Container Plants
how often do i hve to replace the compost in my container plants?
pls help as i just moved into an apartment thats on the third floor so i hve no garden but a good sized balcony,i hve several container pots on the balcony and i want to know when i should replace the compost in it.
you do not hve to replace the entire lot of compost in your containers, once every year, idealy spring u should removed about 3 inches layer of old compost and replace it with fresh compost with a little granualr feed mixed with it.
Container Plants
How You Can Reduce Watering Frequency of Potted Plants by Half
With potting soil treated properly with water-absorbing polymer crystals, you can go on vacation without worry that your house plants or container gardens will stress out and shrivel from lack of water.
In fact, when used properly, Water Crystals will cut in half—and sometimes more—the frequency for watering house plants and plants in container gardens.
But, don’t wait until the last minute before your vacation to treat your soil.
You should apply Water Crystals at least 3-5 days before leaving and then saturate the growing medium before departure, or you could return to a disappointment. The earlier application gives the soil, polymers, plant and pot time to adjust to each other. The plants will find the water stored in the polymer crystals and drink from them as needed. Hydrated polymers will also keep the potting soil more moist than soil not treated with them.
In new pottings, Water Crystals should be allowed to expand fully upon initial watering. You have two ways of doing this: Pre-swelling the polymer before adding to your potting mix; or adding the crystals in their dry state into your growth medium.
You can pre-swell by adding water at a rate of at least 12-15 gallons of water per pound of dry crystals. That’s an equivalent to about 4-8 teaspoons for one gallon of water. The polymer will hold much more; but this rate will get you started. Allow the mixture to stand at least 20 minutes or until water has been absorbed.
The less-messy way to incorporate the crystals to you mix is to add them dry crystals. To promote the uniform distribution of absorbed water, you must thoroughly mix or till the polymer crystals into the soil or growing medium.
After blending with the soil, a subsequent watering should be applied to maximize water content. Blend at a rate of 5-12 parts soil to one part gel (by volume). The normal ratio is 8:1, but this can be varied depending on the soil composition, climatic conditions (temperature and humidity), and the type of plant to be grown.
To treat existing container plants or container gardens, make holes with a pencil, dowel rod, screwdriver or other such implement in the planting medium to approximately 2/3 the depth of the pot. You’re goal is to be sure that the Water Crystals reach the root zone. Add dry crystals evenly to the holes as follows:
Pot Diameter Amount # of Holes
6 inches 1/2 teaspoon 4 Holes
8 inches 1 teaspoon 6 Holes
10 inches 2 teaspoons 8 Holes
12 inches 4 teaspoons 10 Holes
For larger containers, follow the progression illustrated in the table.
Then, soak, but do not over-saturate, the soil. Remember, it will take 15-30 minutes for mid-gradation crystals to absorb the excess water; less time for granular powder.
Water Crystals or any polymer crystals are not substitutes for good watering and fertilizing. They only augment good irrigation treatment practices.
They increase the medium’s water holding capacity and enhance the efficient use of available water by the plant. No soil should not be allowed to completely dry out.
Feeder roots seek out the filled reservoirs of Water Crystals, penetrating their membranes to provide nourishment to the plant.
About the Author
Learn more about Water Crystals and how to use them in container gardening, flower and vegetable gardening, and how they fight water and drought stress for your lawn, trees and shrubs by visiting http://watercrystals.com. Register there for a free applications guidebook.
natural way to kill mosquito larvae in container with water plants?
Would like a “container pond” in my garden with no pump, just water and plants, but I’m afraid of mosquito larvae. Any ideas? Don’t want fish.
Won’t work. Youll end up with a puddle of stagnant water, plants will not grow, and algae will ruin it. Reconsider the pump, at minimum.
Container Gardening : Planting Container Gardens