Garden Pests/Disease

Question

My annuals that are in pots on my deck and front porch are dying a slow death. The blooms look good, but the leaves are browning at the tip and then completely dying. The leaves at the base (dirt level) are affected first and then the next leaf and so on moving upward. I now have nice blooms with stems that have no leaves at the bottom. Also, some of the leaves have holes in them but some have no holes. They just turn brown at the tip and then the whole leaf turns brown and dies. My Basil plants are also affected. Please advise.

Answer 1

Without knowing what kind of plants you have, where you live, how often you water, etc., it is hard to provide help. I can say that we have had unusually hot weather in Dallas and anything in a pot, requires watering a minimum of once a day and preferably two. Plants like petunias have been pulled and replaced with plants that can better handle heat and less water. Sometimes giving certain annuals a haircut and providing good fertilization and water will lead to new plant growth but I don’t even try that this time of year and with as much browning as you describe. Not only are they ugly but producing new growth while just trying to stay alive is asking a lot.