Gardening and Horticulture - water/disease or me

I ordered some new perinnials this year and some of them appear to have a problem. The ends of the leaves are brown,dead, and flake off when touched. The stem is okay and plant appears to be stable. What would cuase this?

Sounds like transplant shock. But there are a lot of other variables. Where do you live? What kind of plants are they? When did you put them in? Are they in full sun/shade?

Since the plants themselves seem to be strong, my guess is that when they were planted they just couldn't get enough water to the tips because of their limited root system. They may also be in full sun which can burn new plants if they aren't used to it, and will dry out new plants as well.

If they have no other symptoms, my guess is that it's just from stress and that they'll grow out of it.

As we don't know what type of plants you purchased, we can only guess. The symptoms sound like moisture problems. Did you purchase the right type of plants for the soil and sun conditions where they were planted. Have you over fertilized? This will cause nitrogen burn. There is not enough info for us to give you accurate advice.

Here are a few plants I purchased with the leaf problem. Clematis, Hydrangea,Astilbe, Butterfly Bush. I live in central Maine. I have never grown these types of plants before. They were purchased by mail and all were supposed to grow well in this area. I am in a #4 area and have tested the soil PH which is at a 6.0. I hope this is enough info to help.

Hi Bluerose,

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong, but brown tips on leaves have always baffled me. I've read/heard that it's because of not enough moisture or too much. My peace lilies at times get brown tips.

This could be very controversial.

But, all in all, I'd say your plants are healthy and they'll pull out of it.

I hope this discussion goes on, because I'd like to learn what the "real" answer is.

Gami

Gami,

Your peace lilly gets brown tips because the humidity in your home is too low for it. It may feel high to you, but remember that you have a tropical plant and it is normally in a very wet habitat. Many others (my spider plant) do the same thing. Many tropical plants have a "drip tip", that little point on the end of the leaf, to help them shed water (this tells you how wet and humid their normal habitats are).

Bluerose, I still think your problem is just that the plants dried out a little during shipment/initial planting. How are the new leaves doing? If they are fine, then that was the problem and you're OK from here.

Hi Leu,

Thanks! I think I did good then putting them outside in the shade where I can hose them off regularly. They seem to be smiling there. :)

Gami

Thanks Gami and Leu for the reply. Most of my plants are doing well. It has been raining for nearly 3 weeks and in the low 70s. I think that my Hydrangea won't make it,It has only one leaf left. This year has been a struggle with the weather. Should I expect my perinnials to grow very much this year do to the weather? What can i do to help them?

Oh... I wish we had low 70s here... It's been upper 80's/lower 90's. Still, though, I think it's been a tad bit cooler than usual.

There's a phrase for all perennial plants (both herbaceous and woody): The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap!

Basically, plants spend the first year or so trying to put out the new roots that they will use to support any new skyward growth. So I'm not suprised that yours are growing slowly. However, do make sure that they aren't TOO wet (in areas that are usually soggy), and that you don't fertilize them too much, which can make them weak or even burn them. It sounds like drying out isn't a risk for your plants anymore. Let's assume that the rain lets up and that the temperature goes up at some point. When you water, make sure to give them a really good drink, then wait. Try not to water every day or even every other day, once they are established. This is because you want the roots to grow deep into the soil before winter, and they won't do that if when you water it is only a little bit and every day (because they learn that the water is always at the surface). Mulch well around the plants to keep the ground moist, and to cool the roots in summer and keep them warm in winter.

I don't know what to say about the Hydrangea. Hopefully it will come out of it. What company did you order from? Do they have a guarantee? If the Hydrangea winds up severely disfigured I might send it back.

Hope this helps!

Leu, Right on! :)

Bluerose, where in the world are you??? Lots of rain and in the 70's. I'm packing!!! It really helps to know what state or zone you are in.

The only thing I might add to Leu's great advice is when you transplant, you CAN fertilize with a seaweed fertilizer. It's usually available at your local nursery, not the super stores. It's promotes root growth.

I don't know what's wrong with your hydrangea either, but try some seaweed fertilizer. What have you got to lose? Don't throw it out if it loses all it's leaves, or any plants. I've had some come back to life. Give them time.

Gami

Thanks Again Leu and Gami. My plants are looking strong and some have buds. Sorry to say I lost my Hydrangea plant. I can replace it, but at this late date I might try something different. The advice about watering is a good thing to know. I tend to water every day. The weather has improved alot, our temps are around 80 and we usually have a good rain once a week. I live in a small town north of Farmington, Maine called Salem. I am surrounded by woods and streams. It's nice to know that I can finally get the answers I need now. Thanks again.