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dottie_in_charlotte

HotLips should have sprouted and leafed out by now

Shouldn't it? Both HotLips and the pineapple sage/salvia both were clipped down to about 12-16" after frost late last fall. I covered each with a big plant pot suspended above to keep the rain off the stalks/freezing damage.

Should have left them alone.

If they were going to come back, I guess they would have by now given Miss Huff lantana is awake and growing.

Comments (7)

  • tamelask
    14 years ago

    Mine are all back now, and have been about a month. In fact, the one i gave a pretty severe haircut early this spring, knowing it might kill it. Where i put it, it's overshadowing a peony i want to get bigger, so if had died i wouldn't have been too upset. It didn't though. I need to take some cuttings and deliberately kill it but i have a hard time doing that. It's not in a place where i can easily dig it out to move it.

  • dottie_in_charlotte
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Well, that's confirming what I thought. Thanks Tam. Guess that will give me about three more square feet of planting area and about 12 sq feet of air space above the garden. Those two plants got huge and shaded more area than I would have preferred.

  • mle17
    14 years ago

    Mine all just came back within the last week. Some have just started showing up in the last couple days. I was getting worried as well - First though all were lost, then was convinced half had died, but they are all up. Don't give up hope!

  • tamelask
    14 years ago

    yeah, that's my problem too dottie- they get too big! But they're so pretty i hate to cut them back.... and i really hate to outright kill it. But i don't want to move the peony either, since they resent that big time. It's scarlet o'hara and i paid a pretty penny for her, so i guess i'll have to buck up and either trim the heck out of hot lips and/or relocate some cuttings. Here's hoping yours show up in the next week r 2. You are just a bit cooler than me so i'll cross my fingers for you!

  • dottie_in_charlotte
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Too late..the deed is done and now I have lots more space for my beloved coleus.
    OK..pulled 2 perennials/bought (don't ask how many) more annuals and perennials. One of those days and for these I haven't the holes already dug.
    Good thing tomorrow is supposed to start off cool again.

  • karen__w z7 NC
    14 years ago

    My Hot Lips also got too big last year, but I whacked it way back a couple of weeks ago after it started to leaf out and it's already filled out and blooming. Sometimes it pays off to be hard-hearted in the garden.

  • Phylla
    14 years ago

    Dottie,
    This winter with large temperature drops, especially that last one, took out a lot of marginally hardy plants. Your two salvias were among the most often cited I've heard, especially if they were under three years old established. Older specimens died back more than usual, but came back with new growth. Agastache rupestris was also hit hard; couldn't take that last big drop in temperature.

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