The Gardeners Almanac

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Saxifraga

Common name: Saxifrage

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Week Numbers

Coldframe

Containers

Division

Frost pockets

Planting out

Slugs & Snails

Soil pH

Vine Weevil

Watering

Overview:

Saxifrage make good rockery, groundcover or container plants, and like most types of moss in cultivation, they are hybrids from a few selected species.

It is a herbaceous plant usually grows to a height of 25-50mm (1"-2") and can spread up to 600mm (24")

The flowers in shades of pink, purple, white and yellow subject to variety appear through March to May.


30cm high pink flowers

urbium - London Pride

Pale blue variety

oppositifolia

Growing in a bowl

fortunei

White flowered variety

burseriana

 

They prefer fairly moist well drained soil with good humus content and dappled shade, avoid frost pockets!

Although an acid or neutral soil is often recommended, the pH does not seem to be critical.


They are prone to slug attacks in open ground, and Vine weevils when in pots.


Pot grown saxifrages are best grown under cover during the winter months.

A cold frame or unheated greenhouse will keep the worst of the weather off them.


Cultivation

Week 20 onwards:

Divide plants after flowering and plant immediately.


Alternatively detach non-flowering rosettes.

Remove the lower leaves and insert them into pots/trays of a 50-50 mix of peat and river sand (quantities by volume)

Give the pots a good soaking place in a cold frame to root.


Water sparingly until planting out time in April the following year, but do not allow them to dry out completely.


Week 40:

Plant out from now until April if weather and ground conditions allow.