Care Guide
- Planting Spiked speedwell 'Royal Candles' can be propagated by its seeds, and the seeds can be sown flowerpots or gardens. ...
- Water Generally, spiked speedwell 'Royal Candles' should be watered every 3 to 4 days. ...
- Fertilizer Spiked speedwell 'Royal Candles' does not require much fertilizer, so applying a little is fine. ...
- Pruning ...
- Harvest ...
- Propagation ...
- Seasonal Precautions ...
Do you cut back speedwell?
Speedwell (Veronica spicata) As blooms fade in fall, this perennial can be cut back to the ground. If left until spring, the black foliage will uglify your gardens. Speedwell grows best in USDA zones 3 through 8.
Does Royal Candles speedwell spread?
Royal Candles Speedwell is a dense herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth.
How do you take care of Veronica Royal Candles?
Deadhead the flowers and cut back faded flower stems after the first bloom to prolong its bloom time. Shear the foliage if it becomes worn-looking after flowering. This perennial spreads by a creeping rootstock, but is not invasive. Veronica Royal Candles is the most disease-resistant perennial in its family.
Do you prune Royal candles?
No special pruning needed, trim back to basal growth after flowering, if desired. Water deeply during dry spells to keep foliage looking attractive. If desired, fertilize in spring when new growth begins.
How do you deadhead Royal candles at speedwell?
The flower spikes on speedwell plants don't bloom all at once; instead, they appear in waves. You can slowly deadhead the plant by removing the individual flower spikes as they fade or shear back the whole plant mid-season to induce further blooming, according to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension.
How do you winterize Veronica Royal Candles?
Cover the ground with a 2-inch layer of mulch. This will help retain soil warmth and moisture through cold months. Place the root ball into the hole and add soil around the roots to fill in the hole. These plants need about one inch a week, either through rainfall or through regular watering.
Should you cut back Veronica?
Caring for veronica Little maintenance is required. Cut back herbaceous perennial and moisture-loving varieties from late autumn to late winter, once growth has died back to the ground.
Will Veronica rebloom if cut back?
Pruning and maintenance: For upright types, cut back spent flowers just below the spike to encourage rebloom. Taller varieties may need staking. All types can be divided in spring or fall every few years as needed, especially if dieback occurs at the center of the plant.
Does Veronica Royal Candles spread?
Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles' (Royal Candles Speedwell) is an outstanding upright growing Speedwell with large, attractive deep-green leaves and long blooming spikes of deep purple-blue flowers....Royal Candles Veronica.Zones3 - 8Light RequirementsFull SunWater ToleranceLow-WaterMature Height10-12" tallMature Spread12-15" wide4 more rows
How do you prepare a speedwell for winter?
Keep covered with a thin layer of compost, followed by a 2-inch layer of mulch to retain moisture. Deadhead to extend bloom time. After the first killing frost, cut back stems to an inch or two above the soil line.
How do you trim a speedwell?
Pruning. During the bloom season, deadhead individual faded flower spikes to generate more branching and blooming. You can shear off the plant down to the foliage if it begins to look straggly. After the first killing frost, cut back all foliage to within a few inches of the ground.
Should I deadhead Veronica speedwell?
The only pruning that will help Speedwell to bloom is regular deadheading of spent blooms. Cut the flower spike back to a full cluster of leaves. This spurs the plant to grow from buds on either side of the stem, producing more foliage and flower buds.
Does Veronica Royal Candles spread?
Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles' (Royal Candles Speedwell) is an outstanding upright growing Speedwell with large, attractive deep-green leaves and long blooming spikes of deep purple-blue flowers....Royal Candles Veronica.Zones3 - 8Light RequirementsFull SunWater ToleranceLow-WaterMature Height10-12" tallMature Spread12-15" wide4 more rows
Is Veronica speedwell invasive?
Often found in neglected lawns, disturbed soil, and shaded areas, corn or common speedwell (Veronica arvensis) is one to watch. It's also known as gypsyweed or veronica. Generally, this invasive plant features four-petaled white, blue, or purplish small flowers; heart-shaped seed pods; and numerous small lobed leaves.
How big does speedwell get?
1 to 3 feet tallThis attractive plant grows in clusters from 1 to 3 feet tall, and blooms from spring to autumn. There is also a bushy ground cover variety (Veronica prostrata), which features dense clusters of flowers and grows to only about 10 inches tall. Grow in moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun.
Is Spike speedwell invasive?
Spiked speedwell is a fast grower, but is not invasive, and it grow sfrom nearly ground level after being cut back for overwintering to full height before the end of the growing season.
