gritty mix questions, and a hot patio
4 years ago
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- 4 years agolast modified: 4 years ago
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5-1-1 or Gritty Mix Watering Question
Comments (1)I can tell you that watering was no different for me last year in my hot and dry summer. All my plants that were in the hot sun all summer were actually holding moisture better than the peat based mixes. If you are concerned about having to water in the gritty mix and you live in an area where your soil dries out too fast, why not adjust your mix by adding more turface? Mike:-)...See MoreQuestion for Al (tapla) re bark in gritty mix
Comments (39)Hey Al, just wanted to make sure that 2 years later all this advice is current. Some of my gritty mix is now just about 2 years old also. It seems to be holding up but I got to thinking, like some of those in this thread, that it sure would be nice to have a permanent mixture for the long term plantings, by withholding the organic ingredient. Plus it's one less ingredient to have to buy and later screen. I see your main purpose for including it was to lessen the fears of potential gritty mix users that plants couldn't possibly grow in it. It's also used to average the particle size and water retention of the two other ingredients. I use FP to fertilize and look after my plants often enough that this isn't a fear of mine. I utilized a 1:1 ratio of Cherrystone:Turface for two basjoo banana trees planted in the ground here in zone 4. I have heavy clay and when I grew them the last time, they grew slow and their corms later rotted over the winter. I also don't think I properly watered/fertilized. So this year after reading your posts in the link below, I upped the FP by 4x to 1 tsp of FP per gal, rather than 1/4 tsp I used before, and brought the PH down to 5.5 with vinegar rather than the unacidified 7 of my tap water. I know you water with this dosage weekly with outdoor plants but I watered with it almost every day during the hot summer days with no apparent issues. I found that this amount of FP was too much for the indoor plants though... I also experimented with digging about a 4-5 gal hole where I planted the bananas and poured in the 1:1, so at least some of the soil near the corm and roots didn't have to deal with the heavy clay. The plants grew waaay faster this summer and hopefully it'll help the stems/corms survive this winter. I utilized the 1:1 before reading your post in this thread about using a higher ratio of granite/cherrystone to compensate for the small particle size of the turface. Even though the basjoo's did great in the 1:1, I'm guessing in a pot, a proper ratio (2:1 or 3:2 like you mentioned) would be a bit more important. Is this a safe assumption? Here is a link that might be useful: Fertilizing advice...See MoreQuestions about gritty mix potting.
Comments (7)"What's the best way of doing this?" I use a chopstick to get the majority of the soil loosened and removed. Then I blast the roots with a hose/sprayer to get the rest off. "Is this going to over water my plants?" Roots really aren't damaged by excess water, so much as insufficient oxygen. Overwatering only hurts roots when it displaces oxygen from a dense soil. Roots exposed to air cannot be overwatered. "Some of my plants have really small tangled roots. How do I get all of the soil off of those without damaging them?" You may lose a lot of the fine, delicate roots, and that's fine. Succulents are tough. In a good soil like the one you're using, roots will regrow quickly. And they'll be new, healthy roots that are well adapted to the new soil. I am merciless when I repot plants. I may throw away half of the old root system, and my plants always do great after repotting. "I usually don't water after repotting, does the same rule follow while in a gritty mix?" No. Water immediately after repotting. Keeping the mix dry will just further stress the remaining roots. A gritty mix remains well aerated after watering, so there is no concern. "For those who use Foliage-Pro 963 fertilizer.. there is a few different directions on the back of the bottle, which ones do I follow?" 1 tsp per gallon is considered full strength. Some people will opt for 1/4-1/2 strength when used frequently. I use around 1/2 strength at every watering during the summer, and 1/4 strength occasionally during the winter. "I did this batch with lava rocks, but I think I'm going to switch to Al's recipe. I just don't think I got the lava rock small enough, but it will have to do for this batch. :(" I've done the same thing in the past. It works, but the lava rock doesn't really add anything, and looks a bit weird when it's so much larger than the rest of the mix. "Also, for really big pots, can I put something in the bottom of the pot so I'm not using so much of the gritty mix? Like a bunch of lava rocks?" Most people would simply use a smaller pot. But if you like the look of the pot, you could put lava rock in the bottom. I would add a layer of fiberglass insect screen to prevent the mix from filling in between the lava rocks. That's what I use to cover my drainage holes as well. -Chris...See MoreBareroot into Gritty Mix Questions???????
Comments (13)In short, if this is your first attempt, it is more risky doing it now vs. waiting just before Spring. But if you must do it, it must be done. But I've barerooted many container citrus in all months of the year. Some respond extremely well, most just languish for a few months without growth (but flush just fine the next season), and a small few decline (I've only lost one healthy tree, that was when I root pruned at the same time). I try to be as careful as possible to avoid root loss, but obviously one reason for those declines was my handling. Tip: Do as much removing of original soil, gently, under-water in a tub. If it's a larger rootball, get a friends help to hold each side when moving it. Make the sure soil isn't overly wet either as the ball could split and the weight of the soil tears roots. IMO I would do the cool/shady spot (wherein receives a few hours of morning sun, no afternoon sun) for a couple weeks vs. days. If you see decline within the first two days and it doesn't perk back up immediately, there was either a mistake in putting the bareroots into the mix or there was rootloss. You must be sure to put the mix inside, between, over & under each individual root (OK, not every root, but you get the idea). >>> I would like to know who even started the rumor that citrus do not perform well without humidity? Hi Mike ;-) I think this particular comment was regarding "recovering from bareroot repot, in the high heat" a citrus tree should perform better vs. a dry environment which I would also support. And yeah I drive by hundreds of acres of citrus groves here in Central CA which is technically a desert @ It must've been that Florida Citrus industry who started the rumor!...See MoreRelated Professionals
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)