Planting Liatris corns. Which side up ??

[Peter]

Planting Liatris corns...... Is there a right side up ??

I've got a bag of Liatris corns.... too many assorted shapes... I can't for the life of me, figure out any 'proper' way to plant them.

Some have concave bottoms and a small 'knob' of the top.

Others have tiny fibers "old growth" on the concave side and 'new' tiny fibers "new growth' on the knobby side. I'm thinking these are new roots. If they are, then there are roots on two opposing sides... both concave and knobby....

Still others are knobby all over the place. No tops, no bottoms just knobby.

Any ideas on which end goes 'up' ??

Also, planting depth is 2" - 4". Any preference to shallower or deeper, or does it not matter.

Thanks in advance...

Peter

[madgardener1]

easy when you can't tell......plant them on the sides. they will right themselves as they sprout. I'd soak them for a couple of hours in warm water before you plant them. I have done this many times when the top and bottom was hard to discern..........

madgardener gardening in the green bowl in zone 7a Sunset zone 36

[madgardener1]

Oh, sorry, I forgot, ANYTHING you plant, seed, corm, bulb but not rhizome (irises) rule of thumb is three times the depth as the size of the planting object. poppy seed? tiny tiny things, no need to plant as they're tiny, so you'd scatter them in a sunny place. Liatris corms, three times would be probably to your middle knuckle once you measure their size to three times. Elephant ear corms, that would be about a foot deep for safe planting and returning (except for colder zones colder than 6b....) Irises, by the way are best planted by sitting their "toes" (rhizomes) on top of the bed or area you're planting, burying the roots below the fleshy rhizome part and leaving the visible rhizome above ground. If you were to bury the iris rhizomes, they'd barely flower but have nice leaves.

maddie

[Peter]

Thank you very much !!! Your post is an excellent piece of advice well worth remembering !! I could never figure out by looking at them which side is up.

Thank you again for sharing.... it makes a difference !!

Peter