expect a good lecture from Ken.
A week is a very short time for anything to happen. Plants will look wilted once transplanted. Also in these cool temps you don't need to water everyday. Just check soil beneath the surface to see if dry and water accordingly. Plants like Gaillardia prefer dryer soils. I plated three last week and have watered only twice since and they are just fine. Finally keep the miracle grow away from these plants. Thats the last thing they need at this point.

Water when needed and give them a couple of weeks to adapt to the new environment.

Well, first of all, you seem to have chosen the right plants for full sun and you understand that they need to have proper spacing, so that is good. Putting the right plant in the right place is one of the more important basics to understand.

I rarely see a wilted plant when transplanting and I rarely lose a plant. I time my transplanting to a stretch of cloudy weather to give them a rest from sunshine while they are getting established. Or I provide shade if I can't wait, with an inverted milk crate or a well positioned lawn chair, whatever. I water them in very well just after planting and give them shade and leave them alone for a week that way, unless it is really hot and then I would just keep checking to make sure they didn't dry out.

The only kind of fertilizer I might add at the time of planting, would be seaweed/fish emulsion liquid fertilizer following the bottle's directions for diluting but then making it half the strength suggested. Personally, I never add fertilizer at planting but wait until the plants are established and starting to grow again. The Miracle Grow added when the plant is trying to quickly grow roots in a new location will not help the situation and is the one thing you've done that could injure the plant.

Watering is a gardening skill that every new gardener has to get good at. Watering every night is rarely a good thing to do, unless you live in a very hot and sunny climate. There is a little bit to know about it before you can get good at it and you have to expect to get experience the hard way sometimes. So I won't get into it more here, but you might want to read up on proper watering or start another thread asking specifically about how to water.

You added mulch, which is also a good thing to do. My only question would be were you careful not to bring the mulch up to touch the stems of the plant? You want to keep the mulch back at least an inch or two from the stems so that it is not touching it.

So, that is about all you can do at this point. You have watered a lot, so I would stop watering....except, I am a little concerned about the fertilizer. Maybe someone else can advice you on that, since I never use Miracle Grow. I'd be tempted to water once more just to dilute the fertilizer and then leave them alone, but not sure. ???? If any plants actually look wilted, I would try to offer shade.

Another very helpful tip, is that when you are asking for help on the forum, no one wants to give you the wrong advice and seeing the plant and the circumstances of the garden it is in, makes it more likely you will get the right advice. If you plan on visiting on a regular basis with questions, I would try to take photos and post them in your thread if someone asks. Obviously not every question needs a photo. For instance, you've described your plants as 'puny' and 'pathetic' and that raises questions that a photo could answer.

Oh, and good luck with your new garden, it sounds pretty!

Rarely do plants need to be watered daily, some exceptions being seeds that were sown, small seedlings, and recent transplants experiencing hot dry weather (which is generally not a good time for planting or transplanting anyway).

There is an adage people throw around, which applies to a lot of perennials "first year they sleep, 2nd year they creep, and 3rd year they leap." Some of yours may not appear to do much this year, because they are devoting most of their energy to root growth. And they don't need Miracle grow for this - they need well-prepared soil, with some organic matter like compost. I also use a diluted seaweed solution for seedlings and new transplants, or maybe some compost tea, because these feed the soil micro-organisms which work to make nutrients available to the plants' roots.

If you are disappointed in not having huge lush perennials with stunning blooms for another year or two, consider filling in with some annuals in the meantime. Or if you have the money, you can probably go and buy those huge lush perennials in 2 or 3 gallon pots.

Thanks for all of your advice! I actually think I may have been overwatering. I started having problems with some of the small Bugleweed I put in the hill next to the house. Some of them were shriveling up to nothing. I finally decided to just stop watering them to see what would happen, and one of the plants that was almost dead has started to come back it seems.
I think I definitely go overboard on the water lots of times.
Do any of you use those soil moisture meters I have seen for sell on Amazon? I'm just not sure I could stick my finger in the ground, and judge whether or not that soil is wet/dry enough for a plant.

Well, I am not so sure if I am over-watering, under-watering, or neither and something else is going on....the Coreopsis and May Nigh Salvia seem to be doing ok, although still scraggly, but the Gallardia is just flopped over....the leaves are droopy....
I seem to water, and I kill things.
I don't water, and I kill things.
I am at a loss right now.

