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What to do with my Penstemon now?

msqingxiaomsqingxiao Posts: 482
in Plants
Hi all, I bought a Penstemon hartwegi Phoenix Pink in a 9cm pot recently. It arrived with lots of flowers on already and I planted out into the ground. Now after some heavy rains the flowers have mostly dropped. I wonder what I should do next? It has only one stem at the moment, so I can't take any cuttings yet. Deadhead the only flower stem? Thanks!


Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 26,984
    edited July 2021
    I would cut it just above the third set of leaves down. You have a nice new shoot there.

    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • msqingxiaomsqingxiao Posts: 482
    B3 said:
    I would cut it just above the third set of leaves down. You have a nice new shoot there.

    Thanks and nice observation! I can't even tell a new shoot from normal leaves yet...  :D Will do as told
  • B3B3 Posts: 26,984
    Also, I think you'll find that slugs aren't particularly interested in penstemons so to might like to use that plastic shield thing on something else.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • msqingxiaomsqingxiao Posts: 482
    B3 said:
    Also, I think you'll find that slugs aren't particularly interested in penstemons so to might like to use that plastic shield thing on something else.
    Great to hear!  :D I'm just being extra cautious as slugs have attacked some of my other plants which are said to be slug-proof... e.g. hydrangea, Campanula (mowed the seedlings down even before they get a chance to flower...)
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,060
    The slugs go for the Campanula glomerata but I’ve had no trouble with the Campanula persicifolia.  Apart from it spreading everywhere. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • msqingxiaomsqingxiao Posts: 482
    Lyn said:
    The slugs go for the Campanula glomerata but I’ve had no trouble with the Campanula persicifolia.  Apart from it spreading everywhere. 
    Mine was Campanula Carpatica, sowed from seeds
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,060
    It’s so disheartening when you’ve grown the plants from seeds, nurtured them planted them out and slugs have them.i don’t grow that variety. 
    I am trying  to get my garden planted up with all slug resistant plants,  penstemons are a must, long flowering, wide range of colours and of course slug resistant. 

    Dahlias will be going, I’ll leave the ones that are already in the ground, won’t be sowing anymore seeds though. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • msqingxiaomsqingxiao Posts: 482
    Lyn said:
    It’s so disheartening when you’ve grown the plants from seeds, nurtured them planted them out and slugs have them.i don’t grow that variety. 
    I am trying  to get my garden planted up with all slug resistant plants,  penstemons are a must, long flowering, wide range of colours and of course slug resistant. 

    Dahlias will be going, I’ll leave the ones that are already in the ground, won’t be sowing anymore seeds though. 
    I grew my Dahlia from bulb and kept it indoors until it's a reasonable size, then planted out with a copper ring. Slugs didn't attack it until it's outgrown the copper ring. Now slugs still eat the lower leaves but it's not doing too much damage to the plant overall. 

    Earlier in the year I was protecting my young seedlings in the ground with half-cut coke bottles which I think was effective. Can't do that on small clumpy seedlings such as campanula and livingstone daisies though. 

    I've also just planted the giant lily bulbs that I received from end-of-season sale, in big pots, and I move the pots back into my porch every night to avoid slug damage. A lot of work but hopefully worth it.
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