how hardy is a sagebrush during a rough transplant process?

[lorax]

Ive been eyeing a friend's sagebrush that had the most ridiculous looking cyclone shaped gorilla trunk with a lot of character. Part of it was rotting and he just wanted to throw it out. I told him I was interested in it if he ever got around to digging it up and to let me know.

fast forward to yesterday, he calls me up says that he took the bush out and its waiting for me on the edge of his property. I show up and there it is bare root on its side in the desert sun just abused. I have no idea how long its been out of the ground perhaps a few hours. He obviously just ripped it up doing tons of damage to the root-ball (not knowing any better). The big roots are all there but i know that its the tiny fragile hair like roots that actually drink up the water; and those are the ones that are all damaged. So I know this thing is pretty much wrecked but Im still going to try and save this thing.

So I quickly tried to remedy the situation with the things at his home. Took some old potting soil in the corner of the garage. Took an plastic cat litter storage container and drilled some holes in it for drainage. I re-potted it quickly (had to bend some barky roots putting in the container). Then I pruned off like 80% of the foliage so it was just some tiny shoots and trunk left.

I brought it home and re-potted it again in a larger pot (with potting soil). I dumped a ton of rooting hormone in there and also some soft organic fertilizer that is meant for transplanting and gave it a good watering. Its now in an area of my home that doesnt get direct sunlight but still outside.

I had no idea what type of plant it was at the time so with some google work I found it it was some sort of sagebrush (one of the kinds with purple flowers) and that i should be mixing some native soil in with the potting soil, which I didnt do, as Im a bit hesitant to repot this thing again.

The leaves are starting to fall and droop which is to be expected. This thing appears to backshoot really well so Im not really concerned with losing leaves as I am keeping this thing alive until the roots are somewhat healthy again.

I cant really find a lot of info as to how forgiving sagebrush is. Anyone have a clue?

thanks

 

[Geo]

Is it a Texas Ranger? https://www.google.com.mx/search?q=...-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=pkYcVrTSKYulgwT915Y4
Leucophyllum frutescens? Which is not a Sage at all. But you noted purple flowers,comes in pink as well.
And please fill in your location while you are at it.

 

[lorax]

its a definite possibility. The term "Texas Sagebrush" got thrown around a lot when I was asking my green thumb friends. Then I see the pictures you just linked and the leaves do indeed look like that. But imo they also look like sagebrush leaves.

Could definitely be a Texas Ranger. Are you sure "Texas Ranger" isnt a "Texas Sagebrush?" Lowes seems to use the terms interchangeably as the title of the article is "raging sages" and then starts referring to Texas Ranger by name in the beginning of the article:
http://www.lowes.com/creative-ideas...ng-sages-high-summer-flowering-shrubs/article

I have never seen a magnificent bloom from this plant as the previous owner abused the hell out of it and was always complaining about it. I remember seeing parts of it have purple flowers though every now and then. So IF I get an opportunity to nurse this thing to health I would absolutely love to work with a plant that can throw out that much color. Very beautiful indeed.

but the question remains... Is a Texas Ranger indeed a Texas Sagebrush?

and still a more impending question remains... How forgiving are these types of plants once the roots get jacked up during an abusive transplant process?

Also... What are some things I should do to help my current non-ideal situation right now?

 

[M. Frary]

.. Is a Texas Ranger indeed a Texas Sagebrush?

Or is it Chuck Norris?

 

[Geo]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucophyllum_frutescens My Texas Ranger has silvery leaves (glaucus) We need to know know two things:
How much damage.
Where you are. Do you have any growing season left?
Phoenix Bonsai society has some material on Leucophylum frutescens
About mine. It is in a very free draining mix, and I don't water it like the others. Far less. It has flowered 3 times in 5 months. Once spectacularly.

 

[lorax]

No clue how much damage.. but Im assuming a lot. Im assuming it was ripped out of the ground.

 

[Geo]

And where, in a general sense, was it ripped up?

 

[lorax]

mojave desert southern nevada.

 

[sorce]

Or is it Chuck Norris?

If it was Chuck Norris, it would have repotted itself!

Sorce

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I'll assume you are somewhere near your friend, same climate. Nevada Mojave Desert. Relatively mild winters, blazing hot summers. If you have a bonsai soil on hand I would immediately repot into that. Bonsai soil has structure that won't break down right away. Ideally you don't want to disturb the roots again until sometime in 2017. But if you don't have it on hand, you will just have to make do with the potting soil. Forget about using native soil, that ship sailed when it was dug up without a root ball of fine roots. I would not have added any fertilizer until next spring or summer, but again, you can not undo that. Fertilizer slows formation of new roots on damaged trees.
Keep it in the shade all winter, otside. Don't worry about the cold, it should be perfectly hardy in your location. Keep it moist but not soggy, water it thoroughly until water runs out the bottom of the pot, then let it dry until it is just barely damp about an inch below the surface, then water again.

in spring move it to a spot with morning sun, but shade for the heat of the day, if you don't have such a spot, keep it shaded until you get lots of new growth. New growth will mean some roots formed over winter. No growth means no roots. The sages are listed as difficult to establish older dug up plants.Good luck.

 

[lorax]

thank you so much. So basically this thing has a high chance of failure.

given my current situation I will...

1) leave in shaded area
2) keep soil moist but not soggy
3) dont mess with it until next spring at the absolute earliest in which case maybe add ferts and maybe repot... If I do repot absolutely keep the roots in tact as delicately as possible.
4) also during next spring, move to a slightly sunnier spot that gets shaded in the noon desert sun
5) by 2017 should be ready for some styling and more aggressive stuff.


much appreciated. I really hope this thing lives.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Really, do not mess with the roots, at all. Don't even try to ''gently'' move it to another pot in spring of 2016, you will break newly formed fine roots, potentially killing it. Leave it alone until 2017. Don't fertilize until you have vigorous growth, several inches long. Tiny buds do not count as vigorous growth. Otherwise, you have the idea.