The pictures are of a dianthus inchmery that I have had since 2009. It is one of a half dozen, that all look the same. This one I pulled up accidentally, and saw that its root system looked very puny. I don't know what it's supposed to look like, but the plant came up very easily. In general the plants don't seem to have thrived. I've added rock phosphate, greensand and compost to the holes when I planted, and I've put a handful of wood ash on each fall, since I understand they like it slightly alkaline and we live in acidic New England.
Are the roots supposed to look like this? (1st & 2nd pictures are of the root with the plant upside down.)
Do the previous year's leaves always persist? Should I be doing something to make the plant look less scraggly? (3rd and 4th pictures show scraggly joints)
