help needed - bought 4 Hostas from Hirts and got only roots and soil?
Robert Elliot
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
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Bought it Bare Root from Gurneys
Comments (4)Suzi, You may have indeed received an Italian Honey but I wouldn't bet on it. In other words, I don't think you can rely on what Gurney's stated to you. If Gurney's knew the variety I believe they would have posted the name of the cultivar in the first place? Gurney's posts several misstatements on their web page, "Evergreen foliage, sweetly scented flowers and edible fruit in one! The Dwarf Fig can be moved outdoors in summer, so the bees take care of pollination for you." Ficus Carica is a deciduous tree (not an evergreen), the fruit is actually an inverted flower and has no fragrance, bees do not pollinate the fig plant. Only plants that require caprification require a specific wasp and that wasp is only found in a few places in the USA. I believe most of California has the benefit of having this indigenous wasp. Also Italian Honey doesn't need caprification to ripen fruit. Lastly, I highly doubt that you received a grafted fig for $14.95. I really like using Dave's Garden WatchDog to choose a reputable nursery. As you can see from the link below Gurney's doesn't far very well. With all that said, your fig may be a winner and all of us may be begging you in a couple years for a cutting. I personally would nurture it and give it a chance. If you insist on keeping your fig plant in a container and not in the ground, there are many posts within the fig forum that address your question. As you probably know most figs prefer hot arid climates and figs like fast draining soils but you may need to water daily. I can't tell where you live but from what I can tell you live in the desert and the temperatures get up to 117 F. I can tell you from first hand experience figs thrive in temperatures over 130 degrees (in ground provided they have sufficient water). I think Sunni has a good point that in high temperature environments, the color of the container is an important consideration so you don't bake the roots. I wish you the best of luck and hope your plant is a winner. Good luck! Vinnie Here is a link that might be useful: Dave's Garden Watchdog...See MoreNew sans from Hirt's. Need advice please.
Comments (10)My experience with Hirt's was overall positive. Just not quite what I was expecting. I was expecting a plant that I could just put into the pot I already had picked out and then maintain it. I wasn't interesting in dividing, repotting, etc. But it's all good. This is a learning experience and something my daughter and I can work on together. A third sans that I received from Hirt's looked terrible. It should have been on clearance. It had many clipped off leaves, some leaves with brown mush at the soil level, some with mushy tips, etc. I called Hirt's and then emailed some pics. They replied the same day and apologized and refunded my money for that plant. I have taken this plant and cut off the mushy leaves, divided and repotted it. I figure even if it dies, I'm not out anything since my money was refunded. I appreciate the help I receive here. I do not have any friends who are interested in houseplants. Wouldn't some of you up North like to move down here where it's nice and warm? :)...See MoreGot a LoganLabs Soil Test, need help translating it - Morpheuspa?
Comments (55)"I assume azdoctor has reviewed your lab results? Unless someone is willing to go the extra mile and explain their rationale, I'd just ignore them. Maybe he thinks lawns don't need any chemical other than nitrogen, but we'll never know unless he decides it is worth his time to explain his understanding of healthy soil chemistry." Sorry - I did not explain myself very well. I based my recommendations on the soil test provided. It was not a blanket statement. Grasses, like all other plants require N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cl, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Zn. The soil test indicated that most of these did not require adjustment, hence my recommendation. There is a sliver of truth to some of the comments regarding BCSR and soil structure. We use exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) to evaluate the impact of sodium on soil structure. Alternatively, we can use the Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) a ratio of the chemical activities of sodium to calcium plus magnesium. These are routinely used, and are not nutrient based (sodium is not a plant nutrient). These are most important in high CEC, clayey soils. Structure is less important in sandy soils. Somewhere I posted some articles that describe results of tests comparing BCSR and SLAN. Science is not a belief system. It is a method of evaluating facts. Read up on the facts and then make a conclusion - NOT A BELIEF....See MoreRestoring a Citrus Tree from Root Rot: Need Help
Comments (3)lol I washed the root system totally bare of any soil before I put it in my pool but I did get some strange looks from a neighbor :P; he probably thought it a bit strange seeing a guy sitting in his pool with a half dead tree for 20 minutes. Anyhow thank you both for your help. I'll take it out of the patio in the Summer and replant in a different spot in September. Laura, yes I was a bit unsure about putting it back into it's original pot but I finally decided to go this route because I want to make sure that the tree is free from any root rot fungus and doing well before I planted it in another area of my yard as I wasn't sure that the chlorine would work and I didn't want to contaminate another area of my yard potentially with root rot because I read somewhere that some strains of root rot spores can last up to 10-13 years... ugh. I plan on planting a lot more fruit trees in the future which is why I'm worried about further contamination. It is quite a relief to know that the massive amount of flowering is normal and another person has gone through this same struggle with their tree. I will definitely pinch off any fruit as you've advised. Thank you both so much. I'll try to keep this thread updated with info on the tree's health progression....See MoreRobert Elliot
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5 years agoRobert Elliot
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agolindalana 5b Chicago
5 years agoRobert Elliot
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