Easy Primulas

[Peter Korn, Sweden]

Some nice and easy Primulas.

[Lesley Cox]

Yes, they're easy all right, but shouldn't be taken for granted as they're 3 great value plants, flowering well and looking great. I love all these.

[David Nicholson]

I don't seem able to grow Primula sieboldii outside to save my life. This year they were an absolute disaster. Any tips Lesley?

[Lesley Cox]

Well David, I have all mine in a cool place, reasonably moist though it gets very dry in summer/autumn and I don't water much. It's where I grow hepaticas, adonis, jeffersonia etc so that kind of place. The soil is very humusy as well. I have a lot of other small primulas in the same area and they do suffer when it gets dry but P.sieboldii doesn't, it just loses its leaves. It is very stoloniferous if happy and can make a big and very beautiful patch. It's quite deciduous of course.

[David Nicholson]

I think I will try a spot of re-location!

[hadacekf]

Peter,
The easy primulas are not difficult in my garden. Such plants do not grow.
At temperatures of 35° C in the shade for weeks dry leaves and blooms of the plants. I know it, but I try it again and again. An old donkey does not become more intelligent.
Lock at the picture!

[Lesley Cox]

I know just how they feel Franz, but we have to keep trying because they are so beautiful I find the candelabra types suffer most and I treat them as short-lived, sowing more seed - or letting it self sow - every couple of years. P. denticulata bounces back regularly and seems to come to no harm if the outer leaves are dessicated each year. They just don't look nice at this time.

With many species such as those in the sikkimensis group and the taller hybrids, I think there is something else going on as well. Not sure what but when the plants are dug up (or die and become detached from the ground) the roots seem to be damaged as if eaten or rotted and only a very little of white root is left near the base of the plant. At this stage, I sometimes trim away the brown parts and either replant or put into damp sand and often the plant will make new roots and survive.

Of course the nasties such as vine weevil grubs, grass grub and the various root aphis or mealy bugs have a ball when plants are under stress and so add to any other problems such as drought or poor drainage. It pays to treat for these BEFORE the event.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I couldn't agree more Franz and Lesley - me too, I keep trying to grow some candelabras but they hate our occasional hot and dry spells - even watering doesn't help.  I can hardly keep them longer than 2-3 seasons... but then, they seed quite easily so they're more than worth the effort !

[David Nicholson]

I'm just glad it's not just me!!

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

Still catching up on postings...

Love those Primula pics.  Wish they were easy for me here.  P. viallii I've tried a couple of times many years ago and lost it each summer.  Our extended heat does aweful things.  I am intending one of these years to create a bog garden in an old bathtub, set up in such a way that I can monitor the water level underground, keeping the tub about half full to give plenty of water deep down, but a good foot of soil above for the plants to get oxygen in teh soil.  When I have this set up I am intending to try a few of the Primula species again.  I think that our heat and difficulties with water are the problem.  Would the bog garden setup I have outlines sound like a good way of doing it?  I'm intending to give it a shadecloth covering to keep the worst of the heat of it, yet allow plenty of light.

P. denticulata does well here, just growing in the garden fine without any hassles.  Things like vulgaris, veris etc do fine here, but it will be interesting to see how they'd do in the bog garden with the extra moisture?  I'd love to set up somewhere I can grow the candelabras as I adore them, but I have real difficulties with them any time I have tried.  Usually the seed won't even germinate for me.  I'm hoping in the bog garden they might naturalise eventually.  One can dream. 

Lovely to see the different species.  Any more pics anyone wants to share?

[rob krejzl]

Paul,

I think this is a case where the bigger your ambitions, the more satisfying the result. A 4m x 6m pond liner would only cost a couple of hundred dollars (how do I know that?), and the larger the soil/water volume the better. You'd be able to vary the depth of soil above the water line, maybe even include a patch of open water, and open up the bog area to a wider range of plants. Things like the various Sarracenia spp., Lysichitons etc., could mix well with primulas.

[TC]

I suppose the definition of "easy primulas" depends on where you are.  In the west of Scotland, the allionii varieties require great care as they can easily rot off in our wet but mild winters.  The candelabras, sieboldii, japonicas etc. can grow like weeds.  I have to weed out denticulatas or they would take over the garden.  This year, the candelabras are reaching plague proportions by self seeding everywhere.  The candelabras will grow quite happily in running water as well as in bogs.  I took the attached pictures in the garden about 15 minutes ago with the help of flash.  The candelabras started off as 3 plants and now I have to weed some out before they choke everything else.
Also attached is how the candelabras should be see, as at Brodick Gardens

[Lesley Cox]

Does anyone stilll grow the glorious Primula `Inverewe' which I think is PP. japonica x cockburniana or vice versa? I imported a plant of this many years ago and had it do well for a long time, dividing from time to time but then the vine weevils took a liking and it quickly dwindled and eventually was lost. Most of the things I lose I don't worry about too much - nice to have them for a while - but this super primula I truly regret. Although not `Inverewe' Tom, your Brodick picture put me in mind of it.

[Paul T]

Rob,

Ah but you see the problem with that is the 4m x 6m space for said pond liner.  You have no idea how rare space is in my garden...... I already have water irises in a bathtub which I can convert to the bog garden, otherwise there wouldn't be anywhere I could even put another bathtub!!    I'd have to sacrifice something (Oh I really should stop swearing like that) if I wanted to put in a bog garden of those dimensions.  As it is the 3000 pots already take up too much space anyway!! 

Tom,

If your candelabras are causing problems with too many seeds, please harvest a couple for me at the relevant time if you are able.  Are yours a mix of species and or colours?  The bed of them at Brodick Garden is delightful.

[rob krejzl]

Paul,

I remember you already have Lysichiton - is it in a pot? Planting it in the bog would reduce the number of pots by one at least! And all those martagons and other woodlanders in pots would actually take up less space in the ground (because with some of them you'd be able to put two things in the same hole) and need less care.

Only you know what's practical - but the largest size you can get away with is best.