I bought 4 fountain grasses the other day. 3 planted in ground and one in a large container. The 3 in ground are thriving and the potted one is drying up. I have wateres thouroughly too. I can't figure out what is going on? It has been around 100 here but "cooled" down to mid 90's yesterday. Any ideas what could be going on here?
Mmhmm - going only by the odds because there's not enough info to do more than guess, you're watering too much. Grasses like a fast draining soil and being allowed to dry down enough so the roots are breathing between waterings instead of swimming.
Al
Thanks! Great, of course seeing it dry, I immediately watered again thinking it was not getting enough. That wall gets really hot afternoon sun too. Wonder if its just a combo of bad watering, high heat?
Could it be that the roots are getting to hot in the pot. Just a guess.
I decided to take it out and plant it in ground. Now I need something else in that pot. I may have to wait til fall so whatever it is doesn't get fried. It needs to be bushy and tall. I'm trying to fill some empty space and help hide an ugly cord. Bamboo maybe?
What about an Agastache? They like it hot and dry? There are so many nice new ones out and the hummers love it.
High root temperatures and anything else that inhibits root function/ slows water movement to the foliage (and over-watering certainly qualifies in that regard) can work in concert to the detriment of the plant, with the symptoms being typically what you described.
Al
I'll have to look into agastache. That pot is in a southern exposure right next to a white wall. Probably not the best place to try and plant something new during summer. Patience is not my best virtue, ha! I dug up some bamboo with roots and stuck it in temporarily (we are trying to rid our side yard of it) so if it dies I'll just grab a new piece. Thanks for your helpful insights.
Hot roots is mu guess too.
The bamboo already died too... Looks like I'll have to wait for cooler weather to plant that pot.
I think you're likely looking in the wrong direction and probably not a good idea to conclude that high root temperature is the sole source of your plants failing. It's much more likely the primary cause is a combination of a poor soil and over-watering, with high root temperatures possibly being contributory. I grow lots of plants in dark pottery in full sun, and though they sometimes show a little displeasure with the heat, it's not enough to cause their demise. Just sayin .....
Al
Yeah, I have a large, same size actually, black pot in direct all day sun with the plant (aloe barbarae) doing just fine. I cannot for the life of me figure out the problem with this pot. I'm wondering of the white wall is bouncing the heat back on the plant? It is less than a half foot from the pot. It was 100+ when planted though the last two days have been in the 90's. It is not getting anymore water than anything else, which is every couple days. Confusing.
