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Too much bone meal?
YTG
Posts: 2
About a month ago I got a friend to help me plant some beautiful star jasmine in the ground that had been in containers for the last three years however it turns out that whilst doing so he also emptied most of a pack of bone meal into the ground. The two plants are now looking a bit sorry for themselves – many of the leaves have turned or are turning a dark purple/brown with darker blotches and I’m worried that they are slowly dying. However there is also new growth, which is green. I’m not sure if their current state is down to excessive bone meal or just the shock of being transported and planted. If anyone can offer some helpful advice I would greatly appreciate it as these plants have some sentimental value.
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Posts
It may well have objected to being moved. I'd cut out the poor growth and make room for the new growth which is showing. It''ll be well fed for sure, but keep it well watered and it should be ok. You may get no or few flowers for a while but unless you dig it all up again replace some of the soil, you may just have to put up with it.
Thanks Dave, I'll give it a go and see what happens.
YTG, you do not say where you planted the Jasmine, they are usually kept in pots so they can be put under cover in cold weather. If you have put them out into a plot it would need to be full sun and sheltered from the wind. I would not plant them in the ground unless I lived in the warmest mildest bit of the country and I do not.
Bone meal is a very slow release fertiliser so it may well be the move that has done the damage. You can repot it cut it back to three or four inches and remove old or sick growth then put the pot in full sun and see what happens, most species are greenhouse plants and do not over water them they hate that. Move it inside in September and keep it just moist, once the flower buds form then increase the water.
We all make mistakes and I run a plant A&E for my Daughters who can kill anything, the Jasmine is often one of them.
Frank.