Hello, human. I am one of your potted mums, a *Chrysanthemum morifolium*. I want to be vibrant and full of life for you, but sometimes I begin to wilt. This is my way of communicating that my needs are not being met. Please, listen to what I am trying to tell you.
Water is my lifeblood, but the balance is delicate. If my leaves are drooping and the top inch of my soil feels dry and crumbly to your touch, I am parched. My roots cannot absorb water from dust, and my cells are collapsing. Conversely, if my soil is constantly soggy and my pot feels heavy, you are loving me too much. Saturated soil drives out oxygen, and my roots will begin to rot and suffocate, making them unable to drink at all. This root rot is a primary reason for my wilting, even when my soil is wet.
You often bring me home from the nursery already in full bloom. To achieve this, growers place me in a pot that is cozy, sometimes too cozy. My root system may have completely filled the container, leaving no room to grow and very little soil to hold moisture and nutrients. When I'm root-bound, water often rushes straight through the pot without being absorbed, leaving my core dehydrated. I need space to breathe and expand to support all the beautiful flowers you admire.
Blooming is an energetically expensive process for me. To produce this spectacular show of flowers, I require a steady supply of nutrients, particularly phosphorus and potassium. If I have been in the same pot for a long time, I will have exhausted the limited nutrients in the soil. Without this fuel, I cannot sustain my blossoms and foliage, and I will begin to weaken and wilt. A hungry plant is a weak plant.
I may be suffering from environmental shock. If I was recently moved from a perfect nursery environment to your home or a different spot on your patio, the change in light, temperature, and humidity can cause me great stress. Too much intense, direct afternoon sun can scorch my leaves and cause me to lose water faster than my roots can replace it. Alternatively, not enough light weakens my overall system. Extreme temperature fluctuations, especially heat, or being near a drying heating vent can also cause me to wilt dramatically.
Sometimes, the problem is out of sight. Fungal diseases, like the root rot I mentioned, or pests like aphids and spider mites, can assault me. These pests suck the sap from my leaves and stems, effectively stealing my water and nutrients. Fungal diseases attack my vascular system, blocking the channels I use to transport water from my roots to my flowers. This internal damage manifests as wilting that does not improve with watering.
