My flower's old growth won't fall off?

Question

I have snap dragons, petunias and violas in my garden and this year, none of the old growth wants to fall off. I also have new growth (blooms) that are barely ready to bloom that are drying up before blooming and getting hard as a rock to the point where if you crush them between your fingers, they can cut you. I am using Sta Green moisture mix potting soil...they are all in pots that have adequate drainage. Help, they all look so bad and unhealthy but are still blooming.

Answer 1

To keep the violas and petunias blooming, hand prune the old flowers off (dead heading) every day or so. The snapdragons will need to old growth cut off with scissors or secateurs.

Your pots need watering every second day of so in hot weather - more if they are in terracotta pots. It's hard to say but the plants sound like they are getting too dry. They also like being fed when blooming - a liquid plant food is best. Just follow the instructions on the pack for best results.

Plants will continue to bloom even when the rest of the plant is sick - because that's what they are designed to do. Bloom, seed and grow new plants!

If worst comes to worst, rip them out, put in new potting mix and get new plants ! Good luck.