Need advice (Junipers)

Hi guys,
Recently I have re-potted all my Junipers but one.

The mix I used was last resort - All I had.
The tree's were planted in 10L bags to fatten up growth.
My Juniper horizontalis is reacting quite badly, but still showing and pushing out new growth.
My two Chinensis are browning at the tips, and its slowly spreading.
However my Procumbens Nana is still looking great.

The mix I have used is 50% Leca, 40% milled bark, 10% River sand.

Any and all advice welcome.

Shayn

I'm sorry. Bags?

hey mike... i have seen these things called growing bags or something like that...

matter of fact, heres one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-gal-heavy-duty-grow-bag-for-smart-growing-/131127623599?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e87d0bfaf

seems like alot of root disturbance if you would pick them up or move them...

Kevin, not quite those bags. These are what we get most nursery stock in (aka bag stock). I have a 1+m Japanese Maple and a 2+m Chinese Catlin Elm still in the nursery bags I got them in, and they don't seem to be bothered.
Here is the Elm when I got it. Since then, it has produced many little shoots.


And here is the Maple


Shayn

bump

Your original message was about junipers, but your pics are of deciduous trees. Can't help with the juniper problem until we see pics (close up) of the foliage.

On the soil, they won't really care too much if it drains well. Drainage is key. They do not want perpetually wet roots.

Thanks Jim, I know the images are not Junipers, as the question and response regarding the images were about the bags I use.

Shayn

You did some rootwork right? You should try placing them in a shady spot for a while. Maybe mist the foliage as much as time allows. Other than that I wouldn't move them too much if the bags can flex because you don't want to disturb the new roots it will be trying to grow.
 I see the bag now. Why not a collander ?

Frary, yes I did. Well, these bags are unbelievably cheap, so I went with them and I'm pretty happy with it so far. I found a suitable area for all my trees, so no movement needed. - They do not get picked up or moved, perhaps only in 6-8 months. And simple rotation happens every month. Also, I don't man-handle my trees  Gently does it.

Shayn

The poster is from South Africa so I won't respond to the junipers issue as our climates are too different. This is one for the other SA members I think. But I will ask this as I have seen the same tyoe of bags in nurseries over here: are there any drainage holes in those bags of yours? There generally aren't in the ones we get.

More importantly, what kind of temperatures are you getting just now, Shayn?

But I will ask this as I have seen the same tyoe of bags in nurseries over here: are there any drainage holes in those bags of yours? There generally aren't in the ones we get.

I had assumed they were porous. No?

But these are normal nursery planting bags.  Of course they have holes in them.    How else do you plant stuff up in  Nurseries in the windy Scotland Fiona?  Probably in rock  so it doesnt blow away... hihihh hii hi

Yes Shayn they will work excellently but...

Shayn, your planting medium is shocking.  Leca bark and sand....  Are you planting up orchids.  No No darling!

Did you take some of the original soil from the trees to mix with your  mixture?     Do You know why you have to do this?

Leca and bark will do the same thing,  making the soil light and improve water retention, neither will add  organic material.  You still need to add an organic compound,

Which kind of sand did you use?  I hope River sand and not builders or plaster sand,  or Sea sand!!  (Really I have came across this before!)

And did you plant it now?   Spring darling in spring not now.  But its still warm !  you are  lucky, I think what kills them is the lack of microbes in your soil mixture, and they probably dry out too quickly.  
   
Me thinks.

Love and light

Oh it's you, André. I thought it was Neli speaking there. LOL

The bags that we get over here from proper nurseries only have a few holes in them and they get clogged very quickly. They are not really meant for growing stuff on in though - just for protecting the root ball until the tree or whatever is planted out. I have also seen cheaper ones with no holes. AND, the growbags we use for growing tomatoes, veg etc. do not have drainage holes at all generally.

This thread has become rather amusing
Fiona, the weather at the moment is pretty much still a spring sun, with nights becoming cooler. A few minutes of rather cloudy weather, then it clears up again shortly.
And yes, there are drainage holes.

Well Andre, I can assure you I did not venture to find beach sand!
Yes I am using River sand. And as I mentioned, this was the only mix I had available.
And the planting was done in the beginning of March. So still within the barrier for Junipers to be planted.
Also, the new shoots are still progressing.

Shayn