Parkeey unless you are in a mild area or we have an exceptionally mild winter you are going to struggle to keep an echium alive during winter. Its not a good idea to keep any plant wrapped up for months. I have tried a bale of straw round a 6ft plant with a water proof cover and it still snuffed it. My only success has been to leave them in a pot for 2 years and plant out to flower in the final year. I am not saying they could not be protected to make them survive the winter but its hard work and disappointing when it fails to survive.
John
echium pininana protection
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MonkeyDavid
- Posts: 417
- Joined: Fri May 15, 2009 7:12 pm
- Location: Telford, Shropshire
Re: echium pininana protection
Exactly my experience & what i do, i have 3 in the greenhouse which i'm confident will flower next yearJohn P wrote:Parkeey unless you are in a mild area or we have an exceptionally mild winter you are going to struggle to keep an echium alive during winter. Its not a good idea to keep any plant wrapped up for months. I have tried a bale of straw round a 6ft plant with a water proof cover and it still snuffed it. My only success has been to leave them in a pot for 2 years and plant out to flower in the final year. I am not saying they could not be protected to make them survive the winter but its hard work and disappointing when it fails to survive.
John
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sanatic1234
Re: echium pininana protection
I would disagree with that sorry. I don't live in a mild area and i got mine through and i had lower than the -5c they are meant to pack up and die. I think location as to where you plant, shelter, as much sun as it can get things like that will help. I kept mine dry and only used protection when needed and as stated got mine through that was 2011/12 winter i got mine through and that was cold lowest -12c. Not sure if where it was planted got -12c but i know for certain that year was very cold. Mine had only fleece protection but more layers over the growth point.
Parkeey. I am surprised you have yours protected yet with you being down in kent and south of the UK. Even mine hasn't seen protection yet and i am east midlands so not as warm as you. (lucky git
) I would seriously only protect if you are forecast say a -3 or -4c as it could get a little lower but if you don't have those forecast then keep it off the light and fresh air will keep it happy. 
Parkeey. I am surprised you have yours protected yet with you being down in kent and south of the UK. Even mine hasn't seen protection yet and i am east midlands so not as warm as you. (lucky git
) I would seriously only protect if you are forecast say a -3 or -4c as it could get a little lower but if you don't have those forecast then keep it off the light and fresh air will keep it happy.