Plants Keep Dying

Question

I don’t have many plants but I have a few in planters in our backyard. Its a really small space but something continues to take over what we have growing. I know this sounds crazy but its almost as if it moves from planter to planter. Initially the plants look great and appear to be thriving. Then the leaves start to get a little lifeless and begin to droop. Eventually the leaves turn brown (they don’t fall off) and the entirety of the plant dies. You’ll see in the attached picture where the leaves are starting to droop (the top of the plant is the furthest along) and then in the other picture, the final result. What am I doing wrong / how can I help. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Answer 1

Depends on which plant so you may want to consult with a local plant nursery for each plant showing unusual symptoms. Generally, follow proper watering instructions for each of the plants during the summer. Some require additional moisture when temperatures ratchet up, when the weather turns windy, when they are starting to get root bound (and need to be transplanted into a larger pot), when you use a container of certain materials that "leak" soil moisture easily, too much sun, etc. They also do not need to be watered if the soil is already moist or soggy wet. Try to water by inserting a finger into the soil to see if the soil feels dry, instead of watering based on a schedule like "every x days". Try to follow fertilizer instructions (quantity and frequency… with some qty changes allowed as the plant gets bigger) on the plant label as too much fertilizer can burn roots and should also not be used on a plant that is stressed.