Fwd: RE: Packing Pellets and Plants
- Subject: Fwd: RE: Packing Pellets and Plants
- From: b* l* <b*@yahoo.com>
- Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2004 08:29:43 -0700 (PDT)
> When I took Container Media at UC Davis, we were
> told
> that putting a layer of rocks or terra cotta shards
> at
> the bottom of the pot also impeded drainage. There
> was a demo in-class to show us, but it was awhile
> ago
> so the details are foggy. I'm sure someone is going
> to prove me wrong when I write this! But, it's one
> of
> those old-wives tales or something your mom told you
> to do when you were learning to garden in the
> backyard. And mom always knows best!
>
> cheers!
> bridget
> Seattle, WA
>
> --- Bracey Tiede <tiede@pacbell.net> wrote:
> > Hi Carol,
> >
> > Last year, we did a research project using packing
> > pellets (the non melting
> > plastic kind) in half wine barrels. Half the
> barrel
> > was filled with pellets
> > and then with soil. Shallow rooted ornamentals
> were
> > planted and regularly
> > watered. Two of the four barrels had pellets and
> > two did not. The barrels
> > with pellets quickly became swamps as water did
> not
> > drain through the
> > pellets. The pellets formed a impenetrable layer.
>
> > Based on that
> > experience, rocks , perhaps lighter weight lava
> > rock, would be much
> > prefereable as a filler for your planter.
> >
> > This year we cleaned out the barrels for reuse and
> > could not recycle the
> > soil as the pellets and roots were all tangled
> > together. We could not put
> > them into the compost pile either What a mess.
> > Plastic packing pellets
> > should be recycled through waste disposal rather
> > than gardening. I would
> > imagine the corn based pellets would 'melt'
> together
> > too.
> >
> > Bracey
> > San Jose
> > UCCE Master Gardener
> >
> >
> > At 02:46 PM 6/18/2004 -0700, you wrote:
> > >Slightly off-topic, but it is for a citrus
> tree...I
> > have an oversized
> > "planter" (a tall wooden crate) that I want to use
> > for a Mexican Lime. I
> > want to fill the bottom half with something much
> > lighter than rocks, and to
> > that end have collected some packing pellets from
> > work: some pink s shapes
> > and white pellets. Does anyone know if these will
> > harm my citrus? The
> > whites dissolve in water, so won't be particularly
> > useful, but how do I tell
> > if the pinks are poisonous?
> > >
> > >Thanks
> > >
> > >Carol
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
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