space-cadet question re Tapla cutting technique
Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
3 years ago
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tapla and vermiculite
Comments (32)I tend to lean on two experiences when I garden (and read through the gardening forums): I use to be an avid black and white photographer, and I used to belong to a forum dedicated to B&W film and their development. I noticed there were many people who loved film/developer combinations which I did not get good results from. There were probably 10 times as many people who hated the film/developer combination I use and have achieved great results from. Why? Because everything they do is different than what I do... cameras don't quite shoot the same, water is different from one region to the next, tank agitation is different, etc. etc. etc. What I also saw was a lot of people abandoning what they had learned about the film and developer combination (in search of the holy grail) for what someone else was using and getting good results with. I can't tell you how many times the question "What is the best film and developer combination?" was asked. The posts usually went something like: person 1: I use X and love it. person 2: I hate X, I've always used Y. person 3: X was okay, Y was muddy, Z is what I use. etc. The second event, which reinforced what I had learned in the B&W forum, was at a Harris County Master Gardener's plant sale. I sat in on a discussion about growing tomatoes (ToD should appreciate this one). The perennial question was asked, "What is the best tasting tomato?" (searching for the holy grail). The presenter (said to be an expert in tomatoes, but I didn't check his credentials) basically said, "any tomato which is perfectly ripe will taste better than any other variety which is not." I'm sure if we were to search the tomato forums, we would find many discussions similar to those in the B&W forum with people listing their favorites, and not two list are alike. ToD, you were asking why your results were so different than others. I think the answer is quite simple. It was because, as you said, "All other variables were held constant...". You experimented with a very specific set of circumstances. However, if you optimized the growing conditions for all sets of growing mixes, I would suspect your results would be different. Perhaps this is the antithesis of the 2,4,6 problem. I would suggest if it works for you, then use it. You can maximize your results by tweaking your methods. As for my own experiences with Vermiculite. I am among the group which really doesn't care for it, but finds it is a necessary evil in some instances. When I used it in the past, I noticed a great deal of shrinkage in containers. I currently have a small container (approximately 4"d X 6"h) which the growing mix has compressed to about a third (maybe less) of its original volume. Here are some pictures from past years: pomegranate cutting fig cutting Some of the loss can be attributed to the mix "splashing" out while being watered or during rain, but there wasn't nearly enough outside of the containers to explain this much shrinkage. Furthermore, it is evident the Vermiculite has flattened considerably, while the Perlite has held it's shape. Many years ago, I tested coarse Vermiulite (the only grade I've used). I filled a container (same size as above) without planting anything in it. As it dried out, I watered with the gentlest stream of water I could. The container was protected so it didn't get rained on and nothing was around to fall into it or knock it over. After three months, this is what it looked like: It is about a 30% shrinkage under its own weight. Also, without exception, the cuttings I have rooted in Vermiculite based mixes have had much smaller root growth over the same period of time than those grown in my normal mix. These are the reasons why I don't use it. In my particular situation, for my particular usage, in my backyard it doesn't behave in a suitable manner... but that's just me and my experiences. Your experience will be different (at least slightly) than mine. BTW... my growing mix has been a combination of pine bark, expanded shale and Perlite. I have noticed very little settling with these components. ~james...See MoreRoot pruning question - technique and gritty mix
Comments (4)Nil is correct, method 1 is standard for planting into the ground, and method 2 works for pots. However, what should be added to that is that when you root prune, your goal is obviously to reduce the space the roots take up, so eliminating the least useful roots is what you want to do. The larger the root, the less useful it is, being that large roots are more of an anchor, which is great in the ground, but not necessary in a pot. The small feeder roots are what you want, as they do all the work of taking in water and nutrients. I have a rather large ficus 'alii' that I got free from a plant shop, because it was "dead". I literally grabbed it out of the rolling dump cart on its way outside. It was so root bound that the plastic pot was severely bulged, and it probably couldn't take up water, as there was hardly any soil. Long story short, it is now a beautiful tree, thriving in barkless gritty mix. What I did was grab a pruning saw, and cut out ALL roots larger than about 3/4", clipped any dead branches off, clean the old soil off the roots, fill in the gritty mix, and wait. After a few months it sprang to life, and has only improved from there. As for upkeep, I repot it every couple of years, as needed. I basically scoop away the loose gritty mix, pull the tree from the pot, and most of the mix will easily shake away from the roots. I remove about 1/4 to 1/3 of the roots, targeting the largest ones. I usually prune out some foliage to maintain a good form too. Better for you to choose which leaves go, rather than let the plant choose. I know I said long story short, so I guess I got a bit carried away. Anywho, the gist of it is to cut out the large anchor roots each time you repot. Good luck, have fun, and enjoy the benefits of a job well done. Joe...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 MoreQuestion Re: Tile cutting/sizing 12x12 down to 12x6
Comments (17)Thank you so very much Mongo, you do a superb job of explaining things. I remember you telling me on a previous post about a small wet saw, thanks for reminding me. My husband doesn't have enough hair for spray so I think I'll use some cheapy brand; it is a wonderful tip. I can do this, I pulled it off on my kitchen backsplash with even less information and the herringbone ran on the diagonal. Those tiles were pre cut and I am thankful that they were, because I didn't have a clue to the problems that could have developed if they weren't. They were apparently cut to your equation because they matched perfectly. Crazy spacing, I like the grid tech for the floor:) I remember taping my 45* drafting square to the sides of these sections for drying overnight. One night I stayed up all night to tile. It was fun though. This was my first wall, I got better on the second wall as seen in the 2nd pic: I just picked a center spot over the stove location and started - it wasn't exactly centered though, The grout was still wet at this point: You've just boosted my confidence, and others if they are following this post. Thank you so much again Mongo, for your help on this project, and on all the other projects that us lost souls post on GW....See MoreNeed2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
3 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
3 years agoNeed2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal) thanked tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
3 years agoNeed2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
3 years agoNeed2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
3 years agoUser
3 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
3 years agoNeed2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal) thanked tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
3 years ago
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