what's wrong with my purple coneflowers?
caroljm36
20 years ago
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scott
20 years agoGrndskpr_Wenthe
20 years agoRelated Discussions
What's wrong with this coneflower?
Comments (9)If you have leafhoppers this year or last year you could indeed have Aster Yellows. They don't "eat petals" exactly, they are a sucking type of insect and will suck on the leaves, leaving a pale stippling effect (tiny little specks) as evidence of their presence. As they feed they inject Aster Yellows into the plant. If this disease is like most virus type diseases it may take awhile for the whole plant to be affected. If they were injected last year, the full brunt of the infection may not be seen until this year. Do you have more flowers without petals this year then last for instance?.... I would say that if you have new growth that blooms after this initial period and those flowers also lack petals then you probably have AY. Unfortunately all the coneflowers within the same patch must be pulled and put in the trash. You will not be able to visually tell the good from the bad plants. Plants that appear to be normal may still be harboring the disease which just hasn't shown itself outwardly yet....I so hope your next batch of flowers all have petals on them. It's sad when this happens....See MoreShould my purple coneflowers should be blooming by now?
Comments (3)It can take a couple of years for echinacea to bloom. I winter sowed Magnus last year and it grew only leaves, this year it's flowering, but not too full yet. Next year should be the year where it'll finally look its best! Karen...See Morewhat's wrong with my coneflower leaves
Comments (5)First, if you just got it in April, I'm not surprised it didn't grow much. Rule of thumb for perennials is this: the first year they sleep, the second year they creep, the third year they leap...give it some time to get established. Second, I'm not sure I'd try to grow an echinacea in a pot. If the pot's not big enough, there won't be enough room for its roots to spread out. Yellowing leaves usually means the roots aren't getting enough air - it's common to see it with plants that are getting too much water - the roots don't get enough of a chance to breathe and the leaves turn yellow, which would make sense if yours is in a pot that isn't allowing the roots enough space. And, I'm not sure what zone you're in - if "nyc" means New York City, then you've got a cold winter ahead of you and those roots are going to need more insulation than they will get in that pot (and it won't do well if you try to bring it inside). I would pull it out of the pot and see if the roots are indeed filling up the pot. Watch how much you water it. And if it's at all possible, find a sunny spot and plant it in the ground. At a minimum, get it into a much bigger pot and wrap a blanket around it for the winter. These are native plants, they grow in almost any kind of soil, they're pretty hard to kill, and they're not at all fussy. They do have the same basic needs that all plants have, though - enough, but not too much moisture, and room to spread their roots....See MoreMy Royal Hawaiian purple--what's wrong?
Comments (9)Well, poo! I've been doing everything right--at least I thought so. I only watered when the plant was dry. And I am using a mix of orchid mix and peat (Miracle Gro) along with added perlite. The mix does have bark chunks in it, and the water goes through it fast, and doesn't seem to be holding onto moisture either, as it's dry within a week. I hate repotting it at this time of year, and knowing how hoyas hate it, but I can't let it continue on like this either. That was the only leaf that looked like that. All the others are normal. Pic is attached. It sure looks healthy to me. Should I wait and see if another leaf goes bad? I only put it in dappled sun so you could see it better. It normally gets no sun. Maybe I need to change that?...See Moreamy_z6_swpa
19 years agoamy_z6_swpa
19 years agoayardatlast
19 years agoahughes798
19 years ago
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