Pot Ghetto

on another thread we started posting about that inevetable space ( if you're a gardenholic ) that grows and shrinks over the year. when we buy or inherit plants that don't get out into the landscape. what's you excuse? I have about a space of 6' by 6' of plants in containers right now, destined for planting out. Jim

My problem is taking cuttings - I'm always convinced that I haven't gotten the hang of successful cutting propagation - so if I need 3, I do 20 (or more! - I just did 80 heucheras because I think I need about 12, but the material was there, and what if most don't take, and is this the right time of year.........) well you know - and then I get 100% take, and pot all of them on, and on, and plant some out (the 3 I needed) and give away a couple.... Well, next thing you know there is the pot island. And 3 years later, they need cutting back, and what if they die, so I take a few more cuttings, but its not worth it for 3 so I might as well do 12.................

What was your question Jim?

Okay this one needs pictures.

I've stopped taking plants I have no plan for, unless they are good in a pot, so I have little overflow. My only plants not in the garden are 5 kniphofia seedlings in a 1 gallon pot on the deck.

But seriously, if I have a interest in adding a few plants, I end up getting a few too many, and I do have some oddballs in the garden. I have 3 datura seedings in the garden that are in places that can accommodate them now, but not at full adult size. I will have to move them. I have a couple dwarf forsythias that are planted out that I don't need. Probably just to keep them out of pots before the fall GE. Then I do have the endless cuttings in pots of my succulent collection, but that is another story.

Laurie, it was just how others cope with the inevitable collection of plant material, that doesn't seem to make it to the garden. Jim

My pot ghetto is the back porch outside the back door out of the garage next to the compost pile, about 6x6 ft, with a path through the middle, and a metal utility shelf against the garage. I've got a few tree seedlings elsewhere, but that's the real ghetto. It holds an assortment of things for various reasons. A few are in quarantine, a few needed to be moved from where they were and haven't found the right new home yet (or, worse, they like the conditions in the pot ghetto area), a few are seedlings, divisions or liners getting a nice safe spot to grow up bigger, and a few are plants that looked cool in the nursery but once I got them home I realized I didn't have a clue where to put them, and a few are things that need to go live somewhere else. Sometimes there are a few recovering-my plant rescues from clearance tables or occasional mess-ups that I made and am I'm hoping I didn't kill and can still nurse back to health.

Mine is a transition, coming and going. Coming from swaps, and seeds and of corse buying, into the getto until I have the right spot or the bed made to put them, just planted 12 on Tue & Wed.

Have 11 Dahlia's waiting for there new home. There are in a holding pen in pots.

What I love is that there is some sort of logic to pot ghettos - reading these replies there is a definate 'reason' to the why the ghettos need to exist and be maintained - I'm just picturing all of the long suffering partners of gardeners who listen to this endless stream of why a particular plant has to be acquired, tended to, ghettoized, and maintained, propagated, grown on, re-ghettoized and maintained again. My dh usually does these explicatory tours with a large glass of wine in hand. what do people do when they have no partner to explain the need of a plant ghetto? Do they then have to plant out?

everyone, I'm starting to feel quite normal after reading these replies. yesterday I moved almost all my getto plants down to the recently cleared areas and actually got quite a few in the ground. I have 2 flats and several containers left. so I hope to finish up planting them in the next few days. I'll have to do it early morning or evening. being that were getting up to 90%F weather. the areas are light shade so they should be okay. Jim

As mentioned on a previous thread, my ghetto is depleting. The good part about that is now that there are not so many pots in the ghetto, it will be easier for me to move the existing ones, level the ground, put the weed block and beauty bark down, move the pots back into the ghetto and call it urban renewal!

Thats funny Outta.

Lol Sheri!

Jim, wow, impressive! It's too hot here to plant anything this week-got to 102 yesterday. Guess it'll be a while before mine gets thinned out, but that's OK-at least it's keeping me from getting MORE plants.... :)

Wow, I can't imagine the temperatures you are having - we were cool today, staying around 16 or 17 C (about 73F) clear skies and light breeze - we did make it to 31C (97F) two summers ago, but that made the newspapers! I can't say I envy you - although it might ripen the melons. that could be a plus.

