5-1-1 does this look ok to you?
Hi everyone,
I purchased this Rubber Tree a week ago. It was all 3 trunks in a single pot of peat based soil. As you can see (more pictures below) it was not in the best of shape to begin with. According to the shop owner it had just arrived and it was a mistake delivery and she will not have it in stock again. I liked the variegation and wanted to give it a try, so I bought it anyway to try to help it recover.
The owner of the nursery said she did not know if it had been overwatered, but that she thinks the damage to the leaves (see top and undersides) was due to the plant being delivered during a cold spell of 17 degree weather.
I am in Little Rock (Zone 8) and I know the best time to repot Figs is June/July. However, the only other Fig I had was a Fiddle Leaf bought in winter, and as I waited to repot it in June, I overwatered the soil it came with and killed it. Knowing my limitations with watering I decided to emergency repot the Rubber Trees given their state and my tendency to overwater.
So I separated the trees into 2 pots. The single trunk is in a 2 quart plastic pot with several holes cut in the bottom, and the two others are in a 7.5" Azalea clay pot. I made a version of 5-1-1, which is:
- 5 parts unscreened ReptiBark
- 1 part similar sized LECA/hydroton
- 1 part Manna Pro grower size granite
- 1 part Fertilome African Violet peat
After repotting, I watered thoroughly, letting all water drain out, and placed them in bright indirect light coming from a southeast window. The temperature is always between 65 and 75 degrees. I plan to fertilize with Foliage Pro 9-3-6, but only in a few weeks or months when it's had a chance to recover a bit.
My questions are:
- does the "soil" mix look ok to you?
- is the larger particle size going to pose enough of a problem (and if so what kinds of problems might it pose) that I should buy Turface (or break the LECA with a hammer and screen it), screen the bark, and repot in true/traditional 5-1-1?
If the plant can thrive healthily in this medium, I would be happy to keep it even if it does not reach 100% of its potential. But if it won't be health or live or be stunted, then I'll do the work and repot
- what do you think are the causes of the splotchy/withering leaves? I'm guessing overwatering or salt accumulation in the peat based soil it came in
- what do you think is the cause of the rust colored marks under some of the leaves, and what if anything should I do about it?
Thank you all so much! I know the plants were in rough shape to begin with, but I love them and would love to be able to help them recover and thrive.
(Right after watering; there are drainage wholes on the bottom; I dumped all water that drained into the cache pot and saucer after watering.)
Comments (6)
illsstep
5 years ago
fawnridge (Ricky)
5 years agoRelated Discussions
5 gal. pails OK for San Marzano Tomatoes & Al's 5-1-1 mixture?
Comments (2)You'll probably get a lot of opinions on this. I'm growing tomatoes in containers this year for the first time. I'm trying several sizes from 5-22gal. I've seen photos of great plants in 5gal, and a lot of suggestions that bigger pots are better, which I kind of agree with. The best arguement for 5 gal containers is that maybe they won't grow huge and produce tons of tomatoes, but not everybody wants that. Smaller plants and fewer toms are just fine with some. This is my general opinion. I don't know anything about the size of San Marzano plants specifically. If it's a smallish plant it might do ok....See Moredoes this 5-1-1 mix I just made look good?
Comments (2)it looks like the mix you made will enhance uneven drying out process. It seems to have too many fine particles and a few big pieces that will gravitate towards the top as the finer stuff settles towards the bottom and staying wet far longer than the top....See MoreDoes my 5:1:1 mix look right?
Comments (17)Thanks, Josh. PT - Yes, that mix could be used to repot the plants you mentioned, and offers much greater potential for healthy root systems than soils that retain excessive volumes of water after the pot has stopped draining. If I was repotting any of the 3 plants you mentioned, without question I would put them in the gritty mix, which is equal parts of screened pine or fir bark, screened Turface, and crushed granite in a size range that finds almost all of the particles centered at from just below 1/8" to slightly larger than 1/8". It's extremely durable (structurally stable), which is a very important feature of a quality soil, and guarantees excellent aeration, which is a key element of a healthy root environment, for several years - for much longer than it would be prudent to go between repots. "5:1:1" means 5 parts of an appropriate sized pine bark, and one part each of sphagnum peat and (preferably coarse) perlite. Well aerated soils require a commitment on your part to finding or making the soils, and a little more frequent watering. Once you locate the ingredients and are set up to build the soils, it doesn't take that much effort. The up side includes a much higher probability that plants will be able to grow much closer to their genetic potential on a healthy root system (they can't, on a compromised root system), and a lot less angst/effort to attain the degree of satisfaction and accomplishment most of us are looking for from the growing experience. Much more info can be found at the link I left just below. AL Here is a link that might be useful: Click me & I'll take you to more soil info....See MoreDoes my 5-1-1 soil mix look right
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5 years ago
Laurie (8A)
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