I searched for Cimifuga and found this thread. Oh, Wendy, that is just wrong! Six years and you get one little bloom before frost. Seems this plant, like some others, want a very particular place as similar to their natural growing situation as possible to perform well. It's not as easy as it might seem to replicate a good woodland setting above and below ground...and we can't change the atmospheric conditions where we live/garden. I'm going to have to accept that I can't have so many of the plants I'd like because I just can't give them the situation they need. I'm not there yet as I still search and drool over these gorgeous plants. I was investigating this plant again because I had a couple native plant nurseries tell me it wouldn't mind pretty deep shade with only flickers of filtered light all day except early Spring and late Fall. If it didn't bloom it wouldn't be worth it to me. The conditions I have aren't even near optimal and don't want to knowingly invite more plant unhappiness...theirs and mine. Hope you got a few more blooms to enjoy, Wendy.

Diane Pertson came up with a cure for chlorosis that includes lime since a pH that is too low also causes chlorosis. Here is what she wrote: Diane Pertson, Otter Point, Vancouver Island, wrote: "I have found the following foolproof formula for chlorotic leaves or a rhododendron that isn't looking healthy: Purchase a bag of Epsom Salts crystals (magnesium sulfate) (available here in bulk at farm-and-feed outlets), about $4.00 for a 5 lb. bag - and a bottle of FULLY Chelated Iron & Zinc (this is a very concentrated liquid - the chelation means it is in a form that can be readily absorbed by the plant), about $7.00 for 1 quart; In a one gallon watering can, put in 2 Tbsp. of Epsom Salts crystals and 2 Tbsp. of Iron and Zinc liquid - fill with warm water and stir to dissolve; Sprinkle this over the rhododendron - by that I mean drench the leaves with the solution and pour the remainder around the drip line of the root ball. In 1-2 weeks, the leaves should be nice and green. You could repeat the process at this time if the leaves aren't fully green. This works even better if, a month before, you have sweetened the soil by sprinkling a little Dolomite Lime on the roots. Very acidic soil can prevent the roots from taking up nutrients. As many of my rhododendrons are planted in very acidic soil under a canopy of giant cedar trees, I find an application of Dolomite and a light topdressing of mushroom manure in late spring is all they need. If soil is too acid, the symptoms can be the same. Very acidic soil can prevent the roots from taking up nutrients. In the western USA where many rhododendrons are planted in very acidic forest soil, an application of Dolomite and a light topdressing of mushroom manure in late spring is all they need. Sprinkle the lime on in late winter, very early spring. Don't overdo it - just a light sprinkle. If it is mid-spring, get the lime on right away so the rhododendron roots will be able to take up the soil nutrients in time for new growth. If you don't have rain, water it in well."

Hi Donald, welcome to the Winter Sowing Forum. *It's recommended to basically make flats of somekind out of materials at hand, put soil in them -> sow your seeds --> set flats outside in a "safe" area --> wait till spring to see what comes up.* Yep, that's basically what it is, and the nicest aspect, I think, of the method is that you get to do it your way with what you have and within the size of your own wallet. *Wouldnt it be easier to just direct sow in the soil where you want the future plants to be?* All seeds that can be WinterSown can also be Direct Sown, but they should be sown heavily because Mother Nature takes the vast majority of direct sown seeds to feed her critters and biota. Direct Sowing, also called Direct Seeding, is a traditional method for sowing seeds outdoors. It involves preparing the soil bed, sowing the seeds, and keeping them moist throughout germination. The Winter Sowing Method is better because the seeds are protected in their mini-greenhouses. When you direct sow in the ground the seeds are at the mercy of Mother Nature....they can get washed out in downpours, be eaten by critters and bug and birds, desiccate in the wind, or can rot in the soil. In a WS mini-greenhouse the seeds are in a protected environment. They get the same weather as the seeds in the ground...same temperatures, and the little slits in the lids allow both rain and melting snows to keep the soil moist and the flats watered. But they areprotected so more of the seeds will survive to germinate in Spring. The germination counts are generally astonishingly high. *My reasoning is that, if the seeds had dropped from a parent plant already in the garden, that successful germination is just as likely from "semi-natural" re-seeding as it would be if I used the recommended winter sowing method suggested in the FAQ's.* Plants which reseed in temperate climates are those recommended for Winter Sowing. *I guess to me it just seems like the recommended method over complicates the process and just adds more work, after I've spent the growing season pruning, deadheading, weeding, mulching, topdressing etc.* Just sow the flat and stash it outside on the picnic table or wherever your dog won't grab it or your snowblower won't hit it. *Again those are just my thoughts on the winter sowing process and in now way am I trying to gainsay the method recommended by others.* Don't worry about it, WS is very incredulous when you hear about it--you like to direct seed in your garden. I do both. I have a veggie garden and direct sow many of my leafy greens. Many posters do any or all of WS, DS or GUL. *I just have a terrible time trying to start seed indoors, and so I've amassed, what I consider a ALOT of seed packets, that are waiting to be planted but due to my iffy results starting seeds indoors "6 weeks before the last frost", which here in central OH could be as late as the end of April.* You've come to the right forum. Winter Sowing removes a lot of the frustration that comes with indoor germination, it's a big relief and gives you a gazillion seedlings. Nice plant list, it can all be WSed. Your yard will be a butterfly party. T PS, Did anyone tell you that Winter Sowing can be addicting?

I have a Nikko Blue that blooms most summers. Last spring, I got a piece of advice from a local gardener that I think made a difference. I used to prune off whatever looked dead in April. He said to wait until June 1, because in our climate you can't tell what's dead until then. I followed his advice and had a Nikko full of blooms last summer. It gets morning sun. I just blow yard leaves over it to protect it in the fall. Yes, I KNOW that isn't really winter protection, but it's what I'm willing to do. I also have many other hydrangeas that will bloom, so if this one doesn't it isn't too upsetting. It does seem to be a diva. Other advice from my local gardener: Do not disturb the plants at all until May 1, then remove winter protection, dead leaves at the base and old flower heads. Once a week, feed with half strength Miracid until blooms start. Prune in June. Some of the old wood wakes up late. Do not remove dead flower heads in the fall. This helps the plant harden and protect itself for winter. When it's a good year for the fruit crops in your area, it's also a good year for hydrangeas. I'd follow this guy's advice for a year. Don't move the plant again. It's an added stress that might be hurting. If next summer, the fruit crops are good and you still don't have blooms, yank it and replace with something more reasonable. Just my 2cents. Now I'll step back and let the arguing begin :)