Hellebore trouble-shooting needed

impatience · Post by **impatience** » Jul 20, 2007 1:34 am

Most of my Hellebores are hanging in there with all the rain we have had except for one. It bloomed like crazy and looked fine until a few days ago. Now it has drooped over like my tall sedum does in the fall-splayed in all directions.

I don't know if it has just gotten too wet this summer or what. Even the babies are not a numerous as they were in the spring. The other mature hellebores around it are fine (well, really nothing is fine-but some plants look like they have hope of living until next spring).

Any ideas? Do you think that all this rain (34" in 2 months) after 2 years of serious drought has something to do with my plants just looking horrible? Most of my beds are raised, btw.

Thanks for any help you may have.

Post by **Chris_W** » Jul 20, 2007 10:43 am

Hi,

It does sound like too much water. Hellebores like to stay dry in the summer since this is their dormancy period. I've seen them get overewatered in pots and that's what they do - fall over and open up in the middle completely limp as if they need more moisture, but that isn't really the case... If it dry out they might recover, but chances are somewhat slim as they will have to grow all new roots.

Good luck,

Chris

kHT · Post by **kHT** » Jul 20, 2007 6:30 pm

Imp, I agree with Chris they love staying dry and the PNW, well rain is the name of the game here!! We have our up high on a mound of soil.

We are seeing some strange happenings here this year, one had decided to rebloom after I took tons of seed off here just a month ago??

NWhosta4life · Post by **NWhosta4life** » Jul 20, 2007 10:13 pm

interesting, i am new to hellebores and been trying to grow them as of late...i've been watering them like anything else

. How dry are we talking chris? Do you water or fert at all? if not then when are they actively growing roots-just the spring?

impatience · Post by **impatience** » Jul 21, 2007 10:44 am

Well,

. I pulled on a couple of the leaves and the whole thing came up mushy.

The interesting thing is that it is on a berm and all of the others (about 5 of them with lots of babies) seem fine. Maybe that spot just got more rain-seems weird since it was just about a foot from the others. Another thing that may have happened is that it was planted deeper than the others. Who knows? At least I have several left. Guess I should move the babies around in the fall.

NWhosta-from my understanding hellebores become actively growing in the fall\winter\early spring. During the summer they are dormant. I planted mine on berms so when the sprinkler hit them they would drain quickly. Someone else should be able to answer this better than I. Apparently I am no expert on this.

Thanks for your advice.