Re: eremurus

Kitty,

Those are gorgeous. Much prettier than the ones I once grew - I'll have to
hunt them down.

I wonder if you could put them in shallow boxes of vermiculite until the
sale day, then bag them at POS.  That way, they wouldn't need a lot of soil
or space.

d



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "kmrsy" <kmrsy@netzero.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 10:53 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] eremurus


> Rich,
> A-Z says zones 5-8 and these did bloom well previously in my zone 5a
garden.
> See:
> http://www.robsplants.com/plants/EremuCleop.php
> for pictures.
> Below is the info I have used when I've sold these at our bulb sale.  This
> is followed by a more extensive, though not long, coverage by Ann Lovejoy
> that I use as a handout.  If you are interested, let me know and I'll send
> them out.
>
> Eremurus 'Cleopatra'
> Foxtail Lily
> Plant:  6 in deep, 36 in apart
> Height:   3 - 6 feet
> Bloom:   May / June
> Color:   Light Orange
>
> Tall, graceful candles from yucca-like leaves, open up from mysterious
> beginnings.  Fun to watch. Also known as Desert Candles, these magnificent
> spires of dense flowers are one of the most spectacular, early
> summer-flowering blooms.  Cleopatra is burnt-orange with darker red
midribs.
>
> Plant immediately.  Cover the spidery rootstocks with six inches of soil.
> They prefer rich, very well-draining soil with nice, bright sun and
> protection from wind.  Mulch well.  Sandy soil enriched with compost or
> leafmold is ideal.  Handle the roots with care, as they are brittle.  Dig
a
> wide, shallow hole and plant with the pointed bud in the center facing up.
> If plants become over-crowded, they may push crowns out of the soil.  Dig
> and lift them carefully, tease apart and replant.
>
> Planting Eremurus by Ann Lovejoy
>
> The curiously shaped roots of eremurus often present a puzzle to
first-time
> growers, who wonder what on earth to do with what looks like a
limp-fingered
> starfish.  For starters, handle them with care - those fingerling roots
are
> easily detached.  All eremurus have a swollen central bud with radiating
> roots, but vary somewhat by species.
>
> Eremurus prefer fairly shallow planting and quickly lift themselves to the
> soil surface if planted too deeply.  Newly planted eremurus fare best when
> the central bud is set just a few inches below soil level with the long
> shoots sloping down and away.  This involves excavating a generous hole,
one
> at least 6 inches wider than the wheel of roots.  Dig the hole to a depth
of
> about a foot.  If the garden soil is light and drains freely, you can
simply
> mound up a flattened hill of compost and aged manure in the center of your
> excavation.  Set the big roots on this mound, with the hairy crown bud
> facing up.  If you are faced with stiff clay soil that does not drain
> freely, make your excavation deeper and line it with two to three inches
of
> fine gravel.  Top this with a few inches of blended compost, aged manure,
> and grit, then add a small mound.  Again, center the bud atop this,
sloping
> the fat roots off to the sides.  Finally, surround each central bud with a
> wide (8 to 12 inch) circle of grit to promote quick drainage.  In both
> cases, cover the roots with quick draining planting mixture.
>
> Where slugs are rampant, a topdressing of sandy grit and diatomaceous
earth
> protects from both excess moisture and slimy predators.  Such gritty
> mixtures are also useful where summers are wet.  In Europe, 4 to 6 inch
> mounds of grit are heaped over each bud as dormancy approaches (in mid to
> late summer).  These mounds serve multiple functions, keeping the
slumbering
> buds dry, warding off winter frost, discouraging slugs, and reminding the
> gardener that something of value is resting beneath the apparently unused
> space.
>
> If you have a hard time deciding which end is up, look closely at the
> swollen crown bud.  Generally, one side is smoother and rounder, while the
> other has one or more pointed tips, rather like tulip bulbs.  The smooth
> side produces fine feeding roots, while the pointy buds break into next
year
> 's bloom stalks.  The side roots can also give you a clue; in many species
> these roots flop out and down if you support the crown bud in your hand.
> Bigger, stiffer side roots such as those of E. robustus won't flop, but in
> such plants, the central bud usually rises much higher above the roots on
> the bud side than on the feeder root side.
>
> Should you succeed so well with your eremurus that they become
overcrowded,
> they will begin to push themselves out of the soil.  In that case, when
the
> plants have finished blooming and the stems have browned off, lift the
great
> roots with a garden fork, beginning well away from the stalks.  As you
> loosen the soil, you will see densely interlayered mats of roots.  Fork
> these up whole, then tease the crowns gently apart.  It is almost
impossible
> to do this without losing a few root fingers in the process, but working
> slowly allows you to see where the roots lie, which helps minimize damage.
> Use a big, wide-tined farmer's fork rather than a narrow border tool to
> reduce breakages.  Cover the newly dug roots with a tarp or heel them into
a
> nursery bed until their new homes are ready.           ? A.L.
> Kitty
> neIN, Z5
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Rich Apking" <red4@omni-tech.net>
> To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2005 10:42 PM
> Subject: RE: [CHAT] eremurus
>
>
> > Hi Kitty,
> >
> > Is this a lily I could grow here on the North border of Z-5?  Also what
do
> > they look like, the reason is I wouldn't mind if a few came this way if
> they
> > could survive.  Also the discussion of Baptista; will that grow here?
and
> if
> > so, which cultivar or variety would be best in my location.  Thanks in
> > advance for your advise.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [o*@hort.net]On
> > Behalf Of Chapel Ridge Wal Mart National Hearing Center
> > Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2005 1:08 PM
> > To: meditplants; gardenchat@hort.net
> > Subject: [CHAT] eremurus
> >
> >
> > My Foxtail Lilies (Eremurus x isabellinus 'Cleopatra', a Shelford
Hybrid)
> > did not flower this year.  It was either because they were crowded or
too
> > shaded, probably both.  I dug them up to put something else in,
separated
> > them and laid them out to cure.  What now?  I thought I might try
selling
> > them cheaply as is - I don't want to  pot them as they require a lot of
> > width, meaning a lot of soil - and since I can't be sure why they didn't
> > flower, I don't want to waste the soil or my space on them or ask much
$.
> > (sale is end of August)  But they seem healthy and very flexible after
> > having just been dug.  I fear the roots will get more fragile as time
> passes
> > out of the soil.  What would you do with them?  Store in moist
> vermiculite?
> > Toss in the trash?  any ideas?
> >
> > Kitty
> > northeast Indiana, Zone 5

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