container annuals

[jo jo]

I am a decent gardener-have been at it a long time anyway! one thing I always have trouble with however are baskets and pots. I can never tell when I should water. I'm loosing some of my annuals now. Should they be watered every day? Should they be drenched when watering? The baskets I have are coco-lined wire baskets and the water runs through. Some of the leaves are drooping and then dying. I try to wait until the soil feels dry but I wonder if I'm waiting too long. It can't be this hard can it!!


jo jo

[Newt]

Hi Jo Jo,
Once you get the 'hang' of it, it will be easier. Most plants in pots need to watered daily, some twice a day if they are in full sun. They dry out very quickly and as the root systems grow and fill the pot, they tend to dry out even more quickly.

Clay pots and coco lined pots breathe and tend to dry out more quickly than plastic ones. Small pots will dry out faster than large ones. You will need to soak your pots well, preferably in the morning.

Newt

[drizzler]

Wire planter with cocoa mat liners should be soaked several times a week. I put a few inches of water into a dishpan ( you can add liquid fertilizer too) and set the planter into the water.the soil will soak up the water. To tell if your planters need water, lift it . If it is heavy, it is okay. if it is light, it's time to water! this method works with the plastic hanging baskets as well

[drizzler]

Wire planter with cocoa mat liners should be soaked several times a week. I put a few inches of water into a dishpan ( you can add liquid fertilizer too) and set the planter into the water.the soil will soak up the water. To tell if your planters need water, lift it . If it is heavy, it is okay. if it is light, it's time to water! this method works with the plastic hanging baskets as well

[drizzler]

Wire planter with cocoa mat liners should be soaked several times a week. I put a few inches of water into a dishpan ( you can add liquid fertilizer too) and set the planter into the water.the soil will soak up the water. To tell if your planters need water, lift it . If it is heavy, it is okay. if it is light, it's time to water! this method works with the plastic hanging baskets as well

[Frostette]

I, too am learning to use pots and have discovered its best not to have them in full sun.* Always make sure they have shade at some time of the day.* And the bigger the pots, the better.* Don't even bother with small ones.** i am also burying pots along fencelines and within large flower beds, anywhere I want to keep better track of the flowers and less weeding.*** Sometimes I cut the bottoms out if the I know the plant will get very large.*

[tommyr]

[user=0]jo jo[/user] wrote:

I am a decent gardener-have been at it a long time anyway! one thing I always have trouble with however are baskets and pots. I can never tell when I should water. I'm loosing some of my annuals now. Should they be watered every day? Should they be drenched when watering? The baskets I have are coco-lined wire baskets and the water runs through. Some of the leaves are drooping and then dying. I try to wait until the soil feels dry but I wonder if I'm waiting too long. It can't be this hard can it!!

jo jo

Move them out of the coco pots and into plastic. The coco baskets dry out way too fast and you'll have to water several times a day in hot weather. It also depends on what you're growing, some can't tolerate drying out, some can.

I'd go to plastic pots if I were you. Pro mix or Miracle grow soil. I don't recommend Scotts as I find it too heavy of a soil.

Tom