As you may have read, I recently planted Blueberries. After surviving the task of getting them into the ground, immediately one of them began to look pitiful. It was wasting away so fast, I couldn't believe it. I immediately went to the garden center where I purchased them and started asking questions. With what I was describing, the possibilities were endless.
Too much water?
Not enough water?
A fungus?
Root rot?
The fact that it was only happening to one plant seemed even more puzzling to all involved. After a couple more days, I started noticing another one taking a dive. The first one looked completely dead to me. So, in my frustration, I jerked the it out of the ground and threw it in a pot and put it in the garage. I would take it with me on my next trip to the big city and have the nursery folks look at it. This occurred over a weekend, so the following Monday I headed back to get expert advice.
I took it in and put it on the counter, describing my situation to the nice young man that was helping me. He immediately pointed out that there were leaves growing on my plant.
What?
How could I have missed that?
Upon closer inspection, yes, there were leaves coming out under all the dead and crispy old leaves. A couple of employees immediately tackled the little thing with pruning shears, and after pruning away all of the dead, I was left with a few green stems and some new growth.
How could I have missed that?
What kind of farmer am I?
I so had it stuck in my head that the downfall of my Blueberries would be over-watering. I don't know where that came from or why I thought that, but I had watered these plants minimally and then they had received a little rain. I am still shaking my head, trying to figure out what in the world I was thinking.
To give credit where credit is due. The very nice employees at Calloway's Nursery did not have one single negative thing to say about it. They pruned the plant. Then suggested that I get it back in the ground as soon as possible, and the guy went one step farther and consoled me by saying that this would be the best one next year. Then he looked me in the eye and stated very firmly, "Leaves browning around the edges - Under Watering! Leaves turning black from the center - Over Watering!"
No one has ever stated watering so simply to me before. It has always seemed like some elusive formula and calculation that has to be made by a professional, and for the rest of us it is just a guessing game. That is so not true. So, remember...
Leaves browning around the edges - Under Watering!
Leaves turning black from the center - Over Watering!
Thank you Calloway's nursery employees! I immediately went home and replanted my blueberry plant. I then spent a significant amount of time apologizing to it for yanking it out of the ground and throwing it in the garage for several days. This little guy has a long way to go.
It is embarassing when you realize that you are an idiot.
Now, I too wonder why no one made it that simple? You would think in this family with farmers, ranchers and gardeners extraordinaire someone could have mentioned that. Did they just think we knew because they knew? I understand sometimes knowledge gets lost, you know like how the baby of the family doesn't know things that the older kids do. I guess we are a generation to far away. Sad though isn't it you have to learn from the garden store and I learn from you. Think how silly I feel I'm much older and never took my stuff back just threw it away. Not very green was it. Now I must go water all my house plants that are just to dry instead of banging my head and throwing them out. What a good day. Tell the girls hello for me I do love a chicken.
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