(Flowering / Giant / Greater Sea Kale) After a very long search, I finally found two plants (2 gallon pot size), brought back to my garden here on Gambier Island, Howe Sound, and planted them in moist, fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. I’ve been careful not to over water, but the leaves quite suddenly started turning yellow! The brown edges are crunchy and I don't know if its from too much or too little water or sun. In a bit of a panic as I don't want to loose them! If anyone in the Vancouver / Sunshine Coast / Gulf Islands area has experience growing it or can offer any advice I’d be very grateful.
Since there are only 2 leaves that look dead and the rest look healthy, I suspect the plant is reacting to being moved from a pot into the ground during at a very warm time of year. Make sure it does not dry out while it adjusts to its new position. I would even go so far as to shade it somehow until this heat wave ends. Also, giving it fertilizer now would not be a good idea because it's showing signs of stress. I'm curious though what the roots looked like when you took the plant out of its nursery pot. If there were lots of roots crowding around the sides of the pot, that could affect its adjustment to being planted in the ground. It's called being 'root bound' and makes it difficult for the roots to grow outward again. Gardeners often actually tear or cut the roots around the perimeter to loosen them up when they are obviously root bound.
I am familiar with your Island ... a new fire truck no less! Congratulations. Certainly it’s not easy to haul plants and all other cargo aboard the friendly passenger boat did you purchase on the mainland Sunshine Coast (Gibsons etc)? I agree with Margot above And ask at the plant store where you bought these - someone must know something
Yes, we’re all very excited about the fire truck! My partner and I were p/t here for a decade and hauled everything from the city to the cottage every weekend, by bike! We’re retired and here full-time now but still, everything goes by bike and passenger ferry, including my crambe cordifolias, which I purchased in Richmond. The nurseries I inquired at around Gibsons hadn’t heard of it nor had a way of ordering it. AND the nursery I bought them at in Richmond only told me they like ‘Mediterranean type’ conditions, and I should ask here - the UBC Botanical Garden Forum - if I needed more info (!). So here I am. I’ve already followed Margos advice and gave it a good water this evening plus affixed a large shade umbrella over the poor thing. Since the other one, which I placed in a shadier bed, is doing a little better, I’m already thinking its in the wrong spot :(
Thank you Margo! I’ve given it a good drink this evening (just water - g&t for me tho) and have set up a large shade umbrella for it and will leave it there until the heat wave passes. I have been gardening for decades and am very familiar with ’root bound’ but was pleasantly surprised with both of the cordifolias - very healthy root systems. I planted and have been treating the other one the exact same so I’m starting to think its just in too sunny and dry of a spot, as a newbie anyway (whenever I get two or more of one plant, I sprinkle them around the garden (an acre) in spots I think they’ll do well in). Fingers crossed it recovers - I searched so long for them!!
