I live in Wilton CT and am despondent about my garden. The easiest, most reliable bulbs planted in the last few years show signs of such minimal health, to bloom would almost seem impossible. They may grow shoots or some weakened sprouts, but are far too compromised to obey their genetic instructions in any natural way. This has left me with flower bed after flower bed of living cells that are being eaten alive and all but doomed to die. Gladiolas and astilbe never appear and even established astilbe I have purchased will dry out and die within days no matter how much water or shade they get. Same with the vines I have trained for years to climb my trellis by planting clematis ad infinitem. I have nothing to show for all the work I have invested not a single flower among all the half dead vines where leaves brown out within a week or twoLast year an entire area of Lilly’s of the Valley turned brown, bone dry and died a very ugly death which lasted all season. Rhododendrons are always wasting away if not in full than half the plant will die before the other half realises no one is driving the bus and soon follows.This has been the case for my plantings ever since we had two intense winters in Wilton, 2013 and 2014, even though these plantings have plenty of sun, water and mulch when neededCornucopia and dianthus as well as numerous other flowering plants like hydrangea and similar offshoots like Weigelia and Quince seem to die right from the root You can see how the flower bud attempts to take hold initially but rots before any bloom. Peony remains in a tight petrified ball.I planted so many young shrubs last year particularly Mock Orange and Spirea as well as Butterfly Bush and lots of grasses. In review, only a scant few grasses stayed alive, but just barely and I have no confidence that they will come back next yearThe only luck I had was with a Dalia, one of five clumps, and like all my plants I am aware of their basic needs and provide staking andor every thing possible in order for them to thrive without problems.Last year I ordered some live “good” nematodes when the problem was egregious–which is to say when this (not new but) novice gardener was forced to realize a major infestation was in full bloom because I missed the clues waiting for flowers The nematodes helped for a very short time And a week or two later the deterioration picked up from where it left offI am ready to throw in the towel with the whole idea of gardening Vegetables have been a complete nightmare and the areas that were earmarked for squasashh and tomatoes look, after a season of working the earth, like the “Killing Fields”, but this smorgasborg is not meant for burial just the morbid view from the windowCan anyone give me some advice? Just the thought of holding out more hope for the joy flowers can give and being so completely disappointed is enough to cause me to want to move
A severe nematode infestation is difficult to control HERE A LINK to info on that. There is research that indicates that the introduction of Mycorrhizal Fungi into the soil may give you hope. HERE’S more on that. Mycorrhizal Fungi is, thankfully, readily available. We sell it in an amazing plant food called Bio-Tone which has organic nutrients as well as several strains of Mycorrhizal Fungi as well as other soil microbes. I’d suggest working it into the soil of your gardens as soona s the soil warms in spring.