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Outside and garden plants

Q: I have planted roots or bushes outside. It is now chilly and partially sunny outside in New England (right now it is April 8th). Any potential problems?

A: It is safe already to plant bushes and roots outside (like roses and the roots that you buy in a bag in a store), but I recommend lightly covering them over with newspaper during night so the leaves do not freeze or fall off.

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Q: I, or a girl that I want to give the plant to, lives in an apartment, but I want to plant a large plant or a bush (fe a rose bush). Can I put it in a pot?

A: A rose in a pot for a girl is better than nothing at all. Use a very large pot (height ideally almost twice the height of the root/bag/transfer pot. Try using plastic instead of pottery. Get a good liner. Do not use top soil or potting soil. Get light soil from your garden/flower supplier. You can also get a platform on wheels to make moving around easier. Note that if you put the plant in a room, it should stand directly behind or net to a sun-facing window, and get sunlight all day long. Do not allow soil to dry out to sandy condition. Large pots require lots of water if heavy soil is used. If it is a tree that requires pollination, then make sure to get it outside to get pollinated. You might consider adding plant food to the soil so that leaves do not die. Consider bringing the plant outside during the summer. You will be much happier to see an alive plant during the winter because it got plenty of water, sunlight, and air outside during the summer, then a plant that did so-so in a dark corner with dried up soil that dies during the winter.

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Q: What is the best height for a raised bed?

A: There recently was an article in either Popular Mechanics or Popular Science with 1 foot high raised bed. This immediately tells me the author has no idea what he is talking about, and that he has not tested this for more than a year. With a raised bed this high, watering becomes a problem because none of the water stays, most seeps down or evaporates. Also, you will need an insane amount of good soil for the bed. As a rule of thumb, go with 4 inches or slightly higher. A bed can be easily made if you have access to 4x4 wood, but other kinds can be used as well.

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Q: What is the #2 reason plants die?

A: Constrained roots.

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