Annual Flowers

[stayfit1]

Hello Everybody

What kind of soil mix do you use for your annual flowers for pots?
I've tried a variety of soil mixes, but all seem to dry out so fast.
I know vermiculite will hold some moisture. Most of my pots of flowers are not in the direct sun for to many hours.

I have some wooden pot boxes at the edge of our decks; and they really dry out super fast. I wish they were the same dimensions as
plastic pots you can buy to line them with. This is pretty out there, but has anyone ever tried baby diapers to line their pots to hold the moisture longer? I was thinking of giving it a try.

Dianne

 

[Gayle]

The baby diaper idea sounds interesting. I was going to suggest lining your pots with some plastic mulch, the kind for vegetable gardens that have small holes in them for water to go through, or taking some regular plastic sheeting and poking some small holes in it. That might help you retain moisture a little better, but still provides for a proper amount of drainage.

I've seen gel-crystals that you can mix into your soil that are supposed to help retain water. I've never tried them myself. Here's a link:
http://www.gardeners.com/Terra-Sorb...ardCatalog.Watering_DroughtProofing.14091.cpd

HTH

 

[SRP]

One thing you don't want to do is to make your planters retain so much moisture that the roots never get a chance to air out. If they stay constantly wet, they'll rot. And I think that probably the diapers would stay too wet and breed unpleasant bacteria.

The best thing to do is to make sure your flowers have plenty of room - don't let them get rootbound. Get a good quality potting soil. I prefer to use clay pots. They dry out, but they also let the soil breathe. I know it means more watering, but the plants stay happier.

 

[GreenEyedLefty]

I use a soil-less "container mix," specifically made for containers. Fafard makes it. If it's not available in your area, try adding some silica to your soil - don't use too much or it will boil over when you water. LOL

Unfortunately, anything planted in pots must be watered every day during the summer. They dry out quickly, no matter what.

 

[spyrosmom]

My hubby's a landscaper, so here's his advice. Use Miracle grow potting mix. They also make a variety with little blue crystals to hold the water. Water early in the morn or after the sun goes down, but don't water the leaves, water the dirt. You don't want your roots to sit in water, or they'll rot, so diapers are prob not a good idea. You're prob just going to have to water once or even 2x a day if its hot. Plastic or foam pots dry out the slowest, then wood, then ceramic/terra cotta/cement. Also, when you're watering, make sure you're giving the plants enough water that the whole pot is soaked thru to the bottom. Don't just drip water on the top. Water slowly and steadily til the water runs out the drain holes at the bottom of the pot. If you got too fast, it'll just spill out the top. You need to give the soil a chance to soak it up.

HTH,
Nan

 

[kathryn]

The water-absorbing crystals that Gayle metioned, or the potting mix that contains them, that Nan mentioned, are great. Whenever I plant something new in the garden, I put some of those crystals in the soil (be sure to soak them in water first, so they won't soak up the moisture in the soil). They release water as needed, so you don't have to water as often. If you can get the finer texture (like salt, when dry) rather than the larger texture (like Epsom salt when dry, and an ice cube size when waterlogged) they work best. They last about 5 years, so you can use them on perrenials as well.

Another solution is self-watering planters, which you can get from www.gardeners.com .