Also cucs have started
2nd week of strawberries. - Not too many at the moments.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
Blueberries fertilized with ammonium sulphate
One level table spoon per watering can. First mixed with water to liquidize crystals.
Next two weeks time.
Next two weeks time.
Lettuce Seedling bought from Chirk Carboot
30 for a £1. The label says "All year round"
About three rows up from the bottom.
About three rows up from the bottom.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Sulphate of Potash with water
With a watering can
1. Dissolve 30-60g (approximately 1 ½ to 3 tablespoons) per litre of water in a watering can.
2. Apply to soil surrounding plants.
Link http://www.tuigarden.co.nz/fruit-flower
1. Dissolve 30-60g (approximately 1 ½ to 3 tablespoons) per litre of water in a watering can.
2. Apply to soil surrounding plants.
Link http://www.tuigarden.co.nz/fruit-flower
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Planted today
Seeds
Melons
Peppers hot
Peppers not hot
Cucumbers
Over a 100 seeds planted in two days........................
Do I have enough space and containers to grow?
Melons
Peppers hot
Peppers not hot
Cucumbers
Over a 100 seeds planted in two days........................
Do I have enough space and containers to grow?
Monday, March 5, 2012
Planted seeds today
4 x ITALIAN TOMATO - SAN MARZANO 2
TOMATO - BLACK KRIM
ITALIAN TOMATO - PRINCIPE BORGHESE
TOMATO - PURPLE CHEROKEE
TOMATO - STRIPED STUFFER
TOMATO - GERMAN ORANGE STRAWBERRY
ITALIAN TOMATO - CUORE DI BUE
TOMATO - SOLDACKI
TOMATO - BEEFSTEAK - PINEAPPLE
plus a yellow plum type
12 peppers Doux tres long des landes
On bathroom window sill
TOMATO - BLACK KRIM
ITALIAN TOMATO - PRINCIPE BORGHESE
TOMATO - PURPLE CHEROKEE
TOMATO - STRIPED STUFFER
TOMATO - GERMAN ORANGE STRAWBERRY
ITALIAN TOMATO - CUORE DI BUE
TOMATO - SOLDACKI
TOMATO - BEEFSTEAK - PINEAPPLE
plus a yellow plum type
12 peppers Doux tres long des landes
On bathroom window sill
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Blueberry Fertilization
Posted Blueberry Fertilization
LinkCitationEmailPrintFavoriteCollect this page
KNOL IN PROGRESS -- NOT READY FOR REVIEW!!
Fertilization
Fertilizer is usually applied to blueberries in the spring when growth begins and immediately after harvest. The exception to this is when the fertilizer is injected into the irrigation system, in which case, it is done on a weekly basis during the growing season(except during harvest).
Blueberry plants are very sensitive to readily soluble fertilizers and excessive amounts can cause plant injury or death. Higher than recommended rates can be damaging causing brown necrotic leaf margins or pale yellow chlorosis of leaves and low vigor, particularly where too little water is applied. Do not concentrate fertilizer in a small area around plants. Do not use nitrate forms of fertilizer. Ammonium sulfate is the most often used nitrogen source. Ammonium nitrate and other nitrate containing fertilizers should be avoided because nitrate ions are very damaging to blueberries. blueberries also respond well to fertilizers containing urea, diammonium phosphate and slow release type nitrogen fertilizers. Urea nitrogen and organic forms, such as cottonseed meal, convert to ammonium, making them acceptable nitrogen fertilizer sources. Ammonium sulfate has an acidic reaction with the soil. Continual use of ammonium sulfate may reduce the soil pH below the desired range of 4.5 to 5.5. Urea nitrogen is less acid forming than ammonium sulfate. If the soil pH is below 5, the urea form of nitrogen is preferred. If the pH is above 5, ammonium sulfate can be used. There are several urea – ammonium sulfate blends with diammonium phosphate on the market today.
Mature plants, six years old or six feet tall, should be at the peak fertilization rate. If fertilizer is being applied with a spreader, try to place most of the material in the row area to reduce weed growth and maximize utilization of fertilizer by the blueberry plant. As a general recommendation, apply 30 lbs per acre of actual nitrogen in the spring as a complete fertilizer ( 214 lbs of 14-8-8 per acre or 300 lbs of 10-10-10 per acre) plus 30 lbs of actual nitrogen per acre after harvest as urea (66 lbs per acre) or ammonium sulfate (142 lbs per acre). If growth is excessive (more than 18 inches of new growth per year) reduce the amount of nitrogen to 30 lbs per year.
The following table gives a program for fertilizing blueberries at various stages of maturity.
Blueberry Fertilization with 10-10-10, 14-8-8, Ammonium Sulfate or Urea Age of plant in field Amount of fertilizer per plant per application* 10-10-10 14-8-8 Am. Sulfate Urea
(Spring) (Spring) (Summer) (Summer)
2nd year or 2' tall 2.0 oz 1.7 oz 1.2 oz .56 oz. 2 or 3 times
3rd year or 3' tall 3.0 oz 2.6 oz 1.8 oz .85 oz 2 or 3 times
4th year or 4'tall 4.0oz 3.4 oz 2.3 oz 1.1 oz 5th year or 5' tall 5.5 oz 4.3 oz 2.9 oz 1.5 oz
6th year and older 7.0 oz 5.7 oz 3.9 oz 2.0 oz
*evenly placed in a circle 18 inches in diameter centered on the plant
Liquid Fertilization - fertilizer may be applied in liquid form through the irrigation system rather than surface applying dry granular material.
There are some advantages to fertigation. Fertilizer is more efficiently used, it may be applied weekly in small amounts so that it is more available when the plant needs it, application cost is considerably less and nutrients more quickly reach the root zone in a soluble form.
There are also some disadvantages - Irregular growth and possible damage to plants if the irrigation system is not working properly, Specialized equipment must be added to the irrigation system and Soluble fertilizer is relatively more expensive than granular fertilizer.
It is important that the irrigation system functions properly and all plants are receiving the same amount of water. If water distribution is erratic, some plants may be under fertilized while other plants may receive more than is needed. On sloping ground the use of pressure compensating emitters is necessary to insure that plants in the low areas do not receive more water than those on the higher ground.
Water pressure needs to be regulated so it is within the boundaries of the emitters and the flow rate through the pressure regulators should be adequate to supply the area being irrigated. It is important to have a backflow value in the main irrigation line. This will prevent fertilizer solution from being sucked back into the well, community water system or other water source in the event of a power failure.
Follow up with a proper and regular watering program after liquid fertilizer is applied. Proper irrigation will allow the fertilizer to stay in solution until the plant has taken it up. If the fertilizer solution dries in the soil, the fertilizer within the solution becomes more concentrated and can become toxic if additional water is not applied. Regular watering between fertilizer applications help to wash the solution deeper into the root zone and encourages a larger, deeper and healthier root system.
Since liquid fertilizer is more efficiently placed and is more readily available throughout the growing season, it is easy to force more growth than is needed. Most fruit is born on the last eight to 10 inches of the previous year’s growth. If more than 12 to 14 inches of growth is generated, the extra growth should be considered excessive.
During the first four or five years, rapid growth is desired. However, if the plant grows too rapidly during the early years, it may become tall and leggy with only a small amount of fruiting wood. Some tipping of the upright branches may be necessary to produce the branching needed for maximum fruit production. Pruning should not be done after July 30 as fruiting buds are set on new growth produced in late summer.
Liquid fertilizer should be applied to blueberries by incorporating it into the watering program once per week. Irrigation water should be allowed to run for one hour to fill the irrigation system and moisten the soil at the root zone. The recommended amount of fertilizer solution should then be introduced into the irrigation water for one or two hours, and then fresh water applied for one hour. This method will allow the system to fill with water and moisten the ground, allow the fertilizer to be applied, flush the system of salts and wash the nutrients into the root zone.
An injector pump is the easiest and most reliable method for introducing fertilizer into the system. Most pumps will inject a certain amount of solution per hour. By knowing this ratio, it is easy to apply a recommended amount of fertilizer into the system.
Fertilizer rates are based on the age of the plants. The accompanying chart indicates the total annual nitrogen recommended for blueberries in the first five years after establishment. The nitrogen rate is broken down into a weekly application rate, which will allow 25 applications beginning in early March and ending in late August. Fertilizer applications should be discontinued during harvest and resumed after harvest. Stopping the fertilization program in August will allow most of the fertilizer in the soil to be used by the plant before entering dormancy.
Amount of liquid nitrogen for blueberry fertilization.
Pounds of Pounds of Actual Total soluble fertilizer (lbs/acre/week)
Age of actual N/acre N per acre per % Nitrogen in fertilizer
plant annually week (25 appl.) 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
1 year 10 .4 4 2.7 2 1.6 1.4 1.2
2 year 20 .8 8 5.3 4 3.2 2.7 2.3
3 year 30 1.2 12 8.0 6 4.8 4.0 3.4
4 year 40 1.6 16 10.7 8 6.4 5.3 4.6
5 years 50 2.0 20 13.3 10 8.0 6.7 5.7
and up
Comments
LinkCitationEmailPrintFavoriteCollect this page
KNOL IN PROGRESS -- NOT READY FOR REVIEW!!
Fertilization
Fertilizer is usually applied to blueberries in the spring when growth begins and immediately after harvest. The exception to this is when the fertilizer is injected into the irrigation system, in which case, it is done on a weekly basis during the growing season(except during harvest).
Blueberry plants are very sensitive to readily soluble fertilizers and excessive amounts can cause plant injury or death. Higher than recommended rates can be damaging causing brown necrotic leaf margins or pale yellow chlorosis of leaves and low vigor, particularly where too little water is applied. Do not concentrate fertilizer in a small area around plants. Do not use nitrate forms of fertilizer. Ammonium sulfate is the most often used nitrogen source. Ammonium nitrate and other nitrate containing fertilizers should be avoided because nitrate ions are very damaging to blueberries. blueberries also respond well to fertilizers containing urea, diammonium phosphate and slow release type nitrogen fertilizers. Urea nitrogen and organic forms, such as cottonseed meal, convert to ammonium, making them acceptable nitrogen fertilizer sources. Ammonium sulfate has an acidic reaction with the soil. Continual use of ammonium sulfate may reduce the soil pH below the desired range of 4.5 to 5.5. Urea nitrogen is less acid forming than ammonium sulfate. If the soil pH is below 5, the urea form of nitrogen is preferred. If the pH is above 5, ammonium sulfate can be used. There are several urea – ammonium sulfate blends with diammonium phosphate on the market today.
Mature plants, six years old or six feet tall, should be at the peak fertilization rate. If fertilizer is being applied with a spreader, try to place most of the material in the row area to reduce weed growth and maximize utilization of fertilizer by the blueberry plant. As a general recommendation, apply 30 lbs per acre of actual nitrogen in the spring as a complete fertilizer ( 214 lbs of 14-8-8 per acre or 300 lbs of 10-10-10 per acre) plus 30 lbs of actual nitrogen per acre after harvest as urea (66 lbs per acre) or ammonium sulfate (142 lbs per acre). If growth is excessive (more than 18 inches of new growth per year) reduce the amount of nitrogen to 30 lbs per year.
