QuestionQUESTION: I just bought 6 grafted tropical fruit tree that are mango, soursop, sugar apple, wax jambu and barbado cherry. I need a good draining mix for these tree. There are so many different potting mix out there and they all are confusing me, everyone said their mix is a work wonder, and some potting mix is quite expensive. Please help. I need to transplant those tree to a bigger pot soon.
I will be grateful for your help. By the way, I live in zone 8 if any help.
ANSWER: Hi Dee, there are indeed many different soils out there and some are very good while others are very bad; the soil put out by Miracle-Grow is a good choice and Scotts also puts out a quality product. Stay away from the cheaper ones, because you do get what you pay for. When you do find your soil of choice, keep in mind that you need to line the bottom of your container with a couple of inches of gravel or some sort of drainage material, this allows excess water to settle there and not on your trees roots. I also like to remind questioners that it is paramount to plant the tree at the same level as it was in its nursery container, no deeper! When you remove it from the nursery container, loosen up the side and bottom roots, so they will expand easily into the new soil base. Once it is set in its new container, then water it well, this will settle the soil so you can bring it up to its correct level after and remove any air pockets that may exist. Contained trees need to be watched from year to year, for salt builds up after awhile from the fertilizing, you can retain half of the original soil (again this is after a year or more..) by flushing it, and then adding new soil. Good Luck Dee, and if you have any other questions, let me know, ...Nick
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QUESTION: Hi Nick, it me,Dee, again. Thanks you so much for answer my last question. I'll have to bother you once more time...should I add some fine pine barks or sand into the mix to make it a little looser? Because when it wet somehow it seems pack itself down. I already lost 3 trees in the containers last year with MG. Do you have any good recipe for "no soil potting mix" that you think it would work on my case and if you would like to share it with me.
I really appreciate all your helps.
ANSWER: Hi again, ok. soilless will work great! its just more effort, here goes.....50% organic material,,(half peat moss and half shredded bark) 25% Perlite or Vermiculite (for aeration) and 25% washed builders sand. This mix will not compact on you, and allow water to reach all the roots, when you water however, you need to make sure you see it coming out the drainage holes, so you know your tree is properly irrigated. Keep in mind Dee, that you will have to adjust your watering habits, for this mix is very porous and will dry out quicker then soil will. But remember, it is always better for your plant/tree to wilt a little, letting know it needs water, then for it to wilt because the roots have been damaged by standing water...:)Nick
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QUESTION: Hi Nick, Thank you so much for your answering about potting. I have found everything that I need for soilless potting mix. Now I just have to mix it and plant my trees then.Hope it will works for all of my potting plants.
This time I have a question about bees not soil though. Do you have any way to "chase" the bee from one spot others? I have two different areas for my garden this summer.One which I planted melons only, there are at least a couple of dozen of bees everyday in this area and I have a lot of melons but not even one in others. How do I do to attract the bee to move to the area I need them for pollination?
Thank you for all your helps. Dee
Answer...You are enlightening, I will give you that:)..no, you can't make bees pollinate what they don't want to....if they are present, they will pollinate what they want to, and some bees do not like melons, like Honey Bees, its the Bumble Bees that usually take care of them. Nick