Oh, I wish I had melons to ripen-the seedlings "failed to thrive" in our cold spring. Your weather today sounds delightful. What a year we're having! 102 isn't a whole lot different from 97, it just takes longer to cool down at night-it was about 63 when I got up at 7:30 this morning. I guess it's already in the '90s today-I'm hiding in the house today.

I am in constant buy mode. I have pots all over the place, waiting for the next bed to be made. And I am waiting on a piece for the middle before I start that, so............
I must ahve 30 or so pots waiting to go some where.

I have never heard of A Heucheras so I googled it to find what is looks like.
Is yours like this? Thanks

I have never heard of a Pot Ghetto What is it? Thanks

Hi Marcia!
Heucheras come in many different foliage colors, some with veination, others are two-toned (back & front), spotted, etc. I have a variety of them, but I am not familiar with the one in your picture. The common name is 'Coral Bells'.

A pot ghetto is our term for a collection of plants, still in pots & clustered together like row houses for ease of watering & general care. Also useful for lusting over, as there are never enough, and inciting angst, because they are not yet planted in their final destination.

Because this is such an energetic group of enablers, we encourage each other to acquire yet more plant real estate - someone could miss out on something & that just wouldn't do!

Thank you for the reply. I like the idea of planting in pots for plants that need to be protected from the cold. I have a Gardenia that I have outside & when it starts to get to cold for it I will bring it in the house. Marcia from Spokane WA

Marcia, thanks for the gorgeous heuchera photo - I do have some that look like that (I'm thinking of the one called Liqourice) - but the one's I've taken up and made cuttings from are green leafed with silver veining - technically called Heuchera Cylindrica 'Brown Finch'. I honestly don't think it is available in the US - and I have only seen it over here at one nursery, Graham Gough's Marchants in East Sussex. It may be one that he developed with Elizabeth Strangman. Unlike Green finch, Brown finch has very tall racemes with terracotta coloured blossom - long spring into summer blossom season. Great plant if you can find them.

As Katye says, pot ghettos is a fun way of talking about all of our excess plants, or in NWGordon's case - his extreme plant addiction - it is just a joke, but one most of us live with in pride and embarassment - especially when we find that we have just bought another one to add to it.

Welcome to the thread - I'm sure if you hang around here very long, you too will be the proudly embarassed owner of your very own pot ghetto!

Laurie, I'm still working on my PG. but I just doubled the size of PG yesterday. I am cleaning out my greenhouse of 07 hosta hybrid seedlings that must go in the ground and harden off before winter. but that might not qualify as PG subjects. Jim

No - I think your hostas are workwork - pleasant, but it is what you do - Pot ghettos are those delinquent plants that hang around the edges in gangs, smoking and spitting and kicking at rocks - oh, no those are adolescents aren't they, so sorry, with their hoods up I find the two easy to confuse.

WELL, with all this talk about pot ghettos - I decided to make a dent in mine today - 18 euphorbias atropurpurea - plant out, tick. 6 euphorbia myrintias (no that's not quite right -), 60+ pachysandra, 3 cornus, a salix Nancy saunders, 5 podphyllium emodii, and a couple that I can't remember - all cuttings (no, the podphy. were from seed), and all planted, tick! But that was just part of one ghetto - partial tick. Tomorrow the amsonia and then to tackle the astrantias. And I weeded first (good idea), and spread some good good leaf mulch - gosh that smells good. Tick - I have earned a hot bath with my book. Off to make that another tick.

Laurie, My sister just gave me a big box of magazines titled 'Realm'. Are you familar with it? I simply can't put them down they are so beautiful. Learning a lot about your country and history. Your section must be beautiful.

WW - I've never heard of it, but trust me, when it comes to magazines I'm less than up to date or even widely read - I stretch to country living about 2x a year - so I will definately look out for this one. Glad you're enjoying them.

Boy - here's one for the don't list: don't try to empty your pot ghetto in one fell swoop leaves you with that owwwwarghhhhh sound the next day everytime you stand up - thank goodness it is really raining today - I'm owwwwarghhhhhhhhh a lot!

