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| Graham Potter's understated advice http://weetrees.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14482 |
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| Author: | Brendan [ 21 Jan 2016, 12:56 ] |
| Post subject: | Graham Potter's understated advice |
I assumed GP was a video guy who sold trees. I have read his blogs, and I think he's a bit more nuanced than he'd like us to think. I'd like to have a pint with him, for sure. This note he wrote on our peculiarities in Britain with our weather and growth cycles was a useful summary of stuff I thought I'd read or learned, but put together so well I'm going to quote him: "Our lack of warmth, summer sunshine and light just highlights the need for exemplary horticulture. It’s a mistaken belief that plants get their energy from the soil, probably bought about by calling fertilizer “plant food” which it’s most definitely not. Plants ONLY get their energy from the sun, a lack of good light weakens a plant severely. In the UK plants compensate to some degree by making more chlorophyll thus plants appear greener than their southern cousins and probably gave rise to the collocation “England’s green & pleasant land”. We need light for plants to make energy and when it’s warm that traverses the plant structure faster and cell division happens much more rapidly. More rapid growth means bonsai trees improving in quality much faster and seeing as none of us are getting any younger that can only be a good thing. So, we need good horticultural technique. We need a larger root mass compared to growers from sunnier climes, a bigger pot works wonders every time. We need good soil quality designed specifically for our weather conditions and selected to suit the needs of the plant as well as the type of growth we are looking for. We need to control the moisture content of the rhizosphere in order to maintain oxygen levels and temperature. This may mean protecting a plant from excess rain, even in summer. We need a good steady supply of nutrients in the form of fertiliser. The daily needs of a growing plant are best served using an organic product like Green Dream Original. And finally we need a strong source of direct sunlight and if you live where I do that’s a problem. Put simply light intensity is measured in LUX. Even on a clear sunny day here in blighty the light intensity can be half of what it might be in Spain and it’s ilk. At either end of the ‘summer’ light can be in pretty sort supply. We don’t really notice the difference but our plants do. Just a pane of clear glass can cut down light by 50%. To the human eye it looks the same but not to your green friends. Half the light means half the photosynthesis which means half the growth. So, more light is better." The rest of the blog entry is here. You'd be silly not to read it (especially the tip at the bottom) : http://www.kaizenbonsai.com/blog/2015/0 ... ht-of-day/ I bet you can't just read one... |
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| Author: | Gary Jones [ 21 Jan 2016, 17:50 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Graham Potter's understated advice |
Got to agree. GPs blogs are a good read. |
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| Author: | ironhorse [ 21 Jan 2016, 23:46 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Graham Potter's understated advice |
I read Grahams blogs regularly - within the 'grumpy old git' shell there lies a wealth of experience and common sense Dave |
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| Author: | MattS [ 22 Jan 2016, 10:44 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Graham Potter's understated advice |
He's most informative and very well thought through. The reflective bench tops appears a good solution. |
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| Author: | Jerry Norbury [ 23 Jan 2016, 23:07 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Graham Potter's understated advice |
I was chatting with him today at Noelanders. Lovely man. |
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