On Sat, 01 Feb 2003 05:51:41 GMT, Cass
wrote:

A guy named Emil wrote:

Hi Cass,

I am confused. I already have new growth growing on all the bareroots. One of
them is longer than an inch. Should I still pile soil so that only 2 inches
are
sticking out on all the bareroots, or just the 2 with less growth? Can I use a
Home Depot bought "Supersoil" mixture?
I'm in Zones 9-10, Southern, CA city of Tujunga.

I'm sorry if I missed reading your posts about growth on all your
bareroots. I didn't notice growth on the picture you posted on your
gallery. If you really already have whole leaves growing from any
bareroot, you don't need to mound. If any bareroots have only swollen
buds without any leaves (which is what you circled in red), then you
should mound until you see new growth. I remember that you are in
SoCal, and I've heard that it's been quite warm wih Santa Ana winds.
Those conditions can kill a bareroot rose that gets too dry.

Supersoil, a potting mix, is probably okay, tho I prefer compost
because of its superior ability to hold water. Potting soils can dry
out quickly when it's windy. Wet sawdust is also okay.

I just use normal garden mulch. It allows good circulation because
it's rather loose.

I'm not sure if the humidity-holding aspects of the mound are all that
important. I would think that the mound should actually dry pretty
quickly to prevent fungi on the canes. The fact that it's porous and
insulating at the same time will allow the *soil* to remail moist
(since that's its function when used as a top-dressing).

My experience is of course in the far more humid and rainy south. But
I've always planted my bareroots during a time in early spring when it
seems to dry out for a few weeks at a time (right before the deluges
of April and May), which is perfect, because I can just wet the mound
down every 3 days or so.

It can take quite a mound of compost to cover all but the top 2 inches
of the canes. That's why I use collars when I need to. I planted the
bareroot that I showed at
http://home.earthlink.net/~cbernstei...oundedCane.jpg
on January 17, and I'm already hosing the compost off a little at a
time because I can see growth of about 2 inches in length on the left
side. Once I started hosing off the compost, I found considerably more
growth.

I seem to remember it taking about a bag of mulch for every 2 plants,
with a little left over. The advantage of mulch is self-evident for a
lazy guy such as myself - I've got my mulch coverage and ring (if I
desire) simply by pulling the mulch away from the plant. Of course, I
don't need to add any significant compost to the area because my soil
is already earthworm-heavy, black, crumbly friable soil with a soupcon
of sand already included. I'm sure that there's clay or rock down
there somewhere, but I'll be damned if I've ever hit it.

Now, the back yard, *that's* a different kettle of fish. I have a
patch of the same type of soil, but the rest of it is ex-gravel-
driveway and ex. cement barn foundation.

I *love* saving steps, so mulch-mounding is for me.

Let me know if I didn't answer your question.

What question? There was a question?