am, I have noticed that by just pinching the bud off the plant as opposed to tracing down the stem to the next leaf, my Corepsis still blooms like crazy all season, well into fall.

Although I am sure if I deadheaded properly it would be even more successful, I just don't have the time to spend to do it carefully and popping the heads off is so easy I can get to all my corepsis plants in about 2 minutes every morning before work (I really enjoy doing a quick walk through the garden every morning before work). Maybe because of how often I deadhead that is the reason I have had just successful long length of blooms every year? Who knows haha but it works for me.

And it regards to the salvia I was so surprised how nicely my salvia Blue Hill came back after deadheading. Not as amazing as the first round but still very impressive.


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RE: question about Coreopsis

Salvia May night is a really good salvia. The best, in my opinion. I have quite a few kinds, and May Night always reblooms after deadheading. The others, not so much, if at all. Yours is probably still getting established. Is it planted in full sun?


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RE: question about Coreopsis

Campanula, yes, nearly everything is much taller than last year. My Rudbeckia laciniata Starcadia Razzle Dazzle(from England) is as much as 50 cm taller than the 'official' hight.


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RE: question about Coreopsis

I planted Zagreb back in 2005. I've divided it once since then. The plant starts to bloom in early July and keeps blooming until frost with deadheading.

As far as deadheading goes, sinc there are literally hundreds of flowers on the plant, I find that trying to deadhead each flower individually is sheer insanity. Instead, I wait until 80-85% of the blooms are done, then I take a pruner and clip the entire plant back. Much easier.

Good drainage is the most important factor for success I've found with these plants.


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