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Have I killed my star jasmine?

Erica68Erica68 Posts: 65
in Problem solving

I have what was a splendid star jasmine that I have in previous years fed with the same food I feed my clematis. My old eyes are getting so bad that this year I fed them camellia food by mistake. I gave them all loads of water to wash the wrong stuff away. The clematis don't seem to mind as they will eat anything and they love water.  But my star jasmine started to go pale and the flowers went first cream and now most are dead. Was it the wrong food or too much water and what can I do about it?

Posts

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Hi Erica, is the plant in a pot or in the ground?
  • Erica68Erica68 Posts: 65
    Hi Fire, no it is in the ground next to a brick shed. It has climbed the shed and travelled over the roof. The longest bits are about 4 metres long, heavy clay soil. It does seem to have been very happy for 3 years.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    How does the plant itself look? Do you have any pics?
  • Erica68Erica68 Posts: 65
    I don't have a mobile phone but the leaves look as if they have a bit of bounce left in the but the flowers are just dead.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    I think it's probably just the heat. I'm finding a lot of flowers on many different plants are dying off prematurely because of strong sun.  Camellia food wouldn't in itself kill star jasmine, unless you inadvertently made it too strong perhaps. I would keep it well watered every two to three days for a week or so and it should be okay.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    I agree, it's very unlikely Camellia food will kill the plants. Flowers are probably going over due to the heat. Very common on many plants in excessive heat and drought. On clay soils, make sure you have a nice thick layer of mulch. The soil can turn into concrete and shrink which is not ideal for the roots.
  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 4,254
    I've had a star jasmine thriving for years and have never fed it. Like all shrubs and other plants in my garden it gets its usual organic mulch and some water in its first couple of years to help it establish.
    What do you call "clematis food" and "camellia food" anyway? Can you be more precise? I agree with @Borderline that "camellia food" would be unlikely to kill your star jasmine. But again it depends what kind of stuff it is.
  • Erica68Erica68 Posts: 65

    Thank you all for your help. First the foods; the camellia food (which I have given away) is by miracle gro and it says camellia on the packet. The clematis food that I used last year and the year before is by Chempak and says clematis on the front.

    That truly is the extent of my knowledge of gardening. I have used mulch from a place in Cornwall (or Devon) but the whole garden gets mouldy as it is small and there is very little air flow so, last year, for this bed, I have it layered over with white cobbles. It certainly stops the weeds and evaporation and I have had much less rotten leaves on everything.

    A friend has suggested that it is overgrown itself. Is this possible? Should I get it cut back?

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