2 minute read
Letters
...with botanist Dr Dave Aplin ‘scorching’ plants
in the plant’s sap must be greater than the surrounding soil. If it is not, water moves from the plant into the soil, causing it to wilt and possibly die. Once this has happened, swift action is required. Flush through the compost by standing the pot underneath a running tap. Liquid fertilisers are soluble, so with luck you can flush excess from the soil and turn the tide. The jury is out on the fate of my fern, but I have hope that emerging fronds appear unaffected, but only time will tell. Unfortunately, killing plants with ‘kindness’ is not confined to plants in pots. I once knew a Somerset dahlia grower, one of the best exhibitors in the country, who inadvertently made his soil toxic by over-feeding and had to give up his passion. I’ve also tested soil closer to home, where my advice has been to stop feeding your plants or risk killing them. While flushing nutrients out of a pot is quite simple, doing the same to your garden soil is futile.
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