| The leaves on my Pink Bower Vines are begining to turn black. Because of the high tempretures in Las Vegas of late I began to soak the roots each morning. Could this be the problem. Please inform me how to correct the problem. Thanking you in advance John Catalano |
| It may be due to overwatering. Roots also need oxygen to survive and soil that is continually wet doesn?t provide it. Use a soil probe (any long, pointed piece of metal or wood to poke into the soil) to check how far water has penetrated. The probe moves easily through moist soil, but stops when it hits hard dry soil. For vines, water should reach about 2 feet deep; for newly planted vines, about 1.5, depending on the size/depth of the rootball when it was planted. The top 2-3 inches should dry out completely before adding more water. There are numerous variables involved for watering schedules, such as type of soil, how fast or slow it drains, sun and wind exposure at your site, temperature, age and condition of the plants and much more. Use the information above to determine how moist the soil is before automatically applying more water. It's essential that you allow your drip system (or whatever system you use) to run long enough for water to penetrate the appropriate depth. Depending on the size emitters, soil type, etc. this might take several hours or more. Desert soil and water both contain salts, which can accumulate in the root zone over time. This salt buildup forms where the water stops penetrating. If you ?sprinkle? plants lightly and frequently or run drip irrigation for short periods, the root ball doesn?t get moistened. Salts will build up in the top layers of soil and damage or kill your plant. Deep watering?or leaching?prevents this by flushing the salts past the root zone. Always water slowly, deeply and as infrequently as possible. I hope this info helps. |
