Taking A Bare Rooted Tree And Potting Into Gritty Mix
Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
12 years ago
Hi Guys and Gals!!
I received a Bare Rooted tree from BBB. The roots were a little dry and im a little worried about that, but im going to think postively! Also i received two trees from Ebay and potted them all up into Gritty Mix.
Some of you have asked me in emails about how i pot up into Gritty Mix, so i decided to show you what and how i did it.
When i rec this tree from BBB the first thing i did was to spray the roots with rainwater and made sure they stayed moist until i was ready to pot up. Here are the pictures of me taking the tree and trimming the roots. i didnt like some of the roots because they looked a little brown at the ends. So i cut them off until i liked the look of the roots.
Hope this helps some of you that have asked..
Before i trimmed...
After i trimmed...
Container ready...
Placing into the Gritty Mix...
Ready for watering and ready to start the season!!!
{{gwi:1162474}}
The other two trees potted into the Gritty Mix from Ebay..
{{gwi:1162475}}
Cuttings ready to get potted into the Gritty Mix..
Containers ready...
Gritty Mix Ready...
{{gwi:30058}}
Dipped cuttings in Roottone..
Potted in containers...
Now all snuggled up in the container and on the heating mat in the greenhouse..
some others in the greenhouse..
larger trees on the deck ready for the warm temps..
{{gwi:1162493}}
a few inflos already..
Penang Peach
{{gwi:1162495}}
Lavender
{{gwi:1162497}}
Miami Rose.. Tks. D : )
{{gwi:1162499}}
Take care,
Laura
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Comments (28)
pcput
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoProudMamaSD
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Long Term Potting Mix Recipe - Alternative to Gritty Mix
Comments (27)I thought I posted this on the gardenweb forum. Now it's houzz? Had to sign up for a new user name. Anyway soo - you can get the Naked Gardener Compost or Debco Premium Potting Mix from Masters (closing soon). Course Perlite is from The Perlite & Vermiculite Factory Myaree (much cheaper than anywhere else). Sand I got from a bulk landscape place (lawn mix) but you can get 10 or 20kg bags of builders sand at Bunnings. Zeochlor is in the pool section at Bunnings. Rock Dust I got from the manufacturer direct somewhere in Bibralake (called Natural PK) but I think but you can now get a similar product from Waldecks (in Myaree at least). Waldecks also sell bentonite clay. I still want to try the gritty mix but getting my hands on all the materials has proved very difficult when I tried last year. I found a Queensland company that makes course DE (for mopping up oil/chemicals) but they didn't have a distributor in Perth. Nobody I could find has pine bark in the right size - and even if they did I'd have to by a cement mixer and modify it with a fine wire to screen it. Honestly, if an agricultural company were to produce the gritty mix and sell it in bags I think they'd make bank - even considering how long it lasts....See MoreBoug leaves dried after bare rooted repot in gritty mix...
Comments (10)Ohiofem: Thank you for your response. I appreciate the information. I have kept a pretty close eye on it and there are no pests. I have been watering regularly for the last week but as I mentioned in my first post it was clear that there were issues within the first 24hrs. I wasn't sure whether to treat this like I would like other repots and keep it partially shaded. Perhaps it was a poor choice but I opted to take it into full light. Josh: I realize that the gritty mix is effectively nutritionally bare but I had decided not to fertilize immediately after the repot in order to give the boug some recovery time. Now - two weeks on and bare of leaves - it probably would not be a good idea to give any nitrogen. Do you think a transplant fertilizer at this point would be helpful? What you've described with regards to the drainage layer is precisely what I've encountered. I repotted a ficus about 5 days ago and it also is drying unevenly. Considering that the ficus was healthy and its roots were minimally disturbed I opted to pull it and repot it sans pumice drainage layer. We'll see how it fares. Thanks again for your response. Al (tapla): Thanks for the information. I will try the wedge technique in the future. Just a couple of questions: 1) Is the Wedge technique for root reduction solely, or do you use this graduated approach for removing old soil as well (i.e. do you always bare root directly or do you go in segments when dealing with fibrous root systems)? 2) Regarding Watering: my Ficus has a relatively flat root system. The surface is drying quickly and the bottom of the pot stays moist. I am hoping that the removal of the drainage layer will help. When you are dealing with a shallow root system after repot you water more frequently, but does that mean you water less deeply (i.e. to avoid contributing to the slower draining soil at the base of the pot)? Thanks again to everyone who has responded so far. Regards, - JW...See MoreBare root trees in pots
Comments (5)I'm sorry, but I really disagree with bullthistle in your particular situation. If you *have* soil from the area they will end up in, then I would use that to start. If not, then I would get just plain ordinary soil from the area where you are. Amend it a little bit with composted manure or other compost, or some topsoil if the dirt you have locally is not great. You do want to get the root systems developed. But if these trees are going to have to make it on their own later, I would not use potting soil or heavily composted soil. It's a really lousy analogy, but this would be 'spoiling them', and 'stunting their growth'. Root systems usually will develop very differently in 'rich easy soil' compared with how they develop in 'ordinary dirt'. You want them to be able to be moved to 'ordinary dirt', and make it on their own. Stick with plain old soil, a little enriched but not too much, and don't even be afraid to let them dry down some occasionally after some months in pots, if they are otherwise doing ok. Plant them pretty much in ordinary soil, baby them early, then gradually wean them off the babying, and then let them toughen up as they get really established. *Then*, they will be ready to be planted up north, and have a good chance on their own. Otherwise, you'll be taking overfed, pampered, underdeveloped-root-system garden trees, and sticking them out in the wilderness. If you make it possible for them to develop in pots in a similar way to what they would have to work for in a more real environment, they'll develop in ways that will let them settle in fine when planted, and make it on their own....See MoreWater roots to Gritty Mix roots
Comments (11)Honestly, I would fully expect the water roots would all quickly die upon being put into a gritty mix. But, as long as the cuttings are "expendable", why not experiment? Dennis "I have never tried to stick a branch of rosemary or thyme into soil. Can they be propagated that way?" I have never tried those particular plants, but from what I have read and experienced, just about any plant which can be rooted from cuttings can be rooted directly in a media....See Moredpolson37
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoelucas101
12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoMinderella
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoLoveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
Andrew Scott
12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
jandey1
12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoLoveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoAndrew Scott
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoLoveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoLoveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agopcput
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoLoveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoLoveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agoLoveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agoMinderella
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agoLoveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
9 years ago
halocline
9 years agoplumejunkie
9 years agoLoveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
9 years ago
moonie_57 (8 NC)
9 years agoLoveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
9 years ago
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