Black scallop Ajuga - root bound - how to start with it

2 months ago

I bought some Black Scallop Ajugas to plant in the yard. They look healthy, but seem very root-bound in the small pots they were in.

I want them going in the ground eventually to provide a nice dark ground cover to keep weeds away.

Do I just put each in a hole twice the size, with looser soil around it, so the roots then have places to go?

Or should I wash off the soil there now to loosen up the roots, and try to distribute the roots better in a bigger pot, or in the ground?

I'd like to also carry these over to multiple areas, so if I can do things in ways that make them easier to divide and/or propagate in ways to carry over to other areas, that's a bonus.

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Comments (3)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 months ago
The sooner you can plant them, the better. Just tease the roots apart. The plants are very forgiving and can take abuse :-) IME, they take root easily and once they are settled, they will start spreading quickly and you can easily dig up portions to plant elsewhere.

Because of its coloring, Black Scallop does not spread as fast as some ajuga cultivars but still grows quite robustly.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 months ago
i would take the hook end of my felcos.. and pull the bottom root apart ... i do not cut roots if i dont have too.. and these should fall apart rather easily ....

and then stick it in a hole.. tamp it in properly.. and water properly ...

are you such a newb you need planting help??.. if so.. we are glad to help ... im not sure about your twice as big hole.. it all depends on your native soil type .... most of us dont adhere to amending planting holes.. so why dig it so big ... is your soil so compacted that you need to fluff such a relatively large area????

it never hurts to include your big city location in every post ... im wondering if there is any reason not to plant yet.. were the pots properly hardened off from the green house.. etc ...

ken
Gregory Thomson thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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LaLennoxa 6a/b Hamilton ON
2 months ago
Ajuga are weedy spreaders, so very easy - I’d divide/rip those 4 clumps into at least 8, and plunk them in the ground, so they can do what they do…
Gregory Thomson thanked LaLennoxa 6a/b Hamilton ON

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Black scallop Ajuga - root bound - how to start with it

Comments (3)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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