Re: [IGSROBIN] Rowdy SAn Diego Pels

Cindi,

No, I'm not double potting. For one thing it would sure increase the amount
of bench space and, like anyone else, I am limited there. Some of the pels
are not small plants and double potting would be a job. I think the dry
winds together with the open and windy position makes it more difficult. But
the plants look clean and flower well in that location.

The other reason I am finding frequent watering necessary may be that I am
using a potting mix that is somewhat sparse. These plants will certainly
never get overwatered, I can tell you. Pumice, sand, perlite and loam is the
diet. Lean and mean. I'm doing it mostly for the benefit of the
winter-flowering species, not because I want to see them suffer.

Your idea of the rocks is good. Actually, I am trying it and it does help.
Also, small rocks slow evaporation. Last years El Nino storms washed lots of
them on the beaches and they do well for this job. Another tactic I am using
is to grow a few scrambling types to help keep them slightly bound together
and I also intersperse a few growing in wide but shallow containers (like P.
reliquifolium). Also, I have taken to using ceramic clay pots rather than
plastic ones except for the young plants just because they are heavier. Any
comments on that ? - I see you use them too.

So, you are busy fertilizing the angels. Is this a bit early for them? Does
it make their voices sweeter? If so, is the fertilizer low on nitrogen?

Andrew
San Diego, California



> Well, those dry Santa Anna winds have come. They knocked a few of my tall
> pels over. Also, I must be using too light a mix or the roots are not yet
> filling the pots because some plants are bent over. They are not in a
> protected position and the wind gusts reached 60 mph - that's 100
> kph to you
> in Oz. So, it has been rowdy. Lots of water needed to keep them moist and
> weighted down. Less than a tenth of an inch fell.
>
> Andrew
> San Diego, California
>
> >Have taken the shade cloth down, which is a sure indication that
> we are due
> >for some nasty Santa Ana winds to come screaming through San Diego.  It's
> been
> >raining again today, which means that I didn't have to water the plants.
> >They're still rowdy, but they're confining themselves to throwing leaves
> and
> >petals and stray bits of perlite into the swimming pool for
> entertainment.
>
> ------------------------------
> Andrew,
>
> Are you double potting those plants in exposed areas?  It might
> help cut down
> on the moisture loss and also keep them upright.  I've also
> resorted to "bean
> bags" of rocks to weight them down, similar to what George uses
> when watering
> from the bottom up.
>
> All the angels are double potted, because they are the ones that I'm most
> concerned about.  Of course, they are also quite petite, so they
> just snuggled
> down into the pots to get out of the wind and have been snapping
> out requests
> for luke warm drinks with fertilizer chasers (preferably with those little
> umbrellas!)   And if I don't get it delivered fast enough, of course, they
> sulk.  Nothing looks sadder than an angel in full sulk drooping
> despondently
> over the edge of its clay pot.
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