By Pipistrelle
London,
United Kingdom 
Hello. Two weeks ago I bought two senetti magenta plants. They were covered in brightly coloured flowers and seemed to be very healthy. I put each one in a terra cotta pot, with fresh compost. Within a few days one plant started to look very sickly, and shortly after that the other one also started failing. The flowers are wilting and dying, and the leaves are discoloured in places. Also, every time I dead-head or even just approach the pots, a cloud of flies rises up from the plants. Has anyone any idea what the problem might be?
2 Jun, 2018
Answers
I found this website which outlines the requirements for this plant to thrive. Perhaps it will give you some pointers. It seems to be ultra sensitive to temperature and sunlight.
http://www.learn2grow.com/plants/pericallis-sunsenereba-senetti-magenta-bi-color-senetti-series/
3 Jun, 2018
wonder if the cloud of flies are white fly. we need more info really.
spray with a systemic insecticide and keep in light shade and water regularly as plants in pots need a lot more water than if they are in the ground..
3 Jun, 2018
It’s not just you, Pipistrelle. These really shouldn’t be sold in GCs unless with the houseplants. They won’t survive in the garden!
3 Jun, 2018
These plants are also short term visitors as houseplants - once the flowers stop coming, they get binned because they don't recover and grow/flower again.
3 Jun, 2018
I'm sorry to say that they are novelty plants and my local garden centre grows hundreds of them. My wife was given one as a present a couple of months ago but I'm afraid after it had flowered, it has been consigned to the compost heap.
4 Jun, 2018
If they are actual 'Senetti's, we occasionally grow them as winter shade bedding, here in the desert. Sadly, the popularity of 'Senetti' has led to the name being used as a common name for the whole species. Most of the other varieties were bred and raised for use as "living bouquets", grown in cool greenhouses and sprayed to a fair-thee-well with growth regulators.
4 Jun, 2018
Live and learn as they say! I bought two of these also, the peacocks ate one and the other is on the garden table and looking very sick - so shan't buy any more.
5 Jun, 2018
'the peacocks ate one', how lovely to be able to say that, honeysuckle... you got peacocks?
5 Jun, 2018
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Are these indoors or outdoors, Pipistrelle?
3 Jun, 2018