Re: container plants

My totally unscientific and unverified theory is that peat based potting
soils lack a lot of elements besides NPK that plants need to grow well.  In
addition, peat turns sour and compacts as it decomposes.  One always sees
photos of great pots of marvelous things supposedly planted in bagged peat
based potting soils, but I always wonder.  Think the fertilization program
has to be fairly sophisticated to achieve this.

For a number of years, I've made my own potting mix, using various
combinations and quantities of screened compost, bagged composted cow
manure, native clay subsoil (don't have piles of marvelous topsoil around)
for the minerals, etc., leaf mould, bagged pine bark fines, screened bagged
pine bark mulch and screened rotted wood chips, plus dollops of granite
grit for sharp drainage (perlite gets on my nerves as it migrates to the
top of the pot and some plants are not fond of vermiculite...tends to hold
too much water).  

Depending on what percentages of what, this can be a fairly neutral mix -
sometimes I don't get it acid enough for things like Azaleas and get
chlorosis - but all in all my potted plants seem to thrive on it, other
care being decent.  I also add - for most things (there are plants who hate
it) - a bit of Ozmacote and maybe some superphosphate if I have it handy
when I make up the pots.  Other than that, my potted plants don't get fed
during summer, as there are too many and I water with a hose in
summer....hafta lug cans in winter in the greenhouse and that's enough of
that, I can tell ya'.

Pots contain everything from newly potted on seedlings to annuals to
perennials awaiting permanent homes to trees and shrubs in huge pots and
assorted tropical house plants.

If you don't have the facilities or materials to make your own mix, you
might try looking for a fertilizer that contains more than plain NPK; try
using kelp or seaweed or manure tea for some feedings - anything that can
provide the micronutrients and trace elements that are missing from bagged
peat based composts and most NPK fertilizers.  

There has been a good deal of research on the importance of  mycorrhizal
associations between particular fungi and plants and while the jury is
still out (from what I've read) on whether inoculating plants for improved
growth is worth it, there seems to be no doubt that these associations are
important to the health and well-being of plants, and more important to
some than others.  These associations won't occur in "sterile" bagged
soiless potting mixes.  

Also, some bagged mixes are better than others.  I tend to use Pro-Mix for
starting seeds as I can get my hands on it in big compressed bales and it
is more or less "sterile"- something needed for seed starting - and have
even got some houseplants potted in it because that's what I had on hand at
the time...I have found that there are different compositions of this that
work better than others for different uses.  

Cornell University has several pages of information about various potting
media aimed at those growing nursery crops, but the information is also
valuable to home gardeners...the section on organic media discusses all the
various kind of peat available, as well as the use of bark in potting
mixes.  There's a lot to read, but it's most interesting if you grow a lot
of things in pots.  Scroll down on this page for the index of articles.

http://www.cals.cornell.edu/dept/flori/growon/media/index.html


Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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----------
> From: Mary R Wills <mrwill1@juno.com>
> Date: Thursday, August 26, 1999 11:19 PM
> 
> I was wondering if others have this same problem-- I have noticed that
> identical plants, whether annuals or perennials, seem to thrive for me
> when put in the ground and languish when I put them in containers for
> patio decoration. I never have a really nice container planting and I
> don't know why. The containers are all nice big ones with good drainage.
> I try new things in them every year but nothing works well. I use a very
> weak plant food solution every time I water, and I don't overwater and
> rarely underwater (well, sometimes :-) ). The potting soilless mix is one
> sold by my local garden center, mostly peat and vermiculite, I think. I
> try to match the sun exposure to what the plants need, and while they
> live they just don't grow very fast or bloom very happily. There are no
> obvious symptoms of any disease or distress, just general malaise.
> 
> What are your secrets? What do you think I'm doing wrong? 
> 
> 		Mary
> 		zone 6, SW Mo
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