For being successful in growing Bee Balm and Coneflowers in zone 8b?????? I have tried so many times and failed. Last season I had a nice Coneflower in the garden and I thought sure it would come back this season, nada! I'm just about ready to give up completely on these two plants. Do they like really poor soil? Maybe that's my mistake. Maybe I watered them too much?
Lin
What's The Deal??????
Both of mine are in med good soil BUT I have done NOTHING to them. Natural rain is all the water they have gotten. For my coneflowers I just spread the seed. (didn't even push it into the ground). My Bee Balm is coming up all by itself. I didn't ever plant it.
Did yours get full sun or part shade? My plants got part shade in the hottest part of the day.
Lin
Mine are out in the middle of stuff and get full light all day. mostly they get sun until around 3pm then the house shades them.
My coneflowers that look the best are in a soil that has little pea gravel mixed in. It's right by a path and over the years the gravel has been kicked and buried in the beds. I think coneflowers dislike wet feet and are prone to rotting. Oh, and they're in full sun. Now, my monarda's a different story. It crawls along the ground and doesn't bloom, don't know why. I haven't pulled it, maybe next year it will shine.
April, just read this thread, love the buddha and lantern. I think a serpent would be neat. Right now all I have are rabbits, oh and a rooster, I need to branch out.
I think I will try the Monarda seeds and see what happens. I think I have been babying these plants too much. lol And watering them too much. It gets so hot and dry here I guess I think they need water.
Lin
My cone flowers that are in direct full sun all day do not do as well as the ones that are in morning sun and afternoon filtered shade. In August, the ones in full sun start to get leaf burn. I have to water them a lot and they develop stem rot. I have never been successful growing bee balm and finally gave up trying to do so.
htop I'm just glad to hear that somebody else has failed with bee balm. ;) My Mother has three plants growing in her semi shade bed that look very healthy. If she succeeds I might try again. She probably will succeed since she has the 'green thumb' in the family.
I found some Purple Coneflower seeds among all my seeds. Do you think it's too late to try seeds in a pot? I just hate to give up on this pretty plant.
Lin
Dancey....try it, I would try some directly in pots and some a cold-stratification, for about 7 days, before potting them.
I have seen Josephine (Frostweed) plant the seeds in the summer in ground and they grew great.
So I need to give them 7 days of cold treatment before I plant the seeds in a pot?
Dancey I've read different info on them, so I would try both. I haven't been able to get any to germinate for me.
Okay I'll try both ways and see what happens. Wish me luck! Cause this may be my last round with this flower! lol
Good luck! Do you have a raised bed? I bet they would like that because they drain fast and would be less likely to rot. I hate to see you give up on them, they're so pretty. What's your soil like out there?
I had a really tough time with the Coneflower too. after five or six years of continuesly planting them, I finally had on to return this year. The Monarda did very well for me until the mildew started. I cut them back so much trying to get rid of the mildew, I guess it decided not to come back.
Dancey, sorry to hear you are having problems with these two, but I guess misery loves company. These are the two that give me the hardest time and I really want both of them to do well. I've been trying the echinacea for years with minimal success. This year I bought several different kinds in hopes I'd find one that would do well. They are just hanging in there, not doing much. I thought I had lost the Monarda I planted this year, but it seems to be taking hold now, so I'm glad I was patient.
I've got some seeds and may try that. Hope yours do well.
I don't have raised beds but my gardens have very good well draining soil. I think this time I will try the seeds in pots so I can have more control over the sun/shade and moisture. We'll see what happens. ;)
At least I know I'm not the only one that has had problems with these two plants.