Last year's Heuchera in a pot - what am I supposed to do with this?

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by wcutler, Apr 1, 2024.

  1. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    This is last year's Heuchera 'Marmalade' that has revived after being outside all winter on my covered balcony in the Vancouver West End. Are these generally treated as annuals? If people keep them, how does it work when the new leaves look like they're growing on a little mountain of raised stems, but it's really the top of last year's stem? The soil right now is still a little moist, but it appeared to me that part of the plant wanted water. Do I just let it carry on like this, or do I repot it and set it deeper into the soil? Cut the stem off and re-root it? Cut away the dried leaf stems? It seems it will not look attractive to have the plant growing at the top of a bare stem.
    Heuchera Marmalade_balcony_Cutler_20240401_094621.jpg
     
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  2. Heathen

    Heathen Active Member

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    I haven't heard of anyone using them as annuals ($$$). As for the rest of your questions, yes to all. We used them a lot in planters at commercial sites when I worked for a landscape company. We would groom off all the dead leaves, and cut some of the long stems off to re-root in the same pot. They will sprout again from the old stems too. Just have to watch out for whatever little beetle thing likes to eat the stems at the surface of the soil.
     
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  3. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    The little beetle things are weevils. Their larvae also eat away the roots of primroses as well.
     
  4. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Well, I got new soil, pulled out the stems (was surprised how brittle they were - I just had short bits remaining), groomed off the dead leaves and potted them up. That was yesterday. They haven't died yet. We'll see. Thanks for the reply.
    I'm hoping the weevils won't find my 7th floor balcony.
     

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