h. nelsonii, need advice please
9 years ago
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Potting Mix, pH test strips and N-P-K advice for container plants
Comments (6)1) Every ingredient that you listed for the Fox Farm soil is extremely fine. Since water retention is dependant primarily on particle size, you should expect a medium made of all fine particulates to be extremely water retentive, something I try very hard to avoid in containers. 2) You can read about soils and how durable soils that remain well-aerated long after peat/compost-based soils have collapsed can offer a greater margin for grower error and make things much simpler for the grower if you follow this link. 3) Not necessarily, but if you think about it, what will you do if your pH falls outside the favorable range? Start adding acids and bases to change it? In commercial situations, pH is usually tested frequently and adjusted by injecting a wide variety of chemicals that have elements plants need into the irrigation water. Since pH is affected by temperature, fertility, plant material, moisture level, even time of day (Plants help to control the pH in the rhizosphere to make it easier for them to uptake nutrients. This effect is reduced when plants are undergoing periods of reduced transpiration, which in turn has an effect on pH.) I'm not saying that because I ignore trying to control pH that you should, but I've never found it necessary to fret about it in any container planting. I might consider the plant prefers acidic conditions and forgo the use of lime and maybe use a urea-based fertilizer to take advantage of the acid reaction, but other than that, I don't worry. Remember that Media pH is far less important in container media than in mineral soils, and if you're supplying nutrients in soluble form, unless the pH is WAY outside favorable limits, your plant will be able to assimilate the nutrients. You can find considerable discussion about this in Dr C Whitcomb's work, "Plant Production in Containers II". 4) On average, plants use about 6-10x more N than P. Since the P in NPK is not a true measure of P supplied (P is reportted as the % of P2O5 [phosphorous pentaoxide]) you need to use a multiplier of .43 to tell the actual amount of P. In 3:1:2 ratio fertilizers, there is 7x as much N as P, so you actually have a considerable cush in 3:1:2 ratio fertilizers. Plants use roughly the same amount of nutrients throughout the growth cycle in relation to N, so I'm not sure where the idea they need larger doses of P during flowering/fruiting comes from. Tissue analysis of fruits and blooms show roughly the same levels of P as other plant organs, which meshes nicely with the idea that consistent P levels at approximately 1/6 that of N are entirely adequate throughout the growth cycle. I actually don't boost K by adding the ProTeKt, I reduce the amount of N, which also must reduce the levels of P and K. Since I can see by my plants that what I said above about P is true (also confirmed in the text cited above, which is essentially the Bible on container production) and P levels remain adequate at reduced application rates of 3:1:2 ratio fertilizers, I only need to be sure plants are getting adequate K. I can do this by incorporating some potash in the soil when I make it in anticipation of the reduced N applications for tomatoes, or simply forgo the increase in TDC by supplying it later as needed by using the ProTeKt. Al...See MoreSoil Test/Analysis Results - Need advice please!
Comments (10)It's a good report. You should understand that it's probably standard for your neighborhood, and not standard for my neighborhood, but all of my neighborhood shares the same general soil characteristics, as does yours, but they are different. 1. You built in a hayfield. That means the bacteria, the mychorrizal fungus, the tiny critters, that live on the most common plant in the area, while taking over, have not yet successfully transitioned from 'field' to 'lawn', but they're working on it. I'm tempted, at first, to just leave it, but you might get ahold of a company like Bio-Vam, and order up a dose of mychorrizal fungus,and spray it on your lawn. It really did help me out, a few years back. Reach me here, if you decide to do this, I can give you a few tips. 2. The lawn does not have enough organic matter, which surprises me, given that you have 2 acres. I'm assuming you leave the lawn clippings on the lawn. Are you mowing high? You should. Mowing at 3.5 to 4 inches will really help that lawn keep organic matter. I had a pal talk to me, two acres, and it turned out he was mowing at one inch, literally, and it looked like a pool table, with an unshaven stubble: he will never have a lawn. Mow high. 3. Ignore the potash. It's not really a deficiency, and will change, over the next five years. Keep the report, as we're going to compare 'next year's' report to this one. 4. Don't add fert that has any, or not much, phosphorus. For TODAY, not three weeks from now, if you can add a half-dose of urea, I would. Keep this in mind: if you are un-disciplined, or not mechanical, or somehow overwhelmed by this job, just pass on the job: no offense taken. If a normal application of fertilizer would be a 6 on your tow-behind spreader, I'd like you to get some urea, and spread it around, almost immediately, using a setting of 3. You can't do a full dose, you have to do a half dose. A full dose, with summer almost upon us, would burn the lawn, and we don't want that. But a half dose would be perfect. Urea is something like 30-0-0, or 45-0-0, and it's all nitrogen, no phosphorus, no potash. But it has to be a light dose. Lime: Is best put down over several small applications, spread out by at least three weeks, rather than one big boomba application. You always, always, want pelletized. It flows, just like fertilizer, through your tow behind rotary spreader. For two acres, go over to H/D or Lowes, and get six bags, three for each acre. Throw it on the lawn. Eight to twelve bags per acre would be mathmatically correct, and you are not remotely interested. Solve that small problem one small step at a time. By the way, we're going to do another application, either in late fall, or early spring. Let me say this: you are at that wonderful stage, at the beginning, where almost everything you do will be correct, will show an immediate improvement, and even better, will improve MORE after that. Take this stuff in slow, rather than big, stages or applications. Give the lawn time to be a lawn. Mow tall, rather than short. You probably want a tow-behind boom sprayer (I LOVE mine) for a few hundred, to put down weed killer or liquid fert. Shop around, and reach me here if you're not finding what you need. Do not add phosphorus, or add darn little. Ignore the potash, it's fine. Let us know, here, what you're doing. You're gonna love this job....See MoreNew to clematis need some advice please?!
Comments (4)Not sure of your source but clematis do NOT stop growing without a trellis or other support system - they either create their own (sprawling up though other plants or any other vertical structure) or they act as low spreading groundcovers. But if you want vertical growth, providing some sort of climbing support is advised. Fishing line is a great idea - it is virtually invisible - but make sure whatever you use to attach the fishing line allows some distance/air space between the wall and the vine. This will allow for proper air circulation (reducing disease issues) and keep any wet foliage away from the side of the house....See MoreWhat to do with my Sans now - Banded Nelsonii
Comments (21)Hi! Thank you for the questions! I'm so excited with the plants because a lot of things happened to them in the last few weeks. They grow now faster and I enjoy watching their growing from day to day. I took your advice and I water them more frequently, they get once a week or at least once in two weeks. The Banded Nelsonii rhizome is stronger than ever, and it looks so healthy and strong too. If I try to move the plant a bit, it stands very strongly and it's very stable. I think something is growing in the soil, I really hope it's a new rhizome. The leaves seem to be heathy too, only one of them got rotten, I think I pot that one upside down. They're next to an orchid in orchid soil, because when I cut the leaves I didn't have so much space suddenly -and neither good soil, and I've already raised a lot of Hahnii there in that soil from leaf cutting so I'm very hopeful with the Banded Nelsonii leaves too. Some of my plants has new pups too, what I'm really proud of now is my Parva and the Caespitosa, they have very big pups right now, I can't wait so see them growing up. My Robusta has an extremely big pup too, and it's a surprise for me because that was one of my weakest plant, and I wasn't so sure if it dies or not. The other Sanses have new leaves too, so I'm completely happy now :) I attach some picture about the plants....See More- 9 years ago
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