Re: Shrub question
At 05:07 PM 12/18/1999 -0500, you wrote:
>Nancy wrote:
>question is: does another season in a pot stunt the growth of
>> the plant? My Japanese maples seem awfully small for their age.
>
>Nancy when you transplant from pot to soil in a year make sure that the
>roots surrounding the the "soil ball" are cut with a knife. This practice
>will inhibit any negative effects associated with the phenomena rootbound.
>Also improve the soil in the planting hole with sand and organic soil
>conditioners mixed with the original soil.
>
>George Manno
In my 23 years of running a nursery my experiences with this topic are as
follows:
1) plants grown in the ground under proper conditions (weed free, fertility
and water) always outperform container grown pots.
2) It takes a superior level of management to duplicate nursery conditions
if growing plants in pots. Pots are harder to grow in than soil. The
reasons for this fall right across the plant management spectrum - from
soil composition, nutrition, heat in the soil ball, watering etc. etc. For
example, soil acts differently in a container than in ground beds. Plants
that thrive in ground beds of 6.5pH do better when the potted soil pH is
much lower. Water management is critical - the pH and fertility of the
potted soil depends so much more on the water quality going in because it
is not buffered by a huge mass.
3) Potting up does not need to have the roots cut on the smaller pot. We've
potted up more plants in 23 years than I care to mention and we never cut
roots. It didn't matter whether the smaller pot was terribly root bound or
not - they all grew out quite quickly when given the proper surrounding
soil in the larger pot. Would cutting the roots speed up this process?
Don't know but as the smaller pots grew out within a few weeks, it was
irrelevant to us in the nursery.
Is this the same when a rootbound plant is put into the garden soil? I
don't know but I suspect that the same response will hold true. Teasing
the roots out is a good idea I suspect if for no other reason than to
assure the gardener. Does cutting the roots impede growth? No idea - done
it both ways with no visual effect either way.
4) Is it necessary to amend the planting hole for good growth? Dr. Shigo
has given us a new way of looking at planting preparation and in short - do
not amend the planting hole to make super soil in this space. Roots grow
quickly in this area but then have to move out into the surrounding soil.
This difference in soil quality (particularly if the surrounding soil is
heavy) can then cause root circling inside the original planting hole. A
plant will appear to grow well for several years and then will stall out
for several more until it figures out how to grow outwards. Some plants, in
heavier soils, never do grow out of the planting hole.
The new recommendation is to dig and turn over the soil planting hole to
create a well-aerated soil (add a bit of compost) but not sand, peat and
other additives to create super soil. Install the plant so the roots have a
consistent soil media.
On a final note, transplant success or lack is not usually a soil problem.
In my humble opinion (if I had one) :-) it is a cultural activity on the
part of the gardener. The use of shade fabrics, anti-dessicants, the
watering can and hand of the gardener will do more to assure gardening
transplant success than any potting up and maintaining.
Having said that - if it works for you, ignore the humble opinions of other
people.;-)
Doug
Doug Green,
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