Why won't you grow Sheri?
whaas_5a
11 years ago
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years agowhaas_5a
11 years agoRelated Discussions
why won't my grass grow?
Comments (5)Most all grasses grow best with a soil pH between 6.2 and 6.8. If you have your own pH meter how well that will work and whether it will really give a good reading depends on many things, but mostly those are not very reliable. Organic "fertilizers" can give the same results as the synthetic fertilizers but what you want to do is make the soil into a good and healthy soil that will grow strong and healthy plants without the need for "fertilziers". Contact your county office of the North Carolina state University USDA Cooperative Extension Service about having a good, reliable soil test done so you know what your soils pH is and what the base nutrient load is and then dig in with these simple soil tests, 1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. to see what else needs be done with your soil to make it into that good, healthy soil that will grow strong and healthy plants. Here is a link that might be useful: NCSU CES...See More7 weeks and still tiny seedlings! Why won't they grow?
Comments (14)Ralph, I am battling a similar problem to you this year. I have plants that are nearly three months old and only about three inches or so tall. Several of them died early on and the ones that survived just have not thrived. I used MG orchid mix which worked good for me last year...plastic starter pots and definitely did not over water. If anything, I think I damaged them from underwatering. They were in severe wilt mode several times before I watered them and I think that essentially killed off some of their root structure. I have already repotted them once and the root structure was less than optimimal. But as suggested above, I would guess your problem is partially a nutrient problem but more likely an over watering problem. I just went to the other extreme. Repotting in a better soil in plastic and less watering will likely help a lot. But, do what I did and go out and purchase some starters from a garden center and then you don't have to stress out if your seedlings never turn around. I hate the idea of buying plants after going through three months of growing my own but, hey, some times you just have to bite the bullet. Bruce....See Morewhy won't you grow????
Comments (12)Let me get to all these responses (thank you so much for the questions!) Phildeez and bets - yes, I put them on when they have started to dry. My husband mows and puts them in our compost bin and it usually takes me a few days to get to them to place on the garden so they are no longer green. All the clippings come from my yard and we don't use any products on the grass. noinwi - the only trees around me are Green Ash, Japanese Maple, Red Maple, Sweet Gum, and Mulberry. KMKacan and orchidOCD - I live just north of Baltimore, MD. I don't have any photos of the plants, but I could try to take some today. They look fine, they just won't grow!!...See MoreWhy won't they grow for me
Comments (5)bsmith, I'm sorry, but I don't know the ID's of most of my ferns. I did post photos of one that's growing well, but no response yet. I definitely think it's worth trying some of the ferns you like. Remember that they don't surf the Internet to read the Clemson Extension web site, so I would recommend trying a few ferns in various sites in your garden to see where they are happiest. A web site that you might find useful is http://www.namethatplant.net/index.shtml For most plants, there's a map of the Carolinas and Georgia showing where in those states the plant is found. One possibility that some ferns are considered to be suitable for growing upstate, but not in the coastal plain is that some probably prefer rocky habitats near streams, whereas we mostly have acidic sandy loam. I'd guess that if you could provide rocks and/or consistent moisture for an area where you wanted to grow such ferns that might work? Good luck, Virginia...See Morearktrees
11 years agofamartin
11 years agojqpublic
11 years agowhaas_5a
11 years agorusty_blackhaw
8 years ago
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