Containers Growing ? - Page 33

AKmark · May 29, 2019

Good job, they look great.

AlittleSalt · May 30, 2019

Thank you Mark. I'm using what you told me about.

AlittleSalt · May 30, 2019

In another thread, I wrote about needing to come up with another way of preventing splash up because dried leaves worked well, but they attracted snakes. http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=49189

We had a rain event here today - not a thunderstorm or a sprinkle, but heavy enough for me to see what I already knew. The ground around the buckets needs protecting to prevent splash-up. In the other thread, I wrote about an idea my wife had using some thick fabric. (I'm not into sewing - my hands are too unsteady), but that fabric might work as a makeshift tent? I think it would have to be elevated because a lot of water goes through that area.

There was my first idea before the leaves - growing some sort of ground cover, but you have to maintain it with a mower and weedeater which causes dust. I don't need to possibly make RKN and Fusarium wilt dust beside the containers - besides being a pita to fight off weeds.

Carpet was mentioned. Yes, it works and is a possibility. Same thing, elevation would help.

There is Cypress mulch - I did that last year and the year before - didn't work.

There's that rubber mulch stuff that I'm going to look at tomorrow.

I have thought about building a deck around the buckets. I have the materials and specialty saws, drills, and tools. But good looking plants are nothing more than that.

xellos99 · May 30, 2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

In another thread, I wrote about needing to come up with another way of preventing splash up because dried leaves worked well, but they attracted snakes. http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=49189

We had a rain event here today - not a thunderstorm or a sprinkle, but heavy enough for me to see what I already knew. The ground around the buckets needs protecting to prevent splash-up. In the other thread, I wrote about an idea my wife had using some thick fabric. (I'm not into sewing - my hands are too unsteady), but that fabric might work as a makeshift tent? I think it would have to be elevated because a lot of water goes through that area.

There was my first idea before the leaves - growing some sort of ground cover, but you have to maintain it with a mower and weedeater which causes dust. I don't need to possibly make RKN and Fusarium wilt dust beside the containers - besides being a pita to fight off weeds.

Carpet was mentioned. Yes, it works and is a possibility. Same thing, elevation would help.

There is Cypress mulch - I did that last year and the year before - didn't work.

There's that rubber mulch stuff that I'm going to look at tomorrow.

I have thought about building a deck around the buckets. I have the materials and specialty saws, drills, and tools. But good looking plants are nothing more than that.

Bark chippings ? It is so common in the UK that if someone mentions mulch you automatically think of bark. I have never seen leaf mulch in my life.

AlittleSalt · May 30, 2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by xellos99

Bark chippings ? It is so common in the UK that if someone mentions mulch you automatically think of bark. I have never seen leaf mulch in my life.

I have thought of that too. The snakes/spiders/bugs have adapted to the color of the leaves over time. I need to find something of a different color - something that they won't hide in as much. I really don't know what that is yet.

SQWIBB · May 30, 2019

White clover?

AlittleSalt · May 31, 2019

Many plants are a thought. White Clover is one of those.

I thought about some gravel for a second. It would become a scorpion bed quickly.

I have a lot of shingles. I could make that ground a dead zone. For me the RKN and FW3 has already made that soil that way - it does grow weeds and lantana though.

AlittleSalt · June 1, 2019

I went outside tonight to see what the dog was barking at. I was barefooted and took a step on the dirt just past our deck and the ground gave way just a little. I knew by the feel what it was. A mole/vole/or tunneling whatever had very recently gone through there. It's next to the container garden, and a thought brought a smile - "Alright mole, try to dig into those 5 gallon buckets"

Shrinkrap · June 1, 2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I went outside tonight to see what the dog was barking at. I was barefooted and took a step on the dirt just past our deck and the ground gave way just a little. I knew by the feel what it was. A mole/vole/or tunneling whatever had very recently gone through there. It's next to the container garden, and a thought brought a smile - "Alright mole, try to dig into those 5 gallon buckets"

AlittleSalt · June 1, 2019

Shrinkrap,

AlittleSalt · June 1, 2019

This container gardening is very new to me. I am excited about it. I tried to reply to a post tonight where someone is growing in-ground and I didn't know how to post. What I learned growing in-ground really doesn't mean much because I was growing in diseased soil without knowing it until the past 3 years. I have to count this year because I do have three tomato plants growing in soil. They are the extras that I wrote about earlier - I had four choices.

1. Plant them in mix and buckets we don't have and can't afford.
2. Plant them in a diseased bed.
3. Leave them in them in the solo cups.
4. Toss the aside.
Choices 3 and 4 are the same.

I chose to give them a chance in the diseased bed. They look good but are still really small compared to the container grown plants.

All that yapping, and I didn't get to the point.

xellos99 · June 1, 2019

Generally pots dry out faster, sometimes very suddenly, get too hot and stunt the plants because the roots don't have enough room.

That is my experience anyway but I use black pots ( white would be much better )
and only 7 gallon, 15+ gallon would get much better results I think.

AlittleSalt · June 1, 2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by xellos99

Generally pots dry out faster, sometimes very suddenly, get too hot and stunt the plants because the roots don't have enough room.

That is my experience anyway but I use black pots ( white would be much better )
and only 7 gallon, 15+ gallon would get much better results I think.

xellos, I agree with you. The roots will fill the containers as I saw last year. Bigger containers seem like they would be better, but cost figures into why I chose 5 gallon buckets. I chose white buckets because they don't absorb heat as much as darker colored buckets do. No matter what, growing in a container is not the same as planting in-ground. I also agree with you about the mix in the pots drying out faster.

Worth1 · June 1, 2019

Not only will a black container collect heat faster it will also dissipate the heat faster.
The amount either way is negligible all things considered and my opinion.
An option would be to paint a black container flat white.

