How can I save my dying plants?

[Ed]

Jeni,

It's really good that you've decided to grow some plants/herbs on your patio/balcony.

But, if you buy plants, then buy quality plants!!! Don't buy things that are half dead or diseased. There is no need to buy in trouble.

I don't have any advice on how your peppers might survive, but I give you every encouragement to continue growing in the future.

And please, don't be put off if some things fail. My runner beans have been a disaster this year, but I will try them again next year.

Your doing grand!!

Ed

[jenijenijeni]

Hi there,

I've signed up to this forum as I have recently started to gro vegetables out on my patio/balcony in pots and am having varie success.

A couple of weeks ago I bought some (very) reduced pepper plants from shop, in the hope that some tender loving care would restore them to healthy plant. When I got them home I realised I may have been a bi hasty - once I cut the dead off the plants, only one was left with an leaves (though it seems to be quite well!). The other two, now jus sticks, are sitting in 'miracle grow' soil having been repotted. The remain sticks, and as hard as I look I see no signs of new growth.

I just followed some advice from a site which suggested cutting off al dead/ sick leaves (already done), then watering with cold coffee an tying a plastic bag around the entire plant to create a min greenhouse. I have done this on all three pepper plants, including th healthy one, plus a half-dead kiwi plant I also purchased.

I am now worrying that I may have sealed their fate, and was hopin that someone might be able to offer me some advice, such as what else can do and when (if at all) I should expect to see some new growth? O have I out-and-out now killed them?

Thank you in advance,

Jen

-- jenijenijeni

[Puckdropper]

jenijenijeni wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I picked up some root bound tomatoes, and expected half the plants to die off. Of those that survived, the ones that seem to be doing best are getting partial shade and regular water. The ones that get full sun aren't doing so well, as they're burning up.

Tomatoes are a lot heartier than peppers, so you might not get the same results.

Puckdropper

[jenijenijeni]

I wont be discouraged! I am leaving those plants the way suggested by the site I looked at, and if they live, great - if not, I do still have a few success stories this year! No fruit yet... but there's always next year!

The coffee thing seemed strange, but then Starbucks give away coffee grinds for gardening, so maybe it does work!

[Simon]

Coffee grinds are useful for compost, I feed them to my composting worms. Be careful, because coffee/coffee grinds are a bit acidic. I put them with my tomato plants as well as my hydrangeas when I want them to be more "blue."

Simon