Question
drooping Althea
I have a small nursery. I have raised Althea for several years and never had a problem like this. My Althea in the ground have been there several years and have done fine. Just a few weeks ago the limbs started to arch over and droop. The leaves are normal, just the limbs are drooping. I have been using a sprinkler a lot this summer, and you would think maybe that is the problem, but the Althea in pots in another location that doesn't get the sprinkler are doing the same thing. It is driving me nuts; can it be some kind of new Althea disease?!! Also I have another Althea in the ground in still another location on the place, and it has started drooping too. Could it be maybe such hot weather? We have had quite a heatwave here in Central Texas. We can overcome the drought, but there's nothing we can do about the heat. I've tried tying up the first one to do this, but it didn't do any good.
AnswerHi Sandra,
Thanx for your question. This plant, as it matures, is known for bending or drooping under the load of its flowers in the summertime. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just a development over time. If you shape your shrubs as they grow, the propensity for this problem can be lessened. As you can see, there are no signs of disease or pest infestation on the plant. It's kind of like what happens to snowball bushes and hydrangeas. They will droop under the strain of heavy blooms. In some years, blooming can be more prolific than others, hence, more weight on the limbs. I hope this helps.
Tom
