Re: CULT - Rocks on Rhizomes

John Montgomery wrote:
> 
> 
> The explanation at the top of this message must be from the poetry book
> because it defies experience and physics. Place that rock or brick on the
> soil with no rhizome and it will rise when the ground freezes. The size is
> not relevant, it will be pushed up.
> Placing a weight on top of a rhizome may keep the rhizome in contact with
> the surface of the soil after thawing occurs but the roots will have been
> shifted in the soil and the fine ones probably will have been broken. This
> is another reason for cutting the roots off or at least drastically
> shortening them before planting. It is those big old roots that are as much
> of a problem as the frost. They act like a ratchet, lifting the rhizome
> higher each time and preventing a settling back. Give those roots a severe
> shave before planting and much of that problem will disappear.

Let me see if I can follow the line of logic here. Planting them in the
late summer/fall causes roots to grow. Established roots in a freeze
thaw environment cause the rzs to rachet up and heave, tearing the roots
and rendering them useless. Rzs left on top of the ground did just fine
next spring. 

So why not just wait for the spring thaw to plant them and avoid all
this worry.

I like the other process. Let them freeze, mulch them to keep them
frozen (no heaving). Uncover them when spring thaw arrives.

John                     | "There be dragons here"
                         |  Annotation used by ancient cartographers
                         |  to indicate the edge of the known world.

John Jones, jijones@ix.netcom.com
Fremont CA, USDA zone 8/9 (coastal, bay) 
Max high 95F/35C, Min Low 28F/-2C average 10 days each
Heavy clay base for my raised beds.
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