"Fuschia" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:21:18 -0700 (PDT), Ian Waddell
wrote:

On 30 Aug, 10:57, Fuschia wrote:
On Sun, 30 Aug 2009 01:47:40 -0700 (PDT), Ian Waddell

wrote:
Hi everyone,

I have a problem with plants in one particular bed in my garden. They
tend to not last very long or growth is stunted. Have just pulled a
few up and they all have the same problem in that the roots have
formed into a ball at the base of the plant. There is no outward root
growth they are all knotted together in a ball. Is there a disease
that causes this or is it because the soil is too clay like? Any
advice welcomed as nothing seems to thrive in the bed at the moment
apart from shallow rooted weeds!

If you have heavy clay, you need to prepare the whole bed before
planting. Just making a small hole and putting in the plant will
result in the roots being restricted just as you have described.
You need to break up the clay with organic matter and perhaps some
small sharp stones. That will allow the roots to spread and breathe.

I have some home made compost that I could mix in... would it also
help to mix in a bag or two of sand?

As much compost as you can get!

What you really need is grit that you can get from any garden centre.

There are different sorts of sand. Soft sand is definitely a no-no.
I'm not sure about sharp sand but I'm sure someone will be along in a
moment to advise you...


Yes, sharp sand or sharp grit is good; absolutely no builders' sand. Add
mountains of compost but, if you want to grow rhododendrons or other
lime-haters, avoid spent mushroom compost.

As Fuchsia says, you need to break up and improve the soil in the whole bed.
Just as important, when planting, is to soak the rootball and, just before
planting, tease out some of the roots around the base of the pot, otherwise
they will just keep going round and round in circles and not grow into the
soil. When you subsequently water the plant, wet the area of soil around
the plant (not just the root area), as this will encourage the roots to
search for water. A dose of bonemeal will encourage root growth, but bear
in mind that it will also encourage dogs and foxes. You can overcome this
by temporarily laying bricks over the root area until the plant has
extablished.

Spider