difference between garden soil and potting soil..
roorezzi
18 years ago
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roorezzi
18 years agoRelated Discussions
Addressing soil elevation difference between neighbors
Comments (10)Valinsv, I'm sorry, but I couldn't read through all the messages here because I was so outraged at that landscaper's advice! I cannot agree more with the previous responses that have advised the birch trees will be severely stressed, and will most likely die, if 18" of soil ... or even much less ... is added above their root zones. Deep watering will not help and will probably only make matters worse. Roots buried that deeply will die and there will be nothing left to sustain the tree. I recently saw a currant bush that had been planted 12" too deep - the original roots were dead and rotting, as was the stalk that had been buried, and, while the poor thing had put out secondary roots from adventitious buds near the soil line, they were insufficient to sustain the plant. It was a sorry sight. (Smelly, too.) If I were in your place, I would not trust that landscaper with any further work! Dismiss him/her/them and find someone who at least has a basic knowledge of plants. I would recommend a planting bed or just mulch beneath those birches. Grass must be mowed ... and trees are too often nicked by mowers and weed trimmers, leaving a wound that stresses the tree and provides an entry for insects and disease. There are many, many plants that will thrive happily in both moist and dry shady areas, however, without knowing what part of the country you are in, it is very difficult to make an appropriate recommendation. With those trees and the other plantings I see there, a naturalized bed of native plants would be my first choice. Native plants are usually more pest and disease resistant, usually will attract and help sustain birds and beneficial insects, and usually demand less attention, giving you more time to enjoy your yard and garden. If you provide your general location, I and the others here can probably be more helpful with recommendations for shade plants. I would agree, too, that the deterioration of the fence has been considerably hastened by your neighbor's placing of dirt up against the wood. What were they thinking? Ah, well. That corner has the potential to become a lovely and relaxing spot. I've always loved birches, please take care of them; unfortunately, I don't have a ready answer for you on why they aren't growing, but I would still enjoy them for the graceful form and the beautiful contrast provided by their white bark. Best of luck to you, and I do hope you'll post some more photos when the project is complete....See MoreDifference between Mehlich III and modified morgan soil test
Comments (2)The difference is in the extractant used to mix with the soil sample and which one is used is critical. I'd suggest you contact your state's extension service to find out which extract and methoe is best for your soil, they will want to know where you live in order to determine your soil type. State universities have spent decades and a great deal of money developing various extractants and methodologies for testing soils TO ACCURATELY PREDICT plant response to both no action and adding specific fertilizers in very specific amounts in different ways. I'm going to guess that the Morgan method has not been through such vigorous testing on a wide variety of crops in a wide range of soils for all parts of the country. BTW, there is also a Mehlich II, not to confuse you more. Not to toot my horn but, I have spent many years of my life in vegetable crops nutrition research at a university and know what I'm talking about. If you want to go with the private lab that is touting their own method, that's your call, if you do, submit a portion of the sample both to the Morgan lab and another to the lab your extension service aims you to, the results may prove to be illuminating if you try the recommendations for both in your garden, side by side. Here's a link to a lab that uses the Morgan extract, some folks here like Dr. Reams' philosophy, I want to see the science to back claims, kind of a pain in the rear that way. Here is a link that might be useful: IAL...See MoreWhat is the difference between fertilizer and potting soil?
Comments (9)In containers, the most important thing about the potting medium you use is that it provides plenty of AIR spaces. You want your mix to be very coarse, full of large particles. Then, you can add the fertilizer product of your choice. The more porous the potting medium, the more vigorous your root system will be; the happier the root system, the more productive (healthier) the top of your plant will be! It's as simple as that and quite remarkable when you see it in action. My potting mix is a combination of a bit of peat moss, plenty of gently composted bark fines, lots and lots of perlite, and a product called Turface. I also may add granite grit for good measure. I avoid anything that might clog up the pore spaces, such as compost, manures, garden soil, etc. Depending upon what I am growing (annuals, houseplants, bonsai, etc.) I'll add a slow release micro-nutrient product, as well as occasional doses of a balanced fertilizer. These can be organic or otherwise...the plant doesn't much care which. Nitrogen is nitrogen to the plant. ;-) I have good results with fish emulsion, but also use an ordinary soluble (mix with water and apply) fertilizer. This makes a planting mix that is built to last quite a while. All commercial potting 'soils' collapse after a few months, making them very inferior for container re-use, but suitable to turn out into the garden. My mix can last for a very long time, longer than I need it to. I do use a bag or two of a potting mix made for commercial growers that has a very large percentage of bark fines in it; more bark than peat. I add lots of perlite to that and am happy to use it for my annual plantings. Peat moss mixed with 50% perlite is what I use for my seedling germination. If you are really interested in container growing, you might look into the Container Forum, right here in the Garden Web. There's lots of great information over there and some pretty interesting threads....See MoreDifference between water and soil roots
Comments (9)"water roots" are those formed by a plant when a cutting - a slip - is grown in water only. I can't say how they differ morphologically from standard soil roots since this is not a topic I've ever studied but suffice it to say that they evolved to be able to absorb oxygen from the water - which soil roots cannot do - and some nutrients. There is a limit with this for most plants......eventually they deplete the resources available to them in just the water (unless topped up or replaced frequently) and they begin to fail. Water roots need to be carefully transitioned to a soil medium. Usually this involves dipping them into a muddy slurry before planting into regular potting soil or an interim step of growing them on in a very porous substrate like perlite and water and allowing the water to gradually evaporate almost entirely and then plant into regular potting soil. Plants grow water roots in water.......it's that simple :-) And not all plants are inclined to do this....See Moreaktnyc
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)