Repotting time, more pictures to come
John (Zone 5b/6a, IN)
8 months ago
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John (Zone 5b/6a, IN)
8 months agoJohn (Zone 5b/6a, IN)
8 months agoRelated Discussions
Ficus elastica (rubber tree): best timing for prune and repot
Comments (14)Al: Oh, I do indeed have more trees! I am a bit overwhelmed by the number of pots both in and outside of my home. I am an incurable collector. I could ask you questions about them all day. . . Back in March, you answered several of my questions about making the gritty mix when I was just embarking upon that adventure. I put a few plants that were on death's doorstep in the mix then. A few didn't make it (a draceana among them), a few are thriving (the aloe and spider plant love the mix!), most have held steady and are starting to show signs of growth (shefflera, swiss cheese philodendron). So I do have a sense of the patience required when repotting before the optimal time. I'm looking forward to seeing the results of undertaking things at the right time. It's been nice to practice with the mix, learn about it's water retention, and begin to tweak it for my needs before I moved my most-beloveds into it. This week I chopped an enormous floppy jade back to it's thick base and put it in the mix. Looking forward to that development. Also a favorite cactus whose name I don't know; it's about four feet tall, main stalk about 3-4" diameter with five stalks coming off the main, so maneuvering it was an exciting project. I was nervous about that one, but glad I did it when I got in there and saw how cemented the roots were in the hardest soil I've ever dealt with. I have a ficus lyrata (fiddle fig) that also reaches the ceiling, so I'm using your advice to give it a new shape. I'm planning on following roughly the same timing for it as for the elastica. I have a very big Bloodgood maple in a pot that's too big to move. I'd love to get that back to a manageable size, but it has just leafed out beautifully and I'm thinking that it is not the right time for that. Your comments are welcome. My other big question involves conifers. I have a very sick Wilma Goldcrest Cypress, and some kind of arborvitae (I think). I've noted that you don't recommend bare-rooting these, but cutting wedges. Is that correct? What about timing? Okay, I've rambled enough. As you can probably tell now, I'm addicted (like many folks I've read on this site). Thanks again for your help. I'm really enjoying learning about the plants, seeing their roots, and giving them conditions to thrive. blessings, brenda...See MoreMore pond questions with pictures this time
Comments (13)Thank you for all the information. This is the first pond I've ever tried to put in and am learning as I go. This weekend I'll be going to a plant swap and one of the people attending is going to give me a couple books she used when setting up her pond. Hopefully they will help me understand more about some of the things you have all mentioned. I plan on getting a submersable pond pump and was under the impression that I could get one that includes a filter. Was I wrong? It's good that I can use the limestone as I have a lot of it and can always get more for free. The dirt in that part of the yard is a layer of good dirt and rotted mulch then a thick layer of builders sand (the orangeish layer and then about 2 feet down I hit the regular sand. The deepest that I've dug so far is on the side closest to the sidewalk between the two shelves is 2 feet. I may remove the one shelf but I'm not sure about that yet. I plan on the larger portion of the pond closest to the driveway to be at least 3 feet deep without any shelves. The sand drains well and is pretty well compacted. When it's dry it can be very hard, in fact when I was putting in the irrigation system in preperation for putting in the front flower I ended up having to use a pick axe in some areas in order to get through the builders sand. Of course we were in a drought at the time so the ground was very dry. I have gutters along the front edge of the roof so there should be little to no run off from the roof into the pond. There is a rain chain on that end of the gutter but I've been carefull to make sure that it will not overhang the pond. The hole in the gutter for the rain chain is fairly small as the main reason for the chain is to keep water from settling in that end of the gutter. I will need to have at least one shelf in the pond for access and for in case one of my cats, my mom's small dog or one of my young neices or nephews falls into the pond. I can really see the youngest of my cats falling in since she has a facination with water, as you can see in the picture. The person who gave me the river rock lives near Floral City in Citrus county....See MoreMore pond questions this time with pictures
Comments (4)Kara, that is a great hole you've been digging! My advice would be to make it as big as you have energy and space for. Usually people regret not making it larger. Take your time. As far as steep, the steeper the better. Vertical is best. It will make it less likely for raccoons, herons to get in. Most predators are waders and will not go in to a drop off. The other side of it is that you need to think about very small children being able to get out if they should fall in, so a shelf somewhere is good. I like the shelf you made. You can either use it for potted marginal plants, or large, partially submerged rocks, or both. You have lots of rocks, so you can make a large one somewhat submerged, and on the dry land create a cluster extending onto the surrounding area to extend the look of the pond. You can plant plants between rocks to make it more natural. If the pond is large enough, you can create the illusion of a boulder in the pond by propping a rock onto something inside the pond and having only a portion of it above water level. The water will hold the liner in place. Water is extremely heavy. You only need to cover the edge of the liner outside the pond. I used a bendable metal about 4 inches tall, and many feet long and wrapped the liner edge around it and secured with stakes. This made it so I did not need to put rocks all the way around, but you still will need plants or something on the edge to completely conceal the edge. Another tip is to make sure the pond is perfectly level. Othewise, the liner will show on one side if lopsided. Very important. Also, the edge of the pond should be a tiny bit higher than the surrounding land. This will prevent runoff of fertilizer (algae-producing nitrates), mulch, leaves, etc.) when we get heavy rains. If you use EDPM liner, you don't need any cushioning for the liner. If the liner is thinner, then cushioning may be a good idea. You can use old, used carpet or any thick material. Seek help on the pond forum about equipment. I don't know enough about that to advise you. If you will have fish, try to make a portion about 3 feet deep. The cooler the water stays, the better all-around for the pond and animal life. Plant a bush or small tree to partially shade the pond. Some gingers can look really pretty and provide enough shade. Don't put rocks on the bottom of the pond. Makes it very, very difficult to clean. If you don't want to be able to see in it, get a soy-based pond dye (natural) which will create a deep-looking effect, and help prevent algae. Enjoy the project! It will be beautiful and so much fun. Above all, keep posting pictures of your progress! Anna...See MoreIs it time to repot?
Comments (2)In my opinion, it would not be worth repotting them to larger pots this time of year, since they're probably not going to grow much. Next spring repot to larger pots once they get growing. So you'll put off the decision about where to put them until next Fall! But by next Fall you might have a favorite-blooming one and a not-so-favorite one and that might make the decision easier!...See Moresocks
8 months agoJohn (Zone 5b/6a, IN)
8 months agoJohn (Zone 5b/6a, IN)
8 months agoJohn (Zone 5b/6a, IN)
7 months agoJohn (Zone 5b/6a, IN)
7 months agoJohn (Zone 5b/6a, IN)
7 months agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
7 months agoJohn (Zone 5b/6a, IN)
7 months agolast modified: 7 months agoJohn (Zone 5b/6a, IN)
7 months agolast modified: 7 months agoJohn (Zone 5b/6a, IN)
4 months ago
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John (Zone 5b/6a, IN)Original Author