All this freezing weather has made my hellebores lay flat on the ground. What can I do? Will they perk back up? Usually they just nod their heads a little and then stand back up by the afternoon. This time they just stayed nodding and now they are on the ground. I brought my black one into the garage because it is in a pot still, but I don't know what to do about the others. Should I water them tomorrow or will that just make matters worse? My poor 'Ivory Prince' has bent flower stems. Waaaaah! Help!
Kas
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend; and inside a dog, it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
Boy, Doris. I sure hope you are right. They look so dry and wilty. I would hate to lose them. I have a real pretty picotee one that is in bad shape. My Ivory Prince can be replaced easily. Thanks for the encouragement.
Kas
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend; and inside a dog, it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
Mine all look the same way right now. But I've seen this happen every winter with other plants (cyclamen, etc), and they all seem to bounce back when the temperatures go up. I've seen the Hellebores get flattened for a day by low temps and come right back. I'm hoping this prolonged cold spell will not hurt them. They're tough, and cold hardy.
Of the four I have sitting ehre in pots three look just fine, but the other I have no hope for this years flowers to pop back to life. The stems are totally wilted and soft. Irreparably damaged. The plant itself look sokay though and the new shoots that are waiting to come up are still solid and look healthy. I hope you're right about the cyclamen too - poor thing is completely wilted and drooped. I forgot tot pull him up next tot he house with the other tender plants. This stupid coldsnap needs to get over with!
~ Mike
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t
matter and those who matter don’t mind.” - Theodore Geisel, aka Dr.
Seuss
Ugh. I think the flowers are done for, also. My Mardi Gras Parade black that is still in a pot is half wilted and half upright. I tried propping the wilted flower up, but it just sagged down anyway. The other two stems are just as firm as can be. I sure hope the roots of the ones in the ground are alright. I heard from my neighbor that it is supposed to get into the 40's on Monday and rain all next week. Anyone heard anything like that? We don't have TV, so I don't get to see the forecast.
Kas
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend; and inside a dog, it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
Well, how are everyone's plants? The freezing temps are gone, and the rain started today. Half of my Hellebores look like they did before the freeze. The rest are still droppy, but look better. Some of the foliage may have been damaged by our colder than usual temps, but overall, I think they came out of this ok. How about you guys?
Well, my yellow one looks like it did before the freeze (almost), but my picotee one is still flat as is most of my Ivory Prince. My pink one and my purple one are looking a little better and the black one still is half and half. I took some pics, but now I have to relearn how to resize and all that so I can post.
Kas
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend; and inside a dog, it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
Ouch Doris! Some of mine were floppy of late but the snow protected them, and it wasn't all that cold anyway. Maybe the coldest night was low-mid 20s. Snow fell, melted, then fell again.
Insam, those are beautiful plants! Your yellow is so much clearer than mine. Awesome!
Mine are looking so much perkier today. I am so happy! My picotee one is standing upright! I am so relieved to see that. Now we just need my Mardi Gras Parade black to stand up and all will be well in the garden.
Kas
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend; and inside a dog, it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
Good news Doris! It will be interesting to see what effect, if any, a late hard freeze has on seed development, particularly on the individual flowers that were further along. I'm guessing it would be about like a late March freeze in my garden.
A late freeze would definitely keep the pollinators from making the rounds. Thank goodness it isn't a one shot deal on making seed!
Insam, some of your "coming to you" hellebores are similar to what you already have, but I think you'll have enough diversity.
My hellebores have bounced back up, but we got about 1/2" of snow last night and they're all back on the ground again. Some are completely mush and I've cut them back to the ground to let the new growth come on out, but a few have seemed to tolerate this bizzare weather better than others.
We had snow this morning, too, but tonight, I can home, and the Hellebores are all up again. Good lord! They seem to take a lickin' and keep on tickin'!
Joseph, I will certain keep you posted on how the seed production is this year. I'm curious myself. Last year was an excellent seed year. We'll see.
I would hate to lose them. I have a real pretty picotee one that is in bad shape. My Ivory Prince can be replaced easily. Thanks for the encouragement.
