Stunted Hostas Help!
2 years ago
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stunted hostas
Comments (11)I had several new ones coming up stunted. Other hostas had frost damage to leaves which distorted those, some parts of leaves lateron dried up, but the plants did not get stunted. The stunted ones I dug up and found that roots were mostly gone, perhaps soil and mulch was put on them too deep in late fall, mice had a snack there, or there was a partial crown rot. The ones in pots are recovering slowly, but are staying small so far, will plant them soon to give them a start for winter. Bernd...See Moreproblems with hostas..stunted growth
Comments (3)Did you experience a late spring freeze,like I had? I had a huge Sum and Sub that now is smaller than my August Moon,because of that. It came back,but is waaay smaller than it's ever been,even when a new plant! Phil...See MoreHelp! Lower leaves brittle and curves, stunted growth
Comments (4)Hi Mauricio, This is an interesting problem. Since several species of plants are affected, that rules out some, but not all disease problems. " At one point I thought it could be the tap water I use, which is very alkaline here where I live, but then everyone in the city would face the same issue, which is clearly not the case. " The symptoms you describe are not dire, like the plants dying, and they are a little subtle, so a lot of people might not find them to be a problem, or even notice them. Here in the United States, many municipal water supplies are periodically analyzed and those results are available to the public. Do you know if a detailed analysis of your tap water is available? If your rainfall is periodic, as it can be here in Kansas, your reliance on your tap water would be periodic, which agrees with the periodic "on again, off again" nature of your problem. Can we rule out any "acid rain" cause for you? If your rain is not the cause, then periodic or intermittent use of your tap water is suspect. " I tried not doing anything to tha plants other than watering, and still had the same problem. " That makes me suspect your water as involved in the problem. A high pH can affect the availability of several plant nutrients in the soil. But we naturally suspect a nutrient deficiency, when in reality it could be a nutrient toxicity. That is why a detailed analysis of your tap water would be relevant. Do you have many plants, such that simply discontinuing the use of tap water and catching rain water in a barrel of some sort would be feasible? " ...and new growth is either really light green or deformed, with mangled leaves. " That would make me suspect one or more trace elements as the culprit. I grow zinnias indoors during our Winter and I usually have to supply a little extra Boron as boric acid to keep the new growth on my zinnias from exhibiting the symptoms you describe. But zinnias seem to require about twice as much Boron (still a trace amount) as most other plants. Since in your case several species are involved, a toxicity of some sort, rather than a deficiency, is more likely. Since this is not a simple problem with an obvious solution, some local agency might be able to help. If your tap water is involved, albeit subtly, then this problem should fall within the scope of some local agency. In my case here in the States, contacting a County Agent would be a good starting point. A rain barrel to make your plants independent from your tap water might be a solution, providing that you don't have a lot of plants. Like I said to start with, this is an interesting problem. ZM...See MoreAvacado tree dying/stunted growth? help!
Comments (1)I don't think you have to write its obituary just yet, Brady. Yes, it looks like it's drowning, and there may be some root damage, but unless you're seeing more structural damage (entire dead/dying limbs) than leaf margins, I suspect it will recover once things dry out. (Just don't go to the other extreme and let it go bone-dry.) The old leaves won't be able to photosynthesize quite as well and you might lose a crop or two, but if you can regulate the soil moisture and perhaps give a little extra potassium and phosphorus when you fertilize, I'd predict a comeback....See More- 2 years ago
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- 2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoSarah Mickelson thanked seagreen_turtle Z5b/6a SE Michigan
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