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Valued Contributor
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Registered: ‎04-21-2010

Q garden shows are nearly done for this year but next year I hope there is less emphasis on how to dig a hole in a pot of loose soil and more information about plant care and location where to dig that hole.  I often am interested in a plant and have to wait until the end of the presentationn to hear if it requires sun or shade.  And the online description is also lacking much needed information.

Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-09-2010

It would also be nice if they used common and scientific names for the plants which would allow you to research them in books or online. I haven't watched any of the gardening shows this year, but in the past they tended to rename plants in their own unique way which made researching them more than a bit challenging.

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
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I think it's kinda silly to show fake plants to sell real ones.

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@Gabidog wrote:

Q garden shows are nearly done for this year but next year I hope there is less emphasis on how to dig a hole in a pot of loose soil and more information about plant care and location where to dig that hole.  I often am interested in a plant and have to wait until the end of the presentationn to hear if it requires sun or shade.  And the online description is also lacking much needed information.


 

 

@Gabidog   The rule of thumb is to plant as deep as the pot it is in and twice as wide.

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@mousiegirl wrote:

@Gabidog wrote:

Q garden shows are nearly done for this year but next year I hope there is less emphasis on how to dig a hole in a pot of loose soil and more information about plant care and location where to dig that hole.  I often am interested in a plant and have to wait until the end of the presentationn to hear if it requires sun or shade.  And the online description is also lacking much needed information.


 

 

@Gabidog   The rule of thumb is to plant as deep as the pot it is in and twice as wide.


Actually, it's best to plant the pots a tick elevated from their old level. Most plants survive best planted a bit higher than they were growing. An exception would be a tomato plant which will rapidly root along its whole stem, but most perennials, shrubs and trees are better off being planted a bit higher, say a half inch to an inch higher. You don't want to smother/bury the crown of most plants.

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
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Re: HOW TO DIG A HOLE!

[ Edited ]

With 30 years in the nursery business, I can tell you the #1 reason for failure in transplants was improper planting depth (and not loosening perimeter soil, and not breaking up the roots of container plants prior to planting).  #2 was improper watering.

Cogito ergo sum
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@gardenman wrote:

@mousiegirl wrote:

@Gabidog wrote:

Q garden shows are nearly done for this year but next year I hope there is less emphasis on how to dig a hole in a pot of loose soil and more information about plant care and location where to dig that hole.  I often am interested in a plant and have to wait until the end of the presentationn to hear if it requires sun or shade.  And the online description is also lacking much needed information.


 

 

@Gabidog   The rule of thumb is to plant as deep as the pot it is in and twice as wide.


Actually, it's best to plant the pots a tick elevated from their old level. Most plants survive best planted a bit higher than they were growing. An exception would be a tomato plant which will rapidly root along its whole stem, but most perennials, shrubs and trees are better off being planted a bit higher, say a half inch to an inch higher. You don't want to smother/bury the crown of most plants.


 

@gardenman   When the plant in the hole is the right height, that is when it is planted.  DH has dug holes and when he inserted the plant, the hole was too deep, so had him fill in the hole some.  We have to plant everything in wire baskets to boot.

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The theory to planting high is because the soil will settle & of course the plant will settle along with it. I generally plant high or at the level the plant should be. I tamp down the soil pretty well to eliminate air pockets. 

 

Generally nursery field practices end up hiding where the natural tree flare is of trees because the soil gets put over it, when the tree is balled & burlapped. 

People should gently remove the soil from around the tree flare & plant the tree so its above the soil.

 

Many are told to plant the plant at the level it was in a pot. But again, the plant might have been planted too deeply in that pot to start with.

 

Roses that are grafted might have a visible graft if they are in a container. That graft union should be planted below the surface. 

 

Everyone, if possible should always inspect your plant before it goes into the ground — roots teased away from the center & spread out, to give one example.

☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼
Honored Contributor
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Yeah. It's pretty much impossible to hurt a plant planting it high, but very easy to harm many/most plants planting them too deeply. If you leave a balled and burlap wrapped plant, or even a potted plant with drain holes, sitting on the ground for an extended period, the plant will root itself into the ground and grow. Plants are very good at adapting to being planted high, but not so good at adapting when planted too deeply. There are always exceptions though. A very common exception is the tomato which can be nearly completely buried, and hybrid grafted roses where planting deeper may help protect the bud union. For most plants you're smarter erring on the high side though when planting them.

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
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Not sure why there are posts about how to dig a hole when my original post requests information on plant care...not digging a hole.  Oh well.