Re: Sandy Potting Soil Falling From Rootball

Linda Starr wrote:
Richard,
Thank you for the hint about keeping the soil moist before planting. In those pots the soil was actually very moist and the trees were supposed to be two years old. But blue oak grow very slowly. The roots at the bottom of the pot stayed together better than the top of the pot. Today, I had someone come over to help me. I slit the pots open down the side and eased the rootball out and held it in the planting hole while my friend backfilled with dirt. Planting with two people helped with those oaks in the narrow pots. I think the long narrow pots are harder to plant from than the wider ones Once I had dislodged the oak from the pot yesterday and there was no one nearby to help me - I had to just do the best I could with the plant at that time.
Linda
I have come across very deep narrow pots here for growing tree seedlings. They were called trainers and were I believe designed to encourage a long straight taproot.

These particular pots were actually made in two parts, so when one came to plant they could be opened up without difficulty, achieving the same effect as you did with your pot slitting. It certainly seemed to make it comparatively easy to prevent the soil falling off the roots.

The very sandy medium your plants were in however sounds as though it was way too light a formulation for something to be transplanted and would have benefitted from having something to make it heavier, such as a bit of real soil, included in the mix.

Moira

--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ.     Pictures of our garden at:-
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NEW PICTURES ADDED 4/Feb/2004

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