gunnera plants..

[mullein1]

has anyone got a gunnera and are they easy to look after?i saw some amazing ones yesterday at the botanical gardens and have to get one asap..

[woofgang]

Yes, they are dead easy. Mine is growing rooted into an old pump filter sponge in my 250 gall pond.

I live in Hampshire and my garden is pretty sheltered but I still wrap the crowns in bubble wrap over the winter. I started off with one crown and now have 3, may need to split it next year. The roots go straight into the pond and are part of my biological purification system.

I continually remove leaves as they get too large and shade out too much of the pond or flop over ands it grows new ones, they only ever get to about 18in to 2 ft wide because I prune them. The plant flowers freely too.

[woofgang]

PS need neutral to acid growing conditions

[greenfingers]

Also the crown needs winter protection.

[Woodsz]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/358.shtml

Try this sort cut

[mullein1]

thanks for the advice..i shall be digging a pond today in anticipation of me getting a gunnera..i have allready searched the internet gazing at them..but its nice to hear someone elses say so especially if they are lucky enough to own one..they are truly amazing plants..

[jake-the-peg]

I finally weakened this year and agreed to give garden space to a gunnera horribilis (Personal redesignation).

I still think it's a huge ugly thing with no more rights to exist on this fair planet than a mangy sewer rat but the misses loves it!

So that's very frost hardy with lots of lime in the soil then is it? ;c) 

[woofgang]

bad bad jake the peg!!