Winter protected Acanthus-When to remove mulch?

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eclayne East Longmeadow, MA(Zone 5b) Feb 10, 2011

This is the 2nd winter for my Acanthus Mollis in Z5b. Assuming it survived the -12F temps (2' shredded leaves and 30" of snow cover) here's what happened last spring:

1. Partially removed mulch, leaving 8", after ground was no longer frozen (April).
2. 6 leaves pushed through and were killed back by frost.
3. Plant subsequently had very slow start but had a mid-summer spurt to 3' x 3'.

Our last frost date is usually late May. Early May last year.

Since the ground was already unfrozen last year my thought was to simply leave the mulch alone until May (a few weeks before last frost) and then slowly remove.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Evan

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WeeNel Ayrshire Scotland, United Kingdom Feb 11, 2011

Leave the mulch alone till well after ALL dangers of frost have gone, new growth is very tender and even IF there is no day time frost in the air, the night time temps can still be too cold, also you need to wait till the soil warms up a bit too, early May would be time enough and keep the mulch handy encase a frost comes, you can then cover the plant again, I am inclined to scrape away a little earth with my trowel to see IF the plants are sending out new growth, even if there is new shoots, I pop the soil back again for more protection, you really cant go by when the last frost etc is fore-casted as there is always exceptions to weather, just try be patient for longer. happy gardening. WeeNel.

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eclayne East Longmeadow, MA(Zone 5b) Feb 15, 2011

Hi WeeNel,
Thank you for the advice. I've updated my calendar based upon your recommendations. I've often read advice from others re: removing mulch slowly in the spring but without specifics on timing. This should prove most helpful.
Thanks again,
Evan

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Malus2006 Coon Rapids, MN(Zone 4a) Feb 18, 2011

It also depends on the weather - warm wet weathers too early could mean rots if leave mulch on. Remember the US get more unpredictable weather than Scotland.

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eclayne East Longmeadow, MA(Zone 5b) Feb 20, 2011

Hi Malus2006,
OK so we have tender leaves, extremely variable weather (we do frequently get days or periods in the 70's and even 80's in April and May, as well as hard freezes and rarely snow in April. I remember the 20" snowstorm on April Fool's Day 10-15 years ago) and crown/leaf rot to contend with.

Here's the note I added to my garden calendar: "Begin removing mulch as weather warms to prevent crown rot. Replace mulch when frost forecasted, then remove".

I'm assuming crown/leaf rot is of more concern to the health of the plant than loosing early leaves.

Thanks for all the help. Here's a pic of my mother posing with my AcaM.

Thumbnail by eclayne
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