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Crocosmia yellowing leaves
My Crocosmia seem to have come up bearing yellowing leaves,is this something they could be lacking in the soil or am I over feeding them? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
They normally are very green, had them for several years, split and replant every 2 to 3 years,
my agapanthus in another part of the garden is also looking a bit yellow can anyone tell me what am I doing wrong?
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Thank you Tetley but decking is a only a year old never been treated,no pesticides used just water spray the bugs every now and then, I have to split and divide the Crocosmia as they get too compacted, I too have used them throughout my garden as I too did have loads of space to fill,I am rather an amateur I'm afraid so I only water the plants about once a week ,feed with tomato feed or miracle grow every couple of weeks once the weather starts to get warmer which is why I was thinking I might be over feeding them.
Loupen, I've had the same almost rusty marks on my leaves the last few years. I had divided them, they had been lovely. Now I just get the leaves coming up, fresh green to begin with but by July the rusty or whitish marks are all over them. I'm at the point of digging up and disposing.
I can't see any spider mites Tetley.Yes Yarrow mine too seem to be showing rusty marks, strange isn't it?they were always so beautiful before, the surrounding plants and shrubs seem fine,they're as green as normal.
Did you find any thrips? Yellow leaves could also mean too much water, or not enough nitrogen. It maybe a good idea to have the soil checked for levels of nitrogen, potash and phosphorus.
Hope this helps
Thank you Maureen I think you are right about too much water, they are just starting to flower and although not as many as previous years they look fine,no thrips found, i think I will take your advice and test soil but I do think I have been over watering an already damp garden. Will hold off on watering so much this year and see what happens next year. thanks again
Edd, Maureen, Loupen: Interesting about thrips Edd. I have been plagued with them this past month on verbena, scabious and my sidalceas 'Elsie Heugh' are a disgusting mess. I did a spray with Provado - which I am very wary of anything chemical - and have had to take out plants, cut back foliage and remove the soil around the plants where the thrips were lying in their hundreds. I've never had such a year for thrips.
Maureen: I divided my crocosmia two years ago and haven't had flowers yet on the two divisions moved to another part of the garden. I suspect it's in my soil - whether thrips causing rust or that I've weakened them for attack when dividing. If I don't get any flowers this year (and there's no sign as yet but in Scotland we are weeks behind) - I will dig them up and destroy I think. So disappointing as I love them but we also get too much rain and I have a problem with a neighbours tree whose canopy this year renders two thirds of my garden in shade and the neighbour and I struggle with damp conditions because of it. However, tree surgeon felling it in a couple of weeks. (Mixed feelings getting rid of a tree, but it's covered in scale each year and we can't wait for increased light and less damp). So things might improve all round after that.
Loupen: Delighted you have flowers now.
Here is some information on thrips, which are very tiny 1/20 inch long.
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7429.html
along with some good photos
Thrips (Thysanoptera) are very small, cigar-shaped insects widespread throughout the world belonging to the order Thysanoptera. The fringed wings found on adult stages in this order, wings are narrow, small, and surrounded by tiny hairs.
https://lifeandagri.com/thrips/