What is the best upright form of Speedwell?
Regarded by many as the best upright form of Speedwell, Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles' (Spike Speedwell) is a bushy, upright, clump-forming perennial producing dense, slender spikes of star-shaped, deep blue-purple flowers from early to late summer.
How big does a sage tree get?
Grows in bushy, upright clumps, up to 15-18 in. high (37-45 cm) and 15 in. wide (37 cm).
Is Speedwell a cut flower?
Exceptional as cut flowers. Best when planted in groups. Easy to grow, Speedwell requires very low care and is fairly pest and disease-free (some susceptibility to mildew). It is attractive to butterflies, but resistant to rabbit and deer.
What is a speedwell Veronica?
Veronica is a robust genus of flowering plants that includes more than 500 species, several dozen of which are cultivated as landscape flowers. Of these, one of the most popular is Veronica spicata, often known as spiked speedwell, which is often called just speedwell. Speedwell is a clump-forming plant with flowers that grow on stalks ...
How much water do spiked speedwells need?
Even as older plants, they will bloom better when given a moderate amount of water. They typically need 1 inch of water per week.
What is the best soil for spiked speedwell?
Loamy, well-drained soil is the best environment for spiked speedwell. These plants do not like to have "wet feet"; soggy soil can kill them and cause root rot. If you have poor or clay soil, amend it with compost before you plant. The compost will also add nutrients to the ground to give your young plant a good start.
How to protect Speedwell from winter?
To protect speedwell outdoors from a potentially wet winter, cover the plants with plastic. Excessively moist winter soil may kill the plant.
When does Veronica spicata bloom?
Veronica spicata 'Glory': This variety has low-growing foliage (about 12 inches tall) from which 10- to 12-inch blue-violet flower racemes rise in late spring through mid-summer. Sometimes this variety is sold under the trade name of 'Royal Candles'.
What is the best way to kill Veronica snails?
Veronica may be susceptible to snails, slugs, and aphids. Eliminate snails and slugs with bait, and get rid of aphids by spraying neem oil .
How tall does Sunny Border Blue grow?
V. spicata 'Sunny Border Blue’: This hybrid grows to 20 inches tall with spikes of dark violet flowers that bloom into late fall.
How to grow Speedwell in Clemson?
The Clemson Cooperative Extension recommends feeding perennials such as speedwell in early spring just as new growth emerges. Use 12-6-6 fertilizer at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per 100 square feet of area. Keep the fertilizer from touching the fresh new growth because it can burn it. Water thoroughly after feeding to distribute the nutrients into the soil.
What zone does Speedwell grow in?
Speedwell (Veronica spp.) grows best within U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3b to 9a, according to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, where its showy flower spikes will attract pollinating insects such as butterflies.
How to sanitize pruning shears?
To sanitize the pruning shears, first wash them in hot water to remove any debris from the blades. The University of Florida IFAS Extension recommends soaking the blades for 30 minutes in a 10-percent-strength bleach solution. Mix 1 part bleach with 9 parts tepid water in a bucket and soak the shears.
How to keep weeds down on a plant?
A 1- to 2-inch layer of organic mulch, such as pine bark, around the plants will help hold moisture in the soil and keep weeds down. Just be sure to leave a few inches between the mulch layer and the base of the stems to prevent rot. Always let the soil dry between watering to prevent root rot.
How to prune Speedwell?
Pinch the tips and first set of leaves of young speedwell plants as soon as you plant them as bedding plants or seedlings in spring. Removing the tips, using scissors or your fingernails, forces the plants to branch out and create bushy, compact growth. Pinch the tips again in about three weeks, if desired, for even fuller growth.
When does Speedwell bloom?
Speedwell bloom time ranges from late spring into summer, when they send up a profusion of tall flower stalks that can top 4 feet in height. Each flower stalk branches along its length, producing side shoots that form tall flower spikes in shades ranging from pure white to deep violet-blue.
Does deadheading speedwell flowers bloom?
Deadheading will prompt the plant to bloom again, according to the Chester County Master Gardener Program. The flower spikes on speedwell plants don't bloom all at once; instead, they appear in waves.
Salvia Speedwell....and Royal Candles Please help??
Well I just planted some new perennials in my back yard this year. I put in some Royal Candles and some Salvia Veronica Speedwells. My question is about the dead flowers.
Comments (9)
As soon as the flowering stem was about 80% finished, I prune my veronica right down to where the foliage starts. I've never grown spitica, but Royal Candles would immediately start to send up new flowers.
