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rootdiggernc

Toadlilies

rootdiggernc
15 years ago

I've been growing toadlilies for several years. Love the fall blooms but the foliage on mine always look bad by the time they start blooming. Is that a given with toadlilies, just certain types or what?

Comments (8)

  • gnomey
    15 years ago

    I'm not sure really. Erin gave me two and they are still in pots for the moment, until I get the soil amended. They looked great when she gave them to me, but since I brought them home it looks like slugs got to the leaves or something. They definitely aren't as pretty as when Erin had them. They are blooming now though, and are so cute that I can forgive the ratty foliage.

  • computergardener
    15 years ago

    I have three in a nice shady area of my natural area and the foliage the deer have not eaten looks great. :-(

    Next year, I have to spray the deer repelant more often.

  • Claire Pickett
    15 years ago

    Mine have a little browning of the leaf, but not bad. They are in part shade.

  • nonews
    15 years ago

    My leaves look good, but no blossoms yet. I think my shade is too dark. I may have to limb up some of the trees.
    Isn't this rain beautiful. Ours is coming steady about medium (not light and not heavy). All the plants are happy. Nancy

  • trianglejohn
    15 years ago

    A lot of them do that. Which is why they failed all the trials to develop them as cut flowers.

  • razorback33
    15 years ago

    Toadlily's are slug magnets! Even moreso than Hostas, at least in my garden. I break out the Sluggo at first sign of munching, which usually does the trick. Some gardners use beer in small containers, others drink the beer and go around at night with a flashlight and pick them off the plants.
    Browning and crisping of the lower foliage seems to be one of the inherent characteristics of the plants. I have tried many different locations, with varying amounts of light and moisture, to no avail. Some of the cultivars with yellow or variegated foliage seem to be more immune to the problem, than the green leaf ones.
    If you have the cultivar, 'Raspberry Mousse', I would advise disposing of it in a landfill or isolate it from all of your other Toadies. The saturated hues in the flowers are caused by a virus and it can and will infect other nearby plants. A Michigan grower, Hallson Gardens, had to dispose of almost all of their stock of Tricyrtis because of infection. Tests by a certified Lab confirmed the presence of a virus.
    The sad part of that story, is that the person who found the plant in his garden, did not recognize a diseased plant, applied for and was granted a patent, which was assigned to a large wholesale NE nursery, whose vaunted Horticulturists also did not recognize a diseased plant!
    End result is; a plant containing a virus, capable of causing widespread destruction, was promoted and widely distributed throughout the country.
    Rb

  • bubba62
    15 years ago

    Mine get tall and gangly by the time they bloom. I've discovered that if I cut back at least the outer perimeter of stems at midsummer, they will branch out, become bushy, and support the inner, taller stems. This also serves to extend the bloom period, since these stems will bloom a bit later than the ones which are left at full height.

  • jenmod
    14 years ago

    Hi bubba62,
    What does midsummer mean to you in terms of trimming back your toadlilies? Have you ever tried trimming the entire plan back? Also, how much of the stem do you trim off? 1/2? 1/3? 2/3? Thanks for any thoughts you may have. I have one particularly unruly toadlily that seems like it's form would benefit from a cut-back. But I don't want to sacrifice all of the flowers!

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