Why is my plant drying up?

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by Adžika, May 21, 2017.

  1. Adžika

    Adžika New Member

    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Estonia
    Hello
    I could really need some help and advice since I recently recieved a pot flower as a gift and it doesn't look well and is getting worse. Can anyone identify it?
    I repotted it to a slightly bigger pot 4 days ago and have watered it. But its leaves are drying up and getting weaker. Also all of its smaller blossoms dried up so I cut them off.
    Why is the flower not getting better? I'm really worried for it and want to save it!
    Thanks in advance,
    Adžika
     

    Attached Files:

  2. thanrose

    thanrose Active Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    800
    Likes Received:
    55
    Location:
    Jacksonville, FL USA USDA Zone 9
    That's a lovely little Chrysanthemum sp. The buds drying up and leaves curling and drying at the edges is possibly from underwatering at some point. With florist plants, that's common as water adds a lot of weight and potential mess. So it could have happened even before you received it. This plant will almost certainly do better outside and planted in the ground if you can. They are considered throw away plants where I live, and even in cooler climates where they thrive. That is, they are pretty and lovely growing in a nice pot, but cheap enough to toss out when they start looking tired, or without blooms. Yours still looks to be in good shape.
     
  3. Adžika

    Adžika New Member

    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Estonia
    Thank you so much!
    But I would like to ask a couple more questions just to be sure. :)
    I live in Estonia and summer is pretty much right at my doorstep. Should I plant it outside and if yes then where?Somewhere with a shade or somewhere light?
    Summer here can be pretty hot during the day and pretty cold at night from time to time and I have no idea how it would react to our cold winter because I definitely don't want to treat it as a throw away plant!
    I was told to keep it in a gloomier place and water it once a week. Is this information correct? Because I have watered it twice thus far. It looked in perfect shape when I got it but started drying up a couple of days later so now I want to take perfect care for it so it won't get any worse.
    I was told it can live more than a year and I want it to live a long life.
    Thank you again for your time!
     
  4. Adžika

    Adžika New Member

    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Estonia
    Also is there a need for fertilizing it?
     
  5. thanrose

    thanrose Active Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    800
    Likes Received:
    55
    Location:
    Jacksonville, FL USA USDA Zone 9
    Depends on how cold you get in Estonia. I am thinking that your cold weather temps would rival that of central Canada: If you have ground frozen solid for a few months of the year, then you can't plant it outside forever, but you could keep it in the ground for at least a few months of summer. Where I grew up, they were always in the ground, and always died back with any freeze more than a light frost, but would sprout again with warmer weather. Way back last century we would have a temperate winter in New Jersey, with snow on the ground for generally less than a week at a time. Some years with almost no snow, and intermittent pond ice. We did not have long deep freezes and could in fact keep Gladiolus, Narcissus, Tulipa, Iris and other bulbed plants in the ground year round. I suspect you can not. Chrysanthemum has moderately tender roots, not rhizomes or bulbs.

    You might want to water your mum a bit more often, but don't saturate it with water. Don't feed it right now but when it stops blooming you should give it a boost of fertilizer or compost if it's outside. It will appreciate some sun, but probably not very hot afternoon sun. If I were keeping a mum in the house I'd have it in the best window light I could give it, definitely not in shadows, but not with direct sun in late afternoon. There are lots of sites and references available with detailed information on keeping chrysanthemums and other outdoor plants. Hmmm, do you grow marigolds in Estonia? Tagetes sp? They seemed to do well in the same environment as chrysanthemum, well drained, sandy and tolerated a lot of heat.
     
  6. Adžika

    Adžika New Member

    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Estonia
    Well, now that I knew what flower it is, I did a bit of research in english and in local websites. The plant probably won't survive our winter so I'll keep it inside. I'm not very sure about how to grow it in summer. And yes, I have seen marygolds grown here!
    I read that it's used to "short" days ca 10 hours long and our days differ from 18 hours to 6 hours of sunlight. But I guess it's not too big of a problem.
    The flower hasn't gotten better yet but not much worse either so I'll keep a close eye on it. I thought about leaving it to a windowsill to the East so it can get a few hours of morning sunlight (4-5h) since afternoon sunlight is too harsh. Would that do?
    Thanks again!
     
  7. thanrose

    thanrose Active Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    800
    Likes Received:
    55
    Location:
    Jacksonville, FL USA USDA Zone 9
    Yes, the morning sunlight should be good for it, just watch to make sure it doesn't get too hot too fast. The short days reference is to this normally being an autumn or late summer bloomer. Through the US and southern Canada people might have them outside and blooming from September to the first freeze. I wouldn't expect yours to rebloom this fall, but don't know for sure. The florist trade on this side of the pond will have chrysanthemums for sale throughout the year and for many special events.
     

Share This Page