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CA Ribes speciosum -seems dead, will it come back?

9 years ago

Ok just wanting to check and see but, I think I know the answer.

I have a
Ribes speciosum Fuchsia-Flowering Gooseberry. And up till a few months ago( around 2 months) it was doing fine. Partial sun, watered everyday (which it had been accustomed too since I'd bought it two years ago.) However, despite this being labeled as a plant that tolerates full sun, whenever I had it in full sun it would die off.

So I've had it in a spot where it would get sun, but mostly shade. Wasn't happy. So, moved it into a more sunny spot, still wasn't happy. So I covered it with a screen so it got, really filtered light. Now it seems dead. I've tried some miracle grow 'all purpose' grow food (this was at the first sign of it with it having not green healthy leaves). Nothing.

Is there anyway to like prune it and bring it back? Or once it's gone dead and nothing seems to happen it's not going to come back. This is the first time it's ever not had any green leaves.
It's been a container plant all it's life, and about 5 months back my 'oh-so-smart' mother decided it needed to be pruned. It lived through that so this was why I wondered if I needed to try and trim it in hopes it might regrow.

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Comments (5)

Embothrium
9 years ago
I have it along a south wall, as is recommended for it in cool climates. Yours sounds like you have been messing with it too much - starting with watering it too much, have made it sick.
Sarah Wolf thanked Embothrium
Sarah Wolf
Original Author
9 years ago
Sick? Even though it was getting this much water daily? So there's no bringing it back then?
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wisconsitom
9 years ago
Few plants tolerate daily watering. That was very likely the start of your problems. Plants in containers should be watered when the top of the soil surface is dry to the touch. That is only a very rough guideline; All manner of happenstance affect this...is it sunny and hot? windy? Plant is very large for pot? Plant is in too large a pot? All of those things affect watering frequency, but no plants want daily watering, unless one of those factors listed above dictates so. Almost certainly you have caused root rot.
Sarah Wolf thanked wisconsitom
WoodsTea 6a MO
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
You might try posting this on the Container Gardening forum, which gets more traffic and has a number of very experienced container gardeners.

I agree that daily watering is usually a bad idea unless you have an extremely well-draining medium, and even then not ideal for dryland plants. Consider your species in its native environment (coastal sage scrub and chaparral). It would get very little if any water at all during the summer and fall.

http://calscape.org/Ribes-speciosum-()
Sarah Wolf thanked WoodsTea 6a MO
Sarah Wolf
Original Author
9 years ago
Oh dear I hope I didn't cause root rot :c but, yes I will go and post in the container gardening. Thank you both c:

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