It's Patriotic and The Promised Post

Gosh, I love those vintage posters from the 1940's. Here's one to go along with our theme here:



I know I haven't posted in a while; I have thought about it, wanted to, and even taken pictures to post up here, but please forgive me... it's nearing the end of the semester and I must keep focused (except for those times when I can't take any more history!).

I promised a while ago that the next post would be about "drainage in containers- and what you thought you knew might be wrong!" Well, that was three posts ago (see how well I stay focused?) and now I believe I must fulfill that promise.

Container gardeners, this one's for you:

When selecting your container, make sure you get a container with good drainage at the bottom or drill some in (preferably more than one drainage hole). If you select a non-plastic pot, like terra cotta, don't try to go crazy with the drill right off. First drill some pilot holes first, and then use the regular bit to finish them off. I caution you with this because otherwise you may end up with a bunch of great terra cotta fragments but no containers.

Get soil that also drains well. When I first started, I thought getting the best value consisted of the biggest bag for the lowest price (coincidentally, it could only be found at a big box store). Alas, I ended up with many things that had to be re-planted (see my strawberry disaster), so I ended up spending more to save my little garden friends. Next time around I checked out the offerings at the local nursery and it was there that I discovered my "swear-by" soil- Gardener's Gold. If you can't find that, get something with a good amount of natural compost, worm castings or cured manure. Another mistake I'd like to educate you about is "Organic" MiracleGro- no, no, no. I've had NOTHING but trouble with it and am swearing it off for the rest of my gardening days. Someone at the nursery can help you find a soil that drains well, or help you add amendments to your soil, such as sand (my favorite amendment). You can add some rocks to your soil mix to also help it drain.

Now is the moment you have all been waiting for- what you thought you knew might be wrong! Exciting and captivating- I know there will be disbelievers in the crowd, but I've got lovely, hearty citrus trees to prove it's true! Ready?

You do not need to put rocks in the bottom of your container to make sure the water drains!

Gasp.

I know. That is what I thought when I first was given this advice by a fellow gardener named "Al" who gives the loveliest and most patient advice. He knows ALL. So I took his advice and it works. There is a catch and I'm going to share it with you: you need a wick.

A wick will draw excess water out long after your pot would drain normally. I was shocked the first time I tried it- I used a screwdriver to stick a wick into a drainage hole (retroactively- the pot had already been in use for a few months), making sure the wick was about 3 inches into the pot so that it got past my rock layer. Like I said- this was when I first learned about it; I had already potted the plant with the rocky bottom for drainage. I watered my plant as usual and the water came out the drainage holes like usual. I thought nothing of it until I came back an hour later to find that (like usual) all the normal drainage holes had stopped draining, but the wick was still dripping like mad! I was absolutely sold.

So here's the deal with the wick- it should be something absorbent- I use a bit of my mop's tassels but you could use a natural cotton yarn piece or a strip of old cotton shirt or something like that. Put the wick strip in one of drainage holes and hold on to it while you fill the bottom portion of the container to make sure it stands up to it's full height. You don't need it to be far into the container, but it does need to be in the soil a couple of inches so it can grab the water and pull it away. Oh, and, you can still use rocks on the bottom to ensure that your soil doesn't runout the drainage holes, but no need to make it a thick layer.

After that, prop your container up so the wick can hang freely a couple of inches from the bottom of the container. If you obstruct it, its purpose is defeated, so no plopping it on the ground! A ghetto solution is the trusty cinder block which can be made prettier with paint or a grass skirt. ;) Wow. That is a ghetto solution x 2.

Ready for an amazing illustration to top off these amazing suggestions?


So, in summation, here is my personal plan of attack: 1. Mix soil with amendments such as a few palm size river rocks, some gravel, sand, etc., to get the proper type of soil for your plant. If your plant likes a little more water retention, focus on peat from a sustainable source, such as sphagnum peat. (And now for a word from our environmental sponsor- me) "Mountain peat is mined from high-altitude wetlands that will take hundreds of years to rejuvenate, if ever. This mining is extremely disruptive to hydrologic cycles and mountain ecosystems. Sphagnum peat is harvested from bogs in Canada and the northern United States. The bogs can be revegetated after harvest and grow back relatively quickly in this moist environment" U of CO. Moving on to step 2. Fill the bottom inch of the container with largish rocks or gravel if necessary to prevent soil run-out (keep holding on to that wick!). Pour in the soil (let go of wick once it is stable and standing straight) to within an inch of the top of your container. Set it up on the cinder block (or fancier structure) in a way that the wick hangs freely from the bottom of the container. Remember, it will only drain if it is not obstructed. Don't worry if some of the rest of the drainage holes are obstructed; the wick is the most important. Water the soil lightly to settle it and plant, plant away. Enjoy happy plants!