16 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, August 13, 2021
gardening
Repotting 101 W3WEEKEND W16WEEKEND The Tribune | Weekend Friday, July 23, 2021| 11
Friday, August 7, 2020 16 | The Tribune | Weekend
gardening gardening
Pruning All aboutfor the lychee tree tree strength THE hot weather has many of ByGOOD ADAMday, BOORMAN •Time flies, gardeners! us retreating from the garden into Tribune Features Reporter • I yes? Time isorsubjective also. Had cooler spaces indoors. acadet@tribunemedia.net planted a lycheegarden (Litchiweeds chinensis I’m watching go Sonn/Nephelium litchi ballistic, amhave not had tooCambess) worried NOW and that Iwe the first from seed 15 orseason 20 ago,through, about itofbecause weyears will get toI might them storm the pass have a few For lychee fruit from that eventually. now, they’re the pruning is again on my to-dofor listtree in by now to enjoy. Until then, they areIta butterflies and thesome pollinators. the garden. We had small trees demanding shade tree best. may be a good toat look at repotgetNot blown downtime in that particularly fast (fortunately) growing, the ting some indoor plantsIsaias, if youand have weak tropical system it lychee takes its time to mature, and any orthat house, patio reminds me office that tree pruning needs thisinisyour the reason air or layering plants that may been in are thetime pot to continue. It have is also a great exists. Commercially, they layfor a long thatshrubs, may as have become to prune hedges, perennials, ered for time propagation they grow rootbound (more roots thanMuch soil). and anything branching. of a strong enough rootstock by that There are two ways that the garden be growing method andshould remain true to repotting type.quite It is can done; one is tooftake quickly atthe this time year.the If plant your saidbethat choicest varieties have garden isvariation not it may out of the pot growing it is in in offspring toquickly pot it up into greater quality, worth doing fertilizing to abe larger size.some for indoor and that pot the seed ofOften the lychee is only green and branching, flowerplants isboost not feasible viable this for four to so five days, sothough, it is not ing andbecause rootthat development. For those something recommended to maybe ofisthe decorative pot buyusspace from sources overown the of that unknown are relegated our size, available in atoparticular internet. or Itodo not stem have 15 orspread 20 property help the of location, because potting up years may to waitmake on those fruit, iftoo yoularge have got COVID-19, get hedge simply theyour plantclippers, and kids, well, eventually they may thank shears, saws ormanage scissors out and get cumbersome to indoors. you planting someis of them.the It trimming! Thefor second method to take certainly does to plant them It’sout important tohurt a few plant of thenot pot itdo is in, trimthings some anyway; every one correctly when it benefits comes to prunroots andevery pot tree back into the same of us. ing larger original size.trees, and even medium If you are seeking fruitfrom in a and small willlychee benefit Let’s looktrees at the first method: faster steps. time frame though, and if you these Primarily, it is all about Potting soilfor can become exhausted, havebranching space only a tree or twoangles espethe angles. Wider compacted, waterlogged, or cially, do not even bother with seeding make for stronger branching. Tighter extremely dry, or a the plant may them. Layer from friend or neighanglesbecome make for weak branching. have need bour’s tree or rootbound, buy from a and reputable Early corrective pruning when the some help to don’t get more space to supplier. Now, get upset with me tree is young is the efficient way to grow. Remediation can be difficult if you’ve just seeded some and you’ve much heavier work inorthe ifprevent thethe roots areto inplant poor them health, it got space and let Try to encourage the crotch isfuture. extremely rootbound, the most them grow, grow them!
An example of a weak branch angle susceptible to splitting. Thisalso type the roots can help.ofPrepare the branch should new, larger pot with a base of a specific potting set the plant into bemedia, removed.
the new pot, and back fill it with a new potting mix being mindful to not fill the soil higher than the original soil line. Many plants do not want their stems buried in soil. Water the plant into the new media. I always like to apply a tablespoon or three of a slowrelease fertilizer to help the transition and to give the plant a boost of nutrients to encourage stronger and faster growth into the new pot. Just a note, Black Kow, manure, compost and the likes do not make for good potting medias as they often do not have enough airspace, drainage, or moisture holding capacity and they are easily compacted and may contain pests or weed seed. It is generally recommended to use potting medias designed for interior or exterior potting, depending upon your situation. The second method of trimming roots comes in handy when the plant efficient thing is to take the plant out base where they can thrive. At the heal properly without allowing for of theor pot, gently old are soil is in a high-end decorative pot, or if Redlands in South Floridathe there are pests disease toremove intrude. Here it is desired to be kept in a spot with from around the roots by hose or lychee groves that are highly prosome helpful pointers for pruning: by limited space. The simplest thing to ductive in the good years (they are hand, remembering that the roots • Dead, dying or unsightly twigs apparently quite cyclical), andtear when have very fine parts that can or do is to take the plant out of its pot and branches. I was easily. roaming the feeder area aroots are and slice off the bottom third of the break These • Sprouts growing near the base of few weeks ago the delicate, but because wetrees do not have root system with a sharp knife, clipthe trunk. were loaded, but the fruitmachete, SLOW topers, grow and a de- or scissors. This can to •deal with branches cold weather, it really and branches reputaing Crossed season in thattoo location mandingbe tree, you than will quick andhave easy anda it many of the won’t affect things much if you’re Other pruning, is still a growing toward the centre of the ble supplier, finished The current earned the fruits of your suctropical plants that are used as inteais bit roughnow. on the roots, things don’t very active season for garden pests. tree. or to air issue now lycheehere. in the cess if you cultivate really stop for growing Loosening plantslychee. are very tolerant this Ifrior you’re practicing a good ofIPM
Adam Boorman
method. Simple as that, slice off the bottom 30 percent or so of the root, remove the old potting soil from the pot and around the roots, and then set a fresh base of a new potting soil back into the pot, set the plant in so that the original soil line is towards the top of the pot, and back fill with fresh potting media. Water it in and apply some nutrients and move it back to its original location! Bam, all done. Usually, a repotting of indoor plants can last for two to three years, unless it is really happy, then it may be necessary to give it an annual root pruning. Typically though, this only has to be done every second or third year for most of the material that is used indoors. It always benefits to add a layer of mulch to help preserve moisture and add organic material to the pot as the mulch breaks down over time. Bringing the outdoors to the office or home is aesthetically pleasing and somewhat therapeutic, as well as giving the added benefit of removing toxins from the air and producing oxygen in return. So, beat the heat and bring garden indoors! As always, I wish you happy gardening. • Adam Boorman is the nursery manager at the Fox Hill Nursery. You can contactIfhim withare any establishment. there noquestions native location awayhave, from wind and salt you may orplease topics you would trees in your yard, consider spray. Choose an area with deep soils like to see discussed, at gardenorgive more, if you havesupthe ifplanting possibleone and them ample ing242@gmail.com. space. If you do not have space for