Re: echinacea
- Subject: Re: echinacea
- From: T* a* M* R*
- Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2002 11:18:43 +1200
Nan Sterman wrote:
>
> Barbara --
>
> I did a radio call in show yesterday and the question came up as to
> whether echinaceae is drought tolerant. The show host had pulled
> down a list of drought tolerant plants from the Internet and
> echinaceae was on the list. My immediate response was that it
> sounded like the list came from another part of the country, and in
> fact, it turned out that the list came from a newspaper in Baltimore.
> Those plants might be fine in an east coast drought but that might
> mean "only" 30 inches of rain. In our dry climates, those plants
> typically need regular water. I don't know if that is the problem
> with your particular plants but it sounds likely.
>
> I'd say, keep up the mulch but water more...
>
Nan
There can be a major problem with any cutural requiremnts which are
weather-dependent, as conditions can vary so widely. A local example
which springs to my mind relates to Delphiniums. English books always
stress growing them in full sun, but in NZ we find in many areas, even
my relatively cool one, they are much happier in part shade, and in
Africa, I remember really lovely big tall spikes could only be grown at
very high altitude where the heat of the sun was noticeably tempered.
So I think it is often wise to follow your example and find out where
such a recommendation actually applies.
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ, "two and a bit" islands surrounded
by water in all directions - 5000 miles to Chile to the east,
Australia 1500 miles NW, South Africa 6000 miles to the west.
