Interesting post. Perhaps your growing conditions are too mild to keep the soil tilth in shape. Nothing like 25 to 35 below zero temperatures to fluff up the soil and kill of many of the harmful critters that may be building up over time. The natural alpine habitat of many of these would include freezing soil as well as very rocky substrate. Would a leaner soil mix help? With enough rock and minimal organics it would definitely breathe. But maybe not an option in your dry summer climate. We are experimenting with some extreme drainage beds to try agaves this far north.

I'm kinda liking my buried pots idea. Looks better than I though it might. I also wondered if using no pot was a better idea. Just fill a hole with a nice soil mixture and plant away. Although the pots do have some advantages. I never figured on having to replace large amounts of soil. Had I known this would happen I would have done things differently to begin with.

I dearly love 'Faramir' and it was knockin' on heaven's door so I gave it the royal treatment.


Two other faves were 'Pacific Jordan' and a NOID Calcareum.


They look happier within hours.

Am I really going to do this with... uhhhh.... 150 cultivars? I doubt it. I think I'll pick and choose and a good number will find their way to the compost bin. I'm guessing I'll end up with about half the cultivars that I had at my peak of close to 200. I'm doing one or two transplants per day... on days I feel like it. This is going to take a while.
The appearance of this semp garden will change. Instead of masses of semps decorated with rocks, it will be more like a rock garden decorated with semps. I think it will look pretty spiff.

I agree Tim. You have a very creative eye. The new design will be awesome. I can almost hear the sigh of relief from the potted plants.
I had such a good time visiting with you and Joann Sunday afternoon.
I look forward to updates on the rock garden bed.

Oh No, Tim! The Semp Highway has Gone by the Wayside?

Bev, he is re-inventing it. I think it will be amazing.

It's already looking better if only due to the thorough cleanup that is happening and has never happened before.
I was looking around today for "losers" that should be discarded. Surprisingly difficult. 'Bronco' was an easy call... looks awful and is misidentified anyway. Some were almost indistinguishable from others. Why keep 'em?

As I'm potting up semps lately... I wonder to myself... am I becoming Bev? Not yet but heading in that direction.

I'm also wondering if larger pots would be better. Maybe 2-gallon instead of the 1-gallons that I'm using. Maybe for the larger ones like 'Lion King' and 'Grunrand'.

Relax, Lynn... I didn't discard your excellent 'Borscht' offsets. I should have had this one years ago. Here it is in its new home along with 'Lilac Time'.


It was about a week ago I put 'Goldmarie' into its new pot. Already it is growing noticeably compared to the ones that were left behind in the soil. Although the color is better on those... hmmmm.


Today's rescuees are 'Serapis' and 'Dr Fritz Kohlein'.

Nice progress Tim!!

Am surprised you never had 'Borscht' way back when it was introduced. It does keep its color so well.

Kevin

Wow Tim, you are really trucking right along. Already it looks good. I love your new vision for the rock bed.
Just wait until 'Borscht' makes a colony in the pot, you're really going to love it. Year round.

I'm spending a bit more time on the semp garden lately. This is the first actual serious cleanup I've ever done. Weeds are no more. Things are looking better and I expect many cultivars to rebound and improve in health and appearance which is motivating me. Having a semp garden in overall improvement is much more entertaining that one in decline.
For example... this is what 'Grunrand' looks like now:


With luck, she will return to her former glory when she looked like this:


At least those are my plans, and you know what they say about plans.

...that plans made by a strategist distracted by his pickleball schedule are apt to go awry?

Something about mice and men????
Joking aside Tim, your newly reclaimed 'Gunrand' looks ready for the challenge.

Here's 'Grunrand' after a month of its new home.

Definitely turning her health around.

My restoration activities are just about over for the year. I don't want to be transplanting root-challenged, weak individuals without all of October to get their roots established and a bit of growth. Next year I will continue choosing weak-looking plants and prioritizing them for potting. I'm hoping to cut back my collection but I'm having a hard time with choosing which ones should go.

Here's 'Fernanda' and 'Pepito' looking nice and healthy, although not huge but they are definitely heading in the right direction. 'Pepito' in particular was nearly gone. All I did was replant these two in place. I just dug up the existing soil are replanted right there. I think their recovery validates to some degree my idea that soil compaction was the big problem. However that same soil will recompact over time so both these gals will be replanted in a new medium.


Here's 'Faramir' and 'Saramaya' recently rescued looking very happy considering they were on death's door a couple weeks ago.



'Silverine' and 'Ayman Correvon' on the mend.



Next year I expect to show specimens like this in much more vitality as they recover and establish.

This whole process is rekindling my interest in my semp garden. Seeing things going in a positive direction instead of endless despair. Also for the first time I'm cleaning things up which makes it all look better.

Here's my canary in the coal mine, 'Lavender and Old Lace'. If this one thrives in the new soil medium, then anything is possible. And if so... dare I try... dare I dream... dare I even imagine... 'Lemon Sky'.
I may well try it yet again. Hope springs eternal.

Tim, I absolutely love your post. Yes, hope does spring eternal.
This is great information for all of us, in understanding the importance of soil conditions.
I began having the same problem in Dallas, OR with my sandy loam becoming compacted after several years with the same results as you are experiencing.
I am so happy to know that your beautiful riverbed is being resurrected.

Looking good Tim! They'll be back to their former glory by spring!

Kevin

Lemon Sky? 😬😑 Even I had to give it the heave-ho...but I'm not as determined as you Tim.
I'm looking forward to seeing all your "restoration work" in person next year!

tcstoehr said: My Canby soil is not at all clay. It is a rich, silty loam. Drains quite well and breaks apart easily. I see the local farmers running their discers on warm May days very soon after complete drenches.

Here's an area a few days after a "soil lift". You can see some spots where my trowel left its mark. I'll use this going forward and compare it later in the season. In particular I have my eye on 'Purple Dazzler', 'Nico', 'Hordubal' and 'Chocolate Pepper'. So far... so good.

That is absolutely beautiful!

You should see the it in person...makes you want to go home and ask your collection why they can't look like that!

I agree with Bev, it is beautiful garden to see in person.

webesemps said: You should see the it in person...makes you want to go home and ask your collection why they can't look like that!

Haha oh Im sure!!

Daniel, here is an older photo of his semp bed when I saw it last in 2018. I'm sure it's changed quite a bit but it is still memorable in my head as it was then.