Folks,

I received this lovely plant a few weeks ago and potted it straight away in a mix of soil and compost. It's been watered daily (at night) in the dry weather yet it's once lovely green leaves are now withered brown and dying ?

What is the plant and why have the leaves started to die off ?

Can I do anything to rectify the situation ?

TIA,
Mike.

In article , mikeyw mikeyw.1qrgvy@gar
denbanter.co.uk writes

Folks,

I received this lovely plant a few weeks ago and potted it straight
away in a mix of soil and compost. It's been watered daily (at night)
in the dry weather yet it's once lovely green leaves are now withered
brown and dying ?

What is the plant and why have the leaves started to die off ?

Can I do anything to rectify the situation ?

Could be red spider. Look underneath the leaves for a pepper like
covering which, if you look very closely, has tiny round creatures, pale
sandy coloured. You may also have a very fine spiders web particularly
at the ends of the shoots.

If you have a heavy infestation of these sap suckers they can dry out
the leaves and kill off the plant with symptoms looking like this.

there's a biological control available which is the best way, but if it
is red spider, you need something quicker acting here. Try a systemic
insecticide (eg dimethoate) though red spider does seem to have become
resistant. Meanwhile, wipe off all the insects you can see with a damp
tissue and repeat daily.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Red spider came to mind-I have a lot of trouble with red spider and
gerberas.
Dimethoate is effective to a point with follow up applications, and a spray
over with soapy water after the systemic has been absorbed.
I haven't checked what the plant is-lazy-but I have had a display of
gerberas indoors for several years now by leaving the plant to rest in
relatively cool conditions after flowering and after the red spiders have
appeared.
Red spider are fond of busy lizzies, indoor peaches, cucumbers etc and the
strategy of dealing with them depends on the scale and value of the plants.
Busy lizzies would be thrown away.
A local nurseryman told me that predatory parasites are useful to an amateur
of the plant can be kept warm over winter
Regards

OK Guys i'll check it tonight but saw no evidence of any insects before.

Any ideas what the plant is - lovely coloured flowers...just a shame about the leaves !!

Not a single natt on it

"mikeyw" wrote in message
...

Folks,

I received this lovely plant a few weeks ago and potted it straight
away in a mix of soil and compost. It's been watered daily (at night)
in the dry weather yet it's once lovely green leaves are now withered
brown and dying ?

What is the plant and why have the leaves started to die off ?

Can I do anything to rectify the situation ?

TIA,
Mike.
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Filename: P1020875.jpg |
|Download: http://www.gardenbanter.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=2809|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

Might be too much water
or too much sun?
Jenny

In article , mikeyw mikeyw.1qse7z@gar
denbanter.co.uk writes

OK Guys i'll check it tonight but saw no evidence of any insects
before.

please can you post your replies to the same thread - if you start a new
thread for your reply it makes it very difficult for us to know what
you're talking about.

You wouldn't necessarily see obvious creatures if you have red spider
mite - they're not insects, they're arachnids, btw - they are almost too
small to see with the naked eye - I can see them because I'm very short
sighted, but many people would need a magnifying glass.

Any ideas what the plant is - lovely coloured flowers...just a shame
about the leaves !!

Amaranth, I think
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In message , Kay
writes
Any ideas what the plant is - lovely coloured flowers...just a shame
about the leaves !!

Amaranth, I think

I thought it was Celosia.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

In article , Stewart Robert Hinsley
writes
In message , Kay
writes
Any ideas what the plant is - lovely coloured flowers...just a shame
about the leaves !!

Amaranth, I think

I thought it was Celosia.

You are undoubtedly right!
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"