On 28 Oct 2007 at 22:43, Jim McKenney wrote:
> Eremurus foliage is definitely susceptible to hard freezes here, so be
> ready to protect the foliage. If they were to sprout like some Muscari and
> produce mature foliage in the autumn, I suspect that even a mild zone 7
> winter would destroy such foliage. But I've never known the foliage to
> grow that much in the fall or winter.
Most of my stuff is likely hybrids. Even if my named species types are happy
here, I'd guess some species would have different requirements than others.
We are very winter wet here in western Oregon. We have a wet spring and
fall (usually). Summer is dry. We are supposed to be zone 8. I'd say no
"zone 8" stuff survives here and I think we are as cold as 7 at least. I don't
cover mine at any time of year. I even water some of them a little bit in
summer and they seem to do fine. Foliage is out in winter and it handles our
light freezing fine. I think these critters come from very cold places and so I
have never worried about cold. If it did get killed back by a harder freeze, I
think it would resprout if the crowns "bud" was not killed.
The "bulbs" in the dry season (when they can be dug) are big spidery
shaped things with a central upward pointing "bud". I'd guess that bud has
the immature leaves and flower stems for the next spring already inside.
I believe the "bulbs" are very fragile in that bruising of the connection
between the heavy spider legs and the crown is easy to do and may lead to
rot later. These things can be difficult to get to survive when first obtained
bareroot. I'd guess rumours of winter wet vulnerability are due to rot from
damage at transplanting (or even worse maybe, shipping and/or storage).
Or, maybe planting too deep? We plant the crown with the bud about 1" (a
few cm) deep. Spider legs hang a bit deeper, however, you do not want to try
to point the spider legs downward!. These "bulbs" can be big and are WIDE.
If you make full grown ones fit in a small box (or tall narrow box) for shipping,
I think they are dead already.
Eremurus and the big alliums together make quite a show.
I love 'em, KellyO
Kelly O'Neill Wet Rock Gardens Flower Farm
U-Pick and more at the farm (open 9 to 6,
Sun, Wed and Fri - from March thru Halloween):
2877 N 19th Street
Springfield, Oregon 97477
gardens@wetrock.com * http://www.wetrock.com/