Busy Lizzie woes (pot plant)

A few weeks ago I bought a Busy Lizzie at my local garden centre - it was an end of season sale and only cost me a quid.

The plant looked great when I bought it - plenty of flowers and new buds, nice looking leaves, etc but since then it's gone downhill, stopped flowering and now many of the leaves are starting to wither.

I'm watering when necessary but was wondering what I can do to save it.

A couple of weeks ago I took two cuttings from it and popped them in a glass of water - these have rooted nicely. I'll pot them up soon.

 

Busy Lizzies are annual plants (grow and die the same year) and this will explain why it is withering, sorry. The cuttings should thrive if you keep them inside until late next spring when you can plant them out. Give them as much light as possible but don't leave them on a windowsill overnight as the temperature may drop to much.

 

I believe Busy Lizzies are Perennial plants if kept in warmer spot over winter.

 

Thanks very much for the advice.

 

Sorry Sheal,.Busy Lizzies are perennials. They're tender plants which can grow into shrubs 3/4' high/wide after a couple of years.

What do you mean by wither? It could be that if they've been in the same pot for a while they need feeding or even potting on.

 

On studying the plant a little closer it looks like only about a third of the plant is withering - leaves curling up and basically dying.

I can easily re-pot it if that would help.

What should I feed it with? The only fertilizer I have is Tomato fertilizer.

 

I think that's the best idea MH, and tomato food is good. It's virtually all I ever use.

Could you keep it on a bright ( not full sun ) window in your living room or kitchen.

You should be rewarded with flowers all through the Winter.

 

This is one of mine that lives on my living room windowsill all year round. You cant really tell off this pic but its about 18" high and over 12" wide.

 

My plant looked like yours about 4 weeks ago! No idea what's happened to it ........

It's currently kept in a bright location, no direct sunlight though.

Will try a re-pot and tomato fertilizer once a week. Would that be enough?

How much (diluted) fertilizer should I give it once a week?

 

I reckon you should pot it on and give it a good watering. You don't really want to feed as if you use fresh new compost this generally has enough food in it to last for 5 or 6 weeks. After that I would give it a weak ( perhaps ¼ strength ) feed about every fortnight, bearing in mind that it's going to slow down a little as the days get shorter.

 

Thanks very much, very useful.

 

I've not known them to survive outside through a winter and a number of sellers class them as annuals. So with the exception of me, they can be classed as perennials indoors.

 

Hi Sheal,
They definitely won't survive outside.
As for sellers, I think that's just a marketing ploy to get people to buy more/new every year.
The amount of plants thrown away every autumn is horrendous I think.
Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, Busy Lizzies, Lobelia ( bedding ), Petunias, Rudbeckia, Thunbergia ( Black eyed Susan ), Silver leaf Cineraria, pansys...... The list can go on for evere, but, they're all perennial.

Think how their profits would go down if everyone kept their own Pansys and Petunias growing ! ! !

 

I only wish I could, the winter wind and rain here destroys everything! I've never bought annuals in all the years I've been gardening, I like to grow my own from seed.

 

On that note, I must add that my trailing Pelargoniums survived outside last winter as it was mild. Often find it happens witjh Petunias and bedding Lobelia.
The Pelargoniums were potted on into fresh compost in Spring and are still going now. That saved me a few quid.