Gerald Filipski: Nursing a tree through a transplant
Hardy conifer will thrive in full sun
I have a 15-inch (38-cm) blue spruce that I’d like to move. When is the best time and what should I add to the soil?
The best time to move the spruce would be after the new growth emerges. Look for the branch tips swelling; you’ll also see the bright blue colour when the new growth pops out. Once that happens, move the plant.
If you’ve missed this opportunity, it is still safe to move it during late spring. Blue spruce are very adaptable to their new surroundings, but prefer a spot that has at least six hours of sun per day. They do not tolerate deep shade well at all.
Incorporate compost into the soil both in the bottom of the planting hole and in the soil that you will be adding in and around the roots. Also, add a generous amount of bone meal and work it well into the soil before adding the plant. Keep the plant well watered for the first few weeks until it has a chance to get established.
I have been saving my coffee grounds to work them into the soil around my perennials (hostas). I would also include bone meal with the grounds because I think it will decompose and add nutrients, as well as maintain a better water retention. Is it safe to put coffee grounds into the soil?
Gardeners have been using coffee grounds as a soil amendment for many years with success. The only concern I ran into when researching this subject was that if you are incorporating the grounds directly into the soil, you will need to add some nitrogen fertilizer at the same time since the grounds encourage the growth of microbes that use up the existing nitrogen in the soil. The bone meal you are planning on adding will not provide enough nitrogen.
The grounds make an excellent amendment to the soil and yes, they can improve the water holding ability of poor soils. According to Oregon State University there is no truth to the rumours that coffee grounds are acidic. In fact, the research I located found that the grounds were actually neutral.
There is also some evidence, as we have discussed in the past, that suggests that coffee grounds are good at repelling slugs. I have had some success using the grounds to repel slugs around my hostas. Sounds like an excellent organic additive to me.
If I’m starting a raised bed, how deep should the soil be, what kind of soil should I use, and how do I build it? I was told that peat moss will help keep the soil in the existing garden from being so compacted.
There are many ways to construct a raised bed, but for me the easiest way is to use one-by-six (30-by-180-cm) or two-by-six (60-by-180cm) lumber cut to one-metre lengths. These are fixed into a square through the use of brackets — available at most home centres — specially designed for raised beds. You can make your raised bed whatever dimension you need.
Use a soilless container mix combined with a good quality compost or well rotted manure in a one-to-one ratio. Fill the bed to within an inch of the top of the one-by-six or twoby-six.
I would not recommend using peat moss as a soil conditioner; peat moss tends to turn the soil acidic as it breaks down. There is also concern about peat moss being a non-renewable resource. The use of coconut coir is now a good alternative, but I think you will find compost or manure is the best choice, as they both add organic matter to the soilless mix.