echium pininana protection

parkeey
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Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:29 am
Location: south east kent

echium pininana protection

Post by parkeey »

I have 1 echium pininana its grown a good size this year and hoping to get a flower spike next year, at the moment i have just put a black compost bin over the plant with a lid on.. would this be ok,its in complete darkness.. or does it need better winter protection?
jungle jas

Re: echium pininana protection

Post by jungle jas »

I normally throw a fleece bag over mine in cold spells and mulch the roots with leaves,that gets me through a normal winter. I don't think keeping an evergreen in the dark for long periods is good practice, but for a short cold snap it may help. I lost my fleece bags a couple of weeks ago when we had some frosts, I threw a blanket over mine at night that also worked. It depends what sort of a winter we get this year as to your success. icon_thumright Personally I would try the fleece bag method.
multim

Re: echium pininana protection

Post by multim »

The black bin would be okay overnight but not for prolonged use as the excluded light would soften and weaken the growth. Like blanching rhubarb or seakale. I have mine close to the house so am able to coil some rope lights around the base and fitting a fleece bag over the top, if and when the weather gets really cold. If you do use a bag, then try to remember to place some canes around the plant within the bag, in an attempt to stop the weight of sn*w from causing damage to the growing point.
Tom2006
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Location: East Yorkshire UK

Re: echium pininana protection

Post by Tom2006 »

I have this problem. Im considering potting mine up but there is no signifcant cold forecast so might just leave it out for now.
Most wanted list - Any Young Trachycarpus and/or fern.
jungle jas

Re: echium pininana protection

Post by jungle jas »

Tom2006 wrote:I have this problem. Im considering potting mine up but there is no signifcant cold forecast so might just leave it out for now.
Tom, I dont think they like root disturbance. I grew some from seed, but as soon as I potted them up they just faded away. icon_thumright
juneil5

Re: echium pininana protection

Post by juneil5 »

I have successfully got these to flower in Sout Yorkshire on a regular basis. If yo can get the plant to a decent size before planting out after frosts then protect by fleece you should be ok. Covering plant in total darkness will almosr certainly kill it
parkeey
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Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:29 am
Location: south east kent

Re: echium pininana protection

Post by parkeey »

true yea it protected it against that lot of rain we had, i will try build a frame or fleece bag, what about one of those, walk in plastic greenhouses just over the top of it, no way am i digging it up,done that before and lost the plant....
Tom2006
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Re: echium pininana protection

Post by Tom2006 »

Thanks for warning me. I guess I will have to get very creative with some sort of shelter. I have moved it a couple of times before will no ill effect though.
Most wanted list - Any Young Trachycarpus and/or fern.
pdid

Re: echium pininana protection

Post by pdid »

I grew some from seed the year before last, I planted 4 of them out and all but one perished after being wrapped loosely with fleece. The other died when I moved it.

Fortunately I had two left in pots which were left neglected in the shed and came through ok. These were planted out in June this year and have grown well. I am going to leave them to take their chances in my experimental bed along with an unprotected Basjoo, an unprotected Brug and an unprotected solanum pyracanthum (sp)
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JoelR
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Location: West Yorkshire

Re: echium pininana protection

Post by JoelR »

I've got a big one in my front garden which came through last winter in situ with help and should have flowered this year but didn't. I had to cut it back quite hard a few months ago as it was growing out onto my driveway. It's responded by throwing out several new growth points and looks decidedly healthy. I had decided I wouldn't protect it this winter (having potted up 6 or 7 seedlings which came up amongst my leeks on the allotment) but the plant looks so healthy I think I'm weakening. I don't think I could get Echium pininana through even a typical winter with fleece protection as average lows are -8 or -9 but having succeeded last year I'm tempted to try again.
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JoelR
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Location: West Yorkshire

Re: echium pininana protection

Post by JoelR »

Regarding frost protection, I knocked three 6ft lengths of roofing lat timber into the ground to form a loose wigwam type frame and wrapped a 10m length of fleece round 2 plants closely planted. Drawing pins held the fleece onto the frame and whenever we had mild spells of a few days I unwrapped the whole thing.

Of the plants I planted out in their second year only one flowered and all except one of my plants has flowered by the end of the third summer. None of the Echiums I planted out in year 2 suffered any stunted growth but one plant I planted out this year (year three) flowered at only 6ft tall. Another was kept in a pot and produced a flower spike of only 3 or 4 feet so in my experience ideally they should be ok in a pot for their first year but should be planted out in May/June of year 2.
parkeey
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Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:29 am
Location: south east kent

Re: echium pininana protection

Post by parkeey »

this is the 2nd year in the ground, flower next year maybe. if i am lucky

i come up with this as to protect it, some bamboo sticks and thick polythene bag material stuffed with some straw under the leaves and pinned down with rocks. hopefully do the trick and let a bit of light in. :?:
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rufc15lizzie
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Re: echium pininana protection

Post by rufc15lizzie »

juneil5 wrote:I have successfully got these to flower in Sout Yorkshire on a regular basis. If yo can get the plant to a decent size before planting out after frosts then protect by fleece you should be ok. Covering plant in total darkness will almosr certainly kill it
That is good to know Bill.
I have 3 in the garden that I grew from seed, all 3 are very large and was really crossing my fingers there was a chance they would make it through the winter and flower next year. Sounds like fleece and fleece bag is the way to go.
do you just fleece them up during a cold sprll, or fleece them up all winter?
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derrick

Re: echium pininana protection

Post by derrick »

I got mine in a wig wam insulated with cold water tanks and plastic . I don't know if fleece will be enough if it gets cold . In the cold winter of 2010. I had them in a dark insulated frame .And three survived. But some of them went black . I forgot to close the side up and the frost got in . I hope it a warm one like last winter . I did see lots in flower in spring along the south coast.
Half Hardy

Re: echium pininana protection

Post by Half Hardy »

rufc15lizzie wrote:
juneil5 wrote:I have successfully got these to flower in Sout Yorkshire on a regular basis. If yo can get the plant to a decent size before planting out after frosts then protect by fleece you should be ok. Covering plant in total darkness will almosr certainly kill it
That is good to know Bill.
I have 3 in the garden that I grew from seed, all 3 are very large and was really crossing my fingers there was a chance they would make it through the winter and flower next year. Sounds like fleece and fleece bag is the way to go.
do you just fleece them up during a cold sprll, or fleece them up all winter?
I was in the same situation as you last year.I ran out of fleece,so I wrapped my one in an old dressing gown.I uncovered it,as soon as the weather warmed up.I was caught out by a late frost,which spoiled the look of it a bit(you can see the damaged leaves on the pic.).But it did go on to flower and seed.I now have seedlings appearing all over the place.Best of luck with yours.

I took a few photos,knowing it would die after flowering :( .
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