Neither my wife nor I is good with plants -- world class brown thumbs.
My wife has kept this hanging plant for about a year. During that
time it had thrived and looked lush and great. She simply watered it
when it started to wilt and added fertilizer (Shultz All Purpose Plant
Food) to some of these waterings. Then one day about a month ago it
began looking like this and nothing she could do would bring it back.

A couple of times last summer it took on this wilted look when we were
away for a few days, but after watering, it came back quickly (hours).

http://www.factsfacts.com/WitheringPlant.htm

jim
___
Have a home upkeep question? Try my help page.
It's sort of an alt.home.repair FAQ. http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair

First of all, I don't believe you have "brown thumbs". You are observing
your plant and looking for information on how to improve you culture of it--
and that's what leads to "green thumbs"!

My guess is that after a year in the same pot, your plant became potbound.
This means that the roots have filled up the available room and infiltrated
all the available soil. Sometimes the root ball fills up the pot to the
extent that water just runs through it quickly, without having a chance to
be absorbed.

The temporary fix is to set the pot in a large saucer or bucket of water,
and let it rehydrate for a few hours or overnight, then drain. You can then
remove the plant from the pot, cut off an inch or two from the rootball, and
repot it with fresh commercial potting soil. You should then prune, or cut
back, the foliage to keep it in balance with the root ball. Alternatively,
you can move it into a larger pot; you will still need to trim away a some
of the root ball and untangle the roots a bit.

Your plant might be beyond hope, but you can try soaking it. If it is a
goner, don't feel bad--there's not one of us here who hasn't lost a plant,
(or more than one g) and learned something from the experience.

Cheers,
Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA


"jim evans" wrote in message
...

Neither my wife nor I is good with plants -- world class brown thumbs.
My wife has kept this hanging plant for about a year. During that
time it had thrived and looked lush and great. She simply watered it
when it started to wilt and added fertilizer (Shultz All Purpose Plant
Food) to some of these waterings. Then one day about a month ago it
began looking like this and nothing she could do would bring it back.

A couple of times last summer it took on this wilted look when we were
away for a few days, but after watering, it came back quickly (hours).

http://www.factsfacts.com/WitheringPlant.htm

jim
___
Have a home upkeep question? Try my help page.
It's sort of an alt.home.repair FAQ.
http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair

In article , jim evans
wrote:

Neither my wife nor I is good with plants --

School marm: "'ARE' good with plants."
Jim: "No, we is NOT good with plants."

world class brown thumbs.
My wife has kept this hanging plant for about a year. During that
time it had thrived and looked lush and great. She simply watered it
when it started to wilt and added fertilizer (Shultz All Purpose Plant
Food) to some of these waterings. Then one day about a month ago it
began looking like this and nothing she could do would bring it back.

A couple of times last summer it took on this wilted look when we were
away for a few days, but after watering, it came back quickly (hours).

http://www.factsfacts.com/WitheringPlant.htm

jim

I don't recognize what your plant is, but as a generality, wilting is from
not having moist enough soil. If water just rust right through a pot,
watering more often might be insufficient, as the soil has to be able to
hold moisture for some while. If there are seasons when it doesn't seem
bothered, those may be higher humidity seasons & the pot just doesn't
quickly dry out except in low humidity weather. It might also be
sufficiently rootbound it wants a bigger pot, & should have lots of
organic matter added to its soil to hold moisture.Giving hanging plants
fertilizer can effect how they flower & how fast they grow, but probably
won't stop wilting, but it's too rich a fertilizer & injures the roots,
then it might increase wilting.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

On Wed, 16 Apr 2003 19:47:42 GMT, "SugarChile"
wrote:

Your plant might be beyond hope, but you can try soaking it. If it is a
goner, don't feel bad--there's not one of us here who hasn't lost a plant,
(or more than one g) and learned something from the experience.

Right, 'you' lose one occasionally. Trouble is out of about 8-10 of
these hanging baskets this is the only one that we've gotten to live
more that a few months.

Thanks for your reply. We'll try some pruning and a good soaking in a
pan.

jim

On Wed, 16 Apr 2003 13:04:00 -0500, jim evans
wrote:


Neither my wife nor I is good with plants -- world class brown thumbs.
My wife has kept this hanging plant for about a year. During that
time it had thrived and looked lush and great. She simply watered it
when it started to wilt and added fertilizer (Shultz All Purpose Plant
Food) to some of these waterings. Then one day about a month ago it
began looking like this and nothing she could do would bring it back.

A couple of times last summer it took on this wilted look when we were
away for a few days, but after watering, it came back quickly (hours).


Looks like a periwinkle to me. They're annuals. Did it have flowers?
If so please describe them. I'm only asking to see if I'm right in my
guess. Clearly by the photos whether it is an annual or perennial
that particular plant is toast. Toss it.

Flowering annuals are often sold in pots to be used a decorative house
plants during the season. Novice gardeners buy then thinking it is a
plant that will grow old with them. This may not apply to you and I
just may be pontificating. (Just had three martinis before dinner)

zhan

"zhanataya" wrote in message
...

(Just had three martinis before dinner)

zhan


hahahahhahahahaa *clink* cheers! Have a couple more and we'll go take
care of that damned tree!!

Val

On Thu, 17 Apr 2003 00:13:49 GMT, zhanataya wrote:

Looks like a periwinkle to me. They're annuals. Did it have flowers?
If so please describe them. I'm only asking to see if I'm right in my
guess.

It did have flowers some time ago. We don't know what it is, but my
wife doesn't think it's periwinkle.

jim

On Wed, 16 Apr 2003 22:34:54 -0700, "Valkyrie"
wrote:


"zhanataya" wrote in message
.. .

(Just had three martinis before dinner)

zhan


hahahahhahahahaa *clink* cheers! Have a couple more and we'll go take
care of that damned tree!!

Val

LOL I can see it now. A successful tree surgery, followed by a DUI
on the sidewalk during the getaway.

zhan

"zhanataya" wrote in message
...
LOL I can see it now. A successful tree surgery, followed by a DUI
on the sidewalk during the getaway.

zhan

I believe that would be an FUI ( Fleeing Under the Influence) commonly
called a Foo-ey ;-)

Val