The following table gives a program for fertilizing blueberries at various stages of maturity.
Blueberry Fertilization with 10-10-10, 14-8-8, Ammonium Sulfate or Urea Age of plant in field Amount of fertilizer per plant per application* 10-10-10 14-8-8 Am. Sulfate Urea
(Spring) (Spring) (Summer) (Summer)
2nd year or 2' tall 2.0 oz 1.7 oz 1.2 oz .56 oz. 2 or 3 times
3rd year or 3' tall 3.0 oz 2.6 oz 1.8 oz .85 oz 2 or 3 times
4th year or 4'tall 4.0oz 3.4 oz 2.3 oz 1.1 oz 5th year or 5' tall 5.5 oz 4.3 oz 2.9 oz 1.5 oz
6th year and older 7.0 oz 5.7 oz 3.9 oz 2.0 oz
*evenly placed in a circle 18 inches in diameter centered on the plant
Liquid Fertilization - fertilizer may be applied in liquid form through the irrigation system rather than surface applying dry granular material.
There are some advantages to fertigation. Fertilizer is more efficiently used, it may be applied weekly in small amounts so that it is more available when the plant needs it, application cost is considerably less and nutrients more quickly reach the root zone in a soluble form.
There are also some disadvantages - Irregular growth and possible damage to plants if the irrigation system is not working properly, Specialized equipment must be added to the irrigation system and Soluble fertilizer is relatively more expensive than granular fertilizer.
It is important that the irrigation system functions properly and all plants are receiving the same amount of water. If water distribution is erratic, some plants may be under fertilized while other plants may receive more than is needed. On sloping ground the use of pressure compensating emitters is necessary to insure that plants in the low areas do not receive more water than those on the higher ground.
Water pressure needs to be regulated so it is within the boundaries of the emitters and the flow rate through the pressure regulators should be adequate to supply the area being irrigated. It is important to have a backflow value in the main irrigation line. This will prevent fertilizer solution from being sucked back into the well, community water system or other water source in the event of a power failure.
Follow up with a proper and regular watering program after liquid fertilizer is applied. Proper irrigation will allow the fertilizer to stay in solution until the plant has taken it up. If the fertilizer solution dries in the soil, the fertilizer within the solution becomes more concentrated and can become toxic if additional water is not applied. Regular watering between fertilizer applications help to wash the solution deeper into the root zone and encourages a larger, deeper and healthier root system.
Since liquid fertilizer is more efficiently placed and is more readily available throughout the growing season, it is easy to force more growth than is needed. Most fruit is born on the last eight to 10 inches of the previous year’s growth. If more than 12 to 14 inches of growth is generated, the extra growth should be considered excessive.
During the first four or five years, rapid growth is desired. However, if the plant grows too rapidly during the early years, it may become tall and leggy with only a small amount of fruiting wood. Some tipping of the upright branches may be necessary to produce the branching needed for maximum fruit production. Pruning should not be done after July 30 as fruiting buds are set on new growth produced in late summer.
Liquid fertilizer should be applied to blueberries by incorporating it into the watering program once per week. Irrigation water should be allowed to run for one hour to fill the irrigation system and moisten the soil at the root zone. The recommended amount of fertilizer solution should then be introduced into the irrigation water for one or two hours, and then fresh water applied for one hour. This method will allow the system to fill with water and moisten the ground, allow the fertilizer to be applied, flush the system of salts and wash the nutrients into the root zone.
An injector pump is the easiest and most reliable method for introducing fertilizer into the system. Most pumps will inject a certain amount of solution per hour. By knowing this ratio, it is easy to apply a recommended amount of fertilizer into the system.
Fertilizer rates are based on the age of the plants. The accompanying chart indicates the total annual nitrogen recommended for blueberries in the first five years after establishment. The nitrogen rate is broken down into a weekly application rate, which will allow 25 applications beginning in early March and ending in late August. Fertilizer applications should be discontinued during harvest and resumed after harvest. Stopping the fertilization program in August will allow most of the fertilizer in the soil to be used by the plant before entering dormancy.
Amount of liquid nitrogen for blueberry fertilization.
Pounds of Pounds of Actual Total soluble fertilizer (lbs/acre/week)
Age of actual N/acre N per acre per % Nitrogen in fertilizer
plant annually week (25 appl.) 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
1 year 10 .4 4 2.7 2 1.6 1.4 1.2
2 year 20 .8 8 5.3 4 3.2 2.7 2.3
3 year 30 1.2 12 8.0 6 4.8 4.0 3.4
4 year 40 1.6 16 10.7 8 6.4 5.3 4.6
5 years 50 2.0 20 13.3 10 8.0 6.7 5.7
and up
Comments
Monday, February 27, 2012
Aubergines How to grow
http://gardenofeaden.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-to-grow-aubergines-from-seed.html
While growing, keep the young plants moist and weed free and they may require the additional support of canes or an open wigwam. Feed them with a high potash liquid fertilizer at one quarter the recommended strength - but apply it at four times the recommended frequency. Also pinch out the top of the plant when it gets to about 18 inches high to encourage it to bush out. However, once you have three or four fruits set, it will be time to start removing any further side shoots as they develop. This helps to divert the energy of the plant to where it is most needed.
One last cultivation point, to ensure a good set of fruit when the plants first come into flower you can consider giving them a little extra help by pollinating them by hand. This will not be necessary for the subsequent sets of flowers.
In hot weather you may need to water twice a day, which is why it is important to pot them on into a free draining compost. Aubergines can be incredibly thirsty and dry compost will quickly lead to a check in growth. Having a free draining composts allows you to water as much as the plant requires without the risk of root damage through waterlogging. This applies particularly to plants grown in a greenhouse where it can get very hot - even in late summer.
While growing, keep the young plants moist and weed free and they may require the additional support of canes or an open wigwam. Feed them with a high potash liquid fertilizer at one quarter the recommended strength - but apply it at four times the recommended frequency. Also pinch out the top of the plant when it gets to about 18 inches high to encourage it to bush out. However, once you have three or four fruits set, it will be time to start removing any further side shoots as they develop. This helps to divert the energy of the plant to where it is most needed.
One last cultivation point, to ensure a good set of fruit when the plants first come into flower you can consider giving them a little extra help by pollinating them by hand. This will not be necessary for the subsequent sets of flowers.
In hot weather you may need to water twice a day, which is why it is important to pot them on into a free draining compost. Aubergines can be incredibly thirsty and dry compost will quickly lead to a check in growth. Having a free draining composts allows you to water as much as the plant requires without the risk of root damage through waterlogging. This applies particularly to plants grown in a greenhouse where it can get very hot - even in late summer.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Blueberry fertiliser amount
The one year plants were grown using two different fertilization regimes:
1) Osmocote 9-6-6 slow release with 19% sulfur. About 2 tablespoons per pot.
2)ammonium sulfate 21-0-0 at one tablespoon per 2.5 gal water once a week April thru July.
There was one plant of each variety for each fertilizer treatment. The 21-0-0 fertilized plants grew about 20% more than Osmocote. No fertilizer since last August, I was going for quality fruit.
I'll prune hard after harvest and possibly pot up to 10 or 15 gallon.
fruitnut
----------------------------------------------------------------
tablespoon is 25 grams
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No, I'm only applying enough of that solution so that some runs out the bottom of the pot. One tablespoon 21-0-0 in 2 to 2.5 gal water fertilizes about 8 first year plants and two plants the size of the Star. I do that once a week when I'm pushing growth and once every month or two when not needing rapid growth. I also make sure water runs through the pot on all waterings between fertilizer. This will avoid salt buildup and results in fast growth, about 12 inches per month.
fruitnut
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Osmocote 9-6-6 slow release with 19% sulfur. About 2 tablespoons per pot.
2)ammonium sulfate 21-0-0 at one tablespoon per 2.5 gal water once a week April thru July.
There was one plant of each variety for each fertilizer treatment. The 21-0-0 fertilized plants grew about 20% more than Osmocote. No fertilizer since last August, I was going for quality fruit.
I'll prune hard after harvest and possibly pot up to 10 or 15 gallon.
fruitnut
----------------------------------------------------------------
tablespoon is 25 grams
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No, I'm only applying enough of that solution so that some runs out the bottom of the pot. One tablespoon 21-0-0 in 2 to 2.5 gal water fertilizes about 8 first year plants and two plants the size of the Star. I do that once a week when I'm pushing growth and once every month or two when not needing rapid growth. I also make sure water runs through the pot on all waterings between fertilizer. This will avoid salt buildup and results in fast growth, about 12 inches per month.
fruitnut
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Feeding Peppers
What to feed chilli plants
One of the most asked questions is how often to feed them and what with? In the early stages and while the weather is quite mild I just give them a bit of tap water every 2-3 day or whenever the soil is looking dry on top. As the summer temperatures increase I will increase this to once a day.
Update: Since moving my chilli plants are housed in a conservatory so now during summer I am watering twice a day!
Once the flowers start to flower I introduce a few drops of liquid tomato food into their water during every other watering. I use half the dilution strength recommended for tomato plants. Doing so gives the plants the extra energy required to keep producing fruit over the summer months.
One of the most asked questions is how often to feed them and what with? In the early stages and while the weather is quite mild I just give them a bit of tap water every 2-3 day or whenever the soil is looking dry on top. As the summer temperatures increase I will increase this to once a day.
Update: Since moving my chilli plants are housed in a conservatory so now during summer I am watering twice a day!
Once the flowers start to flower I introduce a few drops of liquid tomato food into their water during every other watering. I use half the dilution strength recommended for tomato plants. Doing so gives the plants the extra energy required to keep producing fruit over the summer months.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Hydroponics
First get a dutch leach tray (online for ten bucks), then get two, three foot flexible airstones, (5 bucks a piece) for each tray you add. I run four trays with six plants in each tray. Next get a large container for your res. 5 gal for one tray and equall for each tray you add. You will need to outfit the container with a small pump that will fill your trays from the res.
Put your water pump and your air pump for the airstones on the same timer.
On one side of the dutch tray the water comes in from a 90* angled coupler provided with the tray and then drains out on that same side, through a different hole with the same coupler. This is how you can dial in your water level, by twisting the drain spout vertically to the level you want the water to be in the tray.
The water level is arguable. I keep mine right at the bottom of the roots to get the most out of the nutrients that usually float nearer to the surface, but your bubbling so dont worry, its fool proof! . Then fashion a cover for the tray with holes where ever you wish and at the appropriate size for mesh pots that you will place your plants into. . I cut a six inch wide strip of 1/8 inch thick aluminum for my top ;-) Put your mesh potted plants in, and thats it.... set your timer however you want as long as your cover is light tight. I would recomend running it at least 50% of the time, but that is up to you and your medium.
This is an expandable system also! If your grow, grows, the system can grow with you.
This is also the best of the best. Only misters of foggers may produce better results but I doubt it.
And its super cheap! The system I just explained will cost you 50 dollars. Ten for the tray, ten for the stones, five for the containers and about 25 for the two pumps and hoses from a pet store. Depending on what your growing, you could have up to nine sites per tray!
I havent seen any thing like this online but a similar system that is NOT expandable is around $300-$400 online.
