Hello, I have plants in what looks like recycled paper or cardboard,
possibly degradable containers.

What are these made of and should I remove these before planting?

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:18:41 -0700, wrote:

Hello, I have plants in what looks like recycled paper or cardboard,
possibly degradable containers.

What are these made of and should I remove these before planting?
My local nursery sells bare root roses in winter in those containers.
They say to plant in containers and they will degrade.

I don't plant the containers. I remove plants from containers and
plant normally. IMHO, the container gimmick is for lazy, trendy
gardeners.

When I remove container, I do it over large newspaper, because
there's a ton of spaghetti-looking paper-ish stuff around the root.

Persephone

Persephone wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:18:41 -0700, wrote:

Hello, I have plants in what looks like recycled paper or cardboard,
possibly degradable containers.

What are these made of and should I remove these before planting?
My local nursery sells bare root roses in winter in those containers.
They say to plant in containers and they will degrade.

I don't plant the containers. I remove plants from containers and
plant normally. IMHO, the container gimmick is for lazy, trendy
gardeners.

Actually, it isn't. It is a method to prevent damage to the roots of
tender plants. It also makes it easier to handle and plant very small
plants and seedlings. There's nothing new about these containers. My
grandmother made them out of paper, and they've been made from peat for
use in seed starting for quite a long time.



When I remove container, I do it over large newspaper, because
there's a ton of spaghetti-looking paper-ish stuff around the root.

That's odd. You're finding this in standard degradable peat containers?

On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 17:21:08 -0600, Pennyaline
wrote:

Persephone wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:18:41 -0700, wrote:

Hello, I have plants in what looks like recycled paper or cardboard,
possibly degradable containers.

What are these made of and should I remove these before planting?
My local nursery sells bare root roses in winter in those containers.
They say to plant in containers and they will degrade.

I don't plant the containers. I remove plants from containers and
plant normally. IMHO, the container gimmick is for lazy, trendy
gardeners.

Actually, it isn't. It is a method to prevent damage to the roots of
tender plants. It also makes it easier to handle and plant very small
plants and seedlings. There's nothing new about these containers. My
grandmother made them out of paper, and they've been made from peat for
use in seed starting for quite a long time.



When I remove container, I do it over large newspaper, because
there's a ton of spaghetti-looking paper-ish stuff around the root.

That's odd. You're finding this in standard degradable peat containers?

You're talking, above, about damage to "very small plants and
seedlings". Maybe a failure to communicate? I was talking about
large, robust plants like bare-root roses (see above). They are,
in fact, full of "spaghetti-looking paper-ish stuff".

I can see why little containers might help with "tender plants',
so I guess we were looking at different sizes & types.

Pax

Persephone

Persephone wrote:
You're talking, above, about damage to "very small plants and
seedlings". Maybe a failure to communicate? I was talking about
large, robust plants like bare-root roses (see above). They are,
in fact, full of "spaghetti-looking paper-ish stuff".

I can see why little containers might help with "tender plants',
so I guess we were looking at different sizes & types.

D'oh!

Why don't they recommend planting bare root roses with bare roots? It's
easy enough to do.

For plants as large as those, I'm with you. Take the degradable pot and
whatever material other than roots and soil is there out. Put what's
left into the ground.

That paperish stuff is commonly used to ship plants, but usually for dry root
ones.
My guess is that these pieces are soaked with water at the shipper with the
thought
that they will help retain moisture in shipment.

Although these degradable containers are supposed to dissolve over time, I try
to
remove them whenever possible. Even with larger plants, you can maneuver the
plant into destination hole and then carefully cut the sides and slip the whole
thing
away from the plant. At worst, you will lose a little soil, but it will give
the roots an
easier time to reach out into their new surroundings.

Sherwin

Persephone wrote:

On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 17:21:08 -0600, Pennyaline
wrote:

Persephone wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:18:41 -0700, wrote:

Hello, I have plants in what looks like recycled paper or cardboard,
possibly degradable containers.

What are these made of and should I remove these before planting?
My local nursery sells bare root roses in winter in those containers.
They say to plant in containers and they will degrade.

I don't plant the containers. I remove plants from containers and
plant normally. IMHO, the container gimmick is for lazy, trendy
gardeners.

Actually, it isn't. It is a method to prevent damage to the roots of
tender plants. It also makes it easier to handle and plant very small
plants and seedlings. There's nothing new about these containers. My
grandmother made them out of paper, and they've been made from peat for
use in seed starting for quite a long time.



When I remove container, I do it over large newspaper, because
there's a ton of spaghetti-looking paper-ish stuff around the root.

That's odd. You're finding this in standard degradable peat containers?

You're talking, above, about damage to "very small plants and
seedlings". Maybe a failure to communicate? I was talking about
large, robust plants like bare-root roses (see above). They are,
in fact, full of "spaghetti-looking paper-ish stuff".

I can see why little containers might help with "tender plants',
so I guess we were looking at different sizes & types.

Pax

Persephone

Pennyaline wrote:

Persephone wrote:
You're talking, above, about damage to "very small plants and
seedlings". Maybe a failure to communicate? I was talking about
large, robust plants like bare-root roses (see above). They are,
in fact, full of "spaghetti-looking paper-ish stuff".

I can see why little containers might help with "tender plants',
so I guess we were looking at different sizes & types.

D'oh!

Why don't they recommend planting bare root roses with bare roots? It's
easy enough to do.

For plants as large as those, I'm with you. Take the degradable pot and
whatever material other than roots and soil is there out. Put what's
left into the ground.

I think you are better off retaining as much of the original soil as possible

when planting. Less chance of the roots being exposed to the air and drying
out. Also, for certain plants like Paw Paws, there are certain organisms
near
the plant roots supporting it's growth, so you don't want to remove those.


Sherwin

sherwindu wrote:

Pennyaline wrote:

Persephone wrote:
You're talking, above, about damage to "very small plants and
seedlings". Maybe a failure to communicate? I was talking about
large, robust plants like bare-root roses (see above). They are,
in fact, full of "spaghetti-looking paper-ish stuff".

I can see why little containers might help with "tender plants',
so I guess we were looking at different sizes & types.
D'oh!

Why don't they recommend planting bare root roses with bare roots? It's
easy enough to do.

For plants as large as those, I'm with you. Take the degradable pot and
whatever material other than roots and soil is there out. Put what's
left into the ground.

I think you are better off retaining as much of the original soil as possible

when planting. Less chance of the roots being exposed to the air and drying
out.

Right, but bare root plants have little to no soil around them. And my
statement was to remove whatever material that is not roots and soil.
My experience with bare root plants is that they come with truly bare
roots and wrapped in plastic to prevent drying. They are soaked, then
planted. Anything that comes in soil is, to my mind, not bare rooted.


Also, for certain plants like Paw Paws, there are certain organisms
near
the plant roots supporting it's growth, so you don't want to remove those.

True for many plants, but they come in soil and not as bare root plants
in degradable containers.

Now is not a great time for planting. Yes, remove the container. If you
are a professional.


Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello, I have plants in what looks like recycled paper or cardboard,
possibly degradable containers.

What are these made of and should I remove these before planting?

symplastless wrote:

Now is not a great time for planting. Yes, remove the container. If you
are a professional.

Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist

You don't have to be a professional to remove the containers. What's the big
deal?

Sherwin