Why does my Heuchera lift out of the ground while growing? Should I replant it back down into the soil? If so, when and how do I do this?
I have observed this in my own garden and wondered why those heucheras keep heaving themselves out of the soil. According to Heucheras and Heucherellas by Dan Heims and Grahame Ware (Timber Press, 2005), most heucheras “require resetting or mounding every two years. A heuchera is in need of such a treatment when its rhizomes’ stems exceed three inches in length. […] Remove stem tips with a sharp knife or razor and plunge them into the ground or into potting soil to make more plants; lateral buds will emerge the following spring. Resetting a plant involves ‘popping’ the rootball out of the ground, digging a deeper hole in the same spot or elsewhere, and resetting the plant with 3 inches of soil mulch. It is important not to cover the crown tips, as this may cause rot or death. Some people think it is easier simply to mound 3 inches of mulch over the plant, but we prefer resetting–which is also a good opportunity for dividing the plant.[…] Early spring, when the ground thaws, is our preferred time for this operation. Without this treatment, many heucheras show less vigor, less flowers, and less foliage.”