I have a spot in my flower bed that flowers will not grow in. Other plants around it grow fine. Any ideas?

Could be something was poured out there (old cooking oil, gasoline) that takes years to break down? Could also be moles/voles. See if there is a tunnel leading around that spot. They could be eating the roots of whatever you plant there!





If all else fails, dig up that spot and remove it. Put new dirt down. If you are going to go to this expense, make sure you got it all. Short of that, you could feed and compost the spot and try planting there again next year.





No matter what, I would dig there and see what you can find. Maybe take a soil sample to a county office.
I have a spot in my flower bed that flowers will not grow in. Other plants around it grow fine. Any ideas?
Place a beautiful outdoor gardent accent/statue/gazing ball or bird bath.
Reply:Plant new soil in that 1 area then wait a day for the other flowers to get used to it and then plant some new flowers in that area.
Reply:Do a soil test. Take a sample to your local cooperative extension (there%26#039;s one for every state) and they should be able to identify the problem.
Reply:It could be a couple of things--soil or sun.





For soil it could be due to soil fungus issues. I read an article about covering the area with clear plastic and letting it bake in the sun for a week or so. I think then you need to ammend it with topsoil or compost to make it fertile again. Add some peat moss and sand too--for kicks. It works in my vegetable garden.





If it is sun, maybe it is getting more or less or what is planted there is not right for it.





Hope this helps. Good luck.
Reply:If weeds grow there, then I would just mix in some top soil and peat moss and try again. If nothing grows there, then I would dig the area out and replace with top soil.
Reply:More information is needed to answer this question properly. What are the sunlight conditions? Is the area wet, dry, or in between? If it gets more shade than sun and overly dry, hostas will do nicely. So will lamiums, creeping Jenny and cranesbill. These are all perennials and grow nicely in the shady spots of my garden. The soil in my garden can get a bit dry but they seem to be doing o.k. These plants can stand a bit of moisture as well (not boggy but damp).





Of course, it%26#039;s also possible that something is wrong with the soil. Do cats and/or dogs like to use that spot as a bathroom or is it possible something chemical was spilled on it? If either is the case, you might try replacing the soil in that spot with a good quality outdoor garden soil. Mothballs placed around the area will deter cats. I%26#039;ve had problems with cats and it worked for me.affiliate