Palm leaf development, why prematurely opening?
15 years ago
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- 15 years ago
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Comments (19)What I think is, a very large % of issues that people come here looking for solutions for, are related directly to the results of soil choice and either the watering habits necessitated by those choices, or just plain poor watering habits. Because choosing a soil that supports little or no perched water makes it difficult for a grower to water poorly (unless they just don't water) most of the blame for poor watering practices is rightly assigned as the result of the dilemma excessively water-retentive soil present the grower. Do I water thoroughly enough to flush the soil of accumulating salts and risk the soil remaining wet for so long it affects root health/function; or do I water in sips, so the soil is appropriately moist, and suffer the consequences of a build-up of solubles in the soil. For me, it's a no-brainer. I want the soil that allows me to water appropriately any time I want to, without my having to worry about the soil remaining wet for so long it affects root health/function - no worries about root health - no worries about salt build-up ...... what's not to like? It's easy to suggest that inappropriately evaluating the level of soil moisture is the cause of these problems, but when you look realistically at the issue of how difficult it is to maintain adequate aeration in soils that support perched water, we see clearly that the bulk of the blame lies with a soil's measure of water retention, and more specifically with the ht of the perched water table. Even when you use small sips of water to water soils that support significant volumes of perched water, the water tends to accumulate at the bottom of the pot - not to mention the fact that watering in sips very often leaves the root mass dry in some places and too wet in others. IOW, it's extremely difficult to keep soils evenly moist when they support perched water. The norm is a layer of soil at the bottom of the pot that remains soggy until the water is used. It's DURING this period when the soil supports too much water that root death and depression of root function occurs. Neither of these things are desirable and should be avoided whenever possible. One robs energy from the plant because the plant has to expend energy to replace lost rootage, and the other inhibits the plant's ability to function normally. Well-aerated soils that support no or minimal amounts of perched water, do away with these negatives entirely, and offer the grower much greater latitude in the areas of fertilizing and (over)watering. ****************************************************** There are 2 ways to look at growing. Placing grower convenience at the forefront will find you growing much differently than if you place the plant's well-being foremost. Neither way is right or wrong, it's just two different ways of looking at growing. One grower might look at 'what to do with the effluent after watering a big plant in the gritty mix' as an insurmountable obstacle because it requires more effort than using a soil that absorbs and holds onto all that excess water. I don't look at it as an obstacle at all - just something that needs to be dealt with in my pursuit of maximizing plant health. Large plants are set above drainage saucers on small blocks, so after the effluent leaves the pot it cannot find its way back into the soil. All my plants, even the small ones, are watered so 15-20% of the total volume of water applied exits the drain. The effluent goes into the drainage saucer and evaporates - usually within 2-3 days, depending on the weather (humidity levels). If, for some reason, it didn't all evaporate between waterings, I'd make a note of that and remove some of the water with a turkey baster or similar after watering. So far, that hasn't been an issue. Al...See MoreN. ventricosa, weird leaf lids, why?
Comments (3)Thanks, but it shouldn't be a shock issue. It has been growing in the same spot in the same conditions for about three years....See Morelowest leaves yellowing and falling prematurely
Comments (9)Hi Sorry I should have figured that and provided conversions, thanks........ I read a guys blog who had a huge collection of plumerias,(Texas) mostly in pots and he too recommended soaking them in a free draining mix each day during the summer, When I first received the plant a couple of months ago I gave it a good watering every day, once it leafed up. The problem of the falling leaves happen after it got about 3 - 4 leaves on each stem, on the 4th - 5th leaf it drops. Some people suggested treating it more like a cactus, so I put in in a bucket size pot with a really gritty mix, and watered it lightly every second day, Its on the dry side,very slightly damp about 1/2 " down now. The result is still the same, but its growing slower , so dropping leaves slower, its mid summer. Doesn't seem to have made much difference between lots or little water, to the yellowing, which is why I thought perhaps it could be some kind of virus, but I couldn't find any matches. The leaves are a good size 5 -7" on a 2' plant, and your right, the new growth is vigorous and healthy. Its my first plumeria, so I really don't know what to expect....See MorePremature zucchini blossoms?
Comments (13)Thank you, everyone, for your responses. About the dead leaves and tiny leaves-- yes, as daninthedirt said, the true leaves have not fully grown yet and the dead leaves are from being outside beneath a tree shedding its leaves. But it does look unhealthy, as do my other plants, especially the tomatoes. The peppers, eggplants, sweet potatoes, and flowers seem to be fine so far. But the squash and cucumber have very pale leaves and are getting flower buds already. The tomatoes look just awful-- stippled, twisted leaves. They have gotten one pair of true leaves so far, but most of them are missing all the leaves but one. I have no idea why. I have been putting off transplanting them because the garden bed is not ready yet, but I transplanted the squashes into larger pots. I am not sure that lack of space is causing the problem, though, because I have one cucumber in a cup and one cucumber in a large container, but they look the same. I'll see what happens to the squash. Anyone have any ideas what their problem is?...See More- 15 years ago
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