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Gardening

What is wrong here?!

(22 Posts)
Scentia Sat 09-Jul-22 19:25:25

Can anyone tell me why this honeysuckle seems to be dead at the bottom but very much thriving higher up?

Baggs Sat 09-Jul-22 19:44:29

Being a climbing plant it will always spread/fan out higher up than lower but the low leaf wilting looks unhealthy. Do some of them have mould on them?

Scentia Sat 09-Jul-22 19:47:25

Yes they do have a white mould on them.

tanith Sat 09-Jul-22 21:27:42

I’d try a fungal spray.

J52 Sun 10-Jul-22 03:27:59

Honeysuckle grows very quickly, I’d prune it down to a few inches to get rid of the infected growth. Then watch the new growth carefully to see if the mould reappears, if it does either spray or start again with a new plant. If you do dig out a fair bit of the current soil as the mould spores could be in the soil.

Esmay Sun 10-Jul-22 08:00:26

I concur with J52 !

Lack of light will cause this .
Sterilise your secateurs before and after use .
Destroy the unhealthy section don't compost it.
Provanto fungal spray will cure it .
I'd also check the drainage in the planter and replace it with fresh top soil and compost .
I've seen this
before and it's easily fixed .

Urmstongran Sun 10-Jul-22 09:39:23

J52 would you advise the same for my poor delphinium? Every year (more than 12y) I’ve had the most beautiful showing. This year the flowers were spindly and exhausted looking. Then a couple of weeks ago I noticed the leaves, but the bottom ones look healthy? I’d like to try and rescue it as I planted it in memory of a young work colleague.

Sorry to post on your thread Scentia hope you don’t mind.

J52 Sun 10-Jul-22 10:10:36

A Delphinium should have flowered by now, but pruning it down at this stage won’t help. I’d give it a weekly feed of Tomatorite it may then send up a late flower spike.
Next spring it might be a good idea to repot it in fresh compost.
At least high up you don’t have snails to worry about. Snails think it’s caviar.

Urmstongran Sun 10-Jul-22 10:15:45

Ah I didn’t make myself clear J52. It did flower at the end of May but looked spindly.

You’re right about no snails up here though ha!
I took this photo of our beautiful hosta a couple of hours ago in the early morning sunshine. We dug it up from our garden and potted it up to live here. Every year since it’s been this gorgeous. No holes in the leaves!

J52 Sun 10-Jul-22 11:27:28

Urmstongran I’d still feed it and repot next spring.

Urmstongran Sun 10-Jul-22 11:35:13

The hosta?

fairfraise Sun 10-Jul-22 11:35:42

Urmstongran can I just ask is that one delphinium you've had there for so long, the same one. I used to have some in a flower border, but they are long gone. But that looks quite a good idea.

Urmstongran Sun 10-Jul-22 11:38:44

Yes it it fairfraise. We had in in a border in our front garden for 8 years then potted it & brought it up here so that plant is 20y old now. ?

fairfraise Sun 10-Jul-22 11:41:13

I grew a few from seed a few years ago. I may try again and pot them instead. I'm impressed by the age of that plant!

Urmstongran Sun 10-Jul-22 11:43:59

Me too! I’m no Percy Thrower.
It just comes up each year, usually stunningly. I think it’s thrived on neglect.
“Hello, it’s me again!”
?

J52 Sun 10-Jul-22 12:59:49

No I meant the delphinium.

Urmstongran Sun 10-Jul-22 20:44:45

Ah. Thank you J52.

SpringyChicken Sun 10-Jul-22 20:56:39

Scentia, it's powdery mildew.

www.rhs.org.uk/disease/powdery-mildews

merlotgran Sun 10-Jul-22 22:01:41

Delphiniums should be cut right back after flowering then you might get a second flush.

J52 Sun 10-Jul-22 22:30:42

You’re right Merlotgran, I seemed to think the plant had not flowered at all. But Now I see it had a weak single flower spike. Maybe feeding and pruning might jolt it into flowering again.

merlotgran Sun 10-Jul-22 22:38:01

I don’t think it will flower again without being cut back. It’s herbaceous so energy needs to be directed into new growth rather than trying to support existing weak growth.

Urmstongran Mon 11-Jul-22 08:04:26

Ooh, thank you knowledgeable grans! ?