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Landscaping Advices
- Has the plant been fed?
- Is the potting mix getting old?
- Has the mix become water repellent?
- Is the drainage blocked?
- Are the roots being eaten?
Fertilisers don't last as long in potting mix as they do in the soil because the mix itself tends to gobble up some of the nitrogen in the plant food. It's easy, though, to burn confined roots with salty bagged fertilisers so, for pots, it's always safer to use something organic like Dynamic Lifter pellets or slow-release Acticote.
Is the potting mix getting old?
After a few years, potting mixes tend to lose their quality and begin to break down. This can cause what's termed 'slumping' - when the mix sinks right down in the container. If a plant is likely to be in a container for years, user a top quality potting mix. The best potting mixes always carry the red StandardsMark ticks on the bag. And it's good practice to repot and, thereby, renew the potting mix every three or four years.
Has the mix become water repellent?
Another problem that can occur as potting mixes age is that they tend to become water repellent. Water runs down the sides of the mix rather than seeping into the root area. Renewing the mix can, of course, solve this problem but it's also important to remember to use soil wetters on mix. These break the surface tension and encourage easy water penetration.
Many pots have only one drainage hole and if the pot is sitting on the ground, it's only too easy for the roots to grow through to the soil. Here they'll gradually expand and eventually block the hole and therefore the drainage. You can prevent this happening by choosing pots that have plenty of drainage holes or by sitting the base of the pot above ground level on the pot feet or paving bricks. Very few pot plants like wet feet and one of the first signs that a plant's root system is waterlogged is that the foliage starts to droop alarmingly. Many people respond to this by giving the plant a healthy dose of fertiliser, which causes more problems and in most cases kill the plant.
Curl grubs are the larvae beetles. These 'C'-shaped grubs develop underground and live off roots before emerging as adult beetles. If a plant that has previously seemed in robust health suddenly starts to decline, it's worth checking the root area. Dig around and physically remove any grubs. If the problem persists, pot into fresh potting mix.