OT: Gardening/Problem Bergenia

[AnthonyL]

Second summer here and the Bergenia just above a small pond is in a very sorry state whilst others nearby are thriving.

I've tried a gardening forum to no avail and there must be experts here who can throw some light on this and suggest what might be done.

The plants are south facing. The pond had frogs last year but not this.

Neither of us are gardeners and were quite pleased at how everything turned out last spring/summer with minimal effort.

Has the plant drowned? Scorched? Poisened? Been eaten by slugs? Died of old age? What do I look for (and it isn't easy to get to!).

Thanks

[Chris Hogg]

Not sure I can help. I have several patches of Bergenia (the variety 'Eroica' is a much darker pink than the usual), and regard them as tough as old boots. The tuberous roots will survive a passage through the compost heap unscathed. Reading various articles on the web doesn't help much, although one site mentioned 'well drained soil' and another 'vine weevil'.

It is at the bottom of the slope, and it might be too wet there right next to the pond. If it were mine, I'd dig out the remains, have a look at them to see if they've rotted or are crawling with vine weevil grubs (nasty little white things with a reddish brown head,

), and then throw the roots into the dustbin or burn them.

If there are no weevil grubs, plant something else there like a bog plant such as a candelabra primula

or a Japanese iris, Iris ensata

If you find vine weevil grubs, I'd fork over the soil repeatedly, picking out all the grubs I could find and then leave it fallow for a few months. You could treat the soil with an insecticide, but with the proximity of the pond that might not do the pond life any good.

[AnthonyL]

Thanks for your thoughts. I believe the plants are long established so unless this has been a particularly wet year I'm not sure why it should suffer. I don't think the roots can reach the pond water.

The whole slope is a rockery, so "digging" it out, especially with the pond in the way, is no easy task, goats feet would help.

I'll have to examine it though and thanks for the pointers.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , AnthonyL writes

Funny year this (Herts.) Late frost appeared to kill a mature Wisteria (now growing back from the roots) and the drought has done for a Kilmarnock Willow.

My theory on frost damage is that plants in sheltered places facing East, walls etc. get hit by the morning Sun melting the ice and extracting heat from the plant.

[Chris Hogg]

You might try asking on uk.rec.gardening, if you haven't already (if you have, I missed it). There are some well-qualified people over there and they're usually pretty helpful, assuming they have an answer, which isn't always the case.