Marguerite daisy leaves are turning yellow and drying

Question

Identification:

• Most likely a "Marguerite daisy" or some member of the "Argyranthemum frutescens" family.

Symptoms:

• Leaves are turning yellow and then completely dry

Conditions:

• Located in Central Europe, Budapest
• Weather is around 30-32 degrees Celsius these days
• It is on the sunny side of the building (9 am to 6 pm), but a roof casts some shadow and direct sunlight is a few centimeters away from the plant, but it is still very bright all day. Gets direct sunlight for a few hours a day, when the roof doesn't block, in the afternoon.
• Watered every morning and every night 3-5 dl of water. Usually its tray has some spare water.
• Dry leaves are cut off
• No nutrition is applied, only water

What practices shall I change, remove or introduce to the daily routine to make it feel better and alive? Thank you very much.

Answer 1

Drought - 3-5dl of water with high temperatures, even twice a day, is not sufficient, especially as the plant has got bigger with a bigger root system since you first potted it up. Give it a litre or two now, then another litre in an hour or so, so it has a chance to get soaked right through all the soil. Then you'll need to cut out dead areas, but first make sure they are completely dead by scraping back a little of the 'skin' or surface of the stems with a fingernail - if the stem is dead, it will be brown and dry on the inside, if not, it should look slightly moist and greenish. You may find some stems are still live nearer the base, but the top parts aren't alive - if that's the case, cut back to live wood.

Ongoing, give it at least a litre a day, or even twice a day - check how dry it is by feeling the top of the soil with a finger and if it feels dry to the touch, water, don't wait for the soil to be shrunken from the edge of the pot before watering, as I can see it is now in your second photo. Alternatively, pick up the pot - when it's dry, it will be much lighter.