How to hand dig, B&B and drum lace root balls
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mysterious liquid-filled yellowish balls in soil
Comments (139)Some slow release fertilizer contain actual liquid inside the balls. You can literally “pop them” and liquid fertilizer will come out. They aren’t eggs, and i’ve seen some come in gray and yellow colours but i‘m sure the whole rainbow exists. Someone mentioned root nodules, which would only be the case if they were directly connected to the root and looked like a hard, solid tuber inside (these are common but not limited to alocasias and calatheas for example). Fungus gnat eggs are practically microscopic, and unless your plants have direct access to the outdoors it is unlikely (but still possible) for it to be snail or slug eggs. What most of you are seeing are simply slow release fertilizer, if it’s truly bothersome you can buy organic potting mix that doesn’t contain any. Any generic potting mix from your nursery or garden centre, such as promix and miracle grow will contain these fertilizer balls and likely already in the soil your plant comes in from the nursery or store. You can literally sift through your new bag of potting mix and find them. If you truly believe them to be eggs, again unlikely, scoop them out and wait for them to hatch lol. You probably will not have bug babies but maybe you can gain some peace of mind....See MoreThe downside of B&B
Comments (28)Dave, Thanks for your comments. Your garden inspires me a lot. You explained last year how to order larger conifers the year before planting. I am also retired. Thanks for your encouraging comments in respect to 'Pendula Bruns' and rootball. I recently planted a cornus kousa and a crabapple with rootballs, they are doing very well. The other conifer I ordered is a 5 ft Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Confucious'. Both will replace a large globular Ch.obtusa and an overgrown Canadian hemlock at one corner of my house. Perhaps you can explain to me why your Ch.o. 'Aurea' is so slender, did it get continuously pruned at the nursery? Looking at the Iseli catalog it is classified as upright broad and large, and the picture there shows it as such. I must say that the 'Top Point' had some gnarly upper roots when I received it. Sorry that I did not clean and stretch those roots before planting. It has now somewhat bare branches, except for all those blue berry-like cones. Perhaps just before dying it decided to get a lot of offspring. The new 3-4 ft Cupr.nootk.'Van den Akker' which I am nursing back to life lost also half its leaves, but has now a little new growth and new small white roots when I checked. There also I did not clean out the roots before planting, but it was so hot then. Yes, I am prepared for winter. I also have anti-rabbit chicken-wire around the smaller new conifers which I will fill with coarse bark since the ground is frozen now. All of the new conifers came from the balmy PNW and have to survive their first -20F winter, need some help. Continue to have fun! Bernd...See MoreHow to hand dig, B&B and drum lace root ball
Comments (1)Here are some more examples of hand dug, B&B trees. This is an essential skill to have. For a multitude of reasons hiring a tree spade may not be an option....See MoreBalled and burlapped
Comments (16)My experience echoes GG's...with trees being undercut, sometimes a whole season, but always at least 6 months before digging. Hessian (burlap) seems to be going out of favour (but less so with evergreens such as yew). I have noticed a changeover from nurseries still growing young, field-grown stock to be sold on as maidens, to the long term use of perforated pots on a permanent irrigation line, sometimes for years...because many people are prepared to pay £££ for BIG trees (the fools). In short, there appears to be no overwhelming 'correct' way to do this since the trade is catering to such a diverse set of needs....See MoreRelated Professionals
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