I'm catching up on starting journal threads for the other trees I got planted last month.
I potted this Quercus Prinoides, Dwarf Chinkapin Oak, on 4/24/2021. It was grown from seed and was originally potted in a 80% pine-bark mixture.
My goal for this tree is to thicken the trunk and develop the roots by repotting it in a larger, 5-gallon Rootmaker container with a more air-retentive soil. I realize I could plant it in the ground for maximum thickening, but I simply don't want to.
The roots as I found them.
After removing the thicker roots.
After potting.
Photo shoot on May 1st.
I'm using a kitchen-sink blend as a substrate. I ultimately need 50+gallons of substrate to up-pot my newly acquired trees, so using up as much of the material I have recently purchased for my soil tests was beneficial. I tweaked my soil from the previous trees I planted, removing the fine particles (fine sphagnum peat moss and #1 Grit) to increase the saturated porosity. The mix was 3:3:2:2, sifted pine bark, Turface, DE and #2 Grit.
I tested the soil's mechanical properties at 38% Saturated Porosity (air-filled space), and 25% Field Capacity (water-filled space) after draining. Hopefully it will work, because conventional substrates are difficult to find.
I will be posting separate threads for my other species that I got in pots.
I potted this Quercus Prinoides, Dwarf Chinkapin Oak, on 4/24/2021. It was grown from seed and was originally potted in a 80% pine-bark mixture.
My goal for this tree is to thicken the trunk and develop the roots by repotting it in a larger, 5-gallon Rootmaker container with a more air-retentive soil. I realize I could plant it in the ground for maximum thickening, but I simply don't want to.
The roots as I found them.
After removing the thicker roots.
After potting.
Photo shoot on May 1st.
I'm using a kitchen-sink blend as a substrate. I ultimately need 50+gallons of substrate to up-pot my newly acquired trees, so using up as much of the material I have recently purchased for my soil tests was beneficial. I tweaked my soil from the previous trees I planted, removing the fine particles (fine sphagnum peat moss and #1 Grit) to increase the saturated porosity. The mix was 3:3:2:2, sifted pine bark, Turface, DE and #2 Grit.
I tested the soil's mechanical properties at 38% Saturated Porosity (air-filled space), and 25% Field Capacity (water-filled space) after draining. Hopefully it will work, because conventional substrates are difficult to find.
I will be posting separate threads for my other species that I got in pots.
.
