planting in pots revisited
- Subject: planting in pots revisited
- From: &* <p*@comcast.net>
- Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 19:45:25 -0700
There were a couple of issues about pots lately (plastic vs. clay, and
mixing plants) that I thought I would weigh in on.
My experience is that the plastic pots do heat up more quickly, and
therefore dry out more quickly. I don't happen to think the porosity is the
biggest factor. Though the porosity may contribute to the evaporative
cooling effect, it would therefore dry the soil out quicker, which has not
been my experience. I tend to think, though I have not conducted a
scientifically designed experiment, that the thickness of the pot has more
to do with it than anything. When you feel the side of a plastic pot
(unless it is white), they are hotter to the touch than clay, and would lead
me to believe they are better conductors of heat, besides their just being
thinner. I agree with the person who said that wood chips on top makes a
big difference in large pots with exposed soil particularly. (In my garden
these plants tend to be taller (Brugmansia, Abutilon, Podranea vines on the
arbor, Japanese maples under the arbor, and a rose.) I have noticed a
significant difference in soil moisture since I mulched these larger pots.
As for mixed plantings in pots, I have given it up. I find it very
difficult to match watering requirements, and I never seem to build an
arrangement that looks good for more than 2 seasons at best. Then I am left
with an unbalanced arrangement which I inwardly moan about and procrastinate
in fixing. (Can anyone relate?) My solution has been to plant lots of pots
with only one species and arrange them according to their best look and
season. It is so much easier and would allow the person interested in
planting special bulbs to give them exactly what they need, and then just
put them on the side of the house when they are dormant! It seems like a
bit more work, but in the long run I find I waste fewer plants and am
happier with the look of things.
Karrie Reid
Folsom Foothill Gardener
USDA and Sunset Zone 9
