REFRESHING THE SOIL OF POTTED PLANTS

Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaIndoor plantsPlant Health CareUncategorized
Written By Peter Morris

Introduction

Is this actually a thing to do ? Actually - YES!

Over time many organic components in the soil your plant is living in will decompose, deteriorate, wash away or otherwise be utilized by the plant. All this leads to depletion of the soil texture and structure as well as the loss of vital organic compounds and minerals. Those plants that are watered under an automatic irrigation system tend to have an accelerated rate of loss of all these items.

Water soluble substances like Malic and Fulvic acid, or minerals like Sulfur and Iron all wash away over time down the drain ! Fertilizing will only do so much when the soil has become hard, compacted and void of organic compounds. These are very important components naturally available only in fresh soil. See our previous blog on Malic Acid

Root bound plants and soil devoid of air spaces lead to a slowdown of new root formation and consequently directly affects the ability to absorb water and nutrients.

The best solution is to add new soil. How you do this will depend on whether the plant is in a small or large container.


Small Container plants

Small potted plants are the easiest. One easy way is to repot them up into a larger container size. You could also just pull them out of the pot they are growing in, remove a few inches of soil and roots from the bottom, then add new soil with fertilizer and put it back in the same pot. Whichever way you choose try to accomplish this at least yearly.

Big Container plants

Big containers are a different story altogether. They are difficult to move around or lift the plants out of them to add soil to the bottom.

In these larger ones you need to dig several holes adjacent to the edges around the pot and remove the soil in a column down to about a foot or so deep. Into the empty space you add your new soil with fertilizer. Your goal is to remove at least 20% of the soil volume every time you do this.

Repeating this once or twice a year while rotating the different spots in the planter you make the holes in will ensure most of the soil gets replenished every year. More importantly you are replenishing the soil where the plants need it the most – the edges ! This is where most new root formation occurs.

We can help you with this one !

Call us !


PLANT SPECIALISTS

GREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 53 YEARS !



Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBA

All photographs used with permission @SHUTTERSTOCK

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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