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tulipsmiles

A coulple of silly questions: Bee Balm, Veronica, Russian Sage

tulipsmiles
12 years ago

Hello All,

I'm looking for some guidance from you. I'm having difficulty with the following plants, and hope you can offer some insight and suggestions.

1. Bee Balm "Jacob Kline". I bought it from a local gardener offering perennial divisions. She had a thick and tall plant and it looked healthy and happy. 3 summers later, my bee balm is about 3 straggley stems with one flower on top. And the stems are bent horizontally and twisted and therefor stand about 2 ft tall. I had full intentions of this plant filling in a spot of at least 4' tall x 3- 4' wide. I have been diligent to water it and fertilize it. This doesn't seem to help. It's in full sun in a perennial bed. Hasn't suffered any mold as I have seen online this is susceptible to.

2. Veronica: "incana Minuet" a.k.a Speedwell

Again, this is like the Bee Balm in that it is much less in width and girth than I had anticipated, it is bent and grows horizontally, then vertically to a height of about 24". The mound is green and seems like a ground cover, with a few spikes out of it. It's ironic because its located next to Jacob Kline Bee Balm in my perennial bed. Could this be some kind of nutrient deficiency? I have them both in full sun, watered 2 or 3 time a week, depending on rain fall and they have received a 10-10-10 fertilizer in the spring. This plant was ordered from Bluestone Perennials about 3 years ago and planted immediately.

3. Russian Sage: failure to thrive. (seems to be a common theme here) I bought two of these plants early last season. I planted them in an almost full sun location. They dont get the water that most of my other plants do, as I read they really would rather be a bit thirsty. They came back after the winter, and started green little leafy growth. Then sort of stopped there. They are green, and alive, but not growing in height nor width, not do they have any flowers on them. They are in a location that may not have the most fertile soil, so I threw a few handfuls of nice compost in when I planted them last year. Other than that, I have sprinkled a bit of 10-10-10 fert this spring. They just aren't doing anything. I was so eager for them to be big and purple and beautiful! Is it a matter of time? Will they just need time to get some growth underground and next year will flower? I didn't think they were that finicky...

Any and all info is appreciated. Even if it means you telling me I made the most predictable newbie mistakes!

thanks,

Tulip Smiles : )

Comments (7)

  • carol6ma_7ari
    12 years ago

    I'm wondering if this year's delayed and cold spring might have caused 2 of your perennials to grow sideways before up. I don't keep a garden journal, but wish I did at times like this because it would show me what happened in one particular bitter or windy week. I'm also wondering if they are in full sun, or only, say, 6 hours of sun. That could cause a slow growth.

    As for the Russian sage, I too have problems with it, then see it in other gardens all tall and sprightly. I do know it does like sunny and dry locations. But no flowers yet? Mine, which admittedly are not doing great, do have those purple things on their feathery stalks right now.

    Sometimes certain plants just don't do well in certain soils or locations. But if you move them, you risk setting them back in their growth.

    I hope someone else here can make more sense than me!

    Carol

  • diggingthedirt
    12 years ago

    Hi tulips - Well, that's disappointing!

    Could you tell us about how you prepared the soil where these plants are growing (or, rather, not growing)? Could there be a drainage issue? I suspect that you made a common newbie mistake; incomplete soil prep, but it's hard to tell for sure from your post.

    I've had plants fail to thrive when I've put them into "planting holes" instead of into deeply dug beds. If you live in an area like mine, there are layers of clay in the soil, and these need to be broken up; then you need to add lots of organic material so you'll have the drainage plants need.

    Also, I would not recommend fertilizing Russian Sage, or any other subshrub, unless you actually know that there's a deficiency in the soil. Throwing on a handful of fertilizer may seem like a quick fix, but it's not, really.

    If I were you, I'd send off a soil sample to the county extension service, and ask for a test of acidity as well as major nutrients. And, I'd do a drainage test. Instructions for the latter are on line - it involves digging a hole near your plants, filling it with water, and seeing how long it takes for the water to drain.

    Are there other plants near these troublemakers, and are they doing well?