This is a very good system. Its flawless and fast.
Happy to share the info, and dont let anyone tell you, You can't do something!
Best of luck!
Put your water pump and your air pump for the airstones on the same timer.
On one side of the dutch tray the water comes in from a 90* angled coupler provided with the tray and then drains out on that same side, through a different hole with the same coupler. This is how you can dial in your water level, by twisting the drain spout vertically to the level you want the water to be in the tray.
The water level is arguable. I keep mine right at the bottom of the roots to get the most out of the nutrients that usually float nearer to the surface, but your bubbling so dont worry, its fool proof! . Then fashion a cover for the tray with holes where ever you wish and at the appropriate size for mesh pots that you will place your plants into. . I cut a six inch wide strip of 1/8 inch thick aluminum for my top ;-) Put your mesh potted plants in, and thats it.... set your timer however you want as long as your cover is light tight. I would recomend running it at least 50% of the time, but that is up to you and your medium.
This is an expandable system also! If your grow, grows, the system can grow with you.
This is also the best of the best. Only misters of foggers may produce better results but I doubt it.
And its super cheap! The system I just explained will cost you 50 dollars. Ten for the tray, ten for the stones, five for the containers and about 25 for the two pumps and hoses from a pet store. Depending on what your growing, you could have up to nine sites per tray!
I havent seen any thing like this online but a similar system that is NOT expandable is around $300-$400 online.
This is a very good system. Its flawless and fast.
Happy to share the info, and dont let anyone tell you, You can't do something!
Best of luck!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Best NPK for Blueberry
Fruitnut 21:0:0 ammonium sulfate-one tablespoon per 2.5 gal water once a week April thru July
Fruitnut 9:6: 6 Osmocote slow release with 19% Sulphur
Al Tapla 3:1:2 general best ratio
Florikan 16:4:9
Osmocote
slow
release
for
acid
loving
plants
Fruitnut 9:6: 6 Osmocote slow release with 19% Sulphur
Al Tapla 3:1:2 general best ratio
Florikan 16:4:9
Osmocote
slow
release
for
acid
loving
plants
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Blueberry Propagation - different
Like Destin, I am curious about the method you tried with cuttings, and Gonebananas suggestion may also work, but here is the method I use with over 95% takes:
1. Take cuttings in the dead of winter, when they are fully dormant. I take mine in February. Cuttings should be about 6 inches long, with from 4-6 buds or so, but this number is not cast in stone. Avoid blossoming wood. Anything around 3/8 inch caliper works best, and the wood should be clear and disease free.
2. Place the cuttings in a ziploc bag, and surround them with barely moist peat moss, then seal the bags and place them in the coldest part of your refrigerator. This is usually the bottom shelf.
3. Over the weeks in your refrigerator, the ends of the cuttings will callus, which promotes root development. Take the cuttings out when the weather warms, dip them in Rootone or other rooting hormone, and line them out in your nursery bed. Leave 2-3 buds exposed above the soil line. Since the cuttings are planted while still fully dormant, there is time for roots to become established before the buds begin to break.
4. I think you will be surprised at your success with this method, and to me it seems simpler than airlayering. You can produce a lot of blueberry plants this way. Dozens.
Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
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Posted by destin_gardener 8-B/9-A (My Page) on Mon, May 3, 10 at 22:04
The method I used was from one of the blueberry pioneers out of Tifton, Georgia, who specialized in rabbit-eye and highbush blueberries.
1. Mix equal parts perlite and composted peat.
2. Prepare your containers, (I removed the neck from 1 pint plastic soda bottles and punched some drain holes in the bottom, clear bottles work great as you can see when the roots are fully developed).
3. Place the perlite/peat mixture into these bottles.
4. Thoroughly soak this mixture, allowing excess water to drain from the holes you punched into the bottles.
5. Using a dowel slightly larger than your cuttings, create a hole in the perlite/peat mixture.
6. Take the softwood cuttings after the first flush of new growth in early summer, (June and July), 6 - 10 inches in length.
7. Remove most of the leaves from the cuttings, (leave 3 - 5 leaves).
8. If the cutting have had a chance to dry out, make a fresh cut on the bottom of the cuttings.
9. Dip this fresh cut into the rooting hormone compound.
10. Place the cutting into the hole you created in step 5, (no more than 3 - 4 inches deep into the mixture)
11. Firmly press the perlite/peat mixture around
the cutting.
12. Place the cutting/bottle into a 1 gallon or larger ziplock bag and seal the bag.
13. Place these "packages" in an area that receives indirect sunlight, and will not get too hot, (you are creating a mini-hot house, not for heat but for humidity control)
14. About once a week, open the bags and allow air to circulate.
15. You will need to occasionally add some water to the perlite/peat mixture.
16. In a couple of months, you should see roots filling the plastic soda bottles.
17. Once you have a sufficient quantity of roots, you can transfer them to 1 gallon nursery pots.
18. Aclimate these newly potted plants to full/mostly sun.
19. During their dormant season, you can transfer these plants to the garden.
20. If all goes well you will have producing blueberries in a couple of years.
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Posted by Noogy 5b (My Page) on Sun, Oct 2, 11 at 8:23
The problem with peat is that it's either hydrophilic (Spongey), or repels it. If you use peat use about 25% max by volume. Consider using a horticultural wetting agent to break the waters' surface tension when wetting the peat. Sand wicks away water so it enhances drainage/oxygen availability. The key is to provide the proper high humidity and just enough ventilation in the 'domed' microclimate upstairs, and that takes time to gauge. Add a capful of 3% peroxide to a cup of your water. See what it does.
Consider taking hardwood cuttings in march from the new shoots that emerge from the ground and follow the hardwood cuttings rooting process as they are less delicate and harden off properly before winter comes along up here in Michigan.
Noogy
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Another method is to take 6-8 inch cuttings of soft/green wood. Strip off all of the leaves but the top two or three. Dip the cut end in Rootone or some other rooting hormone, or willow water, and then stick these cuttings into wet, warm sand. Keep warm and mist twice a day. The cuttings should produce roots in 8 weeks or so. You can check by probing gently with a pencil.
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1. Take cuttings in the dead of winter, when they are fully dormant. I take mine in February. Cuttings should be about 6 inches long, with from 4-6 buds or so, but this number is not cast in stone. Avoid blossoming wood. Anything around 3/8 inch caliper works best, and the wood should be clear and disease free.
2. Place the cuttings in a ziploc bag, and surround them with barely moist peat moss, then seal the bags and place them in the coldest part of your refrigerator. This is usually the bottom shelf.
3. Over the weeks in your refrigerator, the ends of the cuttings will callus, which promotes root development. Take the cuttings out when the weather warms, dip them in Rootone or other rooting hormone, and line them out in your nursery bed. Leave 2-3 buds exposed above the soil line. Since the cuttings are planted while still fully dormant, there is time for roots to become established before the buds begin to break.
4. I think you will be surprised at your success with this method, and to me it seems simpler than airlayering. You can produce a lot of blueberry plants this way. Dozens.
Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
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Posted by destin_gardener 8-B/9-A (My Page) on Mon, May 3, 10 at 22:04
The method I used was from one of the blueberry pioneers out of Tifton, Georgia, who specialized in rabbit-eye and highbush blueberries.
1. Mix equal parts perlite and composted peat.
2. Prepare your containers, (I removed the neck from 1 pint plastic soda bottles and punched some drain holes in the bottom, clear bottles work great as you can see when the roots are fully developed).
3. Place the perlite/peat mixture into these bottles.
4. Thoroughly soak this mixture, allowing excess water to drain from the holes you punched into the bottles.
5. Using a dowel slightly larger than your cuttings, create a hole in the perlite/peat mixture.
6. Take the softwood cuttings after the first flush of new growth in early summer, (June and July), 6 - 10 inches in length.
7. Remove most of the leaves from the cuttings, (leave 3 - 5 leaves).
8. If the cutting have had a chance to dry out, make a fresh cut on the bottom of the cuttings.
9. Dip this fresh cut into the rooting hormone compound.
10. Place the cutting into the hole you created in step 5, (no more than 3 - 4 inches deep into the mixture)
11. Firmly press the perlite/peat mixture around
the cutting.
12. Place the cutting/bottle into a 1 gallon or larger ziplock bag and seal the bag.
13. Place these "packages" in an area that receives indirect sunlight, and will not get too hot, (you are creating a mini-hot house, not for heat but for humidity control)
14. About once a week, open the bags and allow air to circulate.
15. You will need to occasionally add some water to the perlite/peat mixture.
16. In a couple of months, you should see roots filling the plastic soda bottles.
17. Once you have a sufficient quantity of roots, you can transfer them to 1 gallon nursery pots.
18. Aclimate these newly potted plants to full/mostly sun.
19. During their dormant season, you can transfer these plants to the garden.
20. If all goes well you will have producing blueberries in a couple of years.
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Posted by Noogy 5b (My Page) on Sun, Oct 2, 11 at 8:23
The problem with peat is that it's either hydrophilic (Spongey), or repels it. If you use peat use about 25% max by volume. Consider using a horticultural wetting agent to break the waters' surface tension when wetting the peat. Sand wicks away water so it enhances drainage/oxygen availability. The key is to provide the proper high humidity and just enough ventilation in the 'domed' microclimate upstairs, and that takes time to gauge. Add a capful of 3% peroxide to a cup of your water. See what it does.
Consider taking hardwood cuttings in march from the new shoots that emerge from the ground and follow the hardwood cuttings rooting process as they are less delicate and harden off properly before winter comes along up here in Michigan.
Noogy
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Another method is to take 6-8 inch cuttings of soft/green wood. Strip off all of the leaves but the top two or three. Dip the cut end in Rootone or some other rooting hormone, or willow water, and then stick these cuttings into wet, warm sand. Keep warm and mist twice a day. The cuttings should produce roots in 8 weeks or so. You can check by probing gently with a pencil.
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Monday, January 9, 2012
Best Fertilizer Ratios
What would I recommend to someone who asked what to use as an all-purpose fertilizer for nearly all their container plantings? If you can find it, a 3:1:2 ratio soluble liquid fertilizer (24-8-16, 12-4-8, 9-3-6 are all 3:1:2 ratio fertilizers) that contains all the minor elements would great.
Al Tapla
Al Tapla
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Blueberry - Giberellins
Manipulating blueberries with Gibberellin
Eric Hanson, Horticulture
Some athletes have been consumed by scandal for taking hormones or other substances to improve their performance. Plants also produce hormones or plant growth regulators that can potentially be used to improve their performance as well. Gibberellins are one group of plant growth regulators that are also synthesized and sold as commercial products (ProGibb, ProVide). In blueberries, gibberellins can increase fruit set or decrease flower numbers, depending on when they are applied.
When bees are numerous and weather is warm and calm, 80-95 percent of blueberry flowers may set fruit. However, cold, rainy weather during bloom restricts honey bee activity and pollination, resulting in lower fruit set and often reduced berry size. Flowers that are not pollinated within three to five days after opening are unlikely to set fruit. After normal pollination, berry growth is dependent on the production of gibberellin and perhaps other growth promoters in the ovary tissues and viable seeds. If flowers are not pollinated, they abort. If only a few ovules are fertilized, the fruit may set, but not contain enough seeds to grow to full size.
