Problems with calibrachoa ("Million Bells")
I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area, not too far from the bay
itself, so a very moderate climate. A few months ago, I planted some "Trailing Blue" and "Terra Cotta" calibrachoa in front of my house as a groundcover. (The front faces due east.) All was well until two or three weeks ago. The plants *loved* the late rains we got in May, tripling in growth within a few weeks. But now some of the Terra Cotta ones (only those; not the other variety) are wilting and dying. I've been watering them regularly; even daily or twice a day during a couple of recent heat spells. When I removed one of the smaller plants today (figuring that I could put it in a pot and keep a closer eye on it), the soil was nice and wet. I don't think I'm overwatering them; as I mentioned, they loved it when they got more water than this in cooler weather. Other than the leaves and flowers curling up, I've seen no external signs of trouble. I.e., no snail bites, no insects, no discoloration of the leaves. My current plan is to replant the Terra Cotta ones in the fall so that they'll be more established by next summer. But unless I can be sure what the problem is, it might just happen again. For example, are the watering needs of the two varieties any different? The Proven Winners tags for both types say "Moist, well-drained soil." (The natural soil here is adobe, but that garden area has been well amended.) I'd appreciate any thoughts anyone might have on this perplexing problem. Thanks! Patty |
Problems with calibrachoa ("Million Bells")
Root Rot!!!!
All calibrachoa seem to get root rot, but the "Million Bells" are the worse. We changed series after discussing the issue with Proven Winners and the breeder. It seems the breeder is not worried about it and does not plan to fix the problem, they are just riding on the name most people know for calibrachoa - "Million Bells." Try the Starlette series, by Simply Beautiful. Or Superbells series, also by Proven Winners. "Patty Winter" wrote in message ... I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area, not too far from the bay itself, so a very moderate climate. A few months ago, I planted some "Trailing Blue" and "Terra Cotta" calibrachoa in front of my house as a groundcover. (The front faces due east.) All was well until two or three weeks ago. The plants *loved* the late rains we got in May, tripling in growth within a few weeks. But now some of the Terra Cotta ones (only those; not the other variety) are wilting and dying. I've been watering them regularly; even daily or twice a day during a couple of recent heat spells. When I removed one of the smaller plants today (figuring that I could put it in a pot and keep a closer eye on it), the soil was nice and wet. I don't think I'm overwatering them; as I mentioned, they loved it when they got more water than this in cooler weather. Other than the leaves and flowers curling up, I've seen no external signs of trouble. I.e., no snail bites, no insects, no discoloration of the leaves. My current plan is to replant the Terra Cotta ones in the fall so that they'll be more established by next summer. But unless I can be sure what the problem is, it might just happen again. For example, are the watering needs of the two varieties any different? The Proven Winners tags for both types say "Moist, well-drained soil." (The natural soil here is adobe, but that garden area has been well amended.) I'd appreciate any thoughts anyone might have on this perplexing problem. Thanks! Patty |
Problems with calibrachoa ("Million Bells")
I have read that some plants get root rots and fungus diseases in the
combination of warm soil and water, but not in cool soil and water. For instance rhododendrons sometimes get root rot with that combination of warm soil and water whereas they seem to be able to take tremendous amounts of moistness when the weather is cool. Perhaps the calibrachoa like the cool rainy weather, but are more prone to root rot when the weather is warmer? In that case, I might let them dry out a bit more between waterings and see if that makes a difference. "Patty Winter" wrote in message ... I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area, not too far from the bay itself, so a very moderate climate. A few months ago, I planted some "Trailing Blue" and "Terra Cotta" calibrachoa in front of my house as a groundcover. (The front faces due east.) All was well until two or three weeks ago. The plants *loved* the late rains we got in May, tripling in growth within a few weeks. But now some of the Terra Cotta ones (only those; not the other variety) are wilting and dying. I've been watering them regularly; even daily or twice a day during a couple of recent heat spells. When I removed one of the smaller plants today (figuring that I could put it in a pot and keep a closer eye on it), the soil was nice and wet. I don't think I'm overwatering them; as I mentioned, they loved it when they got more water than this in cooler weather. Other than the leaves and flowers curling up, I've seen no external signs of trouble. I.e., no snail bites, no insects, no discoloration of the leaves. My current plan is to replant the Terra Cotta ones in the fall so that they'll be more established by next summer. But unless I can be sure what the problem is, it might just happen again. For example, are the watering needs of the two varieties any different? The Proven Winners tags for both types say "Moist, well-drained soil." (The natural soil here is adobe, but that garden area has been well amended.) I'd appreciate any thoughts anyone might have on this perplexing problem. Thanks! Patty |
Problems with calibrachoa ("Million Bells")
Thank you both very much for the information about root rot! Perhaps
it is more apt to happen in warm weather. I'll try backing off on the watering, and also look for some varieties of a yellowish calibrachoa besides the PW Terra Cotta. I have one color of Superbells in a hanging pot, so I know they're starting to become available around here. I'll see whether other colors are available yet, or try to find varieties from Simply Beautiful or another breeder. Thanks! Patty |
Problems with calibrachoa ("Million Bells")
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