Trees and too much rain advice
Esmeralda Reitz
6 years ago
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sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years agoJohn 9a
6 years agoRelated Discussions
tree leaves drooping from too much rain
Comments (7)What is the planting site normally like? Is it common for it to be completely saturated or does it usually drain adequately? Here in Ky, we have also had an extraordinary amount of rainfall so far this year, and I have a couple spots in my yard that are having a hard time draining. But usually these spots are fine, so I'm not going to be digging up my landscape in those area. If that site does not have a history of flooding and normally drains well, let your tree sit and dry out. Occasionally, we have a freakish year of weather, and this is one here in central Ky. Now, if your leaves are drooping, they will be fine. If they are wilted, they may dry up and fall of. There is a difference between the two. Lastly, in my opinion, trees usually don't look that great their first year anyways. Foliage normally is stressed it's first year....See MoreToo much rain = Overwatering?
Comments (18)To an extent the meyer leaves do yellow (lighten up) and shed in winter here in CA. But I'll take your word the tree isn't doing well. Although good advice above, and I would certainly do the same if I were concerned about an ailing tree, using the gritty mix in a container with proper drainage holes should be fine. Unless somehow the mix compacted (relatively speaking) or was not 1:1:1 or not screened, the generous air spaces should be adequate to not have the roots rotting away. Once the turface and bark are saturated (via both internal porosity and the external adhesion), gravity should be pulling excess water down and out through the drainage hole. That was one of the major benefits of using gritty vs. normal peat bagged mixes. None of my peat based containers are dry enough in winter to appear to need water -- thus no re-oxygenation of the roots, a double whammy. Again, sheltering the tree is good advice esp if the tree is frail and desiccating, as the remaining leaves are likely weak and further pelting rain may cause more loss. But from what I understand and what I'm witnessing in my own little container orchard, the gritty mix has removed all my fears of rain causing soil saturation, in other words, Too much rain Over-watering. ;-)...See MoreHow much rain is too much rain for potted Meyer lemons?
Comments (19)There is no amount anyone can offer because container, soil mix etc. Rule of thumb, water until it is running completely through the holes in the container. Completely saturate every inch of soil. This forces out the used air and as it dries it 'inhales' fresh air flow. It's important to water this way because oxygen is the the best 'medicine' for the roots. It kills most pathogens and prevents root rot and a number of other common root diseases. By contrast improper watering sets up container bound trees for failure and future diseases. Far as your solvable fertilizers here is what I use. I have a container that I measured and marked gallon levels.... I mix it in that then just pour from the container. But I would strongly encourage to err on the side of caution esp as your new to this. You can't use too little but you can (and I've seen far too many people) kill their plants using too strong and/or applying too frequently. If you have small newly establishing trees a tiny amnt of fertilizer is all they can use.... if you over apply it can build up toxicity in the soil and quickly overwhelm, burn and kill the tree. I've lost count of new plant owners who accidentally killed their tree (or plants) by 'kindness'. Hope that helps :)...See MoreNo such thing as too much rain? Riiiight!
Comments (16)Oh, I definitely agree that we can have too much rain. We had 12" in just May 6-7 alone (a 24 hour period) and we're easily 10 inches over normal for the year. Our May was the wettest ever in recorded history, and the same for May through mid-June for a 6-week period. Our basement has flooded and sump pump run constantly since then, making a creek down the curb in front of our house all the way down the block. The birds love the "bird bath" effect created by bumps in the pavement where water collects. Let's see - how can I count the garden effects? Roses that never ball are balling, roots in some plants are rotting out or cankering up from the soil, vegetable seeds rot before they germinate, mosquitos are truly gargantuan and unstoppable regardless of how much bug spray is used, and every shovel full digging sounds like an old cow pulling its foot out of the mud. Even the tulips set their bulb replacements OUT of the soil to avoid all the moisture - never seen them do that in 20 years of bulbs. All the farmers have large patches of ground that are still unplanted in July because the fields are under water, and usually Nebraska is dry. Until this spring our water table was way down from drought two years ago. Interesting note about the clematis. For what it's worth, even in a normal garden year our clematis is quite happy without needing the garden stone, as long as the roots stay underground. Our loamy clay holds enough moisture and cool even in hot summer to keep them happy, so I doubt we'd need the clematis stone. It sounds like a terrific idea for hot and dry climates, though, to provide that artificial "shade" for the roots to keep them cool. Cynthia...See MoreEsmeralda Reitz
6 years agosunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years agohibiscus909
6 years agomyermike_1micha
6 years agodevsense
6 years ago
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