|
|
Post by chrism on Jul 16, 2022 15:23:11 GMT
Part of my inspiration for this post was some Mexican Feather Grass we have - elegant, architecturally interesting and not needy in terms of watering. We have a patio area that we recently planted with Gardener's Garter and Festuca glauca Elijah Blue and quite like the look of. For those and planned future plans for patio pots with Mediterranean plants including herbs, how does that work in regards to the fact that 'compost' runs out of nutrients quickly. Do I take out annually, put in new compost and divide if appropriate? Thanks.  |
|
|
|
Post by daitheplant on Jul 16, 2022 19:15:55 GMT
No need to change the compost, just get some slow release pellets and mix into the top half of the compost.
|
|
|
|
Post by chrism on Jul 19, 2022 14:46:08 GMT
No need to change the compost, just get some slow release pellets and mix into the top half of the compost. Thanks daitheplant. Would the same apply for medium-lrage pots used for annuals? I guess the same logic applies.
|
|
|
|
Post by seaburn on Jul 21, 2022 6:50:58 GMT
yes slow release granules are perfect for any sized pot.
just dont do what I did.
I stood pots on the walls of our pond and then wondered why the pond stayed soupy green. Every time it rained or I watered small amounts washed into the pond and of course the algae loved the extra feed too.
|
|
|
|
Post by balc2 on Jul 24, 2022 20:28:41 GMT
No need to change the compost, just get some slow release pellets and mix into the top half of the compost. As I find the compost breaks down & my plants don't seem to like it after a year I change the compost in my troughs & pots every year. Which causes a problem - what to do with the old compost??? When I had an allotment I took it down there & mixed it with the greenhouse soil or used it as a mulch on some beds but since giving up the allotment I have taken it some years to our church gardens. I've mixed it in with the soil there which helps to improve the texture of the mainly clay soil.
|
|
|
|
Post by daitheplant on Jul 24, 2022 21:08:40 GMT
Why not just add nutrients to the containers? I have been gardening for quite a while and it works for me.  |
|
|
|
Post by balc2 on Jul 25, 2022 15:43:09 GMT
daitheplant, As I find the compost breaks down & my plants don't seem to like it after a year I change the compost in my troughs & pots every year.
|
|
|
|
Post by seaburn on Jul 26, 2022 8:18:20 GMT
Have you tried topping up the compost part way through the year so it is constantly being improved. I didn't realise you grew perennials.
|
|
|
|
Post by chrism on Jul 26, 2022 12:01:38 GMT
Have you tried topping up the compost part way through the year so it is constantly being improved. I didn't realise you grew perennials. Not so far, but its certainly worth a try. I guess all this would be less of an issue if I was dealing with traditional compost as opposed to the sawdust (aka peat free) variety. For me though, trying new things in the garden is all part of the joy of gardening, so I'll combine the granules with topping up.
|
|
|
|
Post by balc2 on Jul 27, 2022 20:56:16 GMT
I grow very few perennials as I change the plants twice a year. One year I left the Daffodils in the long white troughs on the balcony floor & didn't change the compost. I don't remember now what result I got the following year from them but as I haven't repeated it I imagine the following spring the Daffs can't have put on a good show otherwise I would probably have left them another year. Last year I filled all my pots on top of the balcony railing, in rings, with small yellow, mauve & white Alliums. They flowered very well & I was most pleased with them.
. .
So when it was time to do the annual change over from spring bulbs to summer bedding I removed the rootballs from the pots & put them in plastic nappy bags & kept them a little damp so they could finish dying back. I removed the dead foliage later & just left them in the nappy bags on the balcony in a cool place.
.
In the autumn I replanted them in the original pots. The bulbs were smaller than when I originally bought them but it seemed to me that most of the bulbs had survived the summer still in their original rootballs. I had to repot them as the rootballs disintegrated while removing them from the bags. Some had already grown quite long leaves!
When they came around to flowering again in May this year all of them were white! No yellows or mauves amongst them!  When I took them out of the pots for the 2nd time I took them over to the church gardens & planted them there. I don't know if they will grow or even flower again next year.  |
|
|
|
Post by chrism on Jul 28, 2022 16:19:45 GMT
Great stuff balc2 and an excellent use of space. |
|
When I took them out of the pots for the 2nd time I took them over to the church gardens & planted them there. I don't know if they will grow or even flower again next year. 
