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How to Grow Alchemilla mollis

Alchemilla mollis

Perennial

Lady's mantle is one of the easiest perennials for UK gardens, happy in sun or partial shade and almost any soil. Plant in spring or autumn and water until established. Cut the whole plant back hard after flowering in July to prevent prolific self-seeding and to produce a fresh mound of foliage that lasts into autumn. It is fully hardy and virtually pest-free.

Yearly Lifecycle

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JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Spring Growth Flowering Growing Leaf Fall

Care Essentials

Rarely needed. Mulch with compost in spring if soil is poor.

Watch For

  • Generally pest-free
  • Can self-seed prolifically

Companions

Roses, Geraniums, Lavender, Hostas

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Care Requirements

☀️ Light

Sun or partial shade; very adaptable

Grows well in full sun or partial shade. Tolerates a wide range of light conditions, though it prefers some shade in hot, dry positions.

🌿 Spacing

35cm apart; self-seeds to fill gaps

Space 35cm apart for edging and front-of-border plantings. Plants self-seed freely and will fill gaps over time.

💧 Watering

Prefers moist soil; tolerates drought once settled

Prefers moist, fertile soil but tolerates dry spells once established. Water newly planted specimens until settled in.

🌱 Fertilizing

Rarely needed; compost mulch if soil is poor

Rarely needed. Mulch with compost in spring if soil is poor. Rich feeding is unnecessary for this undemanding plant.

✂️ Pruning

Cut back hard after July flowering

Shear the entire plant to ground level after flowering in July. This prevents prolific self-seeding and produces a fresh mound of clean foliage that lasts into autumn.

Growing Tips

Unfussy about position

Grows well in sun or part shade and tolerates most soils, though it prefers moist, fertile ground.

Cut back hard in July

Shear the entire plant to ground level after flowering to stop self-seeding and encourage fresh leaves.

Perfect for edging

Makes a superb edging plant along paths and borders, softening hard lines with its scalloped leaves.

A great companion

Pairs beautifully with roses, geraniums, and lavender. The lime-green flowers complement almost anything.

Pests & Diseases

Pest Slugs and Snails

Identification: Irregular holes in young leaves; slime trails on and around plants, especially after rain

Organic treatment:
  • Use beer traps or copper tape barriers
  • Apply organic slug pellets (ferric phosphate)
  • Encourage natural predators such as hedgehogs, frogs, and ground beetles
Chemical treatment:
  • Apply slug pellets containing ferric phosphate around plants
Pest Aphids

Identification: Small green insects clustered on flower stems; sticky honeydew on foliage below

Organic treatment:
  • Blast off with a jet of water
  • Spray with insecticidal soap if numbers are high
  • Encourage ladybirds and hoverflies
Chemical treatment:
  • Spray with a contact insecticide containing pyrethrins if severe
Disease Fungal Leaf Spot

Symptoms: Brown or dark spots on leaves, sometimes with a yellow halo; can cause premature leaf drop in wet seasons

Treatment: Remove and dispose of badly affected leaves. Cut the whole plant back hard to encourage fresh, clean regrowth

Prevention: Ensure good air circulation. Cut back hard after flowering in July to produce fresh foliage

Disease Crown Rot

Symptoms: Centre of the plant collapses and turns mushy; leaves yellow and wilt from the base outward

Treatment: Dig up affected plants and discard. Improve drainage before replanting

Prevention: Avoid waterlogged soil. Ensure good drainage, especially on heavy clay

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