The Root of the Problem by Jeff Rugg on Creators.com

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The Root of the Problem

Q: I planted my annuals and some tomatoes the same way I always do, but some plants are flourishing while others are just sitting there. For instance, I planted two tomatoes in the same bed a few feet apart. Although their color is fine, one hasn't grown an inch and the other is starting to produce fruit. They are in the same light and soil.

A: This is a fairly common problem. It can have several causes. The most common is that the roots are having issues.

It is easy to look at the top of the plant to see if there are insect or disease problems. You can also tell if the plant is planted in the proper setting for light, heat and drainage. The problem is that so few of us have Superman's ability to see underground.

The plant is going to maintain a balance between the top and bottom. It cannot have more leaves than the roots can supply water. Plus, it can't have more roots than the leaves can supply food. Many plant problems start with the roots.

Before planting, check the roots and discard or return plants with any disease, insect or nematode problems. If there are few roots in the pot to begin with, the plant will grow slowly for a while. It will need to establish a root system in the new soil before it can begin to develop a larger top.

If there are any bad soil conditions, the roots cannot become established and the plant will not grow. Soil in a potting mix is designed to have very good drainage and often includes specific amounts of nutrients. The new soil may be different enough physically and chemically that the roots will take a while to get out of the hole and begin growing. Once the roots start developing, the plant's top will begin growing. It is best to mix the potting soil from the pot with the backfill soil, so there is a blending of the two soils.

Don't just set the root ball into the hole.

If the fertilizer in the original soil was used up before the roots could get out of the hole, they will begin growing slowly. If the surrounding soil is not covered in mulch, it will dry out and the roots will have a hard time growing out into the new soil. Add starter fertilizer and mulch when planting new plants. Even good soil may not be hospitable if it is too dry or warm for the roots to grow into it.

If the new hole was dug in a clay-type soil, there is a good chance the sides of the hole were made to be slick by the action of the shovel. The effect is that the hole becomes a clay pot that the roots are not able to penetrate. Rough up the sides of the hole. Therefore, as the roots are growing around the hole, they will get into cracks and crevices — where they will be forced to grow out of the hole.

What should you do with the leftover soil? When you have flat ground and you plant an entire pot's worth of soil and roots, you should have that much soil from the hole left over. If you pile it around the top of the root system, you will be, in effect, burying the plant deeper into the soil. You should have remaining soil from the hole when you plant new plants. It can be used in other places or spread out over the entire bed, but do not leave it piled up on the plant roots or trunk.

Plants should be set in the hole, so the top of the soil in the pot or root ball is the same as the top level of the new soil it is going into. Plants that sink into a deep hole will not do well. The roots will not get enough air; they will die or slowly grow to the proper level, at best. In poorly drained soil, some plants are better off planted a few inches higher than normal, but they should probably not even be planted in that spot in the first place.

E-mail questions to Jeff Rugg, University of Illinois Extension at jrugg@illinois.edu. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.