Dichondra 'Silver Falls' leaf problem

10 years ago

I have had this plant for a week now. I watered it when I first got it and didn't water it until a week later and that's when I noticed a definite curling of the leaves as if they were forming cups, which I hope you can see in the photos. The soil felt dry as well.

Some details:

Plant is supposed to be drought tolerant so I used a cactus mix soil to provide it with great drainage.

The pot itself is raised a little to allow the water to drain out.

The plant is in a part shade location, I live in Houston Texas, where the weather is usually hot and humid.

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Comments (3)

rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
10 years ago
Jay

I have few pots of it (+ more planted in mixed planters); don't really know what the proper care is, but mine are in full sun from about noon until 5-5:30pm, and get watered almost every day (2nd photo-2 pots). I find that they wilt if dry at all. I had a hanging basket that overwintered in the basement by the window (1st photo), but 'killed' it after left outside this spring & didn't get watered often enough.

I think the leaves may get more green in full sun - see plants in pots; few leaves are more green than gray/silver.
Rina

This post was edited by rina_ on Sun, Jul 28, 13 at 21:17
jay733
Original Author
10 years ago
Woah! Rina, your Dichondra is amazing! I hope mine will get like that eventually. How long did it take yours to get that full and how big is that pot? Could you tell me the caring methods you gave it?

I'm a little worried about the cactus soil. Should I use a different soil? After the watering I did yesterday the plant's leaves spread out again, phew!
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rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
10 years ago
Jay

The hanging pot is just typical white plastic pot they sell in most stores, it is 10" diameter.
When I bought it, there were just short stems, maybe 1.5-2inches 'sticking' out of soil. Typical peat mix. I repotted into a mix of abt. 50/50 potting soil & perlite. The growth you see was approx. 4 mo (bought probably end of April).
There were 5 plugs in that pot - just the way the growers plant these baskets. It was hanging from a tree branch, got watered frequently, and grew good 4.5 feet long by end of summer.

Same with the 2 small pots, I bought tray of 10 sometimes end of May (they were in 3" pots). I used most in couple of hanging baskets as a 'spiller'. Have 4 left, they are in same soil as I mentioned above. I will probably put them all in another hanging basket, they look best that way to me.

If the stem touches the soil, it will form new roots. BTW, they have tiny flowers too. Apparently, it may self-seed - I didn't find any seedlings...
I read that it could be used as a groundcover & may be weedy too...for sure not in my zone. It is herbaceous perennial in zones 10-12, here it's used as annual.

As I mentioned, I water it frequently, for me it doesn't work as drought tolerant plant. It may be, but I like the plants 'lush'...Rina