When the steppe candle (Eremurus), depending on the subspecies, raises its candle-shaped inflorescences up to 2 meters high in the garden, it is a truly impressive sight. However, it is all the more annoying when the expected floral splendor does not materialize for a variety of reasons.
Why isn't my steppe candle blooming?
If a steppe candle does not bloom, this may be due to incorrect location, improper planting time, pests or late frosts. Optimal conditions are a sunny, nutrient-rich location, planting in autumn and protection from pests and frost.
Choose the right location
Steppe candles occur naturally in grassy steppes and on cool but sunny plateaus. Accordingly, for he althy growth in the garden, they need a location that is as sunny as possible with soil that is as nutrient-rich and permeable as possible. If the soil is too clayey and heavy, you can help by providing the deeper planting hole with a drainage layer of sand or gravel. Wind-protected locations are recommended due to the high and thin flower stalks, but the plants can also be secured with bamboo sticks to prevent them from twisting in strong crosswinds.
Transplant the steppe candle only in autumn
A common reason for failure to bloom is when the steppe candle with its bare-root rhizomes is transplanted in spring. In these cases, flowering often only occurs again the following year when the plants have recovered. Following the natural vegetation cycle of the plants, the rhizomes should be planted and transplanted after the flowering period in early autumn, but not too late. The second half of August and the first two weeks of September are ideal planting times.
Fighting steppe candle pests
While steppe candle diseases are not really a category of threat or reason for failure to bloom, damage from the following pests can certainly occur:
- Snails
- Voles
- Grubs
Snails consume the energy balance of the steppe candle by decimating the leaf mass. However, voles and grubs in the soil are more dangerous because they prefer to gnaw on the roots of the Eremurus species and can therefore damage them.
Protecting the plants of the genus Eremurus against late frosts
In protected locations, the upper layers of the earth can often warm up significantly in spring, even before the last late frosts. In order to avoid frost damage to the leaves of the steppe candle that develop too early, sprouting can be delayed by covering them for the winter with brushwood or a special fleece (€49.00 at Amazon).
Tip
Since the steppe candle has to “store” the necessary energy in the summer for budding the following year, the leaves should not be cut off too early. With clever planting in the perennial bed, you can cover up the unsightly leaves until they have completely wilted.