have: double fern leaf peony

I contacted Terra Nova, and received the following reply, from someone who has lived with the plants for some years. My guess is that my plant suffered from having been fertilized in the container, not a good idea. In any case, I think this response is well worth considering: I viewed the picture from the link you provided and without specific information from the person who has the plant it is challenging to make an accurate diagnosis. The individual with the plant has made no mention of how they are growing the plant, what kind of light, soil, fertilizer, watering practices are being used, or where they are located (are they in an area of high heat and humidity?) etc. Without this information it really doesnÂt provide a solid foundation upon which to build a diagnosis. You will note there a several folks on the forum making wild guesses as to what the issue may be, based on little to no information from the questioner. Our best guess, just from looking at the picture is that the drooping flower is from a fungal disease that is caused from overhead watering or heat and humidity this late in the summer or a combination of both. Another point to consider is how the plants were grown from the nursery that they were purchased at. Many nurseries will try to push foliage and flowers by using lots of fertilizer which tends to produce tall leggy plants and shoots that are not as strong as if they were grown under normal gardening practices. This is something we cannot determine looking at just pictures, but is a question that does need to be raised. Echinaceas by nature do not need lots of fertilizer and in fact like the soil fertility to be on the lean side. Before wild judgment calls are made against a plant or a nursery, going back to the basics and inquiring how a the Echinacea, or any plant for that mater, is currently being grown or how it was grown in a nursery will answer many questions. I happen to be fortunate to look outside my sales office each and view a clump of 10 Echinaca ÂTiki Torch in full blazing sun next to our driveway and they are thriving! No drooping stemsÂjust lots of flowers that greet me every day. This particular clump is grown in full sun, in regular soil that has good drainage and we donÂt fertilize. Regards, Erik Petersen Regional Sales Representative Terra Nova Nurseries

1)if you need to push the tractor a short distance, in your manual you will find detailed instructions on how to pull out a hydro disengagement rod located on the rear frame below and behind your seat. To my knowledge, there are no cotter pins that would allow such an activity on that model. 2)the deck drive being inoperative may be due to blade/spindle/deck shell damage from the torch - a detailed inspection should reveal what is damaged and needs repair.

Looks beautiful! Take a deep breath and enjoy!