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Echinacea problem
Granny Weatherwax
Posts: 39
in Plants
I bought 3 echinacea 'sundown' from the RHS in spring. Two were replaced by them as they'd blackened and failed to take hold. They grew fine until about a month or so ago then I noticed the leaves were 'silvering' and were crisp and brittle to the touch. Does anyone on here recognise it as the RHS customer services say their experts don't know what it is and have refunded me for two plants. I suspect they aren't that bothered!!?
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looks like mould caused may be hot one moment cold and damp the next and lack of ventilation if they were indoors.
Thanks - No they are outdoors in full sun for vast percentage of the day which is the recommended growing situation.
wouldnt mould/mildew mean a soft presentation? I've had it on other plants and they've never gotten brittle like these.
Granny...thats a real mystery. Was it fed/overfed?
It was fed with Miraclegrow on a weekly basis....occasionally skipped a week! Everything else was fed at same time and nothing else is vaguely troubled!
That was my first thought too, but its the 'mildewy' look thats got me
Maybe some of the Miracle-Gro has got on to leaves and burned them?
I don't grow them but that does sound like a lot of feeding too, but it does look more of a topical problem like weedkiller as Verdun suggests. You're right GW - mildews and moulds don't appear as brittle and crisp- just soft and soggy.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I added 'well rotted' manure (bagged from the garden centre) along with compost (bagged etc etc) and top soil (bagged etc) to the existing soil and sand base (it used to be a block paved patio in that area) only weed treatment has been spot treatment using that gel but well away from the plant.
This area is a large new flower bed with all new plants so I'm happy to accept advice - I thought feeding would be good in the first year - perhaps I've overdone it? However nothing else is affected...in fact I've been pleased with the health of the plants.
One thing I've not done is test the PH level??