Great save Bev! Glad the new bloom stalks aren't coming out of the offsets!

Wow Bev, that is a great save. Wonderful.

Wow! Very cool Bev!
Thanks for the update.

Sorry I haven't been around much lately. I've been incredibly busy with work.
Looks like I'm now paying for the unusually light work I had to do earlier in the year.

I've been wanting to take more pics, but I was waiting until the weather cooled a bit and I could remove the shims I have shielding nearly all the semps.
Then, big problems happened...
There is a plant fungus tearing its way through my plants. I've been trying to combat it, but I've never seen one as destructive as this. Most of the semps are undamaged (a couple have a little dead spot in an area, etc.), but a lot of the other plants are getting hit hard.
I might have to wait and see what actually survives and comes back next year, then replant using those plants that seem to be more resistant to it.
Ugh...

pardalinum said:Great save Bev! Glad the new bloom stalks aren't coming out of the offsets!

That would have been a first...undesirable, of course!

StaticAsh said: I might have to wait and see what actually survives and comes back next year, then replant using those plants that seem to be more resistant to it. Ugh...

Yes, it's live and learn...or more like live, let die and learn.

Oh no, sorry to hear that JC
What type of plants are being affected them most?
Have you found out what the fungus is? Can you take a photo of it?

Sorry to hear that JC - new plantings can be a drag because you don't know what's in the soil Hopefully things will come back next year like you said! I have planted several clematis beginning last year, and several die, yet came back and bloomed this year, so it wasn't horrible, and now several finally look like their establishing themselves and that is a great thing - no blooms on one of mine, but great foliage!) Semps should mostly be fine with fungus in my experience they don't get impacted by many things - or the impact is minimal

Bev I love your plant!

Thanks all, yeah it's a bummer!

Lynn, it looks like most plants are affected by it- honeysuckle, pigsqueak, elephant ears, coral bells, etc. It appears perhaps the softer the leaf, the more it is affected.

I'm not sure what it is. It appears it might be a type of black spot or rust. I've taken diseased leaves (triple sealed in plastic, of course) around to the local nurseries and all they knew was, "Yep, it looks like a fungus." I also had the county extension office come out since it is affecting my redbud trees as well. All I got from them was the same, "Yeah, it appears to be a fungus." No one could tell me any more than that...

Did they say what you could do for it?

A nursery suggested to buy some of their horribly overpriced spray, even though they couldn't tell me what it (the fungus) was. The extension office said to not worry about it, since "It won't kill anything" even though it has since...

I've been treating leaves and systemically with higher reviewed (and cheaper) sprays than I found at the nurseries. But it's hard to tell if it's really making a difference.

Hang in there with this JC Good that you are treating the plants, I think it makes a difference that they are new plantings (in terms of killing the plants) I would agree with the nursery person that usual it just looks poorly but not deadly - and on blooming plants it will most likely deter blooming.
Aren't these plants in full sun?? Are they planted close to one another?? Airflow and sun should help the plant fight this. (just my 2 cents) I am naturally a "problem solver" type (someone even called me ATP's Columbo -
no she didn't!! @webesemps)

Hey all!
I had a little bit of free time, so I figured I'd resurrect this thread with some new pics.

Here are 140+ bulbs I've gotten so far. The fall planting bulbs were on closeout and super cheap ($1-$2), so I'm not worried it they don't flower this year.


Here's a large (nearly fist-sized) NOID.


A NOID that had a hard winter.


Here's an Angelina that came from cuttings last year that is colored differently than any other cuttings I took (even though it is in the same conditions.)


Here is the main Angelina that cuttings came from. However, there is some serious cresting going on in the middle.


Two mystery sedums in which everything is the same (cuttings from same plant, and only about six feet from each other, so conditions are very similar), yet differently colored.


These are two Sanford's Hybrids that have been raised in entirely different conditions.


A Grammens and a Pacific Blazing Star beginning to color up. Thanks Greg!


It appears at least one of my Sea Heart Brunnera will (thankfully) be back this year.


An arachnoideum that had also had a hard winter.


Currently my fave NOID.

Your favorite is a really nice one. She is really putting out those chicks so you will have a lot more soon

That NOID is adorable.
And where did you find all those bulbs for $1-$2 dollars apiece?
And oh my goodness, J.C. isolate that crested 'Angelina' and give it it's own container. Pamper it and gently prune off any new growth that is normal. What a treasure.

Love that crested Angelina!! So cool! And yes love that last NoID! Thanks JC for keeping us posted on what's happening in your yard! (give the grammens another year to really settle in and you're going to love that one for sure, large sized purple shades all year long!)

Thanks for the compliments on my red beauty. Not THE Red Beauty, just a red beauty. It was sold as "Red Hens & Chicks" and the label on the plant said "Red Beauty".
It was the one I was asking about last year, as I didn't think it was actually a RB. It's as prolific, but that's about where the similarities end.
Just wish I knew a true name to call it...

Lynn, I got the $1 and $2 bulb bags from Wal-Mart of all places. I've never seen them have fall bulbs before, but they are all healthy and REALLY wanting to be planted.

Greg, I can't wait until Grammens gets established. I truly like the coloring on that one.

I will definitely isolate the crested Angelina when I get a chance, as I really want to maintain it. Is there any trick to getting a chunk of sedum out of the middle of a plant like that to minimize existing root damage and also get as many existing roots as possible on the crest?
I guess patience and a slow, surgical hand?

It shouldn't be difficult J.C. Just find where that piece goes into the ground, dig it out and replant. They are very good at making new roots when you transplant them. Place it in a more sheltered area until it starts actively growing again.

Thanks! Today, I got the crested Angelina separated and planted. I was able to save a large amount of roots with it, so I'm really curious to see what it does over time.

I am so excited for you J. C. It will be a treasure in your plant collection.

I agree that one is a show piece!!