I'm wondering if maybe the plants were already dry when you planted them. Sometimes you have to let the pots sit in some water to give them time to soak up the water; otherwise it just runs through and the roots stay dry.

When you water, do you spray the plants? Many times when you spray them, the surface of the soil looks wet, but if you stick your finger in the dirt, it's dry. The best way to water is to set the hose next to each plant at a slow trickle and let it run for several minutes. It won't need watering again for several days.

The best way to determine if they're too wet or too dry is just stick your finger in the dirt. Then you can go from there.

Deanna

Bgviator, I have one of those moisture meter devices for the houseplants. It works great in that context, because it's easy to kill plants in containers by over-watering, especially if the potting mix is not well-drained. I have never even thought of using it outside, but it might work?

What kind of soil do you have? You could be drowning your plants, especially if you have clay soil. If you have sandy, well-drained soil, that is less likely.

Gaillardia, Coreopsis and Salvia May Night are all more or less drought-tolerant plants, so it's very unlikely they will die if you take a break from watering for a few days.

I'm not really sure what type of soil to call mine....I guess I would say it's pretty dense.....thick/muddy....I'm guessing that's what you call "clay" soil? I dunno, I'm really new to this terminology.
I should mention that my Gallardia plants when I bought them at Meijer, the leaves were already pretty droopy looking on them...but I just assumed maybe they had gotten pot bound, and needed to be free and watered. But they are staying droopy now that they are in the ground.
Yes, I do normally just water my plants from the top, with the sprayer on a rain shower mode.....I am never really sure how long to water the garden either....I just usually water for 30 seconds or so from above.
I should mention also that this area that the plants are in....nothing has ever grown there before except weeds....it was just a weed bed that I finally cleaned up earlier this year with Round-Up....I waited the recommended number of days before I planted anything though.
The soil itself seems (at least on top) very dry and crumbly, and definitely seems void of any nutrients.....not good looking soil at all.....I didn't bother tilling or mixing in some garden soil or anything....I'm trying to watch the $$ this year.
Also, if anyone knows anything about Bugleweed, could you please address my post in the "Groundcover" forum? I am having a lot of issues with that dying off too. I feel like I'm really wasting my $$ this year at this point.

If a plant is pot bound when you buy it, you must cut the root ball so it can grow. Forget the old adage "Never disturb the roots". You must cut the roots and pull them apart some or the plant will remain pot bound even in the ground. This is especially important for woody ornamentals.

I was also going to mention about the roots being bound, and ask if you teased apart the roots when planting.

Also, what is your soil like? Did you amend it? Not sure that this would affect your plants to this degree this quickly, but if your soil is lacking in nutrients it could have an effect. I usually amend a bed a few months before I plant, and then add compost yearly, with a mulch of shredded leaves.

I'm still thinking it may be an overwatering issue. As PM2 says, if you could post a picture or two it may help. In the meantime I would go easy on the watering, have some patience (hard with a new garden, I know!) and have fun!

Dee

No, I did not amend the soil unfortunately. I don't have a lot of cash this year, and can't afford the big bags of garden soil....and I don't have a compost pile either (I guess I should probably start one).
I didn't really tease the roots apart either. I just popped them out of the containers and stuck them in the hole.

I have to go back to something you said in your original post and please, please don't take this as a nasty, criticism of your gardening abilities. I don't mean it that way. You mentioned you gave the plants a dose of Miracle Grow when they weren't doing what you expected them to do. This is a common response and I've read it on many forums countless times before with both garden plants and houseplants.

If a plant isn't doing well, I think I can safely say 99.99% of the time, it's a cultural issue not a need for fertilizer issue. It's too much light, not enough light, too much water, not enough water, wrong soil, wrong environment etc. Yet lots and lots of people seem to think if they just reach for the fertilizer all issues will be resolved.

And it's understandable since we are constantly being bombarded by all the TV commercials basically saying you can grow a lush, beautiful garden in a pile of sawdust if you just use their product. Yes, there is a place for fertilizer in the home garden, but IMO it's way over promoted and overstated. Yet a whole lot of people have been suckered into believing it's all about the fertilizer.

I rarely fertilize my perennials. To be honest, I just never get around to it. I use lots and lots of compost, am very satisfied with how my garden grows, so it just isn't that important to me. Maybe it would be better with a dose every now and then, but like I said - I'm happy with what I have. We dump way too much crap in the environment already. That bugs me.

