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Annuals/Annuals-petuinas

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Expert: - 5/24/2007


Question
I have three hanging baskets of petunias on my porch they are all like wilting and dying. I water them daily and the leaves are not yellow, they just look dried up and wilting. I even tried plant food and it is not working. Please help me before they die completely.

Answer
Sounds like the soil is to blame.  Is it very hard when dry?  Petunia roots need to breathe like everyone else.

If your soil is not the problem, you may be watering too much.  Petunias must dry out between waterings.  These are plants that thrive on neglect.  Give them fertilizer, give them rich soil, give them too much love and they will give you a cold shoulder.

Check the soil first.  Then look at the roots of one or two of these plants.  Let me know what you find.  Thanks for writing.

Annuals

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Long Island Gardener

Expertise

Decisions, decisions... If you can't make up your mind which Annuals to grow, you're not alone. Problem with your new flowering Annuals flats? I`ve been there, done that. Petunias, Sweet Alyssum, Larkspur, Marine Blue Lobelia -- they all grow here at my house on Garden Street on Long Island, N.Y.. Cutting and Cottage Gardens, Sun and Shade Gardens, White Gardens and Night Gardens, I`ve done them all. Annuals are the perfect summer flower, bursting with color June through fall's first frost. I can`t speak on Cactus or tender Tropical Plants -- they don`t grow outside in my Zone 7. I`m no Farmer, so I cannot guide you on Fruits and Vegetables. But whether it`s an Annual you want to start from seed, mail-order or pick up at your local garden center, I can help you grow amazing blooms this Summer. Yes, together, we can turn your neighbors green with envy.

Experience

I have a lifetime of gardening behind me here on the North Shore of Long Island. While I have degrees in related fields, there's nothing like hands-on work to build real knowledge. I stay on top of current science -- there's a boom in research, and Kingdom Plantae is filled with surprises. By the way, I really do live on Garden Street.

Publications
Gannett newspapers, The New York Times, and hundreds of others - but not on Annuals.

Education/Credentials
B.A., botany; graduate credits in European Intellectual History and Political Science; minor coursework in related fields, docent training at our local botanical gardens (required for volunteers). I'm currently working on an advanced biochemistry degree.

Awards and Honors
I could tell you, but then you'd know who I am.

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