Re: Shrub question

Good post, Doug.  Know you're right, but still prefer to watch real
youngsters in pots for a season as once they get in my garden, I can
lose track of them easily in my normal hysteria and wake up to find
they've been engulfed by some neighbor to their extreme detriment.
Those more organized and with longer attention spans than I will
definitely benefit from following your observations on in ground vs.
pot culture.

I think the point about the 'super soil' in a planting hole is
correct, especially for heavy clay soils.  Feel it is important to
not create an in ground 'pot' and to make sure that the soil
surrounding the planting hole is broken up so that the plant roots
will venture into it.  When you dig into damp clay soil with a spade,
the friction of the spade sort of seals the sides - one reason I
prefer digging clay with a digging fork.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
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----------
> From: Doug Green <flowers@SIMPLEGIFTSFARM.COM>
> Date: Sunday, December 19, 1999 1:12 PM
>
> 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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> http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com
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