CorseMachin | Hellebore Care - How To Grow Hellebores

Hellebore care tips:

The leathery foliage of hellebore flowers looks best when sheared in late winter just before new growth emerges.
An annual application of manure or compost will help to boost the growth of your hellebores.
Provide plenty of water during spring and fall when they are actively growing.

Where is the best place to plant hellebores?
Do you cut back hellebores after flowering?
Should I prune hellebores?
Do hellebores like sun or shade?
Do hellebores die down in summer?
Do hellebores grow well in pots?
How do you maintain hellebores?
Are hellebores poisonous to dogs?
Why does my hellebore not flower?
Why are the leaves on my hellebore turning yellow?
Are hellebores invasive?

Where is the best place to plant hellebores?

They prefer a sheltered position in semi-shade (dense shade can reduce flowering) with a rich, moist, free draining soil. If possible, it is desirable to plant hellebores on a sloping bed, both to improve drainage and also to make it easier to look into the flowers, which naturally nod.

Do you cut back hellebores after flowering?

I always cut off all the flower stems before the pods split. Finally, we're often encouraged to divide our hardy perennials every three years and to replant the healthiest pieces in improved soil. However hellebores, like hostas, are best left to mature into large clumps and not split.

Should I prune hellebores?

Though hellebores are evergreen, they don't need pruning, and I have several clumps of double-flowered hybrids in my own garden that have never been pruned.” William advises gardeners to wear gloves when pruning their hellebores. “Make sure you are wearing gloves as the sap of the hellebore can irritate the skin.

Do hellebores like sun or shade?

Hellebores are hardy in Zones 6 to 9. They tolerate almost full sun to almost full shade but prefer partial shade. Dense shade may reduce flower production. Generally, they enjoy slightly neutral to acidic soils.

Do hellebores die down in summer?

Hellebores flower from December through to mid-spring, although the flowers may stay on the plants longer as they slowly fade, but still look attractive. ... Hellebores require little or no maintenance, but they do better if the old foliage is removed in late winter during January.

Do hellebores grow well in pots?

Growing hellebores in containers

Use a good quality compost, preferably loam- based, such as John Innes No 2 with extra grit for drainage. Stand the container on pot feet. They are hungry plants and will need regular watering and feeding, with a high potash fertiliser such as Chempak No 4, in summer.

How do you maintain hellebores?

Grow hellebores in fertile, well-drained soil at the front of a border, beneath shrubs or in pots, in sun to partial shade. Cut back the large leathery leaves when flowers and new foliage emerge and mulch plants annually with well-rotted compost or manure. Avoid transplanting hellebores after they have established.

Are hellebores poisonous to dogs?

The majority won't cause much more than an upset stomach, and most dogs won't eat plants that are poisonous to them. Most toxic garden plants, such as granny's bonnet, bluebells and hellebores, need to be eaten in such huge quantities to cause harm, that they're very unlikely to do so.

Why does my hellebore not flower?

If your hellebore won't bloom, the best thing to do is check to see if it seems root bound. If it isn't, then think back on when it flowered last. If it was summertime, it might need a while to acclimate. If you just transplanted it, the plant might need some time, too.

Why are the leaves on my hellebore turning yellow?

Every year as the plants begin to put on new foliage they can undergo a transient nutrient deficiency which is displayed as yellowing of the leaves. ... This is not to be confused with the yellow foliage on the yellow flowering plants like the O'Byrne's Helleborus x hybridus Golden Lotus or Golden Sunrise strain.

Are hellebores invasive?

x hybridus qualifies as invasive, as it's exceptionally seedy, crowding other plants out. This is one plant that should never be planted near a stream where the water can spread its seeds in different directions.