When pollination is limited by poor weather, gibberellin (GA) sometimes improves percentage set and berry size. Several GA products (ProGibb, GibGro) are labeled for highbush blueberries. GA may result in retention of some seedless (parthenocarpic) fruit that normally drop, and increases the size of berries with low seed numbers. GA can be applied in a single spray during bloom (80 gram active ingredient per acre) or two 40 g sprays, one during bloom and the second 10-14 days later. Higher spray volumes (40 to 100 gallons per acre) may improve coverage and effects. Slow-drying conditions also increase absorption. Also make sure your spray water pH is not above 7.5.
Since GA is costly, it is important to know when it will help. If weather has been favorable for bee activity and the white corollas fall easily from the bushes, pollination is probably adequate. Keep in mind that blueberries can bloom over a long time, and often only a few days on good conditions are enough for adequate pollination. Consistently cold, rainy or windy weather through bloom causes pollination problems. If the corollas hang on bushes longer than usual and turn red or purple before eventually dropping, pollination may have been inadequate. The corollas of pollinated flowers drop readily while still white. Varieties with fruit set problems (Jersey, Coville, Earliblue, Berkeley, Blueray) are most likely to benefit from GA. Jersey, for example, is relatively unattractive to honeybees, and berry numbers and size are often limited by inadequate pollination. GA does not always provide a benefit and effects can be subtle. Make sure to leave non-treated check rows to tell if your money was well spent.
Recent work indicates that GA may have the opposite effect of inhibiting blueberry flower bud formation. ProGibb has been commercially used to limit flowering on sour cherry for some time. Inhibiting blueberry flowering would be of great value in establishing new plants. We now recommend pruning or stripping off flower buds during the first two growing seasons to encourage vegetative growth and greater fruiting in subsequent years. This is particularly useful on more precocious varieties like Elliott. Manual flower bud removal is not always accomplished because it is very time consuming.
In earlier work on potted blueberries, we observed only a slight inhibition of flowering when plants were treated with ProGibb in June or July, when we guessed flower initiation was occuring. However, Brent Black at Utah State University recently reported that flower initiation on ‘Bluecrop’ was reduced by nearly 90 percent by treating plants in August or September with ProVide (GA4+7). This suggested that flower bud initiation or differentiation occurs later in the season. In 2006 through 2007, we tested ProVide and ProGibb on the late varieties ‘Elliott’, ‘Liberty,’ ‘Aurora.’ Timings ranged from early July to mid-October. The only timing that reduced flower bud numbers was the middle timing (August 27 plus September 3), but reductions were small. No differences between the two GA products were observed.
These results do not clarify the important question of when blueberry flower bud initiation and differentiation occurs. If we knew this, we could better time sprays for best results. Additional work is underway that will hopefully assist us in developing a useful treatment to reduce flowering on young bushes.
Eric Hanson, Horticulture
Some athletes have been consumed by scandal for taking hormones or other substances to improve their performance. Plants also produce hormones or plant growth regulators that can potentially be used to improve their performance as well. Gibberellins are one group of plant growth regulators that are also synthesized and sold as commercial products (ProGibb, ProVide). In blueberries, gibberellins can increase fruit set or decrease flower numbers, depending on when they are applied.
When bees are numerous and weather is warm and calm, 80-95 percent of blueberry flowers may set fruit. However, cold, rainy weather during bloom restricts honey bee activity and pollination, resulting in lower fruit set and often reduced berry size. Flowers that are not pollinated within three to five days after opening are unlikely to set fruit. After normal pollination, berry growth is dependent on the production of gibberellin and perhaps other growth promoters in the ovary tissues and viable seeds. If flowers are not pollinated, they abort. If only a few ovules are fertilized, the fruit may set, but not contain enough seeds to grow to full size.
When pollination is limited by poor weather, gibberellin (GA) sometimes improves percentage set and berry size. Several GA products (ProGibb, GibGro) are labeled for highbush blueberries. GA may result in retention of some seedless (parthenocarpic) fruit that normally drop, and increases the size of berries with low seed numbers. GA can be applied in a single spray during bloom (80 gram active ingredient per acre) or two 40 g sprays, one during bloom and the second 10-14 days later. Higher spray volumes (40 to 100 gallons per acre) may improve coverage and effects. Slow-drying conditions also increase absorption. Also make sure your spray water pH is not above 7.5.
Since GA is costly, it is important to know when it will help. If weather has been favorable for bee activity and the white corollas fall easily from the bushes, pollination is probably adequate. Keep in mind that blueberries can bloom over a long time, and often only a few days on good conditions are enough for adequate pollination. Consistently cold, rainy or windy weather through bloom causes pollination problems. If the corollas hang on bushes longer than usual and turn red or purple before eventually dropping, pollination may have been inadequate. The corollas of pollinated flowers drop readily while still white. Varieties with fruit set problems (Jersey, Coville, Earliblue, Berkeley, Blueray) are most likely to benefit from GA. Jersey, for example, is relatively unattractive to honeybees, and berry numbers and size are often limited by inadequate pollination. GA does not always provide a benefit and effects can be subtle. Make sure to leave non-treated check rows to tell if your money was well spent.
Recent work indicates that GA may have the opposite effect of inhibiting blueberry flower bud formation. ProGibb has been commercially used to limit flowering on sour cherry for some time. Inhibiting blueberry flowering would be of great value in establishing new plants. We now recommend pruning or stripping off flower buds during the first two growing seasons to encourage vegetative growth and greater fruiting in subsequent years. This is particularly useful on more precocious varieties like Elliott. Manual flower bud removal is not always accomplished because it is very time consuming.
In earlier work on potted blueberries, we observed only a slight inhibition of flowering when plants were treated with ProGibb in June or July, when we guessed flower initiation was occuring. However, Brent Black at Utah State University recently reported that flower initiation on ‘Bluecrop’ was reduced by nearly 90 percent by treating plants in August or September with ProVide (GA4+7). This suggested that flower bud initiation or differentiation occurs later in the season. In 2006 through 2007, we tested ProVide and ProGibb on the late varieties ‘Elliott’, ‘Liberty,’ ‘Aurora.’ Timings ranged from early July to mid-October. The only timing that reduced flower bud numbers was the middle timing (August 27 plus September 3), but reductions were small. No differences between the two GA products were observed.
These results do not clarify the important question of when blueberry flower bud initiation and differentiation occurs. If we knew this, we could better time sprays for best results. Additional work is underway that will hopefully assist us in developing a useful treatment to reduce flowering on young bushes.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Strawberry Fertiliser
http://www.oregon-strawberries.org/attachments/strawberry_fertilizer_guide14-e.pdf
Little feeding is required but you can apply sulphate of potash by the end of January at 15g per sq m (approx 0.5oz per sq yd) in order to raise potassium levels. Where plants seem to be growing poorly add a general-purpose fertiliser such as Growmore at 35g per m² (1oz per sq yd) after harvest, taking particular care to avoid the crown, as fertilisers can scorch.
Little feeding is required but you can apply sulphate of potash by the end of January at 15g per sq m (approx 0.5oz per sq yd) in order to raise potassium levels. Where plants seem to be growing poorly add a general-purpose fertiliser such as Growmore at 35g per m² (1oz per sq yd) after harvest, taking particular care to avoid the crown, as fertilisers can scorch.
Blueberry Cuttings
Softwood cuttings are the easiest and quickest-rooting stem cuttings. They are taken from spring until early summer. Take them during the growing season from soft, succulent, flexible new growth. Taking cuttings is not an exact science.
Step One
Cut a soft, succulent stem from the plant you want to propagate. Cut the stem into pieces 3"-4" long. Trim the stem pieces so that there's a leaf at the top and the bottom of the cutting. Next, pinch off all but the top one to four leaves. You'll get better rooting if you scrape the bark off of the bottom 1" of stem in a narrow strip on one side. Be sure to just scrape off the green bark tissue. Leave the harder white core of the stem alone.
Step Two-
Dip the cutting into a rooting hormone material such as Rootone. It's important that some of the rooting hormone dust adheres to the cutting. It helps if the cutting is slightly moist (not wet!).
Step Three-
Stick the cutting into a small pot filled with a mixture of one half peat moss and one half perlite. Be sure that the mixture is well moistened before sticking the cutting in. Use a smaller sized pot no bigger than 2.5" across, or you can use empty bedding plant trays. It's best to use new pots, but if you want to use a pot that's been used before, wash it well with soap and water, and then sterilize it with bleach or alcohol and then rinse thoroughly before using.
It will usually take several weeks for roots to form on your cuttings. Keep the cuttings indoors, in a bright spot that gets no direct sunlight. During this time, a careful balance must be kept with the watering of the media in the pots. It needs to stay somewhat moist, but it can't stay too wet or the cuttings will rot. If green algae starts growing on the top of the media, you're watering too much! Increasing the humidity around the cuttings will help in their success. Clear plastic humidity domes work well for this. They fit over a standard 10" x 20" greenhouse flat. Prop the corners up with a pencil so that there can be a little air circulation.
When new growth forms on the cuttings, you can be fairly sure that they have rooted and can be transplanted. You can also check for roots coming out of the bottom drainage holes of the pots. Once your cuttings have rooted well, you can pot them into a larger container, or plant them out in the yard this spring.
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Use cuttings of FIRM NEW GROWTH, apply 0.8% IBA (rooting hormone) stick in well drained soil & mist taking 30-80 days to root
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http://berrygrape.org/blueberry/
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http://berrygrape.org/blueberry-propagation/ TOP
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Before propagating blueberries, evaluate land use in relation to time, land investment, equipment, labor, and structures needed. Identifying a source true-to-name and disease-free is essential for successful propagation. Do not propagate from plants adjacent to bushes showing disease symptoms.
A vast majority of blueberry propagation is done by relatively few commercial growers because of investment and cost. Most new growers can get into production sooner if they buy rooted cuttings rather than producing their own plants.
Highbush blueberries can be propagated by both hardwood and softwood cuttings. Most propagation is done with hardwood cuttings, as they are easier to handle and are less perishable than softwood cuttings. However, softwood cuttings allow more rapid multiplication of plants.
Cuttings are whips or shoots that are cut into several pieces, each 4 to 6 inches long. There are 3 types of cuttings: leaf buds only, 1 to 2 fruit buds in addition to at least 2 good leaf buds, and a cutting taken from the middle of the previous year’s growth with one or more fruit buds removed. Research shows a higher percentage of rooting is obtained from leaf bud cuttings than from fruit bud cuttings with fruit buds removed.
Hardwood Cuttings
Selecting whip/cutting wood
Proper selection of shoots is important for rooting. Take dormant, well hardened, unbranched, one-year-old whips/shoots from “mother” plants. Whips should be one-fourth inch or less (pencil width) in diameter but not spindly. Do not use shoots formed late in the season, as they are poorly hardened; such shoots often have an off-white to brown pithy interior. Look for healthy leaf buds on the whip. Avoid wood that might be diseased with Botrytis twig blight, bacterial blight, or Godronia cane canker.
Cuttings made from wood greater than one-fourth inch in diameter don’t root as well, but may still produce desirable plants. Do not use thin wood unless cutting wood is scarce.
