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Just a few questions

18 years ago

Now first question is having heard that some people tease out the roots of pot plants before placing in ground. others have said tease out or cut only if root bound. How soon after purchasing a plant should you place in garden and do you trim or not trim buds and tips. I have lost a lot of exxy plants yet some of those by mail order or friends have done really well. For example I have lost magnolia little gem, oleander, i bougainvillea, a grevillea, peony and two azaleas. 2 choisa ternata, yet other things are doing well, summer beauty, wattles, lambs ear, tibouchina and roses.

Maybe it's just where they are placed. any suggestions please

Jan

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Comments (5)

User
18 years ago
I often think that the more I fuss with something the less luck I have! I only tease the roots if they look congested or root bound. Most of the losses in my garden arise from either not getting it in the ground when I should, or by overplanting and things getting swamped by more vigorous plants.
Cheers,
Dee.
hollakes
18 years ago
Always look where in the nursery these plants are growing make sure they are acclimatised
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User
18 years ago
Jan always RIP your Azalea roots apart before planting as you live in Queensland.
I always look at the roots I actually lift the plant out of the pot and have a look if I can
If they are too root bound or dont have many roots I dont buy them either....Cheers..MM.
Sparaxis
18 years ago
Jancol - have you tested your soil for pH? One of the most common reasons for loss of Azaleas is pH too high. They like a fairly acidic soil, as do some of the others you mention.
Cheers, Jan
plantsplus
18 years ago
Always plant as soon as possible after you get them in the cool of the evening. I usually cut 3 or 4 V sections about 4cm deep out of the rootball with a pruning saw before I plant anything which looks to have too tight a root ball - it encourages new roots and allows the native soil to fill the gap and the roots to move into the surrounding soil more easily. I dont know where you are in central q. but azaleas and choiysia are not easy plants to grow well unless all their needs are met. Azaleas are very shallow rooted so suffer in our very hot climate even if they are in a sheltered area. If your plants are stressed by drought or heat do not prune or fertilise, they are struggling to stay alive, making new growth will just deplete their energy even more, what they need is mulch and water. Nursery plants are grown in "soil" which is watered automatically and often more than once a day, this is seldom possible in the home garden and once the pot soil drys out it is quite often nearly impossible to re-wet. If you use a wetting agent (liquid) it will help the plant while it is trying to adjust to its new conditions in your garden. Good luck.

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