| I have 3 three-year old "Jack Frost" B. macrophyllia -- which are the stars of my shade garden, and would be on a short list if I had to name a favorite plant.
Anyway... boy, they are *unhapppy* now! Always strong and vigorous looking in the past, they are now droopy and wilted-lettuce looking! YIKES!!
- They bloomed fine at usual time (very fine indeed!)
- There's no discoloration to the leaves -- just droopy/floppy.
- Nothing else in the vicinity is complaining (heucheras, JP ferns, hellebores, columbines, primrose, etec).
- No chemicals (fertilizer or pesticide) have been applied.
- I'd say water amounts have been pretty good -- not too wet, not too dry.
Any ideas??
I am wondering if excessive nitrogen could be responsible? Things I can think of that are different this year from last:
1) I dug and re-planted everything in that bed laet last summer (had to be raised on account of a brick walkway going in)... and I did mix in quite a bit of compost at the time. (The original soil is mega-clay, which I've been working at improving for a few years now).
2) I top-dressed this spring with mushroom soil, rather than hardwood mulch as in the past.
I probably should have done a nitrogen test before posting... but I haven't. If it is excessive nitrogen, what's the solution? If it isn't that, what else might be making my beatiful JFs into floppy wimps -- and what to do about it?? :(
Thanks!
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