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| Photo: sxc.hu/morrhigan |
Plants given as gifts die quickly, and the person afflicted with black thumb disease sinks deeper into depression and misery with each unnecessary plant that passes on to the great compost pile in the sky. There is a cure for black thumb, though. Take the Rogue Valley Gardener Black Thumb Diagnostic Test to discover your cure.
Answer each question honestly and to the best of your ability.1. Do you water plants regularly?
2. Do you fertilize as required by the plant type?
3. Do you place plants in proper environments?
4. Do you water the roots of the plant?
5. Do you avoid leaving plants in dark rooms?
If you answered "no" to one or more of these questions, and you have noticed other symptoms of black thumb disease in the past (including, but not limited to: wilting, yellowing, fungus, brown spots, crispiness, or death of plants) you may have black thumb disease.
If you answered "no" to question 1, you may want to start watering your plants regularly, if you don't want them to croak. "Regularly" depends on the type of plant you're growing and the time of year. Most plants need less water in the winter. A petunia will always need more water than a gazania (African daisy). Know what you're growing and water appropriately.
If you answered "no" to question 2, find out what kind of fertilizer the plant needs. Lots of flowers and potted plants just need a basic, well-rounded, Miracle-Gro-type fertilizer, but it's possible that your plant needs something different. It's probable that your plant won't just up and die from not being fertilized, but it won't look healthy, flower, grow nice foliage, etc.
If you answered "no" or "I don't know" to question 3, you must find out what a proper environment is for the plant you're trying to grow. Put a shade-loving begonia in full July sun, and you're going to kill it. Conversely, if you plant a sun-soaking dahlia in the shade, you'll get a leggy, sickly, pathetic-looking thing. Many full-sun plants find the midday heat of the Rogue Valley to be too much (like some geraniums) and need a break from the really hot sun. Don't forget that soil is an important part of environment, so if yours is too acidic or dry for your plants, things won't grow. Soil might be the culprit when you're doing everything else right and it's just not working.
If you answered "no" to question 4, you may be giving your plants fungus. Watering plants should be done in the early morning or late evening, and only in the heat of the day as an emergency measure (it's better to provide shade and water in the evening to avoid shocking the roots). Water close to the ground; don't spray the whole plant with the hose. Getting the leaves wet creates a nice environment for fungus to flourish on your plant, which will seriously hamper growth if it doesn't eventually kill the plant.
If you answered "no" to question 5, you're not doing a very convincing job of pretending you want to cure your black thumb disease. For heaven's sake, give the plant some light. If you don't want the plant, list it on craigslist for free, and someone will come take it off your hands. If you do actually want the plant, put it in the sun, give it some water, and let Mother Nature do her job.
If you still suffer from black thumb disease even after implementing these strategies, talk to one of our experts in the forums to figure out your case of black thumb.
