Mossies

[David Nicholson]

I'd begun to get a little collection of Mossies together on the basis that they were readily available, very colourful and relatively easy. My first purchases were planted out in a little rock bed, southwest(ish) facing, and these were added to by a couple grown from seed. They flowered very nicely but since then they have, the purchased ones particularly, reduced to a brown clumps and I might be lucky if I can take a couple of sprigs of remaining green and use them as cuttings.

I'm pretty new to Saxes and don't have a lot of experience so are they normally so 'miffy' or are they just not suitable to wet, horrendous, Devon Summers? All help appreciated!

[Darren]

I'm no expert but we probably have wetter summers than you David and we have mossies and kabschias growing out in the garden without problems in our well drained limy soil. They even self-sow at times. I wonder if the purchased plants were compromised to start with by growing in peat (as they usually are when sold in garden centres) and not adapting to your soil? This might have made them more prone to scorch given they are exposed to the south and west. In full sun I'd expect them to appreciate your wet summers - they hate drought.

[David Nicholson]

Thanks for responding Darren. The latest information on rainfall for Ivybridge shows an average of 980mm per annum, is yours worse than that? Three of the plants that have suffered most were indeed garden centre purchases so your peat theory could well be the case but the other one is one I grew from from seed. I have to say that although it flowered well it has never struck me as being a strong plant. The best of the others I bought from alpine nurseries.

[Darren]

Our rainfall is probably similar to, or slightly higher than that David. Susan has the figures somewhere from one of her college projects.

[adrian young]

David, growing Mossy saxes in Devon will be a challenge, but possible.
I struggle with them near Oxford.
They must not get dry or hot at the roots, you are growing them on a southwest face,
they will not like that aspect in Devon.
You need to find a way of keeping them cool, grow then behind a large rock or similar aspect
away from direcct sun.
I have some underneath troughs and they generally survive, I could not grow them in
the raised beds, they burnt very quickly.
Good luck

[David Nicholson]

Thanks for responding Adrian. I did manage to get a few bits of green from my lot and I've got these in a small closed frame hoping they might root. I'll have to find another spot in the garden for them though, maybe a north facing bed will be worth a try?