Seasonal work!

markyscott

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More early spring work. I’m not a purist - some scars I want to keep and some I don’t. I like to scar the callous tissue of the wounds I want to heal. First, I remove the old wound covering. Then I apply cut paste to the wound and then cover the wound. 1A69A0CF-398F-4633-BFF9-0C10A081E655.jpeg4A4CAFE1-7EC0-499A-B14E-7B6E8D156721.jpeg54D604E8-E6E1-44D8-9768-6E04B7EE8DDD.jpeg
 

Hartinez

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purchase soil components (trying a slightly different mix this year)
Sift soils
Clean benches and pots
Purchase tie down wire if needed
Build any grow boxes if needed
Prepare top dressings

Lastly though it will be done firstly. I need to try a dormant spray again. Last year was a bit of a night mare for death in my garden. I’d like to utilize the Bordeaux mix that you have a thread for @markyscott but I can’t find a local source for lime sulphur anymore and I’m hesitant to purchase the tiny bottle sold as “bonsai lime sulphur”. Any suggestions on where to buy the high yield brand sulphur online? I can’t seem to find a source. Is the lime sulphur used in the veterinary world a similar product?
 

markyscott

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purchase soil components (trying a slightly different mix this year)
Sift soils
Clean benches and pots
Purchase tie down wire if needed
Build any grow boxes if needed
Prepare top dressings

Lastly though it will be done firstly. I need to try a dormant spray again. Last year was a bit of a night mare for death in my garden. I’d like to utilize the Bordeaux mix that you have a thread for @markyscott but I can’t find a local source for lime sulphur anymore and I’m hesitant to purchase the tiny bottle sold as “bonsai lime sulphur”. Any suggestions on where to buy the high yield brand sulphur online? I can’t seem to find a source. Is the lime sulphur used in the veterinary world a similar product?
Hi-Yield is no longer available. I use this product. It is within 1% of the Hi-Yield concentration.
 

markyscott

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Here are some details of the steps involved in the ‘soji’. Any tree that wasn’t repotted gets the soji.
  1. With a pair of bent nose tweezers and working from the trunk outward, scrape the top layer of soil away by pulling the tweezer radially away from the trunk. Remove the top 1/2” or so. As you scrape with the tweezer end, you’ll find the old soil will build up at the edge of the pot. To remove it, flip the tweezers around and use the spade to push the soil up and out of the pot. Goal is to damage crossing roots while leaving radial roots intact. Your trying to remove the soil with fertilizer and silt buildup to improve water flow and aeration.
  2. Cut any crossing or upward growing roots. Reduce any strong ones.
  3. You can make a staple with aluminum wire to hold the roots in place.
  4. Replace the top soil and work it between he surface roots with your tweezers
  5. Place milled sphagnum on top.
  6. Water gently. When the shagnum is dry, a stiff stream will wash it away. Once it’s wet, it will stay in place easily.
Here are some pictures to go with the steps.

Removing the old soil
F4964C99-9F97-43C5-84B0-46ABAE360B72.jpeg

Cutting crossing and upward growing roots
7F626244-51B6-4975-9A2F-DA5FD69EA279.jpeg

Repositioning roots
F1F3EC42-129A-412A-A772-AA731F376D40.jpeg

Adding new soil and working it in
9B392224-F5B6-4EB7-AA26-8418B868E741.jpeg1E1DEF7D-6F57-46D2-A783-E68C74F2681D.jpeg

Putting milled sphagnum on top
A615D0A8-018F-4214-B86A-2B02465F0A6C.jpeg

Watering it in
0DA9BD06-E344-4FEB-9DFD-EC7A1D2AC051.jpeg
 

Hartinez

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Hi-Yield is no longer available. I use this product. It is within 1% of the Hi-Yield concentration.
Thanks Scott. The link though is only taking me to my cart on amazon and not to the product itself. Im very interested in seeing what you use though. would you mind redoing the link to the product?? Thanks!
 

markyscott

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Thanks Scott. The link though is only taking me to my cart on amazon and not to the product itself. Im very interested in seeing what you use though. would you mind redoing the link to the product?? Thanks!
Let me try again.

