Specific Families and Genera > Saxifraga

Should I write them off?

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David Nicholson:
In order to get some colour into a new raised bed I bought a few Saxs from the garden centre which looked really nice earlier in the year. Now though, two of them are looking distinctly tatty with the cushions breaking apart and looking dead inside, maybe because of all the wet weather we have had. I think I have read somewhere that when this happens it is possible to fill the gaps in the cushions with gritty compost and that new growth will be made.

Is this so, or should I just cut my losses and get some new plants next Spring?

Carlo:
David,

Having just posted an article on the website titled "Killing with a purpose" my answer SHOULD be to yank them and put nice ones back next year....

BUT....

If you don't mind them looking a bit punky for a while, putting gritty soil into the bare spots (*if not gritty enough, you'll just hasten the inevitable...) OR...

Since the don't look tooooooo bad, lift the skirts (which will have the effect of bunching the remaining growths back into cushion form) and put extra GRAVEL underneath to hold the affair together.

Give it a go...they aren't goners yet.

mark smyth:
The mossy saxs get wide with age so I personally would pull them out and buy encrusted saxs

Lesley Cox:
Don't do that David. There's nothing wrong with mossy sax's. Go with what Carlo says, and even if you leave them as is, you'll find there will be new autumn growth which will fill them out, quite soon. Each tatty rosette will make new little ones and so fill up the spaces. But the gravel around and under is good. You should also take a few rosettes off, as cuttings, just putting the stems into damp sand, and they'll root in no time, as new, chunky little plants. Put something into the tatty bits and round about that will do for grass grub and vine weevils. Both LOOOVE all kinds of Saxifrage.

ian mcenery:
David I would go with Leslie on this one. Last year the hot summer played havoc with my kabshia saxs most of which were growing in tufa. I carefully cut out the dead (took a few cuttings as well) and as Carlo said top dressed where I could. They have mostly recovered. So what do you have to lose? Also each year the blackbirds do the sme kind of damage and though very irritating I use the material for cuttings

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