Why do my flowers always die?

I love putting out some flowers in the spring, but they end up looking terrible after a month or two. I’ve tried using Miracle Gro potting soil or using Miracle Gro to water with. It seems I can’t keep them from dying or at least not growing much. I would love to have pretty hanging pots of flowers through the summer so do you have any suggestions?
Thank You,
Phil

  7 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Feb 24, 2018

    what have you tried growing? What time of day are you fertilizing? How often do you water?

  • Linda Hunt Linda Hunt on Feb 24, 2018

    By any chance are you planting near a black walnut tree? If so, nothing survives because it is poisonous to plants.

  • Delle Delle on Feb 24, 2018

    You might be buying the wrong type of plant for what you want. Annuals will die off every year, so you might want perennials which will come back year after year. You might be putting shade-loving plants where there is too much sun or sun-loving ones where there's not enough shade to grow well. Some plants just don't grow much or have a short flowering season. Another possibility: some plants are often sold at the very height of their blooming season, which can mean they're already starting to fade when you put them in the ground. If you think this might be the case, look for the ones you love in full bloom but buy the ones that are still in bud.

    • Phil Warren Snipes Phil Warren Snipes on Feb 25, 2018

      Maybe that they aren’t getting the right amount of sunlight and I might not be getting flowers that are really fresh. Thank you for the input.

  • Mogie Mogie on Feb 24, 2018

    Have you had your soil tested? Do you use a water meter? What is the PH of the soil and water? Many people let the water they are going to use sit out over night. By doing that you let some of the chemicals evaporate out of the water. Are the plants getting the type and amount of sunlight they need? Plants for your zone?

    • Phil Warren Snipes Phil Warren Snipes on Feb 25, 2018

      No I hadn’t had a soil test but this happens even when I use potting soil. I hadn’t thought about letting the water set overnight so this might help and they may not get proper sunlight. Thank you for helping.

  • Ellen Sue Blickman Ellen Sue Blickman on Feb 24, 2018

    Your soil may be too acidic. Ask someone at a local garden center what flowers they recommend for your area

    • Phil Warren Snipes Phil Warren Snipes on Feb 25, 2018

      Yes, the flowers I plant directly in the ground might not be getting the proper nutrients. Its a good idea to ask at a nursery as they should know about the soil in my area. Thank you for your help.


  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Feb 25, 2018

    Tip on planting annuals, make sure you are selecting the proper flowers for sun and shade.Let them establish a few weeks before applying fertilizer,water in the early morning ,when watering annuals make sure you are getting down to the root system, make sure if in pots they have drainage holes.

  • Linda Hunt Linda Hunt on Feb 25, 2018

    There are a couple of evergreens that cause this also but my brain refuses to recall the names, lol. What is your soil mixture, please, Phil?