
I’m pretty sure I know the answer to this one.
We have all likely experienced the death of a plant in our garden, and even though I am a horticulturist, I’m not immune.
Sometimes, plants die in my garden too.
Here is a photo of my recently deceased ‘Blue Bells’ emu bush.
I was surprised to see that it had ‘kicked the bucket’ as its nearby neighbors were flourishing.
So, the question I have to ask myself is, why did it die?
To determine why a plant died, here are some things to ascertain…
- Was it planted recently? If so, it may not have had enough time to grow enough roots to survive summer.
- Did it get enough water? Was the drip emitter plugged?
- Was it planted in the wrong exposure? In other words, did it get too much sun?
- Does the plant do well in our hot, desert climate?
- Were there any pest problems, such as ants around the roots or other unwelcome bugs?
- Are identical plants in your landscape struggling too?
- Is there a problem with the soil?
Using these questions as guidelines, you’ll likely have the answer to why a plant has died.
However, in my case, the plant was a few years old, always did well, and the ‘Blue Bells’ nearby were thriving.
So, why did it die?
I don’t know…
Sometimes plants die, and we don’t know why. I realize this can be hard to accept without having the answer.
That is what happens in nature – things die, and we don’t always have the answers as to why.
In my particular case, I am replanting a new “Blue Bells” because I know it grows well for me in this spot. I ensured there were no unwelcome bugs in the soil and amended the soil with 1 part compost mixed with 1 part existing soil to give it a little ‘boost.’
I hope my new plant is happy…
