posted
Three years ago I planted 2 caryopteris bushes...they did great the first year...I cut them back in late the following winter like recommended and they did great that year. I cut them back again this year...but only one of them has come back...the other looks like a bunch of twigs...no leaves...nothing. I've heard that in cold winters the above groung growth may not survive, but the roots will and it will regrow from the bottom...but mine just sits there doing nothing. Anyone else ever had this problem? I'm in zone 6b.
posted
Alan, i have caryopteris (bluebeard) also. They are very beautiful, and are supposed to be very undemanding! Now, they shouldn't be winter killed in zone 6b unless u had some very unseasonably cold winter. Now, it got down to 10 degrees one night here in SC where i live, but the ground rarely freezes here, and i doubt it freezes much where u are. The only thing i can think of is maybe excess moisture caused the roots to rot or maybe they got some disease. another possibility... maybe a rodent chewed on the roots. Do u have a lot of mole activity? If u have a lot of moles, u probably have a lot of mice running around under ground. just a couple weeks ago i noticed a small camillia bush i planted last year was dying. I dug it up and the roots were completely gone and there was chew marks (like a beaver makes) on the stalk that was left.I reached down and dug around and sure enough, there were mole tunnels everywhere around the base.Some rodent had a feast! Maybe that particular bush lost it's top growth and it will come back in time In colder climates they lose their top growth, but they do come back gardendreamer03@aol.com
[ April 25, 2003: Message edited by: floweraddict ]
* * * * Bob
Plants: 640 | From: in my garden | Registered: Jan 2003
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