Growing Heuchera...period!

Discuss and share pictures of plants in the genus Heuchera and the hybrid genus Heucherella, commonly known as coral bells and foamy bells.
ICGardner
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Growing Heuchera...period!

Post by ICGardner »

I seem to be having problems keeping my heuchera alive... The only one I have been able to keep for them for more than one year is "Palace Purple" and it is in a fairly sunny location. The others I have tried ( Snow Angel, Lime Rickey, Monet) have all died over the winter. THey have been placed in part shade beds as it is my understanding the heuchs like shade. What am I doing wrong???? I have planted all of these in lasagna beds, so I think the soil is ok. Any help would be very appreciated as I really like these plants! TIA
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Chris_W
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Post by Chris_W »

Well, don't feel bad, I have yet to find a spot where Lime Ricky will grow, and Monet doesn't seem to want to overwinter for ANYONE! I am going to try Lime Rickey in a little more shade this year and see what happens. If this 3rd try doesn't work them I give up.

However, heuchera are not shade plants. The green leaf varieties are very shade tolerant but the purple ones really like part sun to full sun. We grow ours in a bed that gets morning and evening sun. The soil is very rich but it is in an area that is slightly higher than the other growing beds and below it is almost pure beach sand. As you can imagine it has excellent drainage. We water often, but it is never wet, and it never holds water in the winter time.

The other thing we have done with some of the troublesome plants is to lightly topdress them with compost in the fall. This seems to help a little bit, but isn't foolproof.

I hope that helps a little. Hopefully those who can grow Lime Rickey will tell us exactly what kind of soil, moisture, lighting, or other conditions are working for them :)
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Justaysam
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Post by Justaysam »

The only one that I can get to grow well is Lime Ricky. I have no clue what I am doing right. They have been in full sun, in amended soil, not too raised, just the same level as the rest of the garden, and they do fine. Usually Heuchera here are evergreen over winter with most of the leaves half dead and tattered by spring, then they sprout new growth from the center. This year it seemed Lime Ricky died back completly, and came back from the center. I knew where it was by the dead leaves. It looks cool out there now, getting bushy and is so bright. I know that the others seem to rise out of the ground each winter. I have tried covering them back up, the soil just washes back away and they will die. I have tried digging them up and setting them back deeper, and they die. I did get Obsidian to grow well, but did not move them with me to the new home. I will add some more of them this season. The tiarellas do fine for me and I have very little lose of them, just Heuchera's.
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renaldo75
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Post by renaldo75 »

I've never been able to figure out why some can't get huecheras to stay alive & I don't have a problem. I just put them in the ground & they grow. No special conditions or treatment of any kind. They are in the same beds as my hostas. Some get a lot of mid-day sun & some get partial shade. The ones in the holding bed get a lot of afternoon sun.

Over this last winter I did have some die for the first time, but I'm pretty sure it was because of watering with a hose last summer. With the ones that died they were too far out of the ground. I knew it last fall, but didn't get them planted deeper. Snow Angel was one of the ones I lost.

Tiarellas & Heucherellas are another story. In the same conditions, they don't overwinter for me very well. Even the ones that had been growing well over last summer have had a lot of winterkill - just a few spots with new growth this spring. I think one of those is due to the same problem with soil washing away as the huecheras. But in previous years I've had them not make it or barely make it & then die in spring.

Lime Rickey I got as a very small plant in 2004. It didn't seem to grow much last year & looks to be the same size this year. It's in the holding bed so I hope it finds a home this year. I was trying to remember if I'd gotten Monet. I don't think I ever found it - it's not listed as one in the holding bed anyway - I sure wanted it though.

The peach colored cultivars like more sun than shade too.
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DryGulch
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pH?

Post by DryGulch »

I think maybe they prefer loam to clay soils?
ICGardner
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Post by ICGardner »

Well, thanks! At least now I know that I am not the only one who has trouble with these plants! Dry Gulch, you may be right as I have LOTS of clay soil although the only one planted in a non ammended bed is the Palace Purple that is old and huge!!!!!!!!!! Maybe I have been planting them in too much shade?
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GrannyNanny
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Post by GrannyNanny »

I grow heucheras all the time, but Monet dies back to a nubbin every year, and takes all summer to return. Snow Angel died on me twice, and I've therefore given up on it. Haven't tried Lime Rickey -- and with all the gorgeous seedlings I have this year, (some of them bright yellow green) I don't think I'll bother. One other Heuchera that died out on me was AmberWaves, so that's off my list, too! Other than those, my garden is full of heucheras of all colors and descriptions, but I think that the ones you had trouble with are just troublesome plants. Phyllis
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Homer_Zn5
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Post by Homer_Zn5 »

I bought Palace Purple as my first Heuchera in 2003, and Lime Rickey and Amber Waves in 2004 as my next two Heuchera. Both LR and AW were probably sold to me far too young, and they were in pint-sized containers. I really didn't have a clue as to what I was doing, as I, too, thought that Heuchera were shade lovers. I put both in beds with my hosta—LR gets maybe a few hours of late afternoon sun, and AW got sun from sunrise to 11:00 a.m. AW disappeared in less than 3 weeks, but LR exploded in size.

LR stayed evergreen for me through the winter and spring of 2004, but died back in February this year (as did many of my Heuchera when we got a late very cold snap). It's coming back quickly now, and I believe it will perform nicely again this year. I'm glad I didn't know it was finicky.

Last year, I went nuts on the Heuchera, and, knock on wood, all of them seem to have come back. I bought another AW as well as Marmalade from a local nursery that had 2 year old plants, and put them in nearly full sun. They have done well, and are looking good today.

All of my Heuchera are in well amended clay soil, and most are in areas that drain readily. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I would say that the trick to having luck with the finicky varieties is the same as finicky hosta: buy them from a good nursery that has wintered them over and grown them to a good size. It's better to pay a little more for a good sized plant than to buy small plants that may not thrive. That's my theory. It may be worth what you paid for it.
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GrannyNanny
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Post by GrannyNanny »

I'm with you, Homer, but I'd add -- or, you can grow your own. I'm going to post some pics of my this year's seedlings on this forum, as soon as I can get them outside for some good light. Phyllis
ICGardner
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Post by ICGardner »

Thanks for the input, Homer! I think I will try again but put them in more sun. Phyllis- looking forward to pictures of your babies! :D
ICGardner
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Post by ICGardner »

What about the lighter colored ones like caramel, amber waves, etc? Anything special I should know? I just bought Caramel and really want it to do well!!!!!
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renaldo75
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Post by renaldo75 »

From what I've heard, give the 'orange' colored ones plenty of sunlight just like the purples.
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ICGardner
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Post by ICGardner »

:cool: I just planted in on the east side of my house where it will get lots of sunshine. THanks, Reldon :D
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renaldo75
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Post by renaldo75 »

Sounds like a good spot for it. :P
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