Plants getting smaller

[Marb67]

I don't know what causes this phenominum but time and time again i either grow or buy plants and over the course of months with due care they seem to decrease in size like bonsia.

Examples of some plants so far are.

Wild rocket
Pulmonara
French tarragon
Sorrel (red and green)
Nasturtium
Chard
Normal rocket
Chickory
Cat Mint
Violets

There are more but the gist of this question is why would this happen when they are in decent compost in their correct position (according to instruction) is it possible for seemingly healty plants to decrease in size ? The place i bought the wild rocket plant had larger examples that were very big in pots so why does mine shrink ? They are meant to grow bigger. I do not use chemicals as I garden organicly. The only pollution we get is from the annoying selfish person next door who seems to smoke on and off all day ruining the enjoyment of our garden but that is another story. Perhaps I should open the bottle of liquid chicken manure that is ripe and let that smell out.

[WilliamD]

Are the plants which are suffering out in the open Marb? Or bunched close together with other things?

[Scarlet]

Well my sorrel and nasturtiums are much smaller now than they were in the Summer. They do slow down and die back in Autumn. I think you are being to critical on your plants, they don't always look perfect.

[bearded bloke]

As asking for pictures is normally a waste of digits, I would suggest that maybe the compost they are growing in has run out of nutrients, try giving them a regular feed.

[Knight of Albion]

At this time of year, with colder weather and less sun and less hours of daylight, plant growth is nothing like it would have been in the summer.
So for it to happen now is nothing untoward.

If you mean this has been happening all year, is it a watering issue? Tipping the plants out of the pots might give you a clue i.e. too dry, too soggy, poor root growth ....

[lottie dolly]

could you have been sold,past there best plants,thus will not grow this time of year,you could always take them back from whence they came and seek advice/complain,they could have been sold cheap the get rid off them,

[Marb67]

Nothing to do with the time of year as these plants were diminishing through summer. Also all plants were bought at different nurserys and very good ones too.

[mothhawk]

You say they are all in decent compost. What sort of compost are you using exactly?

[Scarlet]

Also all plants were bought at different nurserys and very good ones too.

Presumably you must be doing something wrong then if they are all not flourishing, bought from different suppliers, are in good compost, have plenty of light etc. Are you sure you water and feed correctly, how often?

Your post is very open and vague. Please post some photos. Tell us what compost you are using. How much do you water, feed, how long it's been planted for etc. Without all this information we have little to go on.....

[Thelma Sanders]

They simply don't like the conditions where they are growing.

Not enough light, is common in small gardens, and probably too wet.

[Marb67]

Not too wet and other plants thrive ok so light can't be an issue. The compost would be the high quality nursery (not garden center) own and their plants are immaculate. Top notch.

My question really is getting at the fact that plants grow smaller which to me shouldn't happen. To die because of a reason I can accept but actually growing smaller seems impossible if they are still healthy.

[lottie dolly]

The only thing i can suggest is,take a plant to any,or all of the places you purchased from,so they can see,you can then ask whatever questions and get answers quicker,that way you will get your answers,personally i have never known a plant to shrink,only die off,sorry i cannot give you the answers you need,gardening can be extremely frustrating at times,

[veggiechicken]

My question really is getting at the fact that plants grow smaller which to me shouldn't happen. To die because of a reason I can accept but actually growing smaller seems impossible if they are still healthy.

I really don't understand this - and I'd like to see some photos (but they'd have to be before and after ones!!)
Plants will get smaller if you pick them, prune them, something or someone eats them, they're diseased, they're dying back for winter or they're dying.
If its lack of light they may get leggy, if its lack of nutrients the leaves may change colour or the plant looks stressed, Pest may strip or damage the leaves and stems. If you've eaten them you'd know that!!
Are you sure they're getting smaller or are they just not putting on the growth you had hoped for?

[BUFFS]

have you checked the roots for weevil grubs, white maggots with ginger coloured heads, especially when moved from pot (their choice home) into the ground (less good for them) but if they have munched most of the roots the plants wont thrive....

[bearded bloke]

I note from one of your old posts that some time ago you imported horse manure to add to your garden, I suggest that it might well have been infected with Clopyralid and/or Aminopyralid, as it seems that you have had consistently poor performance from your crops.
With that in mind I suggest that you dig out the top 12-18 inches of soil, in at least one of your growing areas, plant that & existing area with the same crop & compare the results.