Jul
11
2008
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Written by Christine
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Friday, 11 July 2008 |
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Starting Monday, July 14 we will be open from
7 AM - 5:30 PM Monday - Saturday
9 AM - 5 PM Sunday
Some come on in early and beat the heat!!!
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Jul
09
2008
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Written by Jungle Jim
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Wednesday, 09 July 2008 |
Anyone that is local is well aware of the 100F + weather we have had the last few days. One of the questions we get frequently is how do we water. This is especially critical for newly planted plants.
Generally we feel that watering 3 times a week should be enough even for most new plants. This is the general limit in most areas in California. If you are having problems with plants burning or wilting check the root ball with a moisture meter. If the root ball is moist then you need to cool the plant by spraying the foliage with water.
No, This will not burn the foliage!
This cools the plant and reduces transpiration of moisture through the leaves. This allows the plant to catch up with the water usage. Often this is all you need to do during the hottest weather.
If the moisture meter reads dry then there is obviously a problem. The first thing to do is soak the plant slowly ONCE for several hours. This should get water back into the root ball. Check with the moisture meter and repeat until there are no dry spots after watering.
Now you have to figure out why the root ball got dry.
Is the root ball at the same level as the surrounding soil? If it is not correct the problem. Too high, can prevent the water from preventing the water form penetrating the root ball. Too low, can allow natural soil to cover the roots and also prevent the water from getting in.
Is there humus over the actual root ball that is dry and is preventing the water from reaching the soil. If so pull the humus away from the trunk to allow the water to get to the plant.
Check to see that sprinklers are reaching the plant adequately. Remember that the farthest reach of a sprinkler can look like it is getting the water there but may not be getting enough.
Another problem we run into is over watering. In most cases conventional sprinklers, either pop-up or shrub heads need to run fifteen to twenty minutes each watering. Rotor heads need to run forty-five to sixty minutes or more to get the same water on the ground.
Recently we had a client watering with conventional heads 45 to 50 minutes three times a week and the soil down two feet was so wet it was anaerobic. We also had a problem where there was a clay layer below the planting hole preventing the water from escaping and again causing anaerobic soil. In both cases it killed some of the new plants in the area.
A last reminder. If the soil is moist, more water only drives the oxygen out of the soil and doesn help the plant.
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