QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Why is my new plant wilting even though I water it?
Answer: In summer, when our plants are under stress, it’s very easy for them to dry out easily. If you’ve ever put a container plant on a patio in the hot sun, you know that by the end of the day the soil is pulling away from the edges of the pot and the plant is starting to wilt. You’re having to water them daily, maybe even more often than that.
Well, when you put that same plant in the ground it’s still in the hot sun and the root ball is still very confined in its pot-shaped root ball. It’s very easy for it to go into water stress.
But, it’s a trick in the summer to water the plant enough to keep the roots moist without drowning it. Roots need oxygen to survive and when you over water a plant and leave it in soggy water-logged conditions, you start to lose roots. There’s no worse time for that than the summer when the heat demands are the greatest on the plant. Soggy roots are absolutely deadly. That plant will wilt and die really quickly.
So, be careful, especially in our heavy black clay soils. Before watering your new plant, dig down a few inches to see if it really needs it. While it’s getting established, you almost treat it like a container plant—with light, more frequent soakings. As we head into fall, we’ll wean it to long deeper waterings.
past Questions of the Week →
PLANT OF THE WEEK
Duranta ‘Sapphire Showers’
 Duranta plants are also called “Golden Dew Drops” because in addition to the blooms, the produce attractive yellow berries. Often flowers and berries appear at the same time for a very refreshing gold and blue staging.
Duranta comes in many colors, white and a sky blue. ‘Sapphire Showers’ is a dark blue with white rims around the edges of the petals. Its flowers attract butterflies.
It forms a large upright plant that weeps over to the side. If it’s up against the building in a protected location, it will come through the winter. Otherwise it dies to the ground and comes up again the next year from the ground. You can also grow it in a large container.
past Plants of the Week →
PLANTING TIPS OF THE WEEK
- Regularly empty catch basins, birdbaths, rain gauges and other water pockets where mosquitoes lay eggs.
- Trim back and fertilize salvias to promote new growth and later blooming.
- Side dress vegetable crops.
more Planting Tips →
THIS WEEK’S FEATURES
Adam Diaz from PlantEscape Gardens gives Southwestern flair and unique texture to containers or landscapes.
Adam's plant list:
Silver ponyfoot
Jade plant
Ponytail palm
Ocotillo
Agave ‘Mediopicta Alba’
Barrel cactus
Gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida)
Texas sotol
Bamboo muhly
Knife acacia
Blue Dune
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