#25 - Mar 2019 - Garden Stuff - © Sandy Lang - slang@xtra.co.nz
POT PLANT MANAGEMENT Feb/Mar: Late summer/early autumn, the season of mellow fruitfulness. Take any excess fruitfulness to the Eastbourne Community Fridge (St Ronan’s). I like spring and autumn over summer (too hot) and winter (too cold). What do pot-plants like…?
Which: Retailers like pot plants that soon die, then you buy others. I say, choose wisely and look after them. The old favourites are best. It’s rare a new variety still looks good in six months.
Where: Location, location, location… Only cacti like full sun. Most pot plants are forest-floor dwellers, so do best in partial (dappled) sunlight (few cope with gloom, none like draughts). Plants acclimatise slowly (days to weeks) to a particular location (light, temperature, humidity). Move them around and they never settle and never thrive.
Soil: In a pot, the soil volume is tiny compared with in the ground. Partly make up for this by using potting mix - not garden soil. Potting mix has super-high water-holding capacity, aeration and mineral nutrition (a slow-release fertiliser).
Pot: A standard shape flower pot optimises soil depth vs soil width. A drainage hole is essential. Water on the piano is bad. So, a hole in the pot and a saucer beneath to catch the drips. If you must use a hole-less glazed pot, then choose a plastic pot for the plant that fits inside. Then you can see if it’s been overwatered and chuck out the excess.
Water: Regular, light watering is key. Drought is lethal. Sitting in water is lethal.
Balance: Roughly half a plant is roots, and half shoots. Upset that balance and the plant corrects. So, shoot pruning stimulates new shoot growth and root pruning stimulates new root growth. Root hormones control the shoots, shoot hormones control the roots. If roots stop growing, shoots stop growing. If the shoots stop growing your plant looks tired - no fresh growth of leaves/flowers. So, keep both roots and shoots growing.
Shoots: Remove dead, dying leaves/flowers (scissors). Keep them dust free by putting them out in overnight rain from time to time.
Roots: After two years, roots fill a pot and stop growing, so the shoot stops growing, so the plant looks 'tired'. Repot in a size larger pot with fresh potting mix (old potting mix gradually loses its good properties). Then, root growth restarts and shoot growth restarts.
Too big? Want to keep a plant smallish? Cut away 25% of ugly shoots. Un-pot it, cut away 25% of roots. Tease out old potting mix. Repot with new potting mix; root growth restarts, shoot growth restarts. Bingo…!___________________________________
POT PLANT MANAGEMENT Feb/Mar: Late summer/early autumn, the season of mellow fruitfulness. Take any excess fruitfulness to the Eastbourne Community Fridge (St Ronan’s). I like spring and autumn over summer (too hot) and winter (too cold). What do pot-plants like…?
Which: Retailers like pot plants that soon die, then you buy others. I say, choose wisely and look after them. The old favourites are best. It’s rare a new variety still looks good in six months.
Where: Location, location, location… Only cacti like full sun. Most pot plants are forest-floor dwellers, so do best in partial (dappled) sunlight (few cope with gloom, none like draughts). Plants acclimatise slowly (days to weeks) to a particular location (light, temperature, humidity). Move them around and they never settle and never thrive.
Soil: In a pot, the soil volume is tiny compared with in the ground. Partly make up for this by using potting mix - not garden soil. Potting mix has super-high water-holding capacity, aeration and mineral nutrition (a slow-release fertiliser).
Pot: A standard shape flower pot optimises soil depth vs soil width. A drainage hole is essential. Water on the piano is bad. So, a hole in the pot and a saucer beneath to catch the drips. If you must use a hole-less glazed pot, then choose a plastic pot for the plant that fits inside. Then you can see if it’s been overwatered and chuck out the excess.
Water: Regular, light watering is key. Drought is lethal. Sitting in water is lethal.
Balance: Roughly half a plant is roots, and half shoots. Upset that balance and the plant corrects. So, shoot pruning stimulates new shoot growth and root pruning stimulates new root growth. Root hormones control the shoots, shoot hormones control the roots. If roots stop growing, shoots stop growing. If the shoots stop growing your plant looks tired - no fresh growth of leaves/flowers. So, keep both roots and shoots growing.
Shoots: Remove dead, dying leaves/flowers (scissors). Keep them dust free by putting them out in overnight rain from time to time.
Roots: After two years, roots fill a pot and stop growing, so the shoot stops growing, so the plant looks 'tired'. Repot in a size larger pot with fresh potting mix (old potting mix gradually loses its good properties). Then, root growth restarts and shoot growth restarts.
Too big? Want to keep a plant smallish? Cut away 25% of ugly shoots. Un-pot it, cut away 25% of roots. Tease out old potting mix. Repot with new potting mix; root growth restarts, shoot growth restarts. Bingo…!___________________________________