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Re: Milorganite

coneh@uswest.net wrote:
> 
> Mary ,
> what are some of your sources for this very interesting subject..
> I'm particularly interested in it as I suspect that has occured in my very own
> yard($5.hole for a .50cent plant)only to have it decline several years down the
> road.
> I would like to know more about this as I am just about to plant a considereable
> amount of new shrubs etc.
> Many thanks.
> Connie
> 
> > Almost all research sources dealing with woodies (trees AND shrubs) now
> > recommend backfilling your planting hole with the native clay and
> > putting all amendments on top of the soil in the form of mulch. Amended
> > holes become "flower pots" that the root are loath to leave for the
> > unamended native clay. Establishment doesn't occur properly and there
> > will be a good chance the plant will not thrive, at best, and choke
> > itself out, at worst.

Sorry to be so slow to reply to this, but I have been out of town. I
can't find the original research citations, but I have a copy of a
bulletin from the Washington State Cooperative Extension Service in
Pullman, WA (EB1505) that describes the current recommendations, and an
article from the April 1995 Minnesota Horticulturist (pp. 23-26). It
would take some digging to find the research citations, but they are
there, if someone has time. The current publications of the City of
Minneapolis Urban Forestry Dept. and MDOT have been updated to reflect
these new findings. A quote I found from a column that someone else sent
to me whose publication was not identified said it was the old "life is
tough, get used to it!" treatment. Apparently, the amendments placed on
top of the feeder root area, are broken down by the normal soil bacteria
and mycorhizzae and made available naturally as the new roots quest
outward. Makes a lot of common sense, doesn't it!
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