Hi all,
I have some alyssum growing in my front yard. I was away for 3 weeks over Sept/Oct and they weren’t watered. They’re slowly recovering and are flowering. My question is, is flowering a sign that the plants are somewhat healthy? I’m guessing yes as it takes a lot of energy to produce flowers so an unhappy plant wouldn’t bother. Is this correct?
Flowering can be brought on by stress as an all out attempt to reproduce before the plant dies. They are pretty tough though and may keep going for you. They are an annual and will die eventually but Alyssum self seeds readily and new ones will pop up.
Divine Angel said:
Hi all,I have some alyssum growing in my front yard. I was away for 3 weeks over Sept/Oct and they weren’t watered. They’re slowly recovering and are flowering. My question is, is flowering a sign that the plants are somewhat healthy? I’m guessing yes as it takes a lot of energy to produce flowers so an unhappy plant wouldn’t bother. Is this correct?
Plants will continue to try and reproduce while they are able. It isn’t necessarily an indication that they are in good health.
I do know that if I neglected to care for alyssum for three days during the growing season then that would be it for the season. It may be different in QLD but alyssum is a plant which once it loses the vigor, rarely gets it back. It will still flower but not as well as it would have.
roughbarked said:
It may be different in QLD but alyssum is a plant which once it loses the vigor, rarely gets it back. It will still flower but not as well as it would have.
Nope, sunstruck heat struck they did not come back…why do they sell the bleeding things if they’re not suitable for up here?
Dinetta said:
roughbarked said:It may be different in QLD but alyssum is a plant which once it loses the vigor, rarely gets it back. It will still flower but not as well as it would have.
Nope, sunstruck heat struck they did not come back…why do they sell the bleeding things if they’re not suitable for up here?
Take it from a nurseryman. They sell plants that you come back to buy more of.
The thing is, no point trying to run a business if the customers are satisfied. They don’t buy more plants if the ones they bought last, worked.
In regards to many plants bought as seedlings, one would have been better to have sown the seeds where you want the plants. If conditions are suitable, most such plants will self seed and naturalise.
roughbarked said:
In regards to many plants bought as seedlings, one would have been better to have sown the seeds where you want the plants. If conditions are suitable, most such plants will self seed and naturalise.
…unless you’ve got ants…
Dinetta said:
roughbarked said:
In regards to many plants bought as seedlings, one would have been better to have sown the seeds where you want the plants. If conditions are suitable, most such plants will self seed and naturalise.
…unless you’ve got ants…
Even then, the ants can’t carry off all the seed. Some of which anyway they store rather than eat, which later germinates. Yes hard seeds that they cannot eat.
The crested pigeons also clean up seed all around my garden but things still come up in wild profusion.
roughbarked said:
The crested pigeons also clean up seed all around my garden but things still come up in wild profusion.
About the only thing that survives ants and crested pigeons around here, is green panic…
Dinetta said:
roughbarked said:
The crested pigeons also clean up seed all around my garden but things still come up in wild profusion.
About the only thing that survives ants and crested pigeons around here, is green panic…
I’m amazed that anything works for me since the meat ants control the whole yard apart from the spots where the small black ants fight them off.