Planning Containers for this summer

Rockems, the million bells should "survive" unless it gets significantly below freezing (I have had some make it through the winter in the past if it was very mild) but the more you protect them, the better off they will be. They may show quite a bit of resentment however...... I have also decided over the years (they are one of my very favorite container plants so have grown them for several years) that there are certain colors that are more fragile than others.

I will be curious to hear how your "hops in a pot" experiment goes. I just loved the idea of the hops for an instant vine, but after hearing about the posibility of invasiveness, I would not want to try them unless they were restricted. I can't remember either which thread they were discussed in, but I got the idea that they are very vigorous!

Rarejem, my million bells are apricot color. Are they more fragile in your experience? I'll keep you posted on my Hops in a Pot experiment. I've got one in the ground and one in a pot. I can transplant the one in the ground into a pot. Better experiment if I have two test samples : )

A lot of people here grow hops and they do not seem invasive. Just as they get really huge the cold weather and winter begins, and that's that. I want to grow hops on a fence this year. The sell out the same day they arrive at the nurseries. So I'd better "hop" to it!

Rokems, I love the apricot but have not been able to over-winter it, even in the greenhouse. I would put it on my "fussy" list, but then again, every site/situation is different. I have had the best success with the purple and the white being fairly hardy... followed by the dark pinks.

Judi, "Hop to it" ^_^ Good one!

Will be waiting anxiously for a hops report this fall/next spring!

Hey, Julie. In your spare time, it'd be nice if you'd host a thread on "everything you need to know about lilies". You know, what the different kinds are, what does best here, good sources for bulbs, etc. I haven't focused on them much and I'd like to start accumulating more in the garden.

Rockems - I grow lots of them every year - it's the one annual I won't go without. I have found Terracotta, Firecracker and another whose name i don't recall to be quite strong growers. BUT - they don't like it cold.
If possible, take them out in the day & in at night. they are a lot sturdier than most realize, but the plugs are more tender 'cuz they're babies. If you have a GH, all the better!

Ooo! So pretty! That's the color I got, Katye. I'll bring them into the shed to protect them until it's warmer.

OK Rockems, so you like this colour. Then you must try some of the others that fall into the peach category. I'm at work so i cannot access tags presently...brain has no access to memory files. toast.

Watching the weather, waiting for the 50 degree mark at night...
I haven't brought the little guys into the shed. I potted them and am keeping my fingers crossed. Too much work to bring them in and out each day. Hopefully they'll recover by August : )
Hops in a pot are doing fine so far but the ones in the ground are happier.

Anyone ever try growing a columnar apple or a negronne fig in a pot?

I've done the apples in 15-inch pots & they did really well. Gotta pay close attention to the watering, though.

They both do well in pots - get as big of a pot as you can, though. Eliminate extra work later on.
You'll have to root prune eventually, which is very much like Bonsai for larger items.
Pots should be well-anchored if you have wind issues.

Root prune? Sounds like a task. I'll learn that when I get there.

Thank you both very much for the information.

Here's an article on gardenweb by Al (tapla on gardenweb, DG, and cubits). He's a great resource for any kind of container planting and will actually respond to your questions individually. I encourage you to check him out at any of those sites.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg0917150510037.html

Kathy

Thanks, Katy : )

Inspired by some of the color combos that I have seen, I picked up a couple of things to try in one of my "permanent" outdoor pots. Permanent meaning that I can't plant anything in the ground there, so have chosen to put a container there instead...it's contents change every year. Carex Prairie Fire and Heuchera Tiramisu. Am thinking a terra cotta callibrochia and bronze snapdragons for the other side. Be a bit of time before I can add them though....

That's a color palette I love, so I'll definitely post yes!!

Oooh gorgeous Julie. Love the color combo already, and I can totally see the callibrachoa and snapdragons filling it in. That carex is awesome (adding to overflowing mental list of must haves).

I've found that that Carex does so much better in the ground that in my pots - I wonder if it likes more clay soil. Does anybody know?

What is that carex? I have a bladed grass with those colors but more like a thin iris shape. Anyone know what that would be?

Libertia could be the flat-bladed one. :)

I thought carex liked moister soils. I think that some are actually used as pond edgers. Isn't Katye our carexpert?

This message was edited Mar 21, 2010 11:22 AM

Could be Uncinia uncinata, Willow. A shorter grass (Z8) that comes back for me. Well, so far...

Some of the Carex prefers soil on the moist side They tend to go very crisp looking when there is minimal water. Still, good drainage is essential.
However, C. flagellifera does real well on the edge of my driveway: excellent drainage & doesn't get a lot of water. The worms are heavy there, though, providing castings that the Carex loves.

Nice combo, Julie. For an easy way to add plants later, dig out spaces for 4" (or whatever size) pots, plunge them & fill up with the excavated soil. When it warms up, pull pot of soil - insert new plant - topdress with the soil from the pulled pot. Or start another!

Oh - forgot about Libertia. And I know why - some nursery had it & Kathy got the offspring...

Also - Julie: the Vancouveria geranium, or any of the variegated leaf geraniums would look nice with that combo. Maybe, not in the same pot, but as a neighbour?


This message was edited Mar 21, 2010 11:21 AM

Thank you susybell. That might explain why it has hardly grown under the fir tree. That's the one I think I will put in 'the container' for the tall spot. In fact I will do that today between showers.

We cross-posted katie, thanks also.

