Help please!!

[viv]

I have grown some daturas from seed over the winter, and had four nice healthy plants.  However overnight the leaves onone of them went yellow and fell off.  Now another looks as if it is going the same way, also my hibiscus which was so nice and healthy.  They are in a west facing conservatory, on the floor so the roots are shaded, are kept moist and fed with a multi-purpose feed once a week.  They also have slow-release fertiliser in the compost.

Am I over feeding them, or is there a different problem?

Any advice would be welcome as I don't want to lose all my hard work!

Thansk

Viv

[viv]

[rosebud]

 Val, it seems as if you are over feeding your plants.
If you have a garden centre nearby take a leaf to them and ask for ther advice.  You could also do a google search to see if there is any info that might help you. let me know how you get on.
 good luck with them.  Rosebud.

[Mrs Ava]

Overwatering maybe?  I have been known to kill 'em with kindness, or total neglect, and when I have overwintered, that is how they have gone, leaves going sickly and falling off.  Another possibility I suppose is something like vineweevils eating the roots.  Maybe have a little dig around in the compost to see if anything is lurking down there.  Hope they survive for you Viv.  :-\

[viv]

Thanks both of you - I was going to repot them in fresh compost and give the roots a good clear out to see if that helped, so I think I will definitely do that.
BTW Emma Jane, do I see you are in Essex? where?  I'm near Maldon.....

[Mrs Ava]

Hiya Viv, we are also, close to Danbury.

I am hoping to overwinter my new Datura babies this year as I have seen some stonking huge plants looking amazing and I figure they are a couple of years old.  How big do your overwintered Dats get?

[viv]

I only grew the seeds last year so I don't know yet  - I have repotted mine (nothing has eaten the roots as far as I can see) so I shall see what happens. Fingers crossed!


They do grow very quickly though I believe.

[Gardengirl]

I love daturas but am a bit afraid to grow them as I understand they are very poinsenous - is this true?  I ask this as my dogs have a habit of chewing many of the leaves that fall from my plants.

[viv]

well I have heard so but i always forget to put gloves on when I am handling them and I'm still here!

[Mrs Ava]

Yup, all parts of the Datura are poisonous, especially the fruits.  

[feet of clay]

I grew some from free seeds (gardening mag) and they are pretty unexciting so far.  They are about 6" high and don't look unlike my aubergine plants.  I don't know when they are meant to flower.

[john_miller]

  Datura inoxa, which is the most spectacular datura- at least it is the one offered most frequently, is native to the eastern edge of the Great American Desert. I have seen huge ones in Nebraska, up to six feet across with the branches totally horizontal with, possibly, twenty of it's day long blooms out,  thriving in incredibly dry, hot conditions. I have grown them for years and have always found they do best in a mineral soil rather than a peat, or other organic material, soil.
 While Datura are highly toxic generally, the first peoples here did concoct a preparation of it to treat asthma. Carlos Castenada also found it useful for one thing.