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Aquilegia Downy Mildew?

lyndawalker25lyndawalker25 Posts: 9
in Plants
I bought an aquilegia recently, potted it up. It started yellowing. I've never had one before so I didn't realise how bad this could be. Have spent hours reading and comparing photos and studying the leaves and I'm still unsure. If it isn't DM, what on earth is wrong with it? 
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  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,294
    Probably got a bit dry they are wood land plants like shade,if you are keeping bit in a pot,lots of water and part shade or at least out of the mid day sun
  • FairygirlFairygirl west central ScotlandPosts: 48,932
    They really need to be in the ground. Not very suited to pot culture. 
    They prefer some shade, but are fine in a sunnier spot in wet areas, as they don't dry out, so it depends where you live.
    They will always have some foliage dying off anyway. Nothing to worry about. You can remove the worst stuff. They're extremely tough plants  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....


  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 82,102
    edited May 2021
    I agree with @Nanny Beach ... they love cool and damp 'woodland fringes' type positions ... they need a loam-based compost ... John Innes No 2 would be great but with the addition of a handful of ordinary MPC ... and although they won't be happy if the pot is boggy, they will absolutely hate it if the compost dries out.  

    Move it to a spot where it'll be happier, and pick off the worst of the yellow leaves.  It'll look much better. 

    I'm pretty sure it's not Downy Mildew ... I've seen it and it' doesn't really look like that. 
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • lyndawalker25lyndawalker25 Posts: 9
    I live on the west coast of Scotland. Loads of rain, depressing amounts. It's definitely not short of water. I'll put it in the ground though. Thanks 
  • punkdocpunkdoc Sheffield, Derbyshire border.Posts: 13,019
    Does not look like downy mildew.
    There are ashtrays of emulsion,
    for the fag ends of the aristocracy.
  • FairygirlFairygirl west central ScotlandPosts: 48,932
    It'll be better there @lyndawalker25. We don't often get plants suffering from downy mildew here  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....


  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Derbyshire but with a Nottinghamshire postcode. Posts: 16,460
    edited May 2021
    This connection to the touchwood site has good identification points for downy mildew. They had to destroy the national collection because of it.



  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 82,102
    Sadly that's where I saw it @fidgetbones ... she lives just down the road from my Welsh rellies and is a friend of my cousin who's a pro gardener.  At the time she knew something was affecting her aquilegias, but thought it was cultural/environmental ... then the results of the tests came back 😭
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Derbyshire but with a Nottinghamshire postcode. Posts: 16,460
    The seeds for my aquilegias came from there before it all started. Hopefully there are specimens all round the country safely keeping the gene pool alive.
  • lyndawalker25lyndawalker25 Posts: 9
    That's  the site I've been looking at.
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