The once large and majestic Echium pininana remains small and meek. A shadow of it’s former glory, it waits and rests until the great sun returns. Drinking very little, it battles with it’s inner demons. It dreams of a tropical paradise from whence it came, but relishes in the admiration and care it get’s from it’s captor. “What do these strange people want from me”, it thinks. It’s foliage slumps as if to bend in submission. It’s captor, a somewhat short man in stature, studies it with confounded disapproval. It knows in it’s heart that he lusts for a 18 foot flower spike, and then it’s lights out, good bye Echium.
9 Responses to Echium Update 2012:
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Hi, I’ve just found your blog. Great reading!
I lost all my Echium last winter and never got round to growing any more this year, but I’ve had them in the same sad state as yours and pull through just fine. Here’s hoping for that 18 foot flower spike!
Ben.
Hi
i have 6 quite large echiums, 2yr olds about 6 ft high. Three have wilted very dramatically. At first i thought it was the torrentail 2 days of rain we had that affected the roots perhaps. What i have found on closer inspection in all three that have wilted, is a hole at the base of the trunks where something has burrowed in. After treating the area with hydrogen peroxide, large numbers of woodlice came out. I have since sprayed the area with Provado as well.
My echium pot is still wet to touch, not drenched, but wet. Honestly I think the reason my echium is wilting the way it is, is due to a couple unheated nights at the greenhouse. I think that was enough, a think layer of frost outdoors and probably a low temp in the greenhouse. It never sprung back, and looks to be almost dormant. It’s not dying, but it’s not growing either. Haven’t watered it in a month. Fingers crossed, thanks for the feedback.
Got to say Nat, that I agree with Clive. I’m watering my echiums fairly regularly and they aren’t wilting like that at all. Indeed they still seem to be growing (in the heated greenhouse).
Dave
that’s the cranky winter sulking look.
LOL, I think many of my plants feel similarly tortured!
I can’t wait to see what will happen.
I know the feeling! irritatingly I have a large one in a pot which I put under shelter for the winter and left alone, and when I just went to check how it was doing I think I have almost killed it from lack of water…you forget how much they drink
keep lusting…
I agree with Loree, you might get a pleasant surprise in the following months!
Keep on believing….I just know he’s gonna make you proud!