Prepare whips by removing the fruit buds and cutting the whips into lengths. Cuttings cut less than 4 inches long have a smaller stored food supply, so greater care is needed to get them to root.
Whips may be cut mechanically using a band or bench saw, or by hand using a sharp knife or pruning shears. Cutting by hand allows the basal cut to be nearer a vegetative bud; this is especially important for hard-to-root cultivars (table 1). The cuts must be clean, taking care not to damage or bruise the bark. To stimulate rooting, slice a one-half to one inch long layer of bark from both sides of the base of the cutting. Protect the cuttings from drying out.
Table 1. Rooting characteristics of hardwood cuttings of Pacific Northwest cultivarsEasy Moderate Hard
Bluetta Earliblue Spartan
Patriot Collins Bluejay
Northland Olympia Ivanhoe
Blueray Herbert Bluecrop
Berkeley Jersey Darrow
Coville Elliott
Jersey (1613-A)
Collect cuttings in early spring before bud break. Timing in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho is February/March for small-scale farms. For large-scale farms, start taking cuttings in late January. A minimum of 850 to 1,000 chilling hours is needed for shoot growth and flowering to occur (see Winter Acclimation and Cold Hardiness) . It is best to take cuttings in late March and place them immediately in propagation flats. However, often propagators must start early and store the cuttings.
Storage
Stored cuttings should be cleaned, placed in plastic bags with sphagnum moss, and stored at 34 to 40 F. Maintain a humidity of 80 to 90 percent. Temperatures below 30 F may damage the wood. Cuttings can be stored for 2 to 3 months. Ensure good ventilation when using boxes or trays. Fill boxes or trays with sphagnum moss to increase humidity and prevent cuttings from drying out. The shorter the length of storage, the better. Storage of cuttings can be difficult and should be done only if necessary.
Propagation structures
Propagation beds should be located in full sun with a suitable well-drained medium. Place beds either on the ground or raised above the ground. Construct propagation frames from good quality, new, treated wood. The frame bottom should have crosspieces for supporting heavy-gauged wire. Place hardware cloth over the wire. Beds are usually 4 feet wide, 8 inches deep, and of various lengths. A well constructed propagation bed will help reduce insect, disease, mouse, and gopher problems.
Rooting frames should contain a heating source. Place frames in glass or plastic greenhouses. Recommended bottom heat is between 68 to 73 F. Often heating coils are used to maintain a more constant media temperature. Heat sources include propagation heating mats, hot water tubing, and lead, rubber, or poly-covered cable.
Good quality thermostats maintain a constant heat. See the manufacturer of these products for current recommendations and application methods. Avoid wide temperature fluctuations and drafts in the propagation bed and greenhouse structure to promote rapid and even rooting.
Rooting media
Rooting media include sphagnum moss, American, German, or Canadian peat, sawdust, sand, cinders, perlite, and vermiculite. Peat alone as a medium creates problems when trying to separate the roots before transplanting. Root media need to have a pH of 4.5 to 5.5. Fresh sawdust is not recommended.
Several medium mixes work well.
Mix 1. 50% sphagnum peat moss and 50% coarse-washed concrete sand;
Mix 2. 50% peat and 50% vermiculite or perlite;
Mix 3. 30% perlite, 30% sand, and 30% vermiculite (or perlite).
Mix these media thoroughly before placing on the screens in propagating beds. Bluecrop requires a higher proportion of sand. Water the rooting medium thoroughly. Add extra medium as the new medium settles. Maintain a depth of 8 inches.
Placing cuttings
Before inserting the cuttings into the medium, label them well as to cultivar and mother block. Place the cuttings vertically (right side up with vegetative buds pointing upward) into the medium, leaving 1 or 2 buds above the medium (60 percent covered). If bottom heat is used, insert one-third to one-half of the cutting into the medium. The butts of the cuttings should not touch the bottoms of the frames. Set the cuttings in a 2- by 2-inch, or 2- by 3-inch spacing. For larger root development, a 3- by 3-inch spacing is recommended. Press the medium around the base of the cuttings. Failure to do so will cause the cuttings to dry out.
In the Pacific Northwest, cuttings are usually stuck, or inserted, from January 15 to March 10.
Water/light
Water the cuttings thoroughly about once a week to keep the medium moist but not water-logged. Water more frequently when the leaves have developed. Full sun is best for growing quality plants.
Growth
During April and May, vegetative buds will produce leaves. By June, the roots begin to form. Fifty to 98 percent of the cuttings should root. The period of May 1 to June 15 is critical for root and foliage development.
After roots and foliage have developed, increase ventilation and apply fertilizer. Often fertilizer is applied weekly in a soluble form (i.e. 15-30-4, 13-36-13) or slow-release form. Nitrogen (N) is needed to maintain active growth. Nitrogen can be supplied as ammon-ium sulfate (1 oz/gallon water), am-monium phosphate, urea, or in other formulations.
When diseased cuttings or leaves are found, carefully remove and destroy them and increase ventilation, and/or apply appropriate fungicides (type depending on disease present).
Rooted cuttings remain in the medium to overwinter in the propagation frames. Remove rooted cuttings the following spring. Either line-out rooted cuttings in pots or place them in the ground, spaced 8 by 18 inches or 8 by 10 inches.
Softwood Cuttings
Softwood, or summer, cuttings are used to speed propagation of blueberry plants. Concord, Herbert, Ivanhoe, Stanley, and Bluecrop (which are difficult to propagate by hardwood cuttings) root more easily by softwood cuttings. However, softwood cuttings require a mist system and well ventilated propagating structures. Thus, blueberries are more difficult to propagate by softwood than hardwood cuttings.
Take softwood cuttings in June while the mother block plant is growing actively. Shoots of the first seasonal flush of growth make the best wood for cuttings. Take cuttings before fruit buds start to form.
Cuttings should be 5 to 9 inches long, with 2 or 3 leaves. Place cuttings 2 inches deep into rooting medium made up of equal parts of perlite and peat moss, or another acceptable mix.
Mist irrigation and shade are required to prevent foliage from drying out and dying. After roots and foliage appear, good air circulation will help prevent the spread of diseases. Periodic sprays of fungicides will serve as prophylactic measures to prevent Botrytis, root rot, bacterial canker, and other diseases. Check with your local county Extension agent to select and schedule use of proper fungicides to reduce likelihood of developing fungicide resistance.
Softwood cuttings should root in 4 to 7 weeks and can then be transplanted into peat or plastic pots. Plants can be forced in a greenhouse during the winter months for additional growth. A complete soluble fertilizer will help ensure good foliage and root growth. Do not allow evening temperatures to fall below 60 F.
Rooting hormones
Rooting hormones may increase the percentage of rooting of cuttings, but have not been proven effective.
Tissue Culture
A few laboratories have begun to propagate blueberries by tissue culture. This procedure allows for very rapid proliferation of certain cultivars, but also requires an expensive, specialized laboratory. The growing tips of plants are removed under sterile conditions and placed in a special growth medium in growth chambers. The resulting plantlets are carefully rooted under high humidity in a greenhouse and are generally sold in transplant trays.
Other Propagation Methods
The following methods of propagating are mainly used for research or propagation of only a few plants:
Mounding
In this system, severely prune the mother plant, cutting back canes and young whips to 6 to 12 inches above the ground. Fertilize and then build a wood or tar paper frame around the plant and fill this with a rooting medium. After 3 years, remove the frame. One-sided root systems are produced near the base of the stems. After cutting below the roots, the plants are ready for transplanting. This method is rarely used.
Seeds
Seeds can be used for propagation but are mainly used in breeding programs as plants do not breed true to type. The seeds need to be exposed to light to germinate, which takes 3 to 8 weeks. Seeds are sown on the surface of sphagnum peat or a 1:1 mix of sphagnum and sand. The medium must be kept moist.
Grafting
Budding involves grafting a single bud onto another plant. Bud when the bark slips easily in the spring. Rubber grafting bands are good wrapping material to fasten the buds to the branch. Other types of grafts used are the cleft, whip, side, and T-bud.
Budding and grafting are not commonly used because blueberry plants are rejuvenated by suckers below the graft or bud unions. Within 4 to 6 years, these unions will be pruned out.
berrygrape.org
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I have had best luck taking cuttings in May-June... use firm new growth apply 0,8% IBA Rooting hormone Stick in well drained soil & mist..takes 30-80 days to root.
may try using the cuttings you have with 0.8% IBA & keep soil damp not wet. use bottom heat.
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I just gave some blueberry cuttings and goji cuttings a try about a month ago. My method is pretty unorthodox, but it seems to be working. I didn't want to spent a lot of money and time on this the first time. I have 2, 1 gallon concrete buckets with handles. In those buckets, I stacked the cardboard toilet paper rolls straight up and down. I cut those in half and start seedlings in them, also. I got 13-14 of them in there. I filled those with my potting soil mix and moistened the soil and tubes. With my cuttings, I left them one inch longer than the toilet paper roll and cut the bottom at a 45 degree angle just below a bud. I carefully scraped the bark off about one inch up from the bottom. I then poked a pencil down to the bottom of the toilet paper roll, dunked the cutting in a rooting hormone and stuck it in the hole. I keep them moist. I can keep a cover on them. I have set them out in the sun. I keep them on a window ledge. Both containers are budding and looking much better than I imagined. I can't wait to see them in 4-6 weeks when I transplant them into a bigger pot. Good Luck!
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I grow blueberries from hardwood cuttings. As long as the soil stays warm, they will eventually grow roots. You might only get 40% or 50% to root, but it's better than none. I usually make softwood cuttings in June to get a higher survival rate. I like to put my hardwood cuttings on a table near a south facing window preferably close to a furnace vent or another source of warmth such as a radiator. Keep the soil temp around 70 degrees F and they will root about 2 to 4 weeks after bud break. I hope this helps.
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I have also done vegetative cuttings much the same way yiorges does them. I have also done them by root cuttings, which gives me the highest % of take but it is much more difficult and you need to destroy one plant...but you can get alot more. I would assume you are a home owner trying to propagate this plant. If so, vegetative cuttings might be a little difficult due to the fact that you don't really have a mist system. You can try your method. Try scoring the bottom of the stem then you can put a little powder on the wound, then put a rock on top of the stem so the bottom of the stem is making good contact with soil. Then keep it watered. Another way I have done it is take a stem (not one that appears woody but not a soft green one either...like a stem that is light brown - last years growth) and lightly score the stem all around. Apply some rooting hormone powder. Then take a ball of soil...about the size of a baseball and moisten it. Next take the ball of soil and put it around the wound you just created and hold it in your hand. Then take tin foil and wrap the soil ball with tin foil and pinch it around the stem above and below the soil ball so it will stay there. Then you can poke holes in the foil. Keep the soil moist and by fall time you should have some roots. Next spring comes you can take the foil off and there should be roots all throughout that soil ball. Cut the stem off and plant the soil ball and you will have a new plant! This has worked for me just need to make sure that soil stays moist.
