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Dianthus looks dead after two weeks?
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[Deleted User]
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Hello,
I bought a dianthus for my gravel garden after getting advice from the garden centre staff member.
It looks dead and being planted for just two weeks, I have taken it out and put it in a pot.
I watered it every day so am unsure what has happened?
Can I revive it or is a lost cause?
Thanks.
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Posts
you watered it every day?
dianthus prefer dry ground, that's why they work well in a gravel or alpine garden - lots of drainage.
I would bet the roots have rotted.
how dead is it? is there any green at all? if not its past the point of saving
Thank you for the reply.
Yes, watered it every day.
There is a bit of green on it, but all the flowers are dead
Is there anything I can do to revive it? I repotted it and removed from the gravel garden.
The only thing you can do is keep it in a really gritty mix, and cross your fingers. Although they love sun, keep it out of full sun for now to lessen the stress, and see if it survives. Take off all the dead flowers and growth as well.
If there's any reasonable amounts of green stem, you could take that as a cutting. Again, stick it/them in a small pot with mainly grit, water once, and leave somewhere sheltered till there's evidence of new growth, then grow on and repot etc.
The drainage has to be very sharp for them, and although all plants need watering in, they only need a couple of waterings initially to settle them. Mine are in almost total gravel because we have high rainfall, so they need to be kept as well drained as possible to counteract it.
Good luck with it - they are lovely plants to have. It's all a learning curve!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Maybe there is nothing wrong with the plant, it just needs dead-heading of flowers? Are the leaves and stems shrivelled?
Ahhh thanks very much to you both.
Could I use an ericaceous compost for it?
Most of the leaves and stems are shrivelled but there is still a bit of green!
I can't believe its only lasted for two weeks
.
Some dianthus only flower the once. Some of the newer varieties are repeat flowerers if deadheaded.
I wouldn't recommend ericaceous compost. These plants prefer neutral to alkaline soils in general. Free draining and that's it. As others have suggested, no need to water too much, they can cope well with less watering.