Kevin

I probably agree with you Kevin. I know I am screwing up this year. I'm trying to do things on a budget....I'm constrained for time.....it just doesn't seem to be working for me. If I had a lot of funds I definitely would have tilled up the ground and mixed in compost. But since I don't I just made a hole, and stuck them in....and now I seem to be paying the price. I am going to try and take pictures tonight and post, especially of my Gallardia plants so you can see what's happening.
Would it do me any good at this point to get some bags of compost at the store, and just spread it on the top of the soil and around the plants, or does it need to be worked into the ground?

It's so hard to say for sure without seeing the situation. Personally, I just don't think you've given the plants enough time to do anything. About a week ago I received a whole box full of mail order plants. Some of 'em looked kind of ragged from transit etc. I planted them, keep them watered since it's been so blasted hot, but I really don't expect to see anything from them for at least few more weeks. If they bloom this summer, I would be surprised.

If you're convinced it's your soil, then here's a cheap alternative: Dig out the plant making sure you leave as much dirt around the roots as possible. Dig another hole 3 or 4 times bigger than the plant you removed and amend the soil in that larger hole with compost or bagged soil or whatever. Replant the plants and see what happens. It might be enough to get the plants growing properly for this season. That way you don't have to amend all the soil in the whole bed. You could do that next year and you wouldn't have to spend a whole lot of money this season.

Again, I give that suggestion if you're convinced it's the soil and you don't have a lot of money or time.

Kevin

Bgaviator, don't be hard on yourself! All gardeners, whether they are newbies or very experienced, are constantly making mistakes and learning. But we are a hopeful bunch - next year, it will always be better! And next year, your garden will be better (in the meantime ease off on the watering esp. if it rains 1-2x per week and you have clay soil).

This year there is still hope to have a beautiful garden. If the perennials are slow and have sparse blooms, which is NORMAL if they are newly planted, and especially if stressed, try some annuals too. Dig some holes in between the perennials, mix in a little compost in the hole, and plant. I like big bold and beautiful annuals that will attract bees, butterflies, and birds, but there are many choices of all sizes and colors.

If I did buy some compost from the store like Lowes or something, is there a particular kind I should get? I saw 40 lbs bags of this Happi Gro Cow and Compost manure for like $2/bag on their website, which seems pretty good.

...also, if any of you know anything about Bugleweed, specifically Ajuga Chocolate Chip variety, could you take a look at my post in the groundcover forum? I am not getting any hits on my situation with those either. Half of them have died/dying on me, and I'm not sure why. I have pictures with that post too. Thanks.

I'm not sure about gaillardia, but I wouldn't add compost to the soil for coreopsis or salvia. They like lean, dry soil. Salvia will get floppy in rich soil. I know Gaillardia prefers it on the dry side as well, and I probably wouldn't give it any compost either. However, if your soil is clay, I'd probably mix in some peat moss to lighten it up a bit.

You chose low-maintenance plants that probably don't need fertilizer. But like I said, the only way to really know for sure if they need water right now is to stick your finger in the soil next to the plant, not just feel the surface of the soil. Trust me, you'll be able to tell if it's damp or dry. If they need water, do the slow trickle with the hose, and ignore them for 3 or 4 days, then stick your finger in the soil and check. Trust me, if the plants really need water, a 30 second spray with the hose isn't going to cut it.

The salvia will flat out bite the dust if they're kept too wet.

Going forward, when you plant, first soak the plant with water while it's still in the pot. When you take it out of the pot, if the roots are one big mass not conducive to "teasing" apart, just take some scissors, pruners, or a knife, and slice the roots in a few different places on the bottom of the root mass. I know this hurts, and you'll be scared you'll hurt the plant, but it stimulates new roots to grow. It's a good thing. :-)

As far as compost goes, I prefer cotton burr, but like I said, I don't think the particular plants you chose need it.

FYI, with the exception of most nurseries, most stores don't water their plants enough, so they're dry and droopy, and they're potted in potting soil that the water just runs through before the roots can absorb it. I have a feeling your plants were probably dry when you bought them.

You can post some pictures, but we won't be able to tell if the soil down where the roots are is dry or wet by looking at a picture. Only you can determine that, by sticking your finger in there.

We all learn by our mistakes; everyone makes them, and everyone has killed a few plants! So don't worry!

