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  • Amateur Gardening

    Ask John Negus

    Mar 22, 2022 6 minutes

    John has been answering reader queries for 50 years

    Could I grow Epimediums in containers?

    Q Is it possible to grow Epimediums in a container and if so, what compost should I use and are some varieties better than others?

    Helen O’Brien, Cumbria

    A I’ve never tried to grow Epimedium in containers, but Hardy’s Plants lists the following as suitable.

    Those listed are Epimedium grandiflorum, Epimedium x youngianum ‘Roseum’, Epimedium x peralchium ‘Frohnleiten’ and Epimedium x warleyense ‘Orangekonigin’. Other varieties of these hybrids will probably also be suitable.

    Epimedium like humus-rich garden soil and in most cases like plenty of moisture around the roots. I would be inclined to use loam-based John Innes no 2 with added leaf mould or garden compost, or added multi-purpose compost.

    Even types that tolerate dry shade will do better with more moisture, so it is important to keep the pots watered, particularly during the growing season. Pots dry out a lot more

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