Annuals (Window Box) Help Please?

Discussion in 'Container Gardening' started by Lottie222, May 11, 2018.

  1. Lottie222

    Lottie222 Gardener

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    Hi
    I'm new here and hoping for some help please? Normally I hand my window boxes over to the nursery and get them back planted up. This time I decided to have a go myself.
    I used a multi compost + J Innes to pot and a few days later gave a dilute sea weed feed. They were looking great and growing rapidly.
    I then received a sample of "incredibloom" slow release and so followed instructions online to poke holes with a pencil and drop a few in. Suddenly the petunias look paler, I wasn't sure if the old leaf at the bottom was supposed to go so yellow too? Also some seem to be snapping? 32191447_10155253787991150_6076194579881656320_n.jpg 32313506_10155253788011150_1779225631553224704_n.jpg 32370397_10155253787936150_358478500467834880_n.jpg 32313599_10155253787946150_8371567837512204288_n.jpg I've taken pictures in the hope someone can advise pls? I wonder if they've been over-fertilised? TIA
    Lottie
     
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    • Lottie222

      Lottie222 Gardener

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      Oops just realised this might have been better in container gardening?
       
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      • Gail_68

        Gail_68 Guest

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        Hello @Lottie222 :sign0016: to GC and nice to have you with us....you can ask an Admin to move it there if you want to as @Marley Farley is on line.

        I don't pot my own plants sorry but members will soon answer you:)
         
      • Lottie222

        Lottie222 Gardener

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        • Gail_68

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          Last edited by a moderator: May 11, 2018
        • Lottie222

          Lottie222 Gardener

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          Thanks :)
           
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          • Gail_68

            Gail_68 Guest

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            Your welcome Lottie and the sites becoming more active now...so :fingers crossed: crossed you'll get help but by what I can see it looks like that incredibloom could have harmed them.
             
          • Lottie222

            Lottie222 Gardener

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            Yes, it had such amazing reviews too! Wondering if I should somehow attempt to dig out what's left...
             
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            • Gail_68

              Gail_68 Guest

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              As it just affected a bit of it Lottie?
               
              Last edited by a moderator: May 11, 2018
            • kazzawazza

              kazzawazza Total Gardener

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              Hello @Lottie222 :sign0016: to GC.

              Petunias need plenty of water but they don’t like their petals and leaves to remain wet. This can cause them to wilt and occasionally discolor. Water from the base of the plant deeply and allow the soil to dry out in the top few inches.
               
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              • Gail_68

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                • Verdun

                  Verdun Passionate gardener

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                  You overfed lottie, prob over watered too. Young plants...... Would you feed a baby like this?? Best to let plants, esp young plants, grow slowly without being force fed :). They cannot cope with overfeeding
                   
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                  • Marley Farley

                    Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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                    @Gail_68 it might have said I was on line but I wasn’t sorry only just got back..!:scratch:
                     
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                    • Selleri

                      Selleri Koala

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                      Hi Lottie222 , welcome! :sign0016:

                      How big is the container and what's in it? Could you post an overview picture please?

                      Petunias are a bit fiddly at first, they like stable warm conditions which just doesn't happen at least up here in North Tyneside... :biggrin: My petunias stay firmly at Morrisons until the late May bank holiday. Your Petunias may have just had a shock from moving from a greenhouse to the wild outdoors, cold compost and cold water. If the roots are ok, they'll perk up.

                      Annuals will not need much fertilising if they are planted in fresh compost. They will focus more on reproducing (flowering) than leaf growth if the soil is poorer, some say, and I tend to agree. But the dose of the "incredibloom" should do no harm at all as it's slow release fertiliser. Just leave it in.

                      It's also perfectly normal for the lowest leaves to look tatty and dying off after planting. Give it a few weeks and your window boxes should start to look very promising :):spinning:
                       
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                      • Lottie222

                        Lottie222 Gardener

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                        Thanks all :)
                        @Selleri I should have said they're living in my conservatory (unheated so rather greenhouse like at the moment) and they were for the first week or more doing fabulously. The weird thing just seems to be since the incredibloom they've gone paler - I watered after it so just wondered if that dissolving was all a bit too much. May have overwatered, but I have been sticking finger in and only doing if dry. Will try and grab a pic tomorrow when it's light.

                        @Verdun is there any thing I can do to er unfeed them? LOL

                        @kazzawazza yep I watered from the bottom so they didn't get wet :)

                        @Gail_68 just the petunias I think, although the verbena looks a little dark veined/paler leaf too in places.

                        Thanks all
                         
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