[Arid_gardener] christmas catus

[Dick]

Betty, if the plant is root-bound, you should be able to pop the plant out of its pot and right back in again without disturbing any roots. If that is the case, the water is probably flowing down the sides leaving the interior bone dry. If that is the case, you should be able to remove it and root-prune an inch or so from sides and bottom. Repot it and fill in the voids with the Miracle Gro. My mother used to bang the whole root mass against a rock to loosen up the clump. I am not sure that is the best method but it does tend to open things up.

If the condition is due to channeling down the pot walls, use a 1/4th inch thick slat or any blunt object to pack soil around the sides. Then trickle a quarter inch head of water with a garden hose all day and all night to soak and flush out salts accumulated in the pot. Frequent, shallow irrigation and subsequent evaporation concentrates toxic salt in the root zone. A good flush will often invigorate the plant. It would be a good idea to flush salts before pruning roots.

Use a quarter teaspoon of an all-purpose fertilizer per gallon of water of every time you irrigate the first month. Use your best judgement after that but take the plant outside and flush irrigate with the bottom embedded into garden soil.

But, that is a lot of trouble, Bette. Toss the plant and get a fresh one.

Dick Gross, Master Gardener Volunteer
U of A Maricopa County Cooperative Extension


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Betty Robinson 
  To: Arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu 
  Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 11:27 AM
  Subject: [Arid_gardener] christmas catus


  I have two christmas catus plants. One is over 5 years old and looks tired and dried out. The other looks pretty good, but has been in the same pot for over 2 years. They bloom, but only a couple of blosums each. I was wondering if they need trans planting, and if so what kind of soil should I use.
  I have a bag of Miracle Gro and need to know if that soil will work. Also I don't know what kinds of fertilizer to use. Can you help me.

  Fred Robinson
  fredbettyr at verizon.net


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