  • tulipsmiles
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Hello carol6ma and digginthedirt! Thanks for your feedback.
    Diggin, the situation is a disappointment! Well said.
    So, I think you may be on to something when you mention the soil prep. I probably didn't do much other than dig a 2ft x 2ft hole and like I mentioned, threw some compost, and usually a little bone meal if I have it on hand. Yes, the bee balm and veronica are in a bed and most everything else in it is happy. That would include, some day lilies, several Clematis, a rose, a lace cap Hydrangea, Rudebekia, Phlox, Obedient Plant and Lupine. Although, I did have a Shasta Daisy and a Penstemon that didnt make it past season one. I'm thinking drainage may be my issue. If that is the case, could I dig up the bee balm, and sort of "fix" the hole with sand and more rocks, and replant? Same with the Veronica?
    I really like both of those plants, so I'm hoping to find a solution to keep them. But to be honest, I dont really notice clay in my soil and usually find that it is rich, brown and full of fist sized rocks. (that are quite difficult to remove!)
    As for the Russian Sage, it is located at the top of the hill in our pool area, which I imagine was created when all the dirt was removed from the hole dug for the pool. Its quite dry up there, and has been a challenge for me to grow much, except for Tiger Lilies. My mom politely reminded me that they'll grow in an empty ditch...so that doesn't say much. That is why I added the compost when planting the sage. But perhaps its a matter of right plant, wrong spot.
    I will send off a soil sample as you suggested. I imagine it will offer some great insight to my dilemna(s)!

    Thanks again,
    Tulipsmiles
    Thanks again to you both!

  • terrene
    12 years ago

    Tulips, I don't grow Russian sage but will comment on the others.

    'Jacob Cline' is a cultivar of Monarda didyma, which is a moisture loving species. It also does very well in a partial sun position. If yours are straggly after 3 years, that is very strange! It normally spreads rampantly if it's happy. I would move the Bee balm to a part sun location with moist rich soil.

    All the cultivars of Veronica I've had seem weak and short-lived (die out after a few years). I used to have 4 plants of Veronica spicata, now down to one. I bought Sunny Border Blue years ago, finally shovel pruned it last fall, it was measly and pathetic. I won't be acquiring any more of these.

  • diggingthedirt
    12 years ago

    Don't add sand to a garden bed, you'll just create a fine grade of concrete! Add organic material instead.

    Even moisture-loving plants need drainage. Here's one set of directions for a percolation (drainage) test (there's a simpler one at organicgardening.about.com) if you prefer, I just trust Cornell as a resource.

    To test drainage, dig a hole about 1 foot deep. Fill with water and allow it to drain completely. Immediately refill the pit and measure the depth of the water with a ruler. 15 minutes later, measure the drop in water in inches, and mulitply by 4 to calculate how much water drains in an hour.

    Less than 1 inch per hour is poor drainage, indicating the site may stay wet for periods during the year. Plants that don't tolerate poor drainage will suffer. 1 to 6 inches of drainage per hour is desirable. Soils that drain faster than 6 inches per hour have excessive drainage, and you should consider choosing plants that tolerate dry conditions and "droughty" soils.

    Here is a link that might be useful: soilbasics at cornell.edu

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    12 years ago

    The only one of these plants that I grow is Monarda Jacob Kline, so I can't comment on the others.

    Maybe you're watering too much - 2 or 3 times a week sounds excessive for this plant, even in full sun, if you're watering thoroughly each time and the weather isn't full drought and dry. I have sandy loam, well amended with compost, and the Jacob Kline is watered mostly like the other plants in the bed, although I keep a beady eye on it. If it seems to be wilting a bit I'll give it an extra shot of water, but not every few days. Granted my plants are very well mulched so the soil holds water.

    I avoid moisture-loving plants because I'm in an area where it can get very dry (also zone 6 on the deep south shore). Jacob Kline hasn't been very demanding here. I decided to take a chance of it because it's a hummingbird magnet, and I haven't regretted that decision.

    You might try backing off with the extra water and watching to see how the plants react.

    Claire

  • spedigrees z4VT
    12 years ago

    Sorry for the problems you're having with these three plants, tulip. I pretty much agree with Carol that some plants just seem to thrive in certain locations and soils, and do poorly in others. For instance lupines have failed miserably for me, while they re-seed and flourish for other NE gardeners. My solution is usually to allow the unhappy plants to die out and replace them with something that is clearly happier here.

    I can't begin to tell you why, or even what variety of bee balm I have, but a single stem of it came into my garden as a stowaway from a nursery in a clump of phlox of the same color. As you can see it has multiplied and colonized the area. Fortunately it's a welcome addition. If it helps at all, the soil it is in is well drained and also well fertilized with manure, probably on the acidic end of the ph scale.