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woodlandspringshoa

Lantana questions/concerns & I'm a newbie

WoodlandSpringsHOA
13 years ago

Hello all!

I am new to the whole gardening thing, so please be patient.

I purchased a bunch of hanging potted Lantanas to decorate around a pool area. When I bought them the week before last, they looked pretty good and even through this past week they did fine. I was away for the weekend and found all but one with the flowers and leaves all shriveled up.

When I bought them, I specifically asked for some hanging plants that could last in the sun all day in the Phoenix Valley and Lantana was presented to me. The only shade the plants get would be in the evening as a building blocks the sun out for the last few hours of the day. The rest of the day they are in direct sun light. The hanging pots are a dark green, so (from what I found on here) the may be cooking all day long.

I tried searching for some other posts, but I was unsuccessful. So, my questions are these:

Is there any hope for these? Are there any suggested vitamins or fertilizers to get them back up and going? Are these actually good plants to remain in pots and hang out in the sun all day?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance for your input!!

Comments (11)

  • azbookworm
    13 years ago

    I am going to guess that it is a water issue? Hanging pots dry out pretty darn fast and we have had some warmer weather lately. Did you check the dirt? Water them every day or more depending on the soil / dirt/ moss or whatever you have the plants in.

    From what I know, Lantanas are full sun plant. Low water tolerant. But they do like their water. Like everything else in the desert.

    So...maybe they will recover with water.

    Hope that helps.

  • WoodlandSpringsHOA
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks for the reply. That's what I a hoping for as well....I guess time will tell
    :/

  • greendesert
    13 years ago

    1) they need vitamin S - Shade until they get established. you can't expect any transplanted plants to perform without problems in full sun immediately after being transplanted. They need some shade for a while until they're established.

    2) I don't know who recommended lantanas for hanging pots, but from what I know, lantanas belong in the ground, and hanging pots belong somewhere up north. How big are these pots? and how do you plan to keep them watered in the summer when they dry out super fast?
    Lantanas are super tough plants, especially when they're planted in the ground, because they develop an extensive root system that goes deep and all over the place which is why they are drought resistant. In a pot, those roots have nowhere to go.

  • WoodlandSpringsHOA
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks for the reply. That's what I a hoping for as well....I guess time will tell
    :/

  • WoodlandSpringsHOA
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks for the insight GreenDesert!! That makes sense after my research. So, what would be a good hanging plant for my scenario or is the Phoenix summer just too much for anything to make it in a potted plant?

  • grant_in_arizona
    13 years ago

    Sorry about the lantana--not good. Hopefully a good drink and some time will perk them up. I've grown them in hanging baskets in the past with great success, but they got regular water, and when I was away even for a day, I'd hook them up to the drip irrigation system so they got a drink every day. You could do the same with yours (or their replacements).

    I've done the same with vincas too (Catharanthus). There are some nice cascading types, and the regular shrub types are good too, but again, they want regular watering, so if you can get them connected they should work out.

    Let us know what you do and how it works out.
    Take care,
    Grant

  • lazy_gardens
    13 years ago

    A good potted plant for sun in AZ, hmmmm, lemme think ... nope, even silk fades.

    You need to rig a watering system to any potted plant, or be there a couple of times a day to water them. The combo of small soil mass, large leaf area and hot dry air sucks water out.

    I've seen some lovely "hanging" bougainvillea, but on closer inspection, it was planted in the ground and pruned up so it only looked like it was in a hanging pot.

  • kelly_girl
    13 years ago

    From what I've learned, low water potted plants don't exist here unless they're succulents, and those need to be in the shade most of the day, especially the afternoon. Any plant you do choose would need to be watered at least once a day, sometimes twice. I have a few potted plants but they get afternoon shade. If you can maneuver some shade, either through a tree or something else, it will be much easier to keep your plants happy - but they'll still need water every day. Late October through march or April you might be able to get away with it, but once the heat sets in, it's brutal.

    If there's a way to get the lantana in the ground around your pool it will do beautifully in the full sun.

  • bperry121_gmail_com
    12 years ago

    I have a similar problem in El Paso, TX. After being told that Lantanas would be able to withstand the current desert heat of 100degrees, I find that the flowers are drying up and shriveling in a matter of a few days. I water them daily (sometimes even twice a day), but nothing seems to help.
    Could it be that this extreme heat is too hot for even these flowers?

  • lazy_gardens
    12 years ago

    BP 8
    If your lantana are in porous hanging baskets, they will have a very hard time surviving no matter what you do. Those places that successfully grow them put them on drip timers and water and mist them frequently.

    In the ground, they do much better.

  • Chandler_Apache
    9 years ago

    Please check this personal link if you would care to assist me with a lantana issue I have with one in the soil. It is below, blue link. Thank you.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Help Chandler Apache

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