What's going wrong with my heuchera?

Slinky

It's been fine up until a couple of weeks ago when it started going brown. So I started chucking watr on it, now I'm not sure if it's too wet or too dry?  Any ideas please before I lose it?

carly

I find that the varieties with paler or green leaves do not thrive in sunshine as well as the darker or purple leaved varieties , could it be the recent hot sunny weather? Or the  position the heuchera is planted in perhaps?

Slinky

carly said:

I find that the varieties with paler or green leaves do not thrive in sunshine as well as the darker or purple leaved varieties , could it be the recent hot sunny weather? Or the  position the heuchera is planted in perhaps?

It is in a sunny spot. I wonder if I can find something to shade it with temporarily. We have a Soda Cherry Cola variety a couple of feet away that's faring much better. The green one is Lime Marmelade.

Dustyevsky

It'sa Heuchera; a magnet for vine weevils, so it may be their grubs eating the roots if you have the blighters in your area.

I thought it's too early to consider vine weevils when my primulas started to wilt and look sad, but examination today revealed the grubs, chomping away.

Another possibility is spider mites. I have those as well!

Slinky

Dustyevsky said:

It'sa Heuchera; a magnet for vine weevils, so it may be their grubs eating the roots if you have the blighters in your area.

I thought it's too early to consider vine weevils when my primulas started to wilt and look sad, but examination today revealed the grubs, chomping away.

Another possibility is spider mites. I have those as well!

I'm not aware of having vine weevils, and certainly the nearby heuchera which is darker in colour looks very healthy.

-taff

Possibly too dry and sunny for it. Mine did really well in pots when they were in shade most of the day and the ones that are currently in a pot are overshadowed by other stuff and are doing well. Is this a this year purchase or has it been there a while?

Slinky

-taff said:

Possibly too dry and sunny for it. Mine did really well in pots when they were in shade most of the day and the ones that are currently in a pot are overshadowed by other stuff and are doing well. Is this a this year purchase or has it been there a while?

It's been in about a year. It did struggle to get going last year and I thought I was going to lose it then. I had bought it from what my friend calls the 'vile pile' at the garden centre, so it wasn't in the best condition, but it improved massively. It's just over the past couple of weeks when it's been so warm and sunny that it's gone downhill.

Debating now whether to dig it up and move it, only we're going to be away for over 2 weeks in 2 weeks time so I'm not sure whether it's best left where it is for now.

twopenny

I've got one in the front garden, poor very dry soil and although dark leaved it is suffering - where the ones out back with more depth and better soil. Also less exposed to summer wind.

It could also be the heat reflected off the slate. The pale green is more tender than the darker ones.

I think if it's 2 weeks I'd be inclined to dig wide round it and put it in a pot, stand in water until the soil ball is soaked through. Then keep it in the shade. Perhaps have what you need for when you get back ready to deal with it.

Funnily enough I found this when sorting my photos. Not in the sun all day, just in someones garden.

Slinky

I'm worried about it drying out in a pot while we're away. We're in Suffolk and just not getting any rain at the moment, little in the forecast, and if this year is like last year, there'll be nothing while we are away either.  I know others are suffering from too much rain at the moment, we've had next to nothing in the last month.

Working_Mum

Slinky said:

I'm worried about it drying out in a pot while we're away. We're in Suffolk and just not getting any rain at the moment, little in the forecast, and if this year is like last year, there'll be nothing while we are away either.  I know others are suffering from too much rain at the moment, we've had next to nothing in the last month.

I came across an old gardening book on my Mum's bookshelf  - it was from the 1980's i think and was quite sweet in a lot of ways. They dedicated a page to "wicking" as a way of keeping plants moist whilst people are on holiday. They'd fashioned a system out of strips of cut up t shirt ad a bucket but I reckon there is probably a much more modern version available nowadays! 

I don't think you've got anything to lose - it looks like it is toiling where it is at the minute so reducing its stress and popping it in a big pot in the shade may do it the power of good.

Have a lovely holiday  

-taff

Good idea WM...There's also the upside down pop bottle with a hole drilled or poked in the cap, to drip water. I'd just expand on Wm's idea and sit it on top of a bucket with a brick in it, sit it on a tray, put a piece of fabric, like t shirt stuff in the tray and dangling down the sides and fill the bucket up. It will last at least a couple of weeks like that. And they dont mind the dry for a bit as long as there's shade, less stress.