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http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/propa/msg1211152916932.html
Step One
Cut a soft, succulent stem from the plant you want to propagate. Cut the stem into pieces 3"-4" long. Trim the stem pieces so that there's a leaf at the top and the bottom of the cutting. Next, pinch off all but the top one to four leaves. You'll get better rooting if you scrape the bark off of the bottom 1" of stem in a narrow strip on one side. Be sure to just scrape off the green bark tissue. Leave the harder white core of the stem alone.
Step Two-
Dip the cutting into a rooting hormone material such as Rootone. It's important that some of the rooting hormone dust adheres to the cutting. It helps if the cutting is slightly moist (not wet!).
Step Three-
Stick the cutting into a small pot filled with a mixture of one half peat moss and one half perlite. Be sure that the mixture is well moistened before sticking the cutting in. Use a smaller sized pot no bigger than 2.5" across, or you can use empty bedding plant trays. It's best to use new pots, but if you want to use a pot that's been used before, wash it well with soap and water, and then sterilize it with bleach or alcohol and then rinse thoroughly before using.
It will usually take several weeks for roots to form on your cuttings. Keep the cuttings indoors, in a bright spot that gets no direct sunlight. During this time, a careful balance must be kept with the watering of the media in the pots. It needs to stay somewhat moist, but it can't stay too wet or the cuttings will rot. If green algae starts growing on the top of the media, you're watering too much! Increasing the humidity around the cuttings will help in their success. Clear plastic humidity domes work well for this. They fit over a standard 10" x 20" greenhouse flat. Prop the corners up with a pencil so that there can be a little air circulation.
When new growth forms on the cuttings, you can be fairly sure that they have rooted and can be transplanted. You can also check for roots coming out of the bottom drainage holes of the pots. Once your cuttings have rooted well, you can pot them into a larger container, or plant them out in the yard this spring.
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Use cuttings of FIRM NEW GROWTH, apply 0.8% IBA (rooting hormone) stick in well drained soil & mist taking 30-80 days to root
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http://berrygrape.org/blueberry/
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http://berrygrape.org/blueberry-propagation/ TOP
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Before propagating blueberries, evaluate land use in relation to time, land investment, equipment, labor, and structures needed. Identifying a source true-to-name and disease-free is essential for successful propagation. Do not propagate from plants adjacent to bushes showing disease symptoms.
A vast majority of blueberry propagation is done by relatively few commercial growers because of investment and cost. Most new growers can get into production sooner if they buy rooted cuttings rather than producing their own plants.
Highbush blueberries can be propagated by both hardwood and softwood cuttings. Most propagation is done with hardwood cuttings, as they are easier to handle and are less perishable than softwood cuttings. However, softwood cuttings allow more rapid multiplication of plants.
Cuttings are whips or shoots that are cut into several pieces, each 4 to 6 inches long. There are 3 types of cuttings: leaf buds only, 1 to 2 fruit buds in addition to at least 2 good leaf buds, and a cutting taken from the middle of the previous year’s growth with one or more fruit buds removed. Research shows a higher percentage of rooting is obtained from leaf bud cuttings than from fruit bud cuttings with fruit buds removed.
Hardwood Cuttings
Selecting whip/cutting wood
Proper selection of shoots is important for rooting. Take dormant, well hardened, unbranched, one-year-old whips/shoots from “mother” plants. Whips should be one-fourth inch or less (pencil width) in diameter but not spindly. Do not use shoots formed late in the season, as they are poorly hardened; such shoots often have an off-white to brown pithy interior. Look for healthy leaf buds on the whip. Avoid wood that might be diseased with Botrytis twig blight, bacterial blight, or Godronia cane canker.
Cuttings made from wood greater than one-fourth inch in diameter don’t root as well, but may still produce desirable plants. Do not use thin wood unless cutting wood is scarce.
Prepare whips by removing the fruit buds and cutting the whips into lengths. Cuttings cut less than 4 inches long have a smaller stored food supply, so greater care is needed to get them to root.
Whips may be cut mechanically using a band or bench saw, or by hand using a sharp knife or pruning shears. Cutting by hand allows the basal cut to be nearer a vegetative bud; this is especially important for hard-to-root cultivars (table 1). The cuts must be clean, taking care not to damage or bruise the bark. To stimulate rooting, slice a one-half to one inch long layer of bark from both sides of the base of the cutting. Protect the cuttings from drying out.
Table 1. Rooting characteristics of hardwood cuttings of Pacific Northwest cultivarsEasy Moderate Hard
Bluetta Earliblue Spartan
Patriot Collins Bluejay
Northland Olympia Ivanhoe
Blueray Herbert Bluecrop
Berkeley Jersey Darrow
Coville Elliott
Jersey (1613-A)
Collect cuttings in early spring before bud break. Timing in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho is February/March for small-scale farms. For large-scale farms, start taking cuttings in late January. A minimum of 850 to 1,000 chilling hours is needed for shoot growth and flowering to occur (see Winter Acclimation and Cold Hardiness) . It is best to take cuttings in late March and place them immediately in propagation flats. However, often propagators must start early and store the cuttings.
Storage
Stored cuttings should be cleaned, placed in plastic bags with sphagnum moss, and stored at 34 to 40 F. Maintain a humidity of 80 to 90 percent. Temperatures below 30 F may damage the wood. Cuttings can be stored for 2 to 3 months. Ensure good ventilation when using boxes or trays. Fill boxes or trays with sphagnum moss to increase humidity and prevent cuttings from drying out. The shorter the length of storage, the better. Storage of cuttings can be difficult and should be done only if necessary.
Propagation structures
Propagation beds should be located in full sun with a suitable well-drained medium. Place beds either on the ground or raised above the ground. Construct propagation frames from good quality, new, treated wood. The frame bottom should have crosspieces for supporting heavy-gauged wire. Place hardware cloth over the wire. Beds are usually 4 feet wide, 8 inches deep, and of various lengths. A well constructed propagation bed will help reduce insect, disease, mouse, and gopher problems.
Rooting frames should contain a heating source. Place frames in glass or plastic greenhouses. Recommended bottom heat is between 68 to 73 F. Often heating coils are used to maintain a more constant media temperature. Heat sources include propagation heating mats, hot water tubing, and lead, rubber, or poly-covered cable.
Good quality thermostats maintain a constant heat. See the manufacturer of these products for current recommendations and application methods. Avoid wide temperature fluctuations and drafts in the propagation bed and greenhouse structure to promote rapid and even rooting.
Rooting media
Rooting media include sphagnum moss, American, German, or Canadian peat, sawdust, sand, cinders, perlite, and vermiculite. Peat alone as a medium creates problems when trying to separate the roots before transplanting. Root media need to have a pH of 4.5 to 5.5. Fresh sawdust is not recommended.
Several medium mixes work well.
Mix 1. 50% sphagnum peat moss and 50% coarse-washed concrete sand;
Mix 2. 50% peat and 50% vermiculite or perlite;
Mix 3. 30% perlite, 30% sand, and 30% vermiculite (or perlite).
Mix these media thoroughly before placing on the screens in propagating beds. Bluecrop requires a higher proportion of sand. Water the rooting medium thoroughly. Add extra medium as the new medium settles. Maintain a depth of 8 inches.
Placing cuttings
Before inserting the cuttings into the medium, label them well as to cultivar and mother block. Place the cuttings vertically (right side up with vegetative buds pointing upward) into the medium, leaving 1 or 2 buds above the medium (60 percent covered). If bottom heat is used, insert one-third to one-half of the cutting into the medium. The butts of the cuttings should not touch the bottoms of the frames. Set the cuttings in a 2- by 2-inch, or 2- by 3-inch spacing. For larger root development, a 3- by 3-inch spacing is recommended. Press the medium around the base of the cuttings. Failure to do so will cause the cuttings to dry out.
In the Pacific Northwest, cuttings are usually stuck, or inserted, from January 15 to March 10.
Water/light
Water the cuttings thoroughly about once a week to keep the medium moist but not water-logged. Water more frequently when the leaves have developed. Full sun is best for growing quality plants.
Growth
During April and May, vegetative buds will produce leaves. By June, the roots begin to form. Fifty to 98 percent of the cuttings should root. The period of May 1 to June 15 is critical for root and foliage development.
After roots and foliage have developed, increase ventilation and apply fertilizer. Often fertilizer is applied weekly in a soluble form (i.e. 15-30-4, 13-36-13) or slow-release form. Nitrogen (N) is needed to maintain active growth. Nitrogen can be supplied as ammon-ium sulfate (1 oz/gallon water), am-monium phosphate, urea, or in other formulations.
When diseased cuttings or leaves are found, carefully remove and destroy them and increase ventilation, and/or apply appropriate fungicides (type depending on disease present).
Rooted cuttings remain in the medium to overwinter in the propagation frames. Remove rooted cuttings the following spring. Either line-out rooted cuttings in pots or place them in the ground, spaced 8 by 18 inches or 8 by 10 inches.
Softwood Cuttings
Softwood, or summer, cuttings are used to speed propagation of blueberry plants. Concord, Herbert, Ivanhoe, Stanley, and Bluecrop (which are difficult to propagate by hardwood cuttings) root more easily by softwood cuttings. However, softwood cuttings require a mist system and well ventilated propagating structures. Thus, blueberries are more difficult to propagate by softwood than hardwood cuttings.
Take softwood cuttings in June while the mother block plant is growing actively. Shoots of the first seasonal flush of growth make the best wood for cuttings. Take cuttings before fruit buds start to form.
Cuttings should be 5 to 9 inches long, with 2 or 3 leaves. Place cuttings 2 inches deep into rooting medium made up of equal parts of perlite and peat moss, or another acceptable mix.
Mist irrigation and shade are required to prevent foliage from drying out and dying. After roots and foliage appear, good air circulation will help prevent the spread of diseases. Periodic sprays of fungicides will serve as prophylactic measures to prevent Botrytis, root rot, bacterial canker, and other diseases. Check with your local county Extension agent to select and schedule use of proper fungicides to reduce likelihood of developing fungicide resistance.
Softwood cuttings should root in 4 to 7 weeks and can then be transplanted into peat or plastic pots. Plants can be forced in a greenhouse during the winter months for additional growth. A complete soluble fertilizer will help ensure good foliage and root growth. Do not allow evening temperatures to fall below 60 F.
Rooting hormones
Rooting hormones may increase the percentage of rooting of cuttings, but have not been proven effective.
Tissue Culture
A few laboratories have begun to propagate blueberries by tissue culture. This procedure allows for very rapid proliferation of certain cultivars, but also requires an expensive, specialized laboratory. The growing tips of plants are removed under sterile conditions and placed in a special growth medium in growth chambers. The resulting plantlets are carefully rooted under high humidity in a greenhouse and are generally sold in transplant trays.
Other Propagation Methods
The following methods of propagating are mainly used for research or propagation of only a few plants:
Mounding
In this system, severely prune the mother plant, cutting back canes and young whips to 6 to 12 inches above the ground. Fertilize and then build a wood or tar paper frame around the plant and fill this with a rooting medium. After 3 years, remove the frame. One-sided root systems are produced near the base of the stems. After cutting below the roots, the plants are ready for transplanting. This method is rarely used.
