Are Plastic Containers Inherently Bad?

How many children do you have. I only have one son and he is 30 and my little grandson is only 9. So I've passed that stage once and don't have to do it again until the little one grows up some. :)

I have two children and one husband - but they're ALL going to school in 2008 - 2009 and they ALL need ME to fill out all the financial aid forms! The DH is going to the same school as now - we STILL have to get financial aid for fall 2007 straightened out, and then DD#1 is trying to get into college and DD#2 is trying to get into better-than-the-local-public-school, and we can't afford ANY of it and it's scary!

I did it once before as a single mom when they were in preschool, but that was somehow a kinder, gentler, process, and they took turns. One was in kindergarten by the time the other one was in preschool. This stuff is BRUTAL!

x, C

I know C. My son is in computer school now and he had to apply for financial aid as well. He just went to the financial office at the school and they told him what info he needed to return with and they showed him everything to do. Thank God. If your DH qualifies for the financial aid, your daughter #1 will too. I know about the public school thing. My little grandson, like yours younger, went to private Christian school. But it got so expensive, we had to put him in public school when he got to fourth grade. We are praying that we can return him to the Private school. The education is so much better. It's such a shame to have to pay so many taxes and still have to come up with more money just to get a good school. It's not the teachers. They have all been great. It's what they teach them. His only homework is usually spelling words that he learned a year earlier at the private school. The private school had so much homework, I would normally spend at least an hour or longer helping him. But since he got into public school, he doesn't need any help. Because there is no homework. Anyway.......

Debbie get the wave petunias as soon as they come out. They won't last long with the heat in LA. Remeber Joanna is in Canada.

Betty

Thanks Betty, I didn't realize. So much to learn yet. :)

I'm with a lot of you can't move large soil filled containers. I prefer the foam type. The tall ones I use plastic bags of peanuts to fill up some of the space and doesn't add weight. I think I read somewhere that wasn't a very good idea, but I just do the peanut filled bags in large deep pots and/or ones I am planting with annuals so don't think they need as much soil.

I did buy a set of graduated size glazed high fired clay pots, size 24" x 30", largest and on down smaller.Here is a picture of how I am trying to protect them, the pots and the plants in them for the winter. Chicken wire fastened to metal fence post around clustered together pots. Then the free utility line shreds used for insulation. And now there is probably 9 inches of snow on top, which now is frozen on top.

Donna

I plant a number of perennials & even roses in containers. Since there is no way to over winter them here Zone 3, left on their own, I transplant anything I want to overwinter into the vegi garden. I have had great success with herbs, roses- even the ones that are Zone 5 & alpine strawberries that spent the summers in a strawberry pot. I take the plants out of the container & try not to disturb the roots too much. Come spring, they are back in containers. I use peat moss for mulch & work that into the garden in the spring. Calgary has major fluctuating temps in the winter with the Chinooks & it is hard on all plants. We have very little snow that stays for the season. Here's a pic of my stuff overwintering in the vegi patch.

Rev - your rose is (I mean was) GORGEOUS! Are you're sure the pot was large enough to accommodate all of its growing roots? We have some climbers in boxes my DH built, and BEFORE purchase, we had the sellers e-Mail us minimum dimensions for a permanent outdoor container for a rose. I realize this is pretty far off topic - what he built is way more beautiful than plastic and it drains, too - but there is a minimum amount of space a rose needs. Also be aware that is the only factoid I know about roses.

Joanna - sounds like us, no reliable snowcover to speak of, doesn't mean you don't need snowplows and snowdays and snowstorms! But the amazing stuff you do would be too hard for us, i think. Good ideas.

Donna - I do that too only this year I used empty soda bottles so there is still the column from top to bottom but it's lighter. I think both of us are bad! bad! bad! but what can you do?

xx, Carrie

Carrie, I don't know if the container was the proper size or not. It's 18 x 18, and I think the place where I bought the rose locally said that would work. I'd like to find another Social Climber locally and maybe get one of those black nursery pots that would be deeper. I did use WiltPruf and wrapped the canes in burlap for the winter.

Rutholive, that looks like a very good system for your ceramic pot. You shouldn't have any trouble with cracking.

