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Container Gardening

Commercial potting mix for Japanese maples

18 years ago

I am going to grow some j.m. grafted seedlings in 8" terra cotta pots and am trying to find a suitable potting soil. All the ones I looked at so far have miracle-gro or other fertilizer already added which I have heard is not good for j.m. I really do not want to make my own soil as I only need a small quantity -plus I guess I'm lazy! Any suggestions for good brands that don't have fertilizer added?

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Comments (3)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
18 years ago
Your trees will be happiest in a soil that breaks down slowly. Pine bark, as the primary organic component, plus a considerable inorganic componant, would be a very good choice because it will its structure for extended periods. If you're (your word) lazy, a poor soil is not the place to look to save effort. A poor soil will only increase the amount of effort it takes to maintain good vitality in your trees. If you need more assistance building a good soil, let me know. Others might suggest something suitable "from the bag", but I cannot help there. I'll ring up Dorie & Pam for some help - I know Pam grows JM's in containers & Dorie knows almost everything.

This is fresh from my mail today. It is from a plucky (I think, young) grower in the PNW that I am helping put together a soil. Kristen says, "In container culture, you can put two-bit plants in a ten-dollar soil and have a beautiful garden, but if you put a ten-dollar plant in a two-bit soil you'll have nothing but disappointment."

I told her it wouldn't be long before there was an opportunity to use the gem she shared. ;o)

Al
suel41452
Original Author
18 years ago
Since I am planning to plant these in the ground in a year or two, I was hoping there was a "ten-dollar" bagged soil that would be suitable.
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This sounds like a good place to use the gritty soil mix! I grow conifers in a gritty soil and they thrive in it. I agree that most bagged mixes are not very good for growing woody plants. They don't drain well at all and do not allow enough oxygen to the root system. I'm not sure what the rules are about mentioning other forums but there is a forum on here specifically for growing plants in containers. You will find TONS of good information in that forum. many threads on soil mixes, watering schedules, fertilizers, etc. HTH Dave
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Container culture is very different from growing plants inground and you shouldn't try to make comparisons because each of the two situations is distinct. One of the primary reasons not to amend individual planting holes is because of soil interface issues. When you introduce a different soil type, as will happen if you amend a planting hole, it affects the texture and porosity of the soil in that area and when water moves through soils of different textures, the natural flow is altered and drainage is impacted, sometimes radically. The natural porosity of the soil - the spaces between the peds or soil particles - is changed and when water percolating through the soil encounters changes in porosity, its flow is slowed. A similar situation exists with the oxygen penetration of the soil and changes in the pore spaces. Studies have shown that trees planted in highly amended planting holes often take off quickly for the first season or so, but growth slows radically and can frequently become stunted or otherwise unfavorably affected once the roots hit the different soils outside of the amended hole. In severe cases, it can cause girdling of the roots or a bathtub effect from overly moisture retentive backfill. Granted, amending poor or nutrient weak soils is often advised, but it is best to do so over a very wide expanse - ideally, over the entire potential spread of the root system - not just for an individual planting hole. In fact, some evidence exists that all purchased trees should be bare rooted before planting to minimize soil interface issues.
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Maples are incredibly tolerant of root-pruning when performed at the *optimum time of year* - which is the quiescent period right before buds break in the Spring. Washing the old mix from the roots is a must when transitioning to a gritty mix. I repot every few years, or as needed (if a plant outgrows its container). Josh
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It is not ideal but can work. I really dislike the idea of vermiculite in the mix, as that will absorb water to its full capacity then collapse, defeating any drainage enhancement it might temporarily offer. Although I have not personally used these products, I'd be more inclined to go with the Metromix 300, as it offers more permanent drainage enhancers. Without visually seeing the product, not sure what to suggest as additives. It would be helpful to know the proportions of the various ingredients, but that is not provided on either the website or the product label. I'd shoot for something that is close to the proportions of the 5-1-1, so adding more bark may be appropriate. I also add a CRF (Osmocote) to my soil mix when potting up my maples and other trees.
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
18 years ago
I'm afraid I'm not going to be of much help as the container soil I prefer for J. maples has a limited west coast availability. I would agree with Al that a bark based (as opposed to peat based) potting soil is preferred - not the most common thing to find, however. I'll defer to Al on whether amending a regular, non-prefertilized (good call, Sue) potting soil with bark is an option.

Al, that Kristen sounds like one smart cookie! :-)

Pam

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