jacobs ladder melting

by Chasity
(Saint Albans Vermont)

I noticed my Jacobs ladder "melted", not sure if it was heat or the neighbors dog lifting hi leg on it. So I cut it down to about 2 inches above the soil line. Did I totally ruin this poor plant? it is such a pretty plant with dazzling blue flowers and attractive leaves! I'm wondering if cutting it down will cause it to not come back next year :-( side note I am very inexperianced in gardening. I am what you call a work in progress. Can't wait to hear from you.

Doug says that polemonium (jacobs ladder) do "melt" in the heat of summer indeed but it's a bit early in the year (May) for them to do this. The dog could have killed it with the high nitrogen in the urine.

Cutting it back? If it regrows, you're fine. If it doesn't regrow this year, my guess is that it's compost.

Water it heavily to flush out the excess nitrogen from the urine and then just let it sit and see what happens.