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| I have not had much luck with shasta daisys in the past but I am trying again.Yesterday I planted a 1 gallon (I think) in my southern facing bed. bone meal in the hole, good soaking after planting, mulch on top. Now it is wilted at 4:00 pm after being in sun all day. SHould I water it now or wait until the morning (or this evening). How often should i water it during these first few weeks. THanks for any guidance I love these little plants and really want to grow them - snow cap is the variety. |
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| I just planted the same little guy and he is doing the same thing. It is normal for something planted this time of year in our zone with all this full sun! Mine droops at the same time every day and then is back up as soon as some shade hits or the sun goes down. I just water every morning, a good soaking for the new plants and they'll do fine. Just have to get them through the transition, June is not the greatest time to plant a perennial in the south, but we all do it! |
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| Can you make a little tent for some shade? Most plants appreciate that when they are transplanted during hot spells. You can also mist inside the tent or wet the fabric to provide a friendly, humid environment without overwatering it. |
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- Posted by gardenweed_z6a N CT (My Page) on Tue, Jun 4, 13 at 21:32
| Giving a nursery-grown plant a bit of shade until it's established might mitigate the transplant shock. A lawn chair or laundry basket might provide dappled shade until the plant gets comfortable in its garden space. Watering with some sort of recycled container (milk, spring water or iced tea jug) will give it consistent moisture without scalding the leaves. Poke a pinhole with a push pin an inch from the bottom of the container, fill with water and set it close to the base of the plant. It's the poor gardener's irrigation system but it has kept my astilbes & hydrangeas alive during droughts these past many years. If the roots were circling the pot before you planted it, they might still be doing that in the ground if you didn't tease them loose before planting. Ask me how I know this can be an issue. According to my perennials book, these want full sun to part shade in fertile, moist but well-drained soil altho' it might be in your best interests to verify that 'Snow Lady' works in full sun for your zone. It's been my experience that thinking you can plant it/enjoy it/stroll-past-it & forget it is pretty much a myth when applied to perennial gardening. The highly-recommended & aptly named book by Tracy DiSabato-Aust 'The Well-Tended Perennial Garden' is a more realistic description of what we gardeners should keep in mind--gardening is a commitment to tend the things we sow if we expect them to thrive & perform as we envision. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Wed, Jun 5, 13 at 7:51
| a simple lawn chair.. if high enough.. can provide a few days of shade ... it doesnt have to be convoluted ... but.. do not drown them ... excess water is useless.. if the roots arent pumping ... i dont know your soil type .... but they are not bog plants ... you interfered with the functioning of the roots ... in the transplant process... it will simply take time.. for them to settle in..and start pumping the requite water.. to keep the plant turgid.. full of water ... if its in bloom.. i would pinch off flowers.. NOT BUDS ... just to decrease the load.... and i would give them a cool shower in the evening.. but early enough that they dont go into dark with wet leaves ... ken |
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| I actually thought of the tent idea before I had a chance to check for any postings so I have made a tent that will give it shade in the afternoon. I was worried about too much water as I think I drowned the daisy's I tried last year (that all died) so thank you for that confirmation. Now that they are shaded, should I wait between waterings? Surely not every day or that will be too much? I will pinch off the flowers as suggested. The plant was rather root bound when I planted so I teased apart the roots and did some trimming - plant may not like that but it seemed like it was necessary. Yes, I know that June is a bit late in my zone to be planting but there are just not enough weekends in the Spring to get everything in the ground and I could not find this particular daisy in my area so I end up planting later than I had hoped. Hopefully this is the last thing I will be planting for the season and now I can just concentrate on taking care of what I have. Thanks all! |
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| Well, in Zone 5 you can drown a shasta daisy in June, but in Zones 7 & 8, that would be pretty hard to do, short of leaving the hose on it all day long. My newly planted perennials that are of similar water requirements as shasta daisies in full sun would die without a daily drink of water and I have clay soil!. I find that morning is better than evening for several reasons, it is closest to the time that the moisture will be ripped away by the harsh daytime sun, therefore allowing less "thirst" time and it doesn't promote night time wetness that all sorts of pests like to bask in. Daily watering for new plants is a must here in NC in June and you are in an even hotter zone! You don't have to drown them, but they do need a drink daily, in my opinion, unless you have an overcast or (obviously) rainy day. |
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| Adding to the excellent advice above, keep a lookout for yellowing leaves which is one of the early signs of too much water. So you are balancing the watering between wilty leaves and yellowing leaves. Tricky! But doable. |
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| Wow, super helpful advise! Thank you somuch all! |
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