Does this link work?

 

SgtPilko

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Hey, have you ever used fresh sphagnum or always pre-dried? I got a bag but it's super fresh and damp in a bag - could it be useful chopped up or best to try and dry it out somehow first?
 

BonsaiMatt

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Scott, what are your thoughts on lime sulphur vs Bordeaux mix for dormant season spraying? Any advantage to one vs the other? Which do you currently use?
 

markyscott

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Scott, what are your thoughts on lime sulphur vs Bordeaux mix for dormant season spraying? Any advantage to one vs the other? Which do you currently use?
I use lime sulfur typically. I’m not sure which is more effective. I can only tell you that both have been employed for about century in agriculture.

Bordeaux mix is easy to make. Ingredients are solid and can be stored for a long time. There’s no odor, at least as far as I can tell. However. It leaves an unsightly whitish residue on the trunk which can persist for a full year. The residue is water insoluble and can’t be easily removed. I think you want it to be there - it’s continuing to protect the tree long after application. Lime sulfur you buy. I think you can make it, but you’d better make sure you hate your neighbors first. It leaves no residue and is a bit smelly to apply. The smell fades in an hour or so. So, I guess I’d say that if the white residue doesn’t offend and you have no plans to show in a year or so, Bordeaux might be a good choice. Otherwise maybe lime sulfur
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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Excellent suggestions, the tag with date repotted is very good idea.

My hardies are still buried. Notice, snow is deeper than seats of patio chairs in the background. My junipers and such are on the ground between the camera and the patio table and chairs. Hornbeam, Amelanchier, elm & sumac are the sets of twigs that are visible.
IMG_20210216_101637958~2.jpg
 

markyscott

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Excellent suggestions, the tag with date repotted is very good idea.

My hardies are still buried. Notice, snow is deeper than seats of patio chairs in the background. My junipers and such are on the ground between the camera and the patio table and chairs. Hornbeam, Amelanchier, elm & sumac are the sets of twigs that are visible.
View attachment 356126
Well. I remember those days. But don’t worry. We’ll send spring your way as soon. As we’re done with it!
S
 

Mycin

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Great thread markyscott! Thanks for providing the photos. What are your thoughts on green moss instead of sphagnum, to retain moisture and promote surface root growth? In your location that's not viable but further north it should elicit the same effect, no?
 

Mycin

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Excellent suggestions, the tag with date repotted is very good idea.

My hardies are still buried. Notice, snow is deeper than seats of patio chairs in the background. My junipers and such are on the ground between the camera and the patio table and chairs. Hornbeam, Amelanchier, elm & sumac are the sets of twigs that are visible.
View attachment 356126
It was 47 in the city yesterday, I saw the soil of my pots for the first time in months!
 

Brian Van Fleet

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For those of you not doing it, I’d encourage you to consider putting down a bit of milled sphagnum on your soil surface. Make it part of your early spring work. It helps keep the soil surface moist, encouraging surface roots. I’m a believer.
I do this with d-trees and azaleas. I don’t bother with junipers and pines. I remove it usually by late April, after 6 weeks.
 

markyscott

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Great thread markyscott! Thanks for providing the photos. What are your thoughts on green moss instead of sphagnum, to retain moisture and promote surface root growth? In your location that's not viable but further north it should elicit the same effect, no?
I haven’t tried it myself. I know that various professionals advocate differently on cultivating moss on your soil surface. I can see its benefits in keeping moisture levels up on the soil surface, but I can see how it might make it more difficult to decide if you need to water or not.

- S
 

markyscott

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I don’t bother with junipers and pines
Good point, Brian - I don’t do it with pines or junipers either.

I remove it usually by late April, after 6 weeks.
Curious - why do you remove it? I find it very useful in the summer, when it’s really hot and dry here. I just leave it on all year and change it out when I do the soil cleanup at this time of year.

- S
 
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