rootone ingredients
tc88
15 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (22)
yiorges-z5il
15 years ago
albert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
15 years agoRelated Discussions
Roottone for mold on pots
Comments (7)It may not be related, but your idea that it could be something in the material the containers are made from is a possibility. I left the following anecdote on the container forum a couple of weeks ago (Oct 13). "I hope that ***** doesn't mind if I tell a little semi-related story here. I frequently wander through the dollar store or places like Big Lots, looking for containers for the plants I propagate & give as gifts to friends & garden visitors. I got soooo excited one day when I was at Big Lots and found serving bowl sets that were beautifully drip-glazed and had a crackle finish. I immediately envisioned beautiful dish gardens in them and bought all they had. They came in sets, but were sold individually. The sizes were approximately 3-1/2 gallon, 2-1/2 gallon, and 1-1/2 gallon and were priced reasonably at $6.99, 4.99, and 3.99, respectively. I think I bought 3 full sets & three containers that were from broken sets. Since they were serving bowls, I set up a table & drilled drainage holes in all of them on a Sat. Our bonsai club buys assorted dwarf conifers and assorted evergreen & deciduous dwarfs from Iseli Nursery in Oregon. I think we pay about $5 each for them and usually sell them at art fairs, etc., as a fund raiser. Well, I bought a whole assortment of 20 and thought I'd sell them in the bowls as dish gardens, so I planted them up in bonsai soil. Now, I rarely have trouble keeping plants alive, but every one of the plants were dead within 2 months of planting. Soon after I planted them, I noticed a white residue on the surface that was weeping through from the inside. It gradually got worse as the plants died, until the point where I emptied the bowls of plants & soil. Under the pots, I found gobs of a white reside, so I applied a little vinegar to see how basic it was - it was extremely caustic and was obviously the cause of the plant's demise. I was actually quite astounded, as these were SERVING bowls & meant to be used for that purpose or for decoration. I have no idea what was in the clay it was made from, but my guess is that there's a good chance it wouldn't benefit anyone to consume it incidentally via food served from them! They were made in China, btw. I threw them all away, along with the dozen or so plants that died in them - an expensive misfortune." Good luck. Al...See MoreShare Gritty mix
Comments (23)tj, I really like the way you express yourself. I also like what nil13 said about different mixes being appropriate for different things/different styles. I agree with that wholeheartedly. That's usually where these soil discussions end up. I'd just like to establish the understanding that the classic "Gritty Mix" is not the good-for-everything-miracle-mix it's purported to be. I'll gladly reiterate that the gritty mix has been fine for a handful of plants, mostly very vigorous plants. I see the purpose of grit as being for drainage, aeration and occupying a certain volume that will ensure that the rest of the mix dries out in a timely fashion. For that reason, I see no need for anything beyond perlite and pumice. I like my fines to be a very amalgamated blend of organics and inorganics. That's why I use sand and vermiculite and don't sift my perlite or pumice. My ratio of fines to grit is my own and I expect anyone else would figure out their own ratio. I'm well aware that plants can be grown in pure grit but I can't keep up with the watering/feeding necessary. I see the fines in my mix as the navigable areas for roots. It's comfortable and provides some nutrients while not being pure peat. A straight grit environment just seems harsh and the bark adds insult to injury. You may be right about pine bark but I've encountered one-too-many brown, burnt, half-dead root systems in bark to think differently. With my mix, I think if there were too much grit, the fines WOULD wash through. For me, the grit is the skeleton that supports the body of fines. Pumice is just great porous drainage and perlite is drainage plus water retention, plus aeration, plus inorganic fines, plus it's lightweight and fluffy, plus it wicks water out of the fines. If Perlite weren't so dangerous to breathe, I'd roll around in it like a puppy. That's how much I love perlite. I just wish more people would try this mix for themselves and report back later with results. I've had nothing but improvements. I have to say, my mix is not for serial overwaterers but it will survive a few weeks of rain. I may have never discovered this mix had I not delved so heavily into mesembs. In doing so, I realized that what makes mesembs happy, with a slight variation (or none depending on your situation) will make everything else very happy - happier than before. I think climate has much to do with how you construct your mix but the general theory of how roots behave in relation to soil/what roots desire can be pretty well defined. So, I'm just providing a different option/theory. It doesn't freeze here but it does in New Mexico (pictured above) and that mix is MUCH thicker than mine....See MoreRooting Hormone
Comments (27)Tom, take a 3-4" cutting from the mom tree. Dip in rooting hormone. (optional) You can either use peat pellets, peat pots, or small plastic pots. Fill w/a well-draining soil but add some peat, too. Remove bottom foliage of cutting, leaving only 2-4 leaves on the upper portion. W/a pencil or finger, make a small hole where cutting will slip in after using rooting hormone. Cover hole w/soil so cutting stands erect. Make a make-shift gh by covering w/plastic. Cut a slit in plastic for air vent circulation. Keep cutting in bright light but out of direct sun. If you plan on doing this in winter, then bottom heat in important. That's one reason it's best to attempt cuttings in late spring/summer. As soon as you see new growth, slowly remove plastic. The first day, remove about an hour and work your way up until there's no need for the plastic. The soil should be barely moist, not totally dry but not wet either. Misting helps, too.. One reason I like peat pellets is cuttings do not need to be removed after roots set..after roots are established, the entire ball goes directly in a growing pot. When plant is ready to be set in a pot, a 4" pot is best. You can also add a mild solution of fertilizer and a product called Superthrive (hormone/vitamin) to the cutting/s. Both stimulate root growth. Good luck Toni...See Moreold rootone
Comments (2)Generally the active auxins are about as stable as a granite boulder. As mentioned, if stored dry it won't decompose. Vapor pressure is high enough to lose some by evaporation, but not all will be lost. George...See Moretc88
15 years agocalistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
15 years agoironious2_yahoo_com
15 years agotc88
15 years agotcuser
15 years agochemical-geezer
15 years agodaw_etc
15 years agotc88
15 years agotcuser
15 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
15 years agocapt44_rvplants_com
13 years agosheeba123
11 years agojshwartzer
11 years agotamatik
11 years agodrtszap
7 years agodrtszap
7 years agodrtszap
7 years agojolj
6 years agojolj
6 years ago
More Discussions
freemangreens