Q. I have rose planted in an extremely heavy stone pot that is impractical to move and drains very slowly. The cause of the drainage problem is that the roots are blocking the drainage holes. Is there such a thing as a drainage helper that can be worked into the holes to unplug them?
A. I’m not aware of any commercial product that would unplug the drainage hole of a container. You’re going to have to employ some type of manual solution to solve this problem. One option is to tip the pot on its side, and unblock the drainage holes with a screwdriver or electric drill. Once the holes are clear, upright the pot and with a soil auger drill downward through the root ball within close proximity to the holes and fill the cylinder with rock. This will not be a long-term answer, as the roots will eventually clog things up. Instead, I’d prefer to remove the rose from the container, root prune it and then replant it back in the original pot. I wouldn’t be surprised or concerned if you bare-root the rose in the process of removing it. This might be easier than trying to remove the root ball of a root bound plant. Root pruning is a technique used to grow plants in the same container for an indefinite amount of time. A bonsai is an example of this; however, it’s done on a wide variety plants, such as Citrus, Camellias, and Japanese Maples. Roses are very resistant and will with stand this harsh or radial treatment without any ill effects. To prevent this from reoccurring, you would repeat the root pruning every two to three years.
Q. The yellow flowering Oxalis has invaded my lawn. Can I kill it by spraying the Oxalis with Weed-B-Gon or can I use a “Weed and Feed.”
A. There are many desirable varieties of Oxalis in the Bay Area. They are planted in perennial gardens or in containers because of their unique leaf color and shape; however, two varieties are particularly troublesome. Generally, one is a bulbous type that invades landscape areas and another is found in turf. Weed-B-Gon and “Weed and Feed” turf products are effective and recommended in grass lawns. They’re applied late March through October. All too often, gardeners are frustrated by their lack of success in controlling Oxalis. Besides the actively growing plants, you must control or kill the dormant seeds waiting to germinate. The dormant seeds are controlled with a pre-emergent herbicide during the winter months. Scott’s Super Turf Builder with Halts or similar product kills the Oxalis and Crabgrass seeds while fertilizing the existing turf in one application. In April and May, I’d apply a ‘Weed and Feed’ turf product to the existing Oxalis. All ‘Weed and Feed turf products are not the same when it comes to controlling the actively growing Oxalis. You need to double-check the label to be sure, that Oxalis is listed as a controlled weed.
Buzz Bertolero is Executive Vice President of Navlet’s Garden Centers and a California Certified Nursery Professional. His web address is www.dirtgardener.com and you can send questions by email at dirtgarden@aol.com or to 360 Civic Drive Ste. ‘D’, Pleasant Hill, Calif. 94523.
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