This message was edited Mar 21, 2010 11:24 AM

like this one:

Other neighbours: Euphorbia Bonfire, Callibrachoa (oranges/Terracotta/Peaches, etc), Lobelia Laxiflora, Coreopsis Sienna Sunset.....man, do I want to see some warmer temps. Can't wait to see everything go nuts. Well, not the weeds.....

Funny, I'd forgotten Uncinia uncinata and went back and edited my post to be less sure about the Libertia at the same time Katye edited hers to add Libertia....
Katye, isn't the c. flagillifera the one you have a start for me of?

I think carex look great in containers.

Oh, and the space-maker pot idea is a great one-I think I'm going to try and remember that! :)

This message was edited Mar 21, 2010 11:33 AM

Yes, but i also have a 'Cappucino' for you.

When I plant a container, I decide on plant placement first. Then do what I described with the appropriate pot sizes so that all i have to do is replace plant for pot-full-of-soil. Makes it real easy & I don't cause as much damage to the plants...

Your plants and ideas are giving me plant envy. You are all so creative and knowledgeable.

oooh, a Cappucino too? Yay, thank you! (Also my fav coffee drink... :) )

mine too - why wouldn't i want one?????

Thanks for making me feel like I am on the right track guys! I have picked up several carex varieties this spring, although I am not totally convinced that I want them to "do well". I have fallen in love with the idea of using them after seeing some of the garden pics on this forum, but I still have a bit of a "grass type plant" phobia after my experience with the dreaded ribbon grass. I figure if I keep it in a pot, it can't invade my garden when I am not looking!

The idea of "holding place" pots is a great one Katye! Will most definitely have to use that one. I have a few other "permanent" pots that it could apply to as well. I like the idea of the geranium close. I just happen to have one of those hanging out in the greenhouse....

I am soooo ready for it to really be spring and warm! I kicked my first few pots out of the greenhouse onto the deck last Wednesday. It got down to 32 for a couple of nights, so the plants were kind of upset with me, but they still look like they will make it (geranium and callibrocha). I really need the room to start transplanting seedlings, so tend to be a mean plant mom this time of year.

I would say that the Carex like moisture retention in the soil more than good drainage. I think that's why mine haven't done so well long-term in pots. The pots have better draining soil and there's more competition for moisture.

Great input, Kate, on the method of reserving room in a pot. Thank you.

This works best in a big pot. I was trying to plant bulbs in the midst of other plants using this technique in January. In this case, the pots took up so much room that they limited you from stuffing a bunch in. At Kate's, though, you could see that it worked really well.

Kathy - I agree that most container soils don't hold the moisture so well. I remedied this by adding worm castings to the container soil mix; it is rich & holds moisture better for those Carex that are demanding of those conditions.
The Flagellifera at my place grows in very free-draining soil, but I think it tolerates much drier conditions anyway.
I think Carex perform best in the ground. I find most seedlings in the gravel paths near the growing-on bed in my veg garden. I guess I have rich gravel LOL...

Kate, you have magical gravel. You have so many treasures that take root there.

Good idea to add worm castings to the container soil mix. I spend so much time working on drainage that it's odd to have this issue. :-)

I am going to add worm castings to my coir lined wire baskets this year. I think this will help sustain some of those plants that like an extra bit of moisture, without having to water so often. When adding to a container on the ground, be careful: too much will cause clogging of the drainage holes, to the point where the water just sits. This happened last year in several different BIG pots from all the castings at the bottom that my worm buddies left. I had to remove plants & soil, replace soil & replant. P.I.T.A!!!

Kathy - got your message about the C&C (phone died): this is great stuff. I will be getting a load of it later this year. Clay based soil is very nutrient rich and when amended, is better yet. I would bet that the "normal" customer buys topsoil (as is), wants to plant immediately, and generally not interested in waiting for the soil to improve. If you aren't going to plant until next year - no problem. If you want to plant sooner, just mix in some faster draining soil with what's existing. This is a great use for old potting soil that's been in containers for awhile. Another positive is how well it will suppress weeds. Smother them & the ones that survive will be easier to extract, the others should be considered as free green mulch. Your worms will be very thankful!
Also - if you want, we can pick up a load of FertilMulch in my truck.

Hi Kate - that's the conclusion I came to. And, interestingly, I shared that with him, as well as I was thinking through it. The bark is ground up so fine that it really does look like soil right now. I'd be interested in making a field trip and comparing this with FertilMulch - I'd bet there's not much difference. He did suggest something with sand, but I don't want any sand - its just to devoid of nutrients and can compact, as well. My plan is to lay soil all over to keep weeds down and then go back around and mulch. Heck, I even have enough to lay this over cardboard and build some new, extend some old beds.

Mixing my own container potting soil using Tapla's recipe. Not finding pine bark (fine)altho my search has not been exhaustive. Make it easy on me and tell me where to find? I need a personal shopper! :) Thank you.

I think Pine is a little harder to find out here because we have mostly other trees. You might try calling City Bark on Andresen. They've got several different barks available. They'll even sell small quantities.
http://www.compostproducts.com/citybark.htm

I don't know where you'd go in Vancouver. Locally, for me, a source for finely ground bark is De Jongs on Avondale road. They are pretty helpful. You might call them and ask if they know where you can get it locally in Vancouver.

And I don't think Al recommends pine over Fir or Hemlock. Pine is just local to him.

I think it's just the ground bark that he's recommending.