Laurie, I know what you mean, I got a lot done Sat, Sun. and today I have the owwwwarghhhhhs blues. fortunately I have all the beds watered and it's cloudy today. so I can recover. Jim

I'm amassing a new pot ghetto under my magnolia tree. They will be going to next years plant sale. Picking up stuff from all over. I always thought I would end up a bag lady in Seattle, I guess I will end up in a pot ghetto. ^_^

Since apparently we are now all aware that that thing out under the tall trees by the pond is a pot ghetto, I have a few of burning questions. Having just come by a couple of huge, heavy clay pots, unglazed, what's the verdict on protecting them from the freezing and cracking syndrome? Small ones, too. Do they need to be kept perfectly dry? Under cover? Is there something to spray on them?

Has anyone ever seen a lilac bloom in a mostly shaded area? Hate to yank it if there is any chance. I'd have to say it's been there maybe five years (I didn't plant it), and nothing yet. Same situation with a nearby wisteria.

Overwintering ideas? I have no room in the house. What I put in the garage last year did poorly compared to what got left outside. I am mainly speaking of succulents, geraniums, and gardenias. My potted hostas lived under a tree off to the side of the house until they leafed out in the late spring. I have a partially covered porch/deck, which I would think is quite sheltered. But is it enough of a precaution to just leave them there to sink or swim? Or do I need to rig up some sort of plastic cover?

What about growing camellias in pots? Do they just get too big?

I await an avalanche of suggestions with baited breath. Thanks, Velveteena

The lilac may need to be moved (not trashed!) unless you don't like their smell - oh, sorry, scent (you can tell I'm not a big big fan) - but the wisteria I'd hold off on - they generally require at least a half day of sun - but having said that they take a lot to settle in - its generally given as a rule of thumb 5-7 years before really getting blooming. You may still have a bit of a wait - they are worth waiting for, especially if this is a fragranced one! Feed as roses, and wait.

Terracotta pots - hard to say - I have some that go and go, and then suddenly go - they just are low fired short lived pots, never designed to last the ages - I think we should be more surprised that they survive so well. My suggestion - see it as an opportunity to pot on without all of the grunt work.

Most plants will survive out in the weather with a slight bit of protection - sounds like the area under your porch just about does that. After frosts - get them into sun, and you should be well ahead of the gardening game.

And welcome to the thread - hope we see more of you, with photos. We seem to love photos - gives us a sense of the place so that we can really chip in with lots of advice! How fun, another garden!

Hello I have a row of Lilacs and am wondering if I can save the seed and would they grow?

Wow, Marcia, sounds like a lot of work. I have had good luck just digging up the new little babies that sprout up all around the momma bush. They get big in no time. I think I placed them in water for awhile and looked for some good root growth, then potted them until I saw progress. You can tell when it's "all systems go!" Did you want to be some sort of plant scientist, or a lazy gardener?

No dear I am just trying things that will help me have seed that I can trade with others.
I don't have many seed to trade. I have 3 colors of Hollyhocks that I saved the seed
from and a few other seed.

I've never grown lilacs from seed, so I definitely can't answer that one. It would be a cool thing to receive in a trade if it worked, though. And I love the different colors of Hollyhocks. I was up at Balvenie's in Marysville and he has one that is Apricot in color - it was fabulous.

I have been told that lilacs need the extremes of weather to bloom - that Pacific Northwest winters aren't cold enough for them. I've known many people who have had trouble, but maybe it's because their plants are protected up against the house. I'm guessing that you want to put them out where they can get cold and hot with the weather. It's only a working theory, mind you. I'll bet, though, that some cultivars do better than others. The Japanese and/or Korean ones will probably do better here.

I live in Woodinville and it gets cold here. Unglazed pots may survive a winter here, but not two. My brother lives in Northgate, though, and doesn't have any problems. Hea and I are on opposite sides of freezing most of the cold parts of winter.

Oh, and Camellias. On a thread a few months back someone told me that camellias do well in pots. They really vary in size, though. Many get too big, I would say, for them to be practical in pots. I didn't have luck with my camellia sasanqua in a pot and that made me sad as she was so beautiful.

Terra Cotta pots - they flake, here. Even the very expensive high-fired ones will eventually succumb to this. My vote is to bring them in, unless you have an area (garage?) that stays above 35°.

Lilacs need cold winters & flower best with full sun. Mine are in sun & bloom every year, with alternate years having lighter flower production. Sort of similar to apples. If it's not too big to move I would recommend doing so for you to enjoy. The fragrance can differ from one type to another, French Lilacs being the most fragrant. Apologies to Laurie - mine are intoxicatingly special!