Seeds
Seeds can be used for propagation but are mainly used in breeding programs as plants do not breed true to type. The seeds need to be exposed to light to germinate, which takes 3 to 8 weeks. Seeds are sown on the surface of sphagnum peat or a 1:1 mix of sphagnum and sand. The medium must be kept moist.
Grafting
Budding involves grafting a single bud onto another plant. Bud when the bark slips easily in the spring. Rubber grafting bands are good wrapping material to fasten the buds to the branch. Other types of grafts used are the cleft, whip, side, and T-bud.
Budding and grafting are not commonly used because blueberry plants are rejuvenated by suckers below the graft or bud unions. Within 4 to 6 years, these unions will be pruned out.
berrygrape.org
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I have had best luck taking cuttings in May-June... use firm new growth apply 0,8% IBA Rooting hormone Stick in well drained soil & mist..takes 30-80 days to root.
may try using the cuttings you have with 0.8% IBA & keep soil damp not wet. use bottom heat.
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I just gave some blueberry cuttings and goji cuttings a try about a month ago. My method is pretty unorthodox, but it seems to be working. I didn't want to spent a lot of money and time on this the first time. I have 2, 1 gallon concrete buckets with handles. In those buckets, I stacked the cardboard toilet paper rolls straight up and down. I cut those in half and start seedlings in them, also. I got 13-14 of them in there. I filled those with my potting soil mix and moistened the soil and tubes. With my cuttings, I left them one inch longer than the toilet paper roll and cut the bottom at a 45 degree angle just below a bud. I carefully scraped the bark off about one inch up from the bottom. I then poked a pencil down to the bottom of the toilet paper roll, dunked the cutting in a rooting hormone and stuck it in the hole. I keep them moist. I can keep a cover on them. I have set them out in the sun. I keep them on a window ledge. Both containers are budding and looking much better than I imagined. I can't wait to see them in 4-6 weeks when I transplant them into a bigger pot. Good Luck!
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I grow blueberries from hardwood cuttings. As long as the soil stays warm, they will eventually grow roots. You might only get 40% or 50% to root, but it's better than none. I usually make softwood cuttings in June to get a higher survival rate. I like to put my hardwood cuttings on a table near a south facing window preferably close to a furnace vent or another source of warmth such as a radiator. Keep the soil temp around 70 degrees F and they will root about 2 to 4 weeks after bud break. I hope this helps.
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I have also done vegetative cuttings much the same way yiorges does them. I have also done them by root cuttings, which gives me the highest % of take but it is much more difficult and you need to destroy one plant...but you can get alot more. I would assume you are a home owner trying to propagate this plant. If so, vegetative cuttings might be a little difficult due to the fact that you don't really have a mist system. You can try your method. Try scoring the bottom of the stem then you can put a little powder on the wound, then put a rock on top of the stem so the bottom of the stem is making good contact with soil. Then keep it watered. Another way I have done it is take a stem (not one that appears woody but not a soft green one either...like a stem that is light brown - last years growth) and lightly score the stem all around. Apply some rooting hormone powder. Then take a ball of soil...about the size of a baseball and moisten it. Next take the ball of soil and put it around the wound you just created and hold it in your hand. Then take tin foil and wrap the soil ball with tin foil and pinch it around the stem above and below the soil ball so it will stay there. Then you can poke holes in the foil. Keep the soil moist and by fall time you should have some roots. Next spring comes you can take the foil off and there should be roots all throughout that soil ball. Cut the stem off and plant the soil ball and you will have a new plant! This has worked for me just need to make sure that soil stays moist.
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http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/propa/msg1211152916932.html
Fertilisers NPK values
Bloodmeal 12 0 0
Bonemeal 3.5 18 0
Hoof and Horn 12 0 0
Fish, Blood & Bone 6 6 6
Chicken Manure Pellets 4 2.5 2.3
Comfrey Liquid 0.014 0.0059 0.0340
Average Home Made Compost 0.5 0.27 0.81
Cow Manure 0.6 0.4 0.5
Horse Manure 0.7 0.3 0.6
Pig Manure 0.8 0.7 0.5
Chicken Manure 1.1 0.8 0.5
Sheep Manure 0.7 0.3 0.9
Rabbit Manure 2.4 1.4 0.6
Bonemeal 3.5 18 0
Hoof and Horn 12 0 0
Fish, Blood & Bone 6 6 6
Chicken Manure Pellets 4 2.5 2.3
Comfrey Liquid 0.014 0.0059 0.0340
Average Home Made Compost 0.5 0.27 0.81
Cow Manure 0.6 0.4 0.5
Horse Manure 0.7 0.3 0.6
Pig Manure 0.8 0.7 0.5
Chicken Manure 1.1 0.8 0.5
Sheep Manure 0.7 0.3 0.9
Rabbit Manure 2.4 1.4 0.6
Friday, January 6, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Root Pruning - Al Tapla
Previously, I made the case for why it is important to do a full repot (not to be confused with potting-up) and prune the roots of your containerized trees - regularly. Root-pruning is the systematic removal of the largest roots in the container with emphasis on removal of rootage growing directly under the trunk and at the perimeter of the root mass. The following is written primarily to offer some direction in the root-pruning of a high % of deciduous material, but with some very minor adaptations, it can be applied to conifers and evergreens.
Root pruning can start immediately with year-old seedlings by removing the taproot just below the basal flare of dormant material, repotting, and treating the plant as a cutting. This will produce a plant with flat rootage that radiates outward from the base and that will be easy to care for in the future.
Young trees (under 10 yrs old) are nearly all dynamic mass and will tolerate root-pruning well. Most deciduous trees are extremely tolerant of root work. Acer buergerianum (trident maple) is routinely reduced to a main trunk with roots pruned all the way back to the basal flare and responds to the treatment with a fresh growth of fine, fibrous roots and a fresh flush of foliage each spring. The point here is, you don't need to be concerned about the pruning if you follow a few simple guidelines.
First, undertake the root-pruning and repot while the plant is quiescent (this is the period after the tree has met its chill requirement and has been released from dormancy, but has not begun to grow yet because of low soil temps). The ideal time is immediately before buds move (swell) in spring - next best time is at the onset of budswell - next best time is anytime late in the quiescent period.
For deciduous plants that have not been root-pruned before: With a pruning saw, saw off the bottom 1/3 to 1/2 of the root ball. With a hand-rake (like you use for scratching in the garden soil) or a wooden chopstick, remove all the loose soil. Using a jet of water from the hose and the chopstick, remove the remaining soil - ALL of it. This should be done out of sun and wind to prevent the fine roots from drying. 5 minutes in the sun or wind can kill fine roots & set the tree back a week or more, so keep roots moist as you work. After the soil is removed, remove about 1/2 of the remaining mass of roots with a sharp pruning tool, taking the largest roots and those roots growing directly under the trunk. Stop your pruning cuts just beyond where a smaller root branches toward the outside, off the root you are pruning. Be sure to remove any J-roots, encircling roots, or others with abnormal growth.
Before you begin the pruning operation, be sure you have the soil & new container ready to go (drain screens in place, etc). The tree should fit loosely inside the walls of the container. Fill the container with soil to the desired ht, mounded in the center, & place tree on the mound. Add soil to cover roots & with the chopstick, work soil into all voids in the roots, eliminating the air pockets and adding soil to the bottom of the basal root-flare. Temporarily securing the tree to the container with twine or small rope, even staking, against movement from wind or being jostled will speed recovery time by preventing breakage of newly forming fine rootage. Place the tree in shade & out of wind until it leafs out and re-establishes in the container.
The first time you root-prune a tree will be the most difficult & will likely take up to an hour from start to finish, unless the tree is in larger than a 5 gallon container. When you're satisfied with the work, repot into a soil that you are certain will retain its structure until the next root-pruning/repot. Tree (genetic) vigor will dictate the length of time between repots. The slow growing, less vigorous species will likely go 5 years between repots. For these slow growing trees, it is extremely important that soils retain aeration. For these trees, a soil of 2/3 inorganic parts and 1/3 organic (I prefer pine or fir bark) is a good choice. The more vigorous plants that will only go 2 years between repots can be planted in a soil with a higher organic component if you wish, but would still benefit from the 2/3 inorganic mix.
Most trees treated this way will fully recover within about 4 weeks after the spring flush. By the end of 8 weeks, they will normally have caught & passed in both development and in vitality, a similar root-bound plant that was allowed to remain in its old soil and container.
When root-pruning a quiescent plant, you needn't worry much about "balancing" top growth with rootage removed. The plant will tend to only "activate" the buds it can supply with water. It is, however, the optimum time to undertake any pruning you may wish to attend to.
This is how I treat all my deciduous material. Though I have many growing in bonsai pots, more of my plants are in nursery containers or terra-cotta and look very much like your trees, as they await the beginning of training. With a little effort at developing a soil from what's available to you and some knowledge and application of root-pruning and repotting techniques, I'm absolutely sure that a good % of those nurturing trees in containers could look forward to results they can be very pleased with. This is the repotting technique described that allows bonsai trees to live for hundreds of years & be passed from generation to generation while other containerized trees that have not had their roots tended to, and have only been potted-up, are likely to be in severe decline or compost well before they're old enough to vote. ;o)
I hope you're bold enough to make it a part of your containerized tree maintenance, and I hope what I've written makes sense - it's well past a prudent bedtime for me.
Root pruning can start immediately with year-old seedlings by removing the taproot just below the basal flare of dormant material, repotting, and treating the plant as a cutting. This will produce a plant with flat rootage that radiates outward from the base and that will be easy to care for in the future.
Young trees (under 10 yrs old) are nearly all dynamic mass and will tolerate root-pruning well. Most deciduous trees are extremely tolerant of root work. Acer buergerianum (trident maple) is routinely reduced to a main trunk with roots pruned all the way back to the basal flare and responds to the treatment with a fresh growth of fine, fibrous roots and a fresh flush of foliage each spring. The point here is, you don't need to be concerned about the pruning if you follow a few simple guidelines.
First, undertake the root-pruning and repot while the plant is quiescent (this is the period after the tree has met its chill requirement and has been released from dormancy, but has not begun to grow yet because of low soil temps). The ideal time is immediately before buds move (swell) in spring - next best time is at the onset of budswell - next best time is anytime late in the quiescent period.
For deciduous plants that have not been root-pruned before: With a pruning saw, saw off the bottom 1/3 to 1/2 of the root ball. With a hand-rake (like you use for scratching in the garden soil) or a wooden chopstick, remove all the loose soil. Using a jet of water from the hose and the chopstick, remove the remaining soil - ALL of it. This should be done out of sun and wind to prevent the fine roots from drying. 5 minutes in the sun or wind can kill fine roots & set the tree back a week or more, so keep roots moist as you work. After the soil is removed, remove about 1/2 of the remaining mass of roots with a sharp pruning tool, taking the largest roots and those roots growing directly under the trunk. Stop your pruning cuts just beyond where a smaller root branches toward the outside, off the root you are pruning. Be sure to remove any J-roots, encircling roots, or others with abnormal growth.