Deanna

You don't need a lot of money to amend the soil, and you don't need to till anything (look up no-till gardening). Looking to the future, do indeed start a compost pile if you can. Shred some leaves - I have been known to go to my patch of woods in the spring and rake the leaves OUT of the woods to shred them for mulch. Neighbors look at me strangely but who cares? If you don't have a patch of woods with leaves, look into your town maintenance department to see if they have leaf piles from last year, or even better - free compost! My town does give away free compost. The quality can vary according to towns and what they do, but it may be an option.

See if you can find a local farmer who has cow or llama or alpaca or horse manure. If its fresh, you will need to compost it for six months or so, but sometimes farmers have their own piles going and you can get it composted. I'm able to get goat and llama manure for free from a local farmer.

Of course, all that being said, you should know your plants requirements - and your soil type - before you add anything. That's why it good to have a plan beforehand and think things out. And trust me - I am speaking from the experience of NOT having had a plan or thought things out, lol!

Honestly, I can't help but think that maybe you are just being too impatient! I know it's hard with a new garden, but I think with more time and less water, things should start to pick up. Perhaps, as I think was mentioned above, fill in the spots with annuals for this year, plan for next year, amend the soil as need in the fall, and for this year, watch your sun patterns if you haven't already, do lots of reading, and think ahead to next year.

And I do hope you will have fun with this! Don't let it stress you out!

:)
Dee

As promised, some pics. I did add a little compost to the soil tonight before I read some of your latest responses.

The Garden overall....small, but hopefully manageable.
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The Gallardia Blanket Flower I am most worried about. I have two of these.
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And if anyone can help with this....I am having a terrible time with my Ajuga Bugleweed Chocolate Chip.....all the plants are shriveling up and dying.
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ok its far too early to say that your soil is the problem. You need to give these perennials several weeks to settle in and grow. If they were root bound and you didnt cut them up, that might be a problem. Also, all of the plants you mentioned do not need a lot of water. Just water every couple of days and then less often as time passes.

Even the Bugleweed, or just the other perennials mentioned?
I did dig up the Gallardia and loosened the roots, replanted, and put a little compost around them.

Here's a thought: What is all of the dead foliage that I see? Is that straw or did you kill off weeds that were there before? It it is the latter and you used RoundUp or something, the perennials are probably suffering from that. I can't tell from your pictures. Could that possibly be the problem?

yes, I did use RoundUp to kill off the weeds that were there....but I waited the number of days the directions said that it was safe to plant.

The state of the plants looks far more serious than just not loosening the root ball. I can't help thinking that the damage (distortion and dead patches) does look like weedkiller. However, the Ajuga appears to be growing healthily from the centre so if you are patient it will probably recover.

It's a very small flower bed so I'd be tempted to take out the plants, put them temporarily back in their pots and water them thoroughly. Then I'd dig the bed over thoroughly with a fork, removing all weed roots and edge it clearly with a spade to stop the lawn getting back into it. Then I'd give it a real soaking, let the water drain down and replant. Digging it over shouldn't take more than half an hour judging from the picture.

but everything I've read about RoundUp doesn't make it seem like it stays in the soil after so many days....is this not true?

Supposedly the Roundup is neutralized by the soil.

I agree with Flora that you need to dig the bed. The soil could be compacted, or have roots, etc. and the soil needs to be worked. That is such a small bed that it would be easy to dig by hand.

If I want an instant bed, I turn the soil and pull the weeds out by hand, and also mix in some compost, leaves, or other organic matter into the bed. Since you sprayed the weeds first, you can just dig them into the soil. Then plant the perennials, and finally mulch.

I also use the lasagne or sheet composting method, but that is a little slower.

RoundUp does not linger in the soil.

You might have gotten some cold damaged plants to begin with - our big box store garden centers often put out plants according to the calendar rather than the weather. Spring has been tricky this year and we don't put much in the ground until Memorial Day or the week after here - nothing considered tender, for sure.

Also, a root-bound plant in the pot will remain root-bound in the ground if you simply pop it into the soil without teasing out the roots a bit.

I am really puzzled by the Gallardia. It just is staying wilted looking.....not drying out, just wilted. The May Night Salvia and Coreopsis, despite being small, look healthy. I just can't get this Gallardia to do anything. It just stays flopped. I keep giving it a watering each night, but maybe I should be doing the opposite? It just seems that to me if the leaves are really droopy, that they would need more water....but maybe not the case with these plants?

You are watering that poor Gaillardia to death. It probably has root rot from all the watering. Just ignore it and give it a chance. It is a plant that loves dry, sunny spots. The Bugle Weed looks ok to me.

