Lithodora
Forum Archives
sparklemama
Posted: Feb-02-2005 at 10:50am
Hi guys quick question for you, i am widening my front border and need to move some lithodora. how well does it transplant? i planted 10 of these guys as 4' plants and only 4 of them survived but they are huge(and blooming right now). Just a few blooms on each plant but yea!
tommyb
Posted: Feb-02-2005 at 3:05pm
Hope my experience wasn't normal--mine all died when I tried to transplant'em.
Their branches even died when something grew across the top of them.
Hoping someone will have better news,
Tom
Verena
Posted: Feb-02-2005 at 3:30pm
I tried transplanting old established, 2'X 3', Lithodora clumps and they all died. However, what worked was taking the younger sections that had rooted themselves from an older clump. Also, transplanting worked OK with 12' X 12' plants only when a large root 'ball' was included (and the soil didn't fall off!). This was in early spring. I was trying to move the plants because they were choking everything else out, and I got tired of pruning them.
cjmiller
Posted: Feb-03-2005 at 2:19pm
I also tried transplanting, and both the origional mother and the transplanted babies survived the first year, however, the second year they both slowly deteriorated and died, however my daughter's have not been messed with in about 8 years and they are still growing strong. I have a feeling the clue might be the size of the plants, as state by Verena, above.
grammagt
Lisa A
Posted: Feb-03-2005 at 4:52pm You don't say what your site conditions are, sparklemama, but I would imagine that would also impact how well it transplants, based on my growing experience with this plant. It does best in full sun and good drainage. When in prime conditions (for instance, top of a rock wall) it does really well.
Red Hare
Posted: Feb-25-2005 at 2:39pm
I love thaying lithodora - I alwayth feel like I'm thpeaking with a lithp.
I'm glad this subject came up - I have some lithodora by the sidewalk that's been overgrown with grass, and I'm thinking the easiest way to dig out the grass is to dig it ALL up, then replant the lithodora. I'll be sure to take some stem cuttings and make sure they're rooted before I started digging.
Nice drought tolerant plant - nice texture and I love the color blue of the blooms.
sparklemama
Posted: Feb-25-2005 at 3:31pm
i know just how you feel Red. i also have some that is in a border with grass coming up in and all around the lithodora, every year i pull the grass up but i am thinking i will have to dig up the lithodora and deal with the grass. mabey hammer some metal or some kinda edging along the border to stop the grass form growing in there. let me know how your progject ends up.
Sydnie
Posted: Mar-17-2005 at 12:03am
sparklemama Hi ! I have a rock wall with about 30 ft of lithodora, most started as wee plants- but I had a freind give me two humungous lithodoras way back when. They looked mostly dead after a short time, so I cut them way back. This seemed to promote more growth from the roots. (I remember it took quite a while though. like it took a long while though.) I always water things that are newly planted for a yr when it's dry with more attention than established plants. They both did fine. This was top my rock wall. I have had tiny plants I let get dry in the wall die though. This year, I too, have to dig up some and replant to get grass out. Too much to just yank the tops of the grass off now. And I have really tried to get in there to weed it out. Saving the cuttings are a very good idea. I have never tried starting cuttings from them. That would be great. If I can do that I may plant some in the last ten feet or so. It is beautiful! Mass plantings are sooo gorgeous in the spring! I love these plants, too. Beautiful when they get huge ! And they are as Red Hare said wonderfully drought tolerant. I almost never bother to water mine now. Oh and- the bees & hummers like them - which is a grand bonus !
Is there only one kind? Or more. The ones I bought were Grace Ward. Anyone know? Lisa??? I thought I seen one last year with a different name. I remember the flowers were exactly the same.
I like that Lisa- flowers do feed the soul.
aka Cindy
sparklemama
Posted: Mar-17-2005 at 12:46pm
hi sydnie..sounds like you have had good results with your lithodora. Mine are doing well also, but i think i will take cuttings that way if i kill them by digging them up i will be set. i once had a lithodora with pale blue flowers and a white star-like center. i have no idea what the name of it was though, sorry. it ended up in the compost though but it was very beautiful.
Sydnie
Posted: Mar-17-2005 at 6:16pm
I googled last night and there are several different ones. That one with white in particular looked very pretty. I think most of the rest looked like the same plant. I think that they all like acidic soil. I know for sure Grace Ward does & I have plenty of that. My thought was if there are different kinds, maybe some are a bit sturdier than others, or maybe some do better or worse in less acidic soil.
Lithospermum 'Blue Star' syn. Lithodora diffusa 'Blue Star' This one sounds to me like it may not survive hard frosts unless well mulched. This may of been the one you had, since it has blue and white flowers. And this one too- Lithospermum 'Heavenly Blue' syn. Lithodora diffusa 'Heavenly Blue', same thing with the frost.
I live in the mountains and have never mulched Graceward, and she has never been bothered by the extreme cold. I always thought with the exception of the blue with white one Lithodora's were all the same. Apparently not. Live and learn. I was glad to get this information. I would like a blue and white one- but I want it to be quite frost hardy without mulching. I will keep looking. It gets cold here and mulching a plant hanging over a rock wall would be a pain. Don't worry- I also have killed off many many plants over the years. LOL. Don't you hate that !
aka Cindy
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
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