Sounds like you've given me some great summer experiments to get underway soon, and I am eager to try them out! Some fans are already showing signs of early dormancy, and I'll hate losing all the buds that are on scapes if it dormancy gets into full swing too soon here. And, If I can save one cultivar from retrograding fan and root size during the regular dormancy months of July through August, it will be one less that may succumb and have to get tossed or, at best, sheltered in my tiny greenhouse over the winter just to rebound at juvenile size (one step forward, two back).
I will try:
1. Leaving some to naturally go dormant with full foliage.
2. Trim some back to about 8 inches (thanks for the 20 cm recommendation).
3. Try to rig a shade cloth over a few.
4. Have one set that gets less frequent but deeper watering (I've heard this helps grass avoid rust, too ... ?).
5. Have another set that gets regular watering along with regular leaf spray treatments.
If anyone else has other ideas ... there are enough cultivars "to be culled" from my gardens this year that learning how to manage summer losses and setbacks from dormancy would be a great use of my time.
