Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Brown marks on leaves and petals

christopher.metcalf76christopher.metcalf76 Posts: 5
edited May 2021 in Problem solving
Hi there, new to gardening and had some plants delivered. I repotted and (edit* ) watered well. My issue is now some of the leaves and petals are getting brownalong the edges. Can anyone help me with this? As I dnt want to have killed all my plants after 3 weeks lol.

Posts

  • TheScottishGardenerTheScottishGardener Posts: 62
    I don't know where you are, but have you had any frosts?
  • christopher.metcalf76christopher.metcalf76 Posts: 5
    Mild frost. I'm in Motherwell. It's not affected my dwarf rhododendron tho which is supposed to be very susceptible to frost I believe
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    There should be no need to feed at the same time as repotting if you use a proprietary potting compost ... most of them contain sufficient feed for around 6 weeks ... so it might be a bit of overfeeding that's caused browning of the leaves, as well as the late  frosts which have been damaging plants all over the UK. 

    I would water well and leave to drain and hope that will flush some of the fertiliser through.  

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • christopher.metcalf76christopher.metcalf76 Posts: 5
    Dovefromabove said:
    There should be no need to feed at the same time as repotting if you use a proprietary potting compost ... most of them contain sufficient feed for around 6 weeks ... so it might be a bit of overfeeding that's caused browning of the leaves, as well as the late  frosts which have been damaging plants all over the UK. 

    I would water well and leave to drain and hope that will flush some of the fertiliser through.  
    Thanks for the advice. I should clarify, I meant gave them a good drink as opposed to feed. I used miracle grow enriched compost so didn't think it needed anything other than water at the time. Just had a delivery of Flower Power delivered, but given what you have said about 6 weeks feed in the compost I'll hang off a couple more weeks before using that.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Fine ... then it's probably "just" the weather then.  Bright sunlight, drying wind then frosts ... perfect conditions for desiccating tender leaves.  

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • christopher.metcalf76christopher.metcalf76 Posts: 5
    Dovefromabove said:
    Fine ... then it's probably "just" the weather then.  Bright sunlight, drying wind then frosts ... perfect conditions for desiccating tender leaves.  
    Do I do anything? Snip the brown bits off the leaves, or will they be fine left alone?
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I think the older flowers are just fading naturally, maybe speeded up a bit if they were out in the cold. The fully open ones look fine and there are plenty of new buds, so just snip off the faded flowers.
    Evergreen shrubs and trees lose their leaves gradually throughout the year (unlike deciduous ones which lose them all at once in autumn) so a few older leaves dying is nothing to worry about.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • TheScottishGardenerTheScottishGardener Posts: 62
    edited May 2021
    When you received the plants did you just put them right out? I would still be acclimatising the hardy/half-hardy ones at the moment and all of my tender plants are still being kept indoors :( it's really frustrating all of this late cold weather we are having, I'm up in the North East of Scotland and we had blizzards again this morning. I think you and I may be the same hardiness zone if you are in Motherwell.

    Are you able to keep it indoors or under some form of cover overnight? I'd bring it in overnight then put it out from late morning until tea time in a sheltered spot for a week or two at least, until the worst (and hopefully last!) of the cold weather has passed.

    Also.. to actually answer your question, I'd leave the leaves as they are at the moment, they will just drop off on their own.
  • christopher.metcalf76christopher.metcalf76 Posts: 5
    TheScottishGardener said:
    When you received the plants did you just put them right out? I would still be acclimatising the hardy/half-hardy ones at the moment and all of my tender plants are still being kept indoors :( it's really frustrating all of this late cold weather we are having, I'm up in the North East of Scotland and we had blizzards again this morning. I think you and I may be the same hardiness zone if you are in Motherwell.

    Are you able to keep it indoors or under some form of cover overnight? I'd bring it in overnight then put it out from late morning until tea time in a sheltered spot for a week or two at least, until the worst (and hopefully last!) of the cold weather has passed.

    Also.. to actually answer your question, I'd leave the leaves as they are at the moment, they will just drop off on their own.
    Yes, put them straight out. Not really able to bring indoors overnight, but getting a new shed built on Friday, so will be able to put in there overnight to keep them a bit more protected. Also going to have a look at the frost protection fleece so I can tuck them up overnight also. Wh would have thought having plants could be like having a newborn child again 🤣
  • TheScottishGardenerTheScottishGardener Posts: 62
    @christopher.metcalf76
    Haha yes... maybe I mollycoddle, but I do have an almost 2 year old to look after as well, so I just apply generally the same treatment to anything living over which I am responsible  :#
    In all seriousness, it's not always the level of care I would take, but if you bought them instead of raising them yourself, you don't know exactly how they were raised and cared for. So especially if you are putting them out whilst the weather is still cold, or before the last frost date, I'd recommend to err on the side of caution (yes I am talking about plants here, not the children!)
    If this was June it probably wouldn't be an issue. 

Sign In or Register to comment.