Right now is a great time to get new plants in the ground. We have had some rain and the relentless summer heat has not kicked in yet.
Its very hard for suppliers to have plants with the exact amount of root growth available all the time. Sometimes the plants haven’t been in the pot long enough and can be pulled out very easily. This causes the soil to fall away and expose the roots. When young plants are put into the ground after this happens, they take longer to establish and are at greater risk of dying.
Having root bound pots also increases the risk of dying or never doing very well. The constriction of the pot walls causes the root to grow in a circular downward direction and the roots lose the ability to expand into the surrounding soil. Tube stock pots are designed to encourage downward growth but if left in the pot too long the above issues start to occur.
When buying plants have a look at the bottom of the pot. If you can see roots growing out the holes this can indicate root bound plants. If the roots have been trimmed off or damaged, don’t buy these ones. Also look at the soil at the top off the pot. If you can see a smaller shape that has different coloured soil to the outsides, this plant has not been in the bigger pot long enough to have established root growth. A way to test this is to gently pull up to see if the plant releases from the pot easily. Doing this to a freshly re potted plant will leave you with a tube stock shaped root mass and plant in one hand and the new usually lose packed soil still in the bigger pot. Very young plants don’t have established roots and when taken from the pot all the soil falls away. Avoid planting very small plants from tube stock pots.
There are some plants that aren’t effected by being root bound. I have planted many Lomandras that had to be cut out of the pots and are still doing well years later. This is the only native species that I’m confident to plant after being root bound.
I’ve heard gardeners use the term “teasing out the roots”. This means after taking the plant out of the pot, gently loosening the roots before planting. Its not something I do when planting natives. I like to get the plants straight out of the pot and into the ground as quickly as possible.
What about the tip?
This months tip is about getting plants out of pots as easily as possible. A little trick is to tap the top of the pot with something hard. A trowel is perfect, but another pot will work if its all that is available. Hold the pot upright and tap a few times on the rim of the pot. If the plant has a strong stem, hold onto that with your other hand. A squeeze on the bottom of the pot can help with stubborn ones.
Hope you find this tip useful. Happy planting.
By Michelle Newall