Tropical Style

Problems Potting Seedling Trees

Seedling trees are still tender and subject to damage from handling when transplanting. Planting seedlings in plant pots allows the gardener to transfer the trees to secure areas when the weather turns harsh. The dirt and other growing states can be controlled when potted. Being mindful of potting issues before transplanting seedling trees helps the gardener prevent them.

Storage

The best time to plant seedling trees is as soon as they arrive, but sometimes that doesn’t occur. When the roots are exposed to air and sunlight, the roots can dry out and die. Set the tree seedling in a trendy location and keep the root ball moist while waiting to be transplanted. Spray the roots down with room-temperature water, and do not submerge the root ball for extended amounts of time. This denies the tree seedling oxygen and can drown the skin.

Container

The ideal container size is important because it directly affects the water-holding ability. Pick a plant pot only a few inches larger than the preceding container. A container also large allows too much water to surround the roots, while you too little doesn’t hold enough water and dries out too fast for the tree roots to absorb enough moisture.

Drainage

The plant pot must have drainage holes so that the water runs freely throughout the container. Without drainage holes, water stands at the plant pot surrounding the roots drowning the tree. If you cover the drainage holes using mesh stuff to hold the dirt inside the container, then ensure that you do not use fine mesh, or mesh using extremely small holes. Check to ensure that water flows through any mesh used to cover the holes at the plant pot.

Soil

Tree seedlings need lightweight dirt to live in containers. Don’t use garden soil, which can harbor garden pests and plant diseases. Heavy soil doesn’t allow the young roots to grow and distribute correctly. Create a fantastic soil mix for tree seedlings by mixing equal parts of sand, peat moss and bark or perlite. This mixture keeps the dirt loose and also carries enough moisture to maintain the roots healthy.

Roots

While transplanting the tree seedling, analyze the roots to see whether the plant is experiencing being tightly packed. Look for curiously dead and growing roots. Prune away the larger roots with hand pruners. Loosen the others by running your fingers through the root ball. Invite the roots to grow outwardindications Spread the roots out naturally when putting the seedling from the plant pot. Don’t point the roots upward.

Watering

Lousy watering habits are a frequent source of tree seedling death. Water the tree seedling intensely, right after transplanting in a container, and then only as required afterward. Water when the top of the soil feels dry to the touch, but do not let the soil become bone dry.

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