Verbascum 'Carribean Crush'

Post by **Chris_W** » May 29, 2005 11:49 am

Well, I've reported bad results with this one and even planned to rip it out... I planted them in the summer of 2003 and last year they came up, were eaten by some kind of small beetle, the flowers came out small and ugly looking, the foliage looked bad... Now I wonder if the cool, dry spring we've been having has helped.

I was so ready to rip these out and didn't even bother to weed that part of the growing area as everything around it has been harvested and just planned to spray roundup there. Do you think plants know when their demise is at hand?

Kas · Post by **Kas** » May 29, 2005 1:02 pm

Chris, I know they do! My folks have a dogwood growing beside the driveway. One side of it died and didn't put out any leaves for many years. My dad decided that he wanted to widen the drive and planned to cut the dogwood down in the process. My mom raised holy heck and told him that it was not dead and he couldn't touch it

. Well, I have no explanation for it, but the next spring the WHOLE tree was covered in bloom and it has leafed out on the previously "dead" side ever since. I didn't believe my mom until I saw it for myself. Do you have any ideas on why this could be besides a miracle?

Kas

mooie · Post by **mooie** » May 29, 2005 10:49 pm

Chris,
I have one of these also and it nothing but look bad last year. Mine looks like yours this year! Could be the dryness, but could also be a maturity thing too. I love the colors in with the sunnier hostas so am going to just keep it there and see what happens!

mooie

oldcoot · Post by **oldcoot** » May 30, 2005 5:56 pm

O.C. has a heart to heart with ALL his plants almost everyday. Keeps telling them BLOOM or you are out of here. Wow, he's hard on those plants....(Don't ever remember him throwing one away, just digging it up and planting it somewhere else- where it usually does better ! Old softy)

The usually FUNNY and always most FRIENDLY Old Coot named John, a Gardener for the Lord, saying thank YOU LORD for his good friends that share and for the nice rain that has made all our plants grow so well this year

Dee · Post by **Dee** » May 30, 2005 6:55 pm

Lovely, Chris.

I had some purple verbascum (violet something or other) a few years ago but it didn't come back the following year. That pic makes me want to try some again.

Do you think they are picky about soils at all? I mean, lots of compost or do they like yuckier, more clayish soils? Anyway, yours are very pretty!

Post by **Chris_W** » May 30, 2005 10:13 pm

Hi Dee,

I've had the best luck in well draining soil enriched with compost. Lost some in pots one summer after they got too much water. Have had other rot problems too, such as in storage, so I think they need it dry during the winter. This one seems to really be enjoying the dry spring we're having!

toomanyanimals · Post by **toomanyanimals** » Jun 16, 2005 7:19 am

Chris, I have some 'copper rose' I started from seed this winter. They aren't putting up stalks at all. Just flat on the ground, but look healthy. If this the norm for their first year?

Post by **Chris_W** » Jun 16, 2005 8:54 am

Hi,

Yes, that is normal. They won't bloom until the second year.

Chris

kHT · Post by **kHT** » Jun 16, 2005 11:28 am

Chris, try putting it some where out of mind for a while and see how it does. How about the corner of the compost pile?

Hallson Gardens

Verbascum 'Carribean Crush'

Verbascum 'Carribean Crush'

Chris, O.C> agreeswith you completely.