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HORT THERAPY
Dear Readers:
HORT THERAPY is a weekly column where our team of professionals will answer your gardening questions.
Email us your garden questions at AskDIGIT@dig-itmag.com. We love a challenge.
Dear DIG IT!
I live in coastal Wilmington, North Carolina right on the edge of Zone 7
and Zone 8. Wisteria grows wild everywhere here so I dug up a large
shrub-type bush of Wisteria and transplanted it in my yard last week
(late April). I put it in my regular soil (no fancy top soil or
fertilizer) and have been watering it once a day.
After one week it looks very wilted and droopy. Should I stop watering
it? Should I prune the wilted blooms and leaves? Should I prune the long
runners or laterals? If so, should I do the pruning now or wait until
later in the year? Thank you, Linda
Dear Linda,
The first thing to do if you haven't done it alrteady is to whack off at least one-third of the plant to compensate for root loss. If the plant is large as you mentioned, maybe remove even more - half. The blooms and long runners will come off with this heavy pruning. I wouldn't worry about the rest of the wilted leaves - if they want to fall off, they will.
Then, keep it well-watered but not soggy. This super-sturdy plant still needs to be protected from hot sun while in this delicate transition. Shield it from mid-to-late afternoon sun by placing a burlap barrier around the southwestern side of the plant, high enough so the created shade extends over the top of the plant.
Once established, look out! You'll need to clip off the long runners again in summertime. Good luck to you! And thanks for "Asking DIG IT!"
Jeff Van Pelt and Mary Jasch
Dear DIG IT!
I LIVE IN NORTHERN NJ. WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO PLANT GLAD BULBS? IS IT TOO LATE? WHEN IS THE LATEST THEY CAN BE PLANTED? ANY PLANTING TIPS AS FAR AS FERTILIZER, MANURE ETC WOULD BE APPRECIATED. WHAT ABOUT STORING THE BULBS? THANK YOU.
Dear Bobcat,
Plant gladiolus bulbs after the last hard frost - in northern New jersey that's May 15 to be safe. There are a couple recommendations given to DIG IT! about fertilizer -- 4-10-10 and 10-10-10. One grower ecommends putting diatomaceous earth in the planting holes to kill wire worms and also putting bonemeal there. Well-rotted manure should be fine.
Please check our article on gladiolus(Click Here) with lots of info about planting, storing, and also where to buy the best bulbs.
Thanks!
Dear DIG IT!
WE LIVE ON SOME ACREAGE IN COLORADO AND HAVE a lot OF ROCKS THAT WOULD POSSIBLY PREVENT US FROM GROWING TREES FOR B&B AND SOMEONE TOLD US THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO USE ANOTHER METHOD WITH THE USE OF MAYBE A CONTAINER OR FABRIC THAT WE COULD GROW THEM IN AND THEN LATER DIG THEM UP IN THE CONTAINER TO SELL. IS THERE SUCH A THING? WHAT IS IT CALLED AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
THANK YOU, KIM
Dear Kim
You are referring to the “pot-in-pot" method. You put a pot into a “socket pot" -¯ a container in the ground - and plant the shrub in that. If the pot you are planting in is much smaller than the socket pot, you can raise it on a brick. You do not need any underlying drainage for rocky soil. Here is what expert Gladis Zinati has to say:
Per my understanding, that the use of the rocky soil for producing in Colorado for producing B & B is difficult and the grower is looking for an alternative. My idea is that if the soil is a well-drained soil, the grower can use the land to produce shrubs and small trees in pot-in-pot production system. I attached here a link for the fact sheet I wrote on requirements on establishing pot-in-pot system. You may refer your reader to this fact sheet to learn more about this system. http://www.rcre.rutgers.edu/pubs/publication.asp?pid=FS519
Gladis Zinati, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Nursery Management Specialist
Rutgers University, Cook College
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