Before you begin the pruning operation, be sure you have the soil & new container ready to go (drain screens in place, etc). The tree should fit loosely inside the walls of the container. Fill the container with soil to the desired ht, mounded in the center, & place tree on the mound. Add soil to cover roots & with the chopstick, work soil into all voids in the roots, eliminating the air pockets and adding soil to the bottom of the basal root-flare. Temporarily securing the tree to the container with twine or small rope, even staking, against movement from wind or being jostled will speed recovery time by preventing breakage of newly forming fine rootage. Place the tree in shade & out of wind until it leafs out and re-establishes in the container.
The first time you root-prune a tree will be the most difficult & will likely take up to an hour from start to finish, unless the tree is in larger than a 5 gallon container. When you're satisfied with the work, repot into a soil that you are certain will retain its structure until the next root-pruning/repot. Tree (genetic) vigor will dictate the length of time between repots. The slow growing, less vigorous species will likely go 5 years between repots. For these slow growing trees, it is extremely important that soils retain aeration. For these trees, a soil of 2/3 inorganic parts and 1/3 organic (I prefer pine or fir bark) is a good choice. The more vigorous plants that will only go 2 years between repots can be planted in a soil with a higher organic component if you wish, but would still benefit from the 2/3 inorganic mix.
Most trees treated this way will fully recover within about 4 weeks after the spring flush. By the end of 8 weeks, they will normally have caught & passed in both development and in vitality, a similar root-bound plant that was allowed to remain in its old soil and container.
When root-pruning a quiescent plant, you needn't worry much about "balancing" top growth with rootage removed. The plant will tend to only "activate" the buds it can supply with water. It is, however, the optimum time to undertake any pruning you may wish to attend to.
This is how I treat all my deciduous material. Though I have many growing in bonsai pots, more of my plants are in nursery containers or terra-cotta and look very much like your trees, as they await the beginning of training. With a little effort at developing a soil from what's available to you and some knowledge and application of root-pruning and repotting techniques, I'm absolutely sure that a good % of those nurturing trees in containers could look forward to results they can be very pleased with. This is the repotting technique described that allows bonsai trees to live for hundreds of years & be passed from generation to generation while other containerized trees that have not had their roots tended to, and have only been potted-up, are likely to be in severe decline or compost well before they're old enough to vote. ;o)
I hope you're bold enough to make it a part of your containerized tree maintenance, and I hope what I've written makes sense - it's well past a prudent bedtime for me.
Cutting mixes - Tapla
I don't like vermiculite for cuttings because it loses it's loft & breaks down in ..... oh ..... about 10 minutes.☺ It's hard to beat coarse perlite that's been screened through a std size kitchen strainer or insect screen & rinsed. Other good options are screened Turface or screened DE. The DE can be found at several chain auto parts stores. If you're interested in that, I'll look up what folks have been using. Basically, you want the particles large enough (BB-size or larger) so there is no soggy layer of medium at the bottom of your cup or container.
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http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fig/msg0316490114612.html
~ Heat mat on the inside of a 68 quart bin.
~ Check humidity and open bin everyday, with the lid off for a short time, otherwise lid is on at all times.
~ Keep heat mat on half the day, and off half the day
~ Perilite cups worked better than moss.
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One of the reasons I always avoid using potting mixes like Fertilome's Ultimate Potting Mix and others is because they are not sterile. They are contaminated with various fungi that cause any one of a number of diseases, primarily the damping off diseases that cause cuttings to fail at a higher rate. It makes no sense to go to great length to 'clean' cuttings, only to stick them in a medium that is assuredly contaminated. Potting soil mixes as media for cuttings yield acceptable strike success with F carica not because they are close to ideal, but because the plant itself is often vigorous enough that it doesn't matter what the medium used is.
I also avoid any fertilizing or media with nutrients added because fertilizer and soluble salts inhibit the cutting's ability to remain hydrated. Fertilizers in the medium are counter-productive until root primordia are visible, indicating a vascular connection between roots and the top of the cutting. At this point, the plant becomes able to absorb water and nutrients via its bedding root system.
Additionally, potting soils hold perched water, even if mixed 50/50 with perlite. This is very often a problem with inexperienced growers who feel their soils need to be wet for their cuttings to 'drink'. The cutting should have very high humidity surrounding the cut end, but NO film of water. A little slip in watering can be a major consideration in the difference between success and failure. None of these issues are a consideration in rooting media that is comprised of large and sterile particles.
The idea most of us adhere to in our growing endeavors is to give our plants every advantage and opportunity to grow to it's potential, not to force them to tolerate something less than ideal, just because they can.
Please regard this information and opposing view as informational/educational, not confrontational.
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http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fig/msg0316490114612.html
~ Heat mat on the inside of a 68 quart bin.
~ Check humidity and open bin everyday, with the lid off for a short time, otherwise lid is on at all times.
~ Keep heat mat on half the day, and off half the day
~ Perilite cups worked better than moss.
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One of the reasons I always avoid using potting mixes like Fertilome's Ultimate Potting Mix and others is because they are not sterile. They are contaminated with various fungi that cause any one of a number of diseases, primarily the damping off diseases that cause cuttings to fail at a higher rate. It makes no sense to go to great length to 'clean' cuttings, only to stick them in a medium that is assuredly contaminated. Potting soil mixes as media for cuttings yield acceptable strike success with F carica not because they are close to ideal, but because the plant itself is often vigorous enough that it doesn't matter what the medium used is.
I also avoid any fertilizing or media with nutrients added because fertilizer and soluble salts inhibit the cutting's ability to remain hydrated. Fertilizers in the medium are counter-productive until root primordia are visible, indicating a vascular connection between roots and the top of the cutting. At this point, the plant becomes able to absorb water and nutrients via its bedding root system.
Additionally, potting soils hold perched water, even if mixed 50/50 with perlite. This is very often a problem with inexperienced growers who feel their soils need to be wet for their cuttings to 'drink'. The cutting should have very high humidity surrounding the cut end, but NO film of water. A little slip in watering can be a major consideration in the difference between success and failure. None of these issues are a consideration in rooting media that is comprised of large and sterile particles.
The idea most of us adhere to in our growing endeavors is to give our plants every advantage and opportunity to grow to it's potential, not to force them to tolerate something less than ideal, just because they can.
Please regard this information and opposing view as informational/educational, not confrontational.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Fertiliser
Understanding of NPK percentages as opposed to fertilizer RATIOS is important. NPK %s tell us how much (N)itrogen, (P)hosphorous pentoxide, and (K) potassium oxide (the symbol for potassium is 'K') are in a fertilizer by weight. So a fertilizer that is labeled "All Purpose 24-8-16" is 24% nitrogen, 8% phosphorous, and 16% potassium. 12-4-8 is also a common "all-purpose" fertilizer. It has exactly half the nutrients of 24-8-16, but both are 3:1:2 RATIO fertilizers. Ratios are a way of describing the amount of nutrients in a fertilizer as they relate to each other. Why is this important? It is important because we know that on average, plants use about 6 times as much N as P, and they use about 3/5 as much K as N, and now I will tell you how we can use this information to our plant's advantage.
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When you're employing the 'shotgun' approach and fertilizing w/o a soil test to give you direction, one fertilizer ratio is pretty much as good as the next, though a case can easily be made that even with the shotgun approach, choosing a fertilizer that supplies nutrients in a % multiple as close to a 3:1:2 ratio as possible is probably the wisest and least expensive choice.
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Links
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/houseplt/msg101400289284.html
Allotments
NPK Values
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When you're employing the 'shotgun' approach and fertilizing w/o a soil test to give you direction, one fertilizer ratio is pretty much as good as the next, though a case can easily be made that even with the shotgun approach, choosing a fertilizer that supplies nutrients in a % multiple as close to a 3:1:2 ratio as possible is probably the wisest and least expensive choice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Links
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/houseplt/msg101400289284.html
Allotments
NPK Values
Monday, January 2, 2012
Blueberry Propagation
Axier- Soft wood cuttings are best using a hydroponic set up. The soft wood cuttings I've taken have performed poorly, primarily because of the mix I used. It lacked aeration. Be sure to add the sand/perlite ratio in the above descriptions.
Of my hydroponic cuttings, I only lost 1 of 72, and they rooted in 19-22 days.
I designed my own "rapid rooter", as they call it in
cannabis circles. Just a thought, it's nice and clean. I add a little peroxide in addition to the fishtank bubbler
noogy
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Posted by Noogy 5b (My Page) on Fri, Jul 1, 11 at 8:50
Axier, I see the plugs you're refering to
It's basically a hydroponic configuration with a humid dome and rooting solution. Take a 1'X2'x 18"deep bin with a tight cover, cut 2" circular holes in the top, where you will be inserting the basket,whick contains the neoprene inserts and the cuttings. I put 6-7 cuttings per insrt/basket, not just one.
You can also use a bucket with a lid, but it's hard to find a humidome that fits.
For the solution I use 1c of olivia's rooting solution, 1/4 cup of hormex/ 1/8 cup of kelp/ 1/8 cup of hydrogen peroxide, and water up to 2-2.5 gallons. Add 1/8 cup of hydrogen peroxide 3% every 4 days.
Use an aquarium bubbler, hydroponic pump to move your solution. I use a sprinkler head to irrigate the cuttings, some use misters, but they clog. Keep the solution clean, make sure what ever irrigating method used, that the solution actively drips from the cuttings. Check it often, add 1 liter of water every 3 days for evaporation.
Mist often and cover with inverted clear bin/ flourescent light. The hydroponic stores have the unit$100+, but they have the essential components, pump, tubing, emitters, cheap.
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Tx Noogy Top Man
Of my hydroponic cuttings, I only lost 1 of 72, and they rooted in 19-22 days.
I designed my own "rapid rooter", as they call it in
cannabis circles. Just a thought, it's nice and clean. I add a little peroxide in addition to the fishtank bubbler
noogy
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Posted by Noogy 5b (My Page) on Fri, Jul 1, 11 at 8:50
Axier, I see the plugs you're refering to
It's basically a hydroponic configuration with a humid dome and rooting solution. Take a 1'X2'x 18"deep bin with a tight cover, cut 2" circular holes in the top, where you will be inserting the basket,whick contains the neoprene inserts and the cuttings. I put 6-7 cuttings per insrt/basket, not just one.
You can also use a bucket with a lid, but it's hard to find a humidome that fits.
For the solution I use 1c of olivia's rooting solution, 1/4 cup of hormex/ 1/8 cup of kelp/ 1/8 cup of hydrogen peroxide, and water up to 2-2.5 gallons. Add 1/8 cup of hydrogen peroxide 3% every 4 days.
Use an aquarium bubbler, hydroponic pump to move your solution. I use a sprinkler head to irrigate the cuttings, some use misters, but they clog. Keep the solution clean, make sure what ever irrigating method used, that the solution actively drips from the cuttings. Check it often, add 1 liter of water every 3 days for evaporation.
Mist often and cover with inverted clear bin/ flourescent light. The hydroponic stores have the unit$100+, but they have the essential components, pump, tubing, emitters, cheap.
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Tx Noogy Top Man
Container Gardening Expertise
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Fertilizer Program for Containerized Plants III
Fertilizer Program - Containerized Plants II
Container Soils - Water Movement & Retention XIII
Fertilizer Program for Containerized Plants III
Fertilizer Program - Containerized Plants II
Container Soils - Water Movement & Retention XIII
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