soil for saxes

[Kristl Walek]

a through is but a great pocket where water will collect. I would expect to have 2-5 cm of solid ice at the end of the winter

Gote,
In Ontario, where the winters were much colder than yours, and mid to late winter thaws and re-freezing were common---I actually found that plants in troughs did better than those in the ground. In fact over the 20 years or so I had a large trough collection, losses could be counted on both hands---and these were rarely winter losses, but mid-summer heat & humidity rotting of saxes.

In the very hot conditions of our summers there, I tended to use a richer, slightly heavier soil mixture in the troughs, topdressed with rock mulches. I have no idea if this contributed in any way to the successful overwintering.

Also, as Leslie has mentioned, I always plant *very* high initially, so that even after years of "sinking" the plants are still above trough lip level.

Here are some examples of troughs photographed this morning, planted perhaps 10-15 years ago and you will see that most of the saxes are still reasonably high---although for aesthetics, I would prefer for them to be higher still.

After record breaking heat the past two weeks, we are returning to lows of -15C in a few days.

[Lesley Cox]

Those look very good Krystl, and the saxes obviously not planted yesterday. I have great hopes of my new trough crevices which are up to 15 cms above the surface level of the troughs. Once the roots bury down, they seem to be fine and the tops so much safer. Planted at surface level without rocks, they simply burn to death and very quickly. One good hot, windy day will do it.

[Maggi Young]

Planted at surface level without rocks, they simply burn to death and very quickly. One good hot, windy day will do it.

Not only that.... troughs planted in that way look so boring!

[gote]

a through is but a great pocket where water will collect. I would expect to have 2-5 cm of solid ice at the end of the winter

Gote,
In Ontario, where the winters were much colder than yours, and mid to late winter thaws and re-freezing were common---I actually found that plants in troughs did better than those in the ground. In fact over the 20 years or so I had a large trough collection, losses could be counted on both hands---and these were rarely winter losses, but mid-summer heat & humidity rotting of saxes.

In the very hot conditions of our summers there, I tended to use a richer, slightly heavier soil mixture in the troughs, topdressed with rock mulches. I have no idea if this contributed in any way to the successful overwintering.

Also, as Leslie has mentioned, I always plant *very* high initially, so that even after years of "sinking" the plants are still above trough lip level.

Thanks for advice
This about planting high makes a lot of sense to me. I have been reluctant to plant in containers also because the soil gets colder than in the ground but if it works in Ontario I feel tempted to try.
We had 23.6 one night this year. but that is pretty unusual
Cheers
Göte

[Kristl Walek]

Gote,

The plants in the troughs have historically survived up to -40C, even totally exposed,
although the average was -30 to -35C. Go *much* higher than you feel naturally comfortable with when you first plant them. They really sink a lot, especially in the first 2 years.

[gote]

Gote,

The plants in the troughs have historically survived up to -40C, even totally exposed,
although the average was -30 to -35C. Go *much* higher than you feel naturally comfortable with when you first plant them. They really sink a lot, especially in the first 2 years.

I am afraid that I have now swallowed the bait we will see if hook and sinker follows 
Göte

[WimB]

Two more flowering here in the same trough:

Saxifraga sempervivum f. stenophylla
Saxifraga x luteo-purpurea

[WimB]

And flowering here again this year