This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: Q's about perennials in pots

     1.  So many things are successful in pots here (Sunset Zone 15, USDA 
     9).  The only problems I encounter are drying out during vacations and 
     freezing during a rare freeze.  With enough advance planning, these 
     can be avoided.  I have several cactus that are bursting from their 
     pots, so one has to be sure to repot in time.  Some cities even do 
     trees in very large pots here (Chinese Evergreen Elm is one of the 
     most common).
     
     2.  Matching plant size to pot size.  Using too large a pot can result 
     in the plant not getting enough water, even if you water regularly.  
     Also, accounting for settling.  I've done some dwarf citrus in large 
     pots and they settled quite a bit, more than I liked.  I had to lift 
     them in order to reduce the distance between the top of the pot and 
     the top of the soil (you want some depth for watering, but more than 4 
     inches isn't necessary!).  In really large pots, I'd put in some soil 
     and let it settle for a while before planting, maybe two to three 
     weeks.  Another problem is slugs and snails.  I have many pots close 
     together and it's cool and moist in amongst them.  Slugs and snails 
     congregate and I have to make sure to move the pots around, find the 
     "wee mashies" and do away with them.  I have a citrus I'm trying to 
     propagate by a cutting, and they are eating all the new leaves.  It's 
     driving me crazy :[!
     
     3.  Mostly I pick shrubby and trailing plants for containers.  You 
     don't want a stick in a pot, unless you can put it away when dormant 
     (like my tree peonies).  Joining trailing plants or companion plants 
     that will hide fading bulb leaves is good.  Because my soil is poorly 
     draining, poor alkaline clay, I also put in pots anything that needs 
     acid, well draining or rich soil, like heathers, Daphne, Japanese 
     Iris, etc.  These would never survive in the ground unless I amended 
     the soil more than I'm willing to do.
     
     4.  I select pot size basically by what's sitting around the house, as 
     long as it fits the plant.  You can always pot up.  I don't have any 
     scientific method.  I personally prefer wide over deep, and, whenever 
     possible, as wide at the bottom as at the top, or, at the very least, 
     not too narrow at the bottom.
     
     5.  I use what used to be called 49er potting soil, but now I think 
     it's called Master Gardener.  I don't think it's anything particularly 
     special, just something I can get from vendors close to where I live.  
     I buy bags and bags of it so I'll always have some sitting around.  I 
     prefer Osmocote for all my fertilizing needs (it comes in mixtures for 
     several different kinds of plants, including a general fertilizer), 
     although I must say I fertilize very sparingly.  Just plain lazy.  I 
     tend to let old, dead plant material stay in the pot, so I guess my 
     potted plants get some compost action.  I've been told repeatedly that 
     this stuff can harbor insects and disease but I've been doing it for 
     over 20 years and for some reason have not had a problem.  Maybe the 
     insects and diseases are as lazy as I am!
     
     6.  See above.  Maybe twice a year.  I just scoop up the Osmocote in 
     the little scoop and fling it around.  The main thing is not to get 
     too much in a pot, since the plant could be burned.  I like to 
     fertilize in early spring.  Any other time it would just be because I 
     notice things look nitrogen starved or something.  I'm not really big 
     on fertilizing.
     
     7.  I use pots for several reasons.  I have them on hard surfaces 
     (patio, deck, front porch, edges of walkways, etc.) where plants can't 
     be put in the ground.  I put tender plants in them so I can bring them 
     inside during the winter.  I put plants that need conditions other 
     than I can provide in the ground in pots (acid soil, good drainage, 
     etc.).  I raise small plants in pots before I'm ready to trust them to 
     the big outdoors.  I also use pots to really set off beautiful 
     specimen plants.  I have some tree peonies, a star magnolia, things 
     like this in beautiful pots so I can place them in prominent spot for 
     the show (eyes and nose!), then move them away when they're less 
     dressy.
     
     8.  I have not noticed a big difference, other than many things seem 
     to do better in pots, possibly because the soil here is so poor.
     
     Avril, Hercules, CA
                 **Our truck tires are bigger than your truck tires.**
     
     
     
     


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Q's about perennials in pots
Author:  perennials@mallorn.com at Internet
Date:    9/8/97 11:59 AM


Hi everyone!
     
I'm working on an article about growing perennials in pots.  Can you help???
     
     
*  What are most successful perennials to grow in pots in your region
     
*  What are special considerations for growing perennials in pots (as 
opposed to annuals)
     
*  How do you select the perennials for the pots
     
*  When you are selecting a pot for a particular plant, how do you 
determine how large the pot needs to be, other than the potential size of 
the plant.  Is there some rule of thumb you use like the pot needs to be as 
tall as the plant will be or as wide as the drip line, or ????
     
*  What soil and fertilizers do you use?  Are they different from what you 
use for annuals in pots?
     
*  How often/when do you fertilize
     
*  WHY do you choose to grow perennials in pots (as opposed to in the ground)
     
*  Do the perennials last in pots as long as they do in the ground?  Are 
there other differences in the ways they grow?
     
Thanks for the input!
     
Nan
     
     
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Nan Sterman, "gardening addict"
Olivenhain, California
Sunset Zone 24, USDA Zone 10b or 11
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
So goes an old chinese proverb:
         If you want to be happy for a few hours, get drunk; 
         If you want to be happy for a week-end get married; 
         If you want to be happy for a week, barbeque a pig;
         If you want to be happy all your life long become a gardener 
     
     
--------------------------------------------------------------------- 
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the 
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index