Just a side note here: I buy sometimes from Bluestone (who have wonderful plants, this is not a complaint in any way whatsoever) and they send their plants in coir pots that are meant to be planted whole and then decompose as the roots grow. They send along detailed instructions about this.
Well, I don't do that, leave the coir planter, because it just doesn't feel like it would work. But recently I bought three chrysanthemums and decided to give it a try. I did note that two of the three had hardened areas on part of their coir pots and I couldn't resist puncturing those (I think I may have opened one up a bit too.) The third didn't so I left it undisturbed as recommended.
That plant wilted badly one day in hot sun, when there was PLENTY of water in the surrounding soil as I had just watered the previous day, and the soil still felt quite moist. I thought, well, I'll leave it and maybe it will perk back up as it gets shaded later in the day.
Nope.Got worse. And the bottom leaves felt totally limp. Then was when I recalled that was the one I had planted in an undisturbed coir pot. (I was on the verge of deciding I needed to contact Bluestone for a replacement.) So I poured some water right at the base of the plant, so it could get inside that sucker, and the leaves responded quickly by perking back up. Since then, no problems.
Just sharing this for information.....
