é 
and rebanded. Larger plants likely would be slow to 
show damage from the same given treatment, but 
might be permanently injured. So the small plants 
are ideal for the tests, and provide excellent guidance 
for the treatment of larger specimens. 
aS 
(GROWING PAINS continued from page 16) 
Again and again we hear comments about keeping 
these plants “WET”. Actually a very good way to 
kill them is to keep them too wet. They like moist, 
cool, extremely friable, and well drained soils. They 
are unhappy in a “pocket” where they get “wet feet”. 
Dig a 30” hole 10” deep, in heavy clay. Plant a 30” 
Rhododendron specimen in the choicest fill-back soil 
in the world, and the charge should be “murder”. 
Within 6 months, half the leaves will have fallen; the 
tip half of the remaining leaves will be black. Any 
new growth will turn brown-black before it hardens, 
and in another 6 months the plant will be dead. Hole 
is too small. Much more fill-back should have been 
used. No drainage. The plant was in a “pocket” 
with ‘“‘wet feet”’. 
So therefore, any built up outside bed might well 
have some grade to it. If water accumulates in spots 
under it, such spots should be drained. Then, several 
inches of stoker cinders are excellent for the bottom 
of the bed. 
The flats in which we grow ericaceous liners are but 
21%” to 3” deep. One might think that soil of any 
kind, 2%” or 38” deep could not be overwatered. 
Several tight-bottom flats were selected, the planting 
medium packed somewhat tightly, planted, and pur- 
posely cverwatered each day. After about a month 
it was found that nearly all but the surface roots had 
died, and were rotting. If the overwatering was 
stopped before the plant was completely dead, the 
plant started a new set of roots, but required careful 
attention and much time to begin growing again. 
From the above it is obvious that the growing bed 
must be well drained; watering should be always 
moderate, and provisions made to drain away any 
accumulations of water in the bottom of the bed. 
+eor 
Soils 
Some years ago many tests were made with combin- 
ations of Waynesboro soils and various imported and 
domestic peats. As little as 5% of Waynesboro soil 
added to the combinations did definitely slow down 
the growth of the plants. Some half dozen imported 
peats and several domestic peats were used in the 
tests. Of the imported peats, Polish peat, without 
any native soil added, gave the best results. Of the 
straight domestic peats, that from the Capac bogs in 
Michigan produced the best results. The observa- 
tions were reported in our 1951 bulletin accompany- 
ing a photo which is reprinted on page 10 of this 
bulletin. In the photo, the two are shown for com- 
parison. Both were grown under the same conditions, 
and were of approximately the same age. It is 
(Continued on page 20) 
18 