18" x 18" x how deep? [Usually the place you buy it will tell you whatever they need to in order to sell it, at least around here.]
x, C

JoannaB Your swing/greenhouse is FABULOUS! I love to see all your success at container gardening too! You have solved the "don't let it dry out" by unpotting the plants for the winter and then repotting them!! What a great idea. It means less time worring about them and the water/dry issues. I am going to do it now that you have shown me this clever trick.
I had a cedar swing that lost the swing so i use the frame for a green house. I guess lots of us are looking for Support structure for our early gardening plans. I have never used a propane heater in it though. It does not harm the plants eh?? And how is the cost? Do you use it very long, I mean for a month or just a few days or weeks?? Please tell me your experience.
Thanks! You all energize me for the new year!!! I thank you all!!!
Julie from Michigan

carrie, it's a round planter, so it's 18" deep.

I used to grow roses in pots and was told that pots need to be at least 23-25 inches across in diameter. That is how most people I know grow them.

Here's a pic of Ingrid Bergman (one of my favorites) & Creeping Jenny ( pieces taken from the flowerbed)

jb. very nice pot, and lovely with the rose and creeping jenny and also your dog is taking good care of all.

Donna

Thanks,

Todd, the dog, got his 1st time shave the last summer. We thought he looked so odd & funny. He normally is very furry, round as tall. For some reason he always trying to get in the pictures. I guess he like to be part of the action.

[not a dog person] He looks like he can use the fur in winter, and maybe not so much in summer? My roses are all climbers, and they climb a lot and flower hardly ever, but I blame myself for that. xxx, carrie

Well i guess I'm not going to get an answer to my inquiries!!
Too bad for me! I was hoping to hear about your heat sources in the green house/play scape but
alas no one will spill the beans!!!
OOOOOh I hate when that happens!!!
Julie

why don't you dmail whoever it is? They may not even be on the computer since they posted.

If you want info on greenhouses, there's a whole forum here devoted to them, that's probably the best place to get your questions answered.

Julie,

I used a little propane tent heater that was hooked up to a 30 lbs tank. It didn't have a thermostat to shut it off, but I only had it on during the night. I was worried about putting an electric heater in a damp environment.

They make electric heaters that are designed for greenhouses. I wouldn't spray it directly with the hose, but it's totally fine with humidity and dampness. But I would NEVER use an indoor electric space heater in the greenhouse.

Ecrane, I keep two electric heaters on my front porch that has poly wrapped around it during the winter. I hope it is safe. I don't have water on the mexican tile floors or water near the heaters. PLEASE tell me that they are safe as I have been using them this winter.

I can set the hours they are to run. If it is not too cold like tonight, I let them stay on from about 6 -10. Then I give them a thirty minute rest of off and then turn them on for 2 more hours and that is all.

I honestly don't know--in the vast majority of greenhouse situations there's way too much risk of the heater getting wet to make it even worth considering (especially when you can pick up an electric greenhouse heater for $50 or so). But if your situation is absolutely dry and there's no chance at all of getting wet, then it's not nearly as risky. The other concern is that indoor heaters aren't designed to stand up to lots of temperature fluctuations, and I'm not sure how happy they'll be if the humidity gets really high (like it does when it's raining outside). But I think that's more likely to shorten the heater's life rather than represent danger to you. There may be something I'm not thinking of though, like I said there's typically so much risk of water that I never thought much beyond that. I would make sure it's plugged into a GFCI outlet on the off chance the area ever does get a little wet, and I also wouldn't use the heaters unless they have a tip-over switch that automatically shuts them off if they fall over.

I got nervous and turned them off tonight,. They do turn off if they tip over. But you hit the main concern when you said use the GFCI outlet. They are broken outside so I shouldn't be plugging them into a regular wall plug. Thanks........at least I will plug them into the ones all over the kitchen if I need to use them again. I am using the right extension brand new cords with the 3 prong and heavy duty wires.

O, be careful, friend Gail!
xx, C

I will be calling the electrician, Carrie, next week and get the plugs outside repaired *lol*

I bought a new 120 volt electric heater for gh this winter as my old one gave up. I leave it plugged in to GFCI all the time. It is set to come on whenever the temp goes below 50 degrees and so far is keeping the gh temp okay. Of course we haven't had any really cold temp, got down to * above a couple of nights but mostly in mid 20s.

Donna

Hey thanks Joanna, Ecrane and others for all the info!!
I won't complain again OK??
Thanks
Julie

Please don't always be too nice, jazzy as you will make the rest of look patient and we are not! (LOL)