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kerstin_linnea

hellebore growing a new crown?

Kerstin_Linnea
19 years ago

HI!

I have been peeking at my helleborus royal heritage for a good two months now, the plant came my way on fallsales and looked great, quart pot with four large branches of healthy growth.

I left the leaves on over winter utill they started looking ratty, The heart of the the plant, above the soil , was all browned and dried up, not rotted just deadlooking.

Today I look again and it has a other 'center' shooting up next to the old one.

I have never seen this before, sure widening clumps but not like this..?

Can anyone explain this for me? the plant is two years old,How come I have not even seen any growth on it yet??

I do not know how to post pic's here but if you want to see one, mail me, I DO know how to e-mail them, barely .. :-)

klk

Comments (6)

  • Greenmanplants
    19 years ago

    Doesn't sound like a real problem.
    You should plant with the crown about 1" below the surface. I suspect what's happened here is that the plant has decided to regrow below the old crown because it was too exposed and although the roots wer still Ok the crown had lost the ability to produce new growth. At worst you've set it back a bit. If it had been planted a little deeper, you would possibly have both crowns growing now, not just the new one, however, the reality is that if the roots are undamaged, they will push out more or less that same amount of top growth as they would have otherwise.

    Cheers Greenmanplants

  • Kerstin_Linnea
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Hi green man!
    I have paid closer attention to the crown and it seems to do fine.
    However, the same cultivar right next to it, purchased at the same time looking very simmilar, albeit a little bit smaller, and planted on the same level, rotted!
    The pointy tip came right out and looked like a frost nipped artichoke...
    You know, brown frozen and mushy , several leaves surrounding the tip was also rotted at the bottom of the leaf, I assume that the whole plant is a goner?
    I cleared away some of the mulch so the sun gets to dry it up a bit.
    Do have any idea's as to saving this possibly dead plant?
    If it is slightly affected by crown rot, is there a chance that the roots are still ok?
    Should I dig it up without delay?
    I don't get it, we have not had so much rain and I certainly haven't watered it...
    Do you mean that the crown should be UNDER the soilline?
    Planted like a peonie?
    Besides, I gave them a wide birth of builders sand in the bed... all should have drained....???
    Thanks, klk

  • jackied164 z6 MA
    19 years ago

    My hellebores are doing the same thing. I must admit I am a total novice though so I thought it was normal. I also got mine at a late summer perennial sale. It has only been the last week that they emerged from a snow bank. Most of the existing leaves looked like they had some blackspot or other fungal disease so I cut them off. I would love it if they would flower but it sounds like I may have to wait for another year. The new crowns look very vigorous. I planted them about 1/2 inch below the level they were in the quart containers.

  • dbarron
    18 years ago

    Sounds like drainage problems in the bed to me. I've never lost a hellebore though...so my experiences and thoughts may be off the wall :)

  • jackied164 z6 MA
    18 years ago

    well despite my concerns my plants are blooming and they are really beautiful and I am very happy. I hope over time they grow into a more substantial clump.

  • DaveBien
    18 years ago

    Kerstin,

    I'm out in DuPage County near St. Charles and I also have the same Hellebores as you which you probably bought from Park Seeds. I got the smaller sized ones 2 yrs ago and mine looked the same as your's this spring. I thought I had lost all 12 of them, but they're coming back just fine. My guess is that it was the crazy winter/spring we've both had this yr. Hope your's continue to do OK.

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