On second look at the pics, what you really need are some large shrubs for that spot.

My Gaillardias love dry spots with poor soil. You are babying this thing to death.....

The gaillardia is toast. It has probably damped off due to too much water and cool nights. If it was droopy when you bought it, it may have already been infected. This is what I would do. It will take some work. You need a garden fork, looks kind of like a pitch fork but bigger, straight tines. Remove the salvia and coreopsis and turn the soil with the fork. You need to turn it at least a foot. You don't really need compost or manure, but the soil is heavy and could use some loosening with pine fines. If you can't find those at least get the soil fluffed up and get some oxygen into it.You want the soil in the planting area higher than the grassy area. I don't want to be harsh, but gardening is not an instant gratification hobby. Don't water newly planted perennials every day. Water them well every three days or so, especially when the nights are still cool and once they are established they should only need about an inch of water once a week. Never, never fertilize plants with chemical fertilizers when they are stressed out.
Ajuga (bugleweed) likes dry shade conditions once it is established, but will need more water if it gets more sun.
Back off on the watering for now.
I hope this helps.

Anitaz6, so you don't think my Gallardia can be saved if I just back off on the watering?
As far as the Bugleweed goes, the hill is in more of Full-sun than I originally thought. I tried backing off on the watering on the Bugleweed, and some of it just shriveled to dry crusty leaves. I just feel I'm killing the Bugleweed no matter what I try to do.....oh well, it's only $, right? ;-)

It is true. The gallardia is toast and needs to be tossed. Your soil appears to be compacted and gallardia needs freely draining soil. This means loose soil with tiny air pockets. If there is a Lowe's near you they sell bagged soil conditioner for less than $4. This is what most compacted soil needs as it contains small pieces of pine bark that keeps the soil from packing down again. It gets mixed into the top 6 inches of the soil after you have turned and loosened it with the garden fork or with a shovel.
It is likely that tha water you gave it was more than it needed, but not lossening the soil was probably the biggest problem. A free soil test from your county agrigcultural agent would be a great place to start with any amendments that you may need. If I don't have a soil test and can't wait for one, I just use soil conditioner, a little lime, and bagged dry cow compost in small amounts dug thoroughly into the soil. You may not need lime if your soil is not acidic. I never fertilize new transplants. It is best to let them begin to grow slowly into their new soil.
Most of us have made the same mistakes as you and learned from our mistakes. Thats why this forum is so helpful.
Once you get the area dug and replanted, be sure to mulch, with shredded pine bark mulch if it is available. This mulch will break down and improve your soil also.

But, the soil in that spot is not really compacted. It's actually quite loose....it may not have a lot of nutrients in it, but this area was tilled last year.

If I decide to spend even more money, and replace these plants, how should I go about initially getting them going? Should they be watered immediately? How Much? How often after that?

Are there any long blooming perennials that might be better than Gallardia that wouldn't be as finicky? I thought Gallardia was supposed to be a pretty tolerant plant.

Where did you get the Gaillardia? They might have a refund or exchange. I know Lowes guarantees their plants for a year.

I got it at Meijer...and yes, they did say they plants were guaranteed for a year....not sure if i can find my receipt though...I still have the pots/tags they came in.

..'this area was tilled last year'... A lot of weather has happened since last year. Preparation is never wasted in gardening, as in home decorating. Get the bed right first before you spend money on new plants. And in my opinion that includes deep digging and incorporating organic matter into the whole area (not just the planting holes). It really is such a small space it would take you no time at all to do it really well by hand and give your replacements a great start in life.

So.....I went to look at the Gallardia when I got home....to my amazement one of the two plants actually looked.....better!
Unfortunately some type of animal dug up the other plant for some reason....racoons maybe?
So now I'm curious why the perk up in the one plant? The difference today....no sun, and cooler temps. Very cloudy today and only in the low-mid 70s. Could this be why the plant perked up? I put my finger in the soil up to about my first nuckle, and it felt moist, but not saturated. I think I am going to skip watering tonight.
If the cloudy weather and cooler temps came into play today with perking up the plant....what should I do to keep it going? Should I shade the plants somehow? With what?

Also, the Ajuga soil felt sufficiently moist to me too when I put my finger in the soil. I think I will skip watering tonight on that too. It too seemed more perky....could the cloudiness be helping them too?

I am worried going into later this week though as temps are supposed to hit 94! And it's not even June yet!