Re: CULT: Shaving roots/WAM's Recipe

From: Linda Mann <lmann@icx.net>

Bill Shear in a more benign climate said:
> My own preference is to plant almost immediately and avoid the summer heat
> by specifying a September arrival for rhizomes.  Messing with the pots
> seems a lot of trouble if you don't have to do it.

Around here, September is unfortunately not always avoiding the heat. 
It can still reach 100o in September and that is peak allergen season. 
A good time to minimize the amount of time outdoors!  And then it
usually freezes in October.

I too was not interested in what I thought was going to be a lot of work
messing with pots, but by mixing up a wheelbarrow load of potting soil
ahead of time on a day when I am feeling good and the weather is nice,
it beats fighting the weather.  Also, using those itty bitty 2 1/2"
flimsy square pots means you don't need a lot of soil.  My technique has
been to get them growing in the pots, then once roots start peeking out
the drain holes, take advantage of any time the soil has enough moisture
in it to keep them alive and daub them into the ground with a good
soaking of water from the hose.  I planted some of the earliest arrivals
out in August in my gravelly field right in the middle of the heat and
drought, but after one of our very few soaking rains.  They haven't
leapt into heavy growth, but have grown a little with an occasional
drink of water, and none died.

I'm not disagreeing with anything you said Bill, just wanted to share my
experiences with others "on the fence" over using this approach.  Some
years I probably wouldn't pot, but most years, the weather is such that
I will probably continue to do this.  All of my early orders that went
in the 'rebloomer' bed where I water went straight in the ground.

Linda Mann east Tennessee USA



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