few queries for growing in containers

[xyz123]

Hi some help for a novice gardener from London here. We r growing some veg and flowers mainly in large containers. Few questions if someone can help.

1. We use multi purpose compost in pots. On flowers and non veg plants we put some bark on top to help retain some moisture. I water plants in early evening. It seems when I water plant, most of water drains out from bottom. What can I do to help retain more water in pots. Does water retaining granules work and help a bit?

2.withbregards to feeding plants, particularly bedding plants and flowers, is slow release fertiliser ok or do I need liquid one?

3.any other tips with watering containers and growing in container are more than welcome.

Thanks for ur help.

[veggiechicken]

Hi and welcome!
The bark won't hold water, but may stop it evaporating from the soil. Can you put the pots in trays and fill the trays with water. The pots will soak up as much as they need and you can top up the trays when they're empty.

[xyz123]

Hi and welcome!
The bark won't hold water, but may stop it evaporating from the soil. Can you put the pots in trays and fill the trays with water. The pots will soak up as much as they need and you can top up the trays when they're empty.

Thanks for ur reply. I will try and get some trays. Some container are quite large so I don't have anything available in home readily.

[Bren In Pots]

When we go on holiday I rig up self-watering pots using strips of capillary matting, a tray then plant pots with holes punched about an inch up from the base..

[Potstubsdustbins]

Good drainage is essential otherwise the roots will be standing in water and rot.

Having said that if your water is running out of the bottom of the containers very soon after it is applied my first guess would be the compost is to dry and has shrunken allowing the water to flow through.

MPC is a devil to rehydrate once it has dried out, the only way I know of doing it is to water, leave for 1/2 hour, water, leave for 1/2 hour and so on. Eventually you will get to a stage where the water stays on the surface of the compost and only slowly drains through taking a few minutes.

[xyz123]

Thanks . I also thought about compost drying out. So for future is it worth using water retaining crystals or gel... Ta

[Bigmallly]

Vermiculite holds water so may help if mixed with your compost. I've chopped up pieces of Oasis before today & mixed them in with the compost.

[bario1]

Do you have access to garden soil? If you mix this 50/50 with your multi-purpose compost it'll hold water better... and be cheaper.

[starloc]

If your compost has dried out and difficult to water you can add a tiny drop of dish wash liquid to your water and it works as a wetting agent altering the surface tension of the water to allow the water to spread and run through the compost so it soaks in.

[Potstubsdustbins]

One of the reasons I use a peat based compost is that it holds water much better than other types of compost.

[xyz123]

Hi and welcome!
The bark won't hold water, but may stop it evaporating from the soil. Can you put the pots in trays and fill the trays with water. The pots will soak up as much as they need and you can top up the trays when they're empty.

Hi, silly question but will trays work if pots have pebbles or stones at bottom which is normally recommended for good drainage. Ta

[skeggijon]

If you don't have access to garden soil, you can buy bags of topsoil from most GC's cheaper than mpc and it'll hold water better.

[Kirk]

I would add something other the using just MPC, when you water MPC you wash out the nutrients that were added at packaging time.

I tend to look upon MPC as a start point and then build on it with the addition of other items, which are usually to help retain water or often a greater "weight" to the container.

[ioan]

Hi some help for a novice gardener from London here. We r growing some veg and flowers mainly in large containers. Few questions if someone can help.

1. We use multi purpose compost in pots. On flowers and non veg plants we put some bark on top to help retain some moisture. I water plants in early evening. It seems when I water plant, most of water drains out from bottom. What can I do to help retain more water in pots. Does water retaining granules work and help a bit?

2.withbregards to feeding plants, particularly bedding plants and flowers, is slow release fertiliser ok or do I need liquid one?

3.any other tips with watering containers and growing in container are more than welcome.

Thanks for ur help.

Hi
l would get john innes number 3 and mix it 50/50 with mpc, mix in slow release granules.
then make sure there's plenty of gravel or such at the bottom of the pot about 2" maybe, for me thats important.
when everything is planted up, water your plants in the mornings, not in the evenings.
and of course use a water tray that suite's your pots.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
kind regards
ioan

[Potstubsdustbins]

I stopped putting crocks of any kind in my containers some time ago. (a) It takes up room that could be used for more growing medium. (b) It has been proven that it does not help drainage and in some circumstances can even hinder good drainage.

What ever growing medium you decide to go for (I use MPC all the way through) don't forget that if the crops are going to be in the ground for longer than 6 weeks you will have to feed them.

At the end of the season save your used compost, next year you can riddle it, sweeten it with some 7-7-7 fertiliser and reuse. I only get rid of compost where there has been a disease problem.