AlittleSalt · June 1, 2019

That point I was trying to make in post #491 is that I am finally past the shock of what happened in our in-ground gardens. Finally, RKN and Fusarium Wilt 3 really took the wind out of my sails so-to-speak. I put years of planning, learning, and work into the in-ground garden just to watch it die.

Last year, I started the container garden without much hope. I was basically going through the motions "without any/much enthusiasm or commitment". Some of the plants did grow well enough to keep my interest in gardening going, and there were some epic flops too. Last year, it got very hot really early. Some of the plants were crosses, and I was still lacking enthusiasm. I let them die - there's no other way of putting it. I didn't do what was needed.

The number 1 thing I learned is that growing in containers and growing in-ground are not the same. As so many of you have written, 'containers dry out fast'. For me, that is not a bad thing. I watched in-ground gardens getting rained on daily for extended amounts of time, and the plants became stunted producing tomatoes that had a mealy texture and basically no taste. The rains saturated the ground and it just kept raining. Containers with holes near the bottom are different - that drying out part is a good thing the way I see it.

There will be ups and downs along the way. Yesterday, I ate a ripe cherry tomato 46 days after I transplanted it in the container. The estimated DTM for that variety is 66 days. If nothing else - that is interesting.

May 29, 2019	#481
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	Good job, they look great.

May 30, 2019	#482
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Thank you Mark. I'm using what you told me about.

May 30, 2019	#483
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	In another thread, I wrote about needing to come up with another way of preventing splash up because dried leaves worked well, but they attracted snakes. http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=49189 We had a rain event here today - not a thunderstorm or a sprinkle, but heavy enough for me to see what I already knew. The ground around the buckets needs protecting to prevent splash-up. In the other thread, I wrote about an idea my wife had using some thick fabric. (I'm not into sewing - my hands are too unsteady), but that fabric might work as a makeshift tent? I think it would have to be elevated because a lot of water goes through that area. There was my first idea before the leaves - growing some sort of ground cover, but you have to maintain it with a mower and weedeater which causes dust. I don't need to possibly make RKN and Fusarium wilt dust beside the containers - besides being a pita to fight off weeds. Carpet was mentioned. Yes, it works and is a possibility. Same thing, elevation would help. There is Cypress mulch - I did that last year and the year before - didn't work. There's that rubber mulch stuff that I'm going to look at tomorrow. I have thought about building a deck around the buckets. I have the materials and specialty saws, drills, and tools. But good looking plants are nothing more than that.

May 30, 2019	#486
SQWIBB Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Philly 7A Posts: 739	White clover?

May 31, 2019	#487
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Many plants are a thought. White Clover is one of those. I thought about some gravel for a second. It would become a scorpion bed quickly. I have a lot of shingles. I could make that ground a dead zone. For me the RKN and FW3 has already made that soil that way - it does grow weeds and lantana though.

June 1, 2019	#488
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I went outside tonight to see what the dog was barking at. I was barefooted and took a step on the dirt just past our deck and the ground gave way just a little. I knew by the feel what it was. A mole/vole/or tunneling whatever had very recently gone through there. It's next to the container garden, and a thought brought a smile - "Alright mole, try to dig into those 5 gallon buckets"

June 1, 2019	#490
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Shrinkrap,

June 1, 2019	#491
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	This container gardening is very new to me. I am excited about it. I tried to reply to a post tonight where someone is growing in-ground and I didn't know how to post. What I learned growing in-ground really doesn't mean much because I was growing in diseased soil without knowing it until the past 3 years. I have to count this year because I do have three tomato plants growing in soil. They are the extras that I wrote about earlier - I had four choices. 1. Plant them in mix and buckets we don't have and can't afford. 2. Plant them in a diseased bed. 3. Leave them in them in the solo cups. 4. Toss the aside. Choices 3 and 4 are the same. I chose to give them a chance in the diseased bed. They look good but are still really small compared to the container grown plants. All that yapping, and I didn't get to the point.

June 1, 2019	#492
xellos99 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: wales uk Posts: 236	Generally pots dry out faster, sometimes very suddenly, get too hot and stunt the plants because the roots don't have enough room. That is my experience anyway but I use black pots ( white would be much better ) and only 7 gallon, 15+ gallon would get much better results I think.

June 1, 2019	#494
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Not only will a black container collect heat faster it will also dissipate the heat faster. The amount either way is negligible all things considered and my opinion. An option would be to paint a black container flat white.

June 1, 2019	#495
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	That point I was trying to make in post #491 is that I am finally past the shock of what happened in our in-ground gardens. Finally, RKN and Fusarium Wilt 3 really took the wind out of my sails so-to-speak. I put years of planning, learning, and work into the in-ground garden just to watch it die. Last year, I started the container garden without much hope. I was basically going through the motions "without any/much enthusiasm or commitment". Some of the plants did grow well enough to keep my interest in gardening going, and there were some epic flops too. Last year, it got very hot really early. Some of the plants were crosses, and I was still lacking enthusiasm. I let them die - there's no other way of putting it. I didn't do what was needed. The number 1 thing I learned is that growing in containers and growing in-ground are not the same. As so many of you have written, 'containers dry out fast'. For me, that is not a bad thing. I watched in-ground gardens getting rained on daily for extended amounts of time, and the plants became stunted producing tomatoes that had a mealy texture and basically no taste. The rains saturated the ground and it just kept raining. Containers with holes near the bottom are different - that drying out part is a good thing the way I see it. There will be ups and downs along the way. Yesterday, I ate a ripe cherry tomato 46 days after I transplanted it in the container. The estimated DTM for that variety is 66 days. If nothing else - that is interesting.