Wisteria - some bloom in their early years - mine did at 3. They too, perform better with full sun.

Camellias are commonly grown in pots & do quite well. Eventually, you'll need to pot it up or plant in the ground.

Overwintering things in pots can be done successfully here. I was told to consider the zone I am in, as well as the cold tolerance of the containerized plant.
For example: if my zone is 7, it would be risky over the long-term to grow something that is considered Zone 9, expecting it to live. It may do well for a few years, but one bad winter might kill it off. So, the rule of thumb was overwintering things 1-2 zones down will most likely be successful, which for me is zone 5 plants. I am not known for zone-pushing, and would prefer a stable situation like greenhouse to overwinter my plants. No room in my house, except for what will fit on 2 shelves of a growing unit. When it's time to start seeds, you'd better be able to go outside. Harsh, but without the space, it's just not worth the trouble for me. By the way, my hostas have done well in pots over the past couple winters.
Hope this helps!

No apologies necessary Katye - I think this is why perfumiers have such a wide choice of scents - we all have preferences - Lilac just isn't one of mine (nor are wallflowers or nictiniana- ) just something about these makes me feel choked and musty. But I do appreciate that alot of people just love them. Interesting what katie says about them needing a cold spell - lilacs are a traditional garden plant here, flowering very well, and growing to great size - I'm wondering if their blossoming is less now that we are having markedly less frost and higher temps in the winter. Would be interesting to check on.

I've heard in a couple different situations that lilac's need a cold spell; I think that one of them might have been from somebody in the cottage garden forum. The stuff on the Web is about 50/50 - some references to the fact that they need to have some freezing weather in the winter and some don't reference that at all.

I don't like lilac-scented things (it reminds me of old ladies and stuffy rooms- ha), but love to smell lilac on a plant outside. I have a friend who doesn't like the smell of lavender. Imagine!!

Before I went to New York last week, I was frantic about doing something with the ghettoized plants. So for a week before I left, I worked on digging a new bed from dawn to dusk, planted several shrubs and perennials that had languished in pots for weeks or longer, and then re-potted a number more plants in LARGER pots. This gives me a time break on actually getting them in the ground.

Now, to be fair, there are several trees I bought in 4 inch pots that will be swamped by the tall grass if I plant them out at that size, so they are being 'grown up' to a survival size. The problem is they are now outgrowing their 5 gallon pots, and I haven't managed to plant them quite yet.

To save the sanity of my DH, I have developed a strategy that makes it appear there are fewer plants in the pot ghetto than there really are. This is the spread out and camouflage maneuver. There are a few pots on the back porch, a few on the front porch, a couple on the patio, and a number more clustered here and there in the beds where they mingle with plants that genuinely have their roots in the ground.

Funny about scents, I have 3 lilacs, not all that happy with them and I can't smell them. But I was out in my Purple haze garden last week and got a wif of something that smelled so nice, if you stood in just the right spot. Could not figure out what is was, I must of looked like a big bee going from plant to plant to find it, could not find it. I never thought to check my boxwood bush that I have made into a tree, thats what smell so good, tennie tiny white flowers that you could over look.

Tilly, a fragrant boxwood bush? I shall have to look that one up, as for me, scent is everything! My number one is gardenias, such a pain here. Has anyone yet tried the new gardenia that is supposed to enjoy our cold temps? I saw it at the "big box" store last year, but don't trust them so much (and I thought it was too pricey.) Lilacs smell great, but their season is way too short. I will probably give mine another year of grace before yanking, as I have plenty else to do. A sure performer is lavender, but I will confess that the aroma makes me nauseous. Funny, since it's supposed to be good for migraines. Pretty blooms, though, on some. Wouldn't it be great to be Queen of the World and have a nice, big heated greenhouse? I don't want to rig up some ugly contraption that will be a blight on the neighborhood. My hostas did fine in their pots sitting sheltered under the big trees last winter. That particular ghetto will probably be going into expansion mode, esp. now that I am constructing a cool (I hope) potting bench there out of our ancient former fence boards. Hurray for power tools!

Velveteena, you do sound like our kinda gal! We are a group that gets excited by tenon saws - so power tools in the hands of a colleague is going to thrill us. We definately want photographs.