Echinacea and hydrangea problems
Melanie Wall
Posts: 48
Hi all, I'm new to the forum as a keen amateur gardener and currently have two
plants that I'm worried about.
The first is my Echinacea 'Magic Box'. I was given the plant when it was very small a couple of months ago. I planted it in potting compost in a container. Since then it has hardly grown at all, just a few new leaves. But the leaves seem to be growing crinkly and a bit shrivelled-looking. Could it be a bug or is it something else?
My other plant is an Hydrangea. I have had this also since quite small. It was flowering when I bought it and looked healthy. I potted it up to a bigger pot in potting compost and since then it seems to have dwindled in health. Leaves have a dark, dried up edge to them and whenever it starts to produce new flowers they seem to dry up and drop off whilst they are still tiny.
If anyone has any ideas on how I can cheer up either of these plants I'd be so grateful. Thanks, Mel
Posts
Echinacea are generally trouble free, but I would change the compost to a mixture of compost and sharp sand/ grit as they like free drainage. Check for aphids as well and if present spray with dilute washing up liquid.
As for the hydrangea, although they like a moist soil, it still needs reasonable drainage, so add a bit of grit to the compost and change the top 2 inches of compost every year and feed it as well, a bigger pot would help as well.
Thanks Dave, will sort that.
Thanks, Verdun. I think you might have hit the nail on the head there. It is in a big pot, I didn't know that could affect the growth, after all, if you put it in the ground then that's one big pot isn't it (my own special thinking on it!). Also, I do water every evening if it hasn't rained. Think I need to heed yours and Dave's advice. It is getting plenty of sun so don't think that's problem. Thanks again.