Border Plants, Rhododendrons and Aussie Native Plants.

At church recently Sunday, the Preacher used an illustration to illuminate his sermon. The illustration was about how the root system of potted Border Plants needs to be disturbed and teased out when being planted out, to get the strongest plants for your time and money.

Now I know a little about plants and such but was not aware of this information about Border plants. I have usually planted Border Plants out as seedlings and rarely from pots so have never been aware of the advantage of spreading out their roots if they were filling the pot when time came to plant them out

However, I did know for instance that not only is it wise to do so to Rhododendrons and Camellias, but actually imperative, if you want your new plant to survive more than a season or two.

Now the above mentioned plants both live for many, many years. If done right, most will outlive the person who planted them. However many people have bought one in a pot or root ball and planted it in their garden, only to see it grow for a season and suddenly the next thing they know, it is dieing and unless they dig it up immediately and aggressively attack it’s root system and spread them out, before replanting, it will die for sure. These plants tend to let their roots grow into a ball within containers and unless they are spread out to get outside nourishment, they curl up into a ball while they inwardly feed on themselves until they kill themselves.

It sounds outrageous to some people to attack their roots but it is what is needed to get them to grow out. Some take to the roots with a knife, others hose off all the soil and then tease the roots out by hand. Either way it is done, the roots have to be vigorously spread out for the plant to reach its maximum potential. With them you have to be cruel to be kind.

On the other hand with Australian Natives, it is best to disturb the roots a little as possible. With most plants, people like to buy nice big established plants. However with Australian Natives it is the smaller the better and it is better to buy small plants in tubes than to buy tall plants in big pots. Because in a couple of years or less the smaller plant will outgrow the larger one and be healthier overall.

So you see, with plants as with people, there is no single rule suitable to all and to get the best out of both you need to know the basic categories and corresponding treatment for the plant in hand. The right treatment to the right plant will bring great results, but the wrong treatment for that plant, although life for others would be death for that plant.

So are you trying to treat everyone equal and wondering why it isn’t working?

Or are you treating them as individuals and giving them the appropriate care?

Likewise, how are you being treated? Are you getting the right care? Or better still, how are you treating yourself? Are you giving yourself the right care?

Do you need to be left alone to grow or do you need a little teasing out to get the best from you?

Or do you like the Rhododendron, need aggressive surgery on your roots to prevent you shriveling up onto a ball?

Where to from here for you? You are your own gardener here: Walter