This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

[SG] Black Thumb -- Need Help (Kind of Long)

Hi All,
Please help!  Everything I plant either is stunted in growth or wilts away.
I'm going into a lot of detail to explain how I have been planting annuals &
perrenials so that maybe someone can tell me what I am doing wrong.  Most
recently, about 10 days ago, I bought Torenia's from the nursery and planted
them along with impatiens under a large pine tree (lower branches of tree were
removed). When planting I included bagged potting soil in with the existing
soil in the planting hole; applied a small amount of Pete's fertilizer and
water in the  planting hole; let the planting hole drain; placed the plant in;
backfilled the planting hole with mostly potting soil and some existing soil
and watered.  There was some mulch left under the tree which I spread lightly
around the plants.  Since then I lost one plant within the first 2 days.  Now
about 8 plants are wilted looking and practically lying on the ground with
their leaves curled and droopy.  After I planted them, I watered them once
maybe twice using a watering can.  We had two bad storms, lots of wind and
lightening and a heavy downpour of rain for a brief time within the first week
of planting.  The last two/three days have been temps around 70 degrees,
sunny, but pretty windy.  Night temps have dropped to around 50-55 degrees.
Could the cooler weather be a factor?  Am I over or underwatering them?  I
have been told I water too much!  My neighbor bought a couple of half-dead
plants from Kmart, never waters and her plants look beautiful.  The impatiens
I planted at the same time in the same spot seem to be ok, not really large
yet but have a good look to them.  I also started annual seeds indoors for the
first time this year.  I planted the seedlings about 2 weeks ago.  This
included Dahlias, Geraniums, Salvias and Morning Glorys.  They are all so
small you can hardly make out if they are weeds or flowers.  i also directly
sowed into the ground Bachelor Buttons (never germinated), Cosmos (small and
laying on the ground) and Larkspur (stunted).  Am I doomed to be a black thumb
or is there help for me?  Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong.  Any advise
will be carefully followed and appreciated.  Thank you and sorry this is
sooooooo long!
Donna
Zone 6 Rockland, NY
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index