First, overwintering under straw is not a bad idea. I just took home two potted roses that spent the winter in back of the local Agway in a "straw bunker". If I don't get a new bed prepared by fall, they will do the same behind my barn, although by then they will be in bigger pots. Second - water! And then more water! My pot ghetto is on a deck only accessible through the house, so I have a hose snaked up and over the railing with one of those hose end sprayers attached. I go out to the outside faucet, turn on the water, run into the house, use the "stream" function on the sprayer to fill four 2+ gal watering cans, turn off the sprayer, run back out to turn off the water. Then I water the pots. This ten gallon drink soaks all of them. This is necessary twice a week, more if it doesn't rain at all and more for the four small pots that dry quicker. If I have time, I turn on the water again and fill the cans to be ahead for the next time. Drainage: I did not want saucers under the pots, but sitting directly on the deck wasn't wise for the wood. A friend made me three "railroad tracks" of scrap mahogany - each one is about 3' long, two lengths of wood "rails" set about 1" apart, screwed to two crosspieces on the bottom lifting the rails off the deck. I can line them up, move them around for three separate groupings. I am excited about these; they just were delivered yesterday, so today is the day to "rearrange the rose furniture" on the deck. Also, I noticed more blackspot among the newbie pots, dealt with it with a spray, and it may have spread so quickly because I had all dozen of them clustered on a few pieces of scrap wood in a corner, so poor air circulation, easy contact leaf to leaf. I am trying not to think "pot ghetto", but "container grown roses". After all, my jade plant and Christmas cactus arean't living in a ghetto....

Thanks, Irina, for the advice! I'm just impatient to get them out on their own! You know how Mom's are :) I've got some standard leaves someone shared with me and I'm amazed by the size of their babies. Compared to the minis, they are huge! Everyone is growing really fast, though, so I'm sure it won't be long before I'll be potting up all kinds. On the littlest cups, how do you keep them moist? Do I need to wick them or just water them frequently when dry? Also, do I separate out each individual plant at this time, or later when I transplant again to a bigger pot? Elaine

Remember when you called me and I also told you that the baby heucheras, sold as starter plugs, should be started in small pots? I still think that is what you need to do to have any success with them. The hostas should probably do fine in spin out bags but I don't think putting starter plugs of Heuchera into a 5 gallon spin out bag will help them to get started. If you are putting things in the spin out bags I don't quite understand why you would also be continuing to amend and till the soil. Baby heuchera do not need to be constantly moist. Let them dry slightly between waterings and then only water them lightly. They don't like wet feet and don't like clay soil. You want to encourage them to get new roots without rotting them away. The hostas will like more water than the heuchera. I would still recommend, like we discussed on the phone, that you pot up the heuchera in a well draining potting soil in small pots (about 4" deep and about 3" wide) and tend those that way until they are rooted out. If you were to plant directly in the ground I would recommend adding a lot more soil amendments to the garden and then rototill that all in and plant the hostas that way. If you are worried about root infiltration and are going to try the spin out bags then just dig the holes big enough for those bags, I believe people fill it with good garden soil, then plant the hostas in that. But like I mentioned I don't have any direct experience myself with the spin out bags. Lots of people have given what I think is good advice but I think you are getting confused by all the different things being suggested. And while I hope you do have some success with some things there be prepared for some losses as it can be tough figuring out a new garden situation like this and what will grow there. Chris

Thanks so much, Tom and Konopka, for the reassurance about MG potting mix. I was afraid that 100% would be too strong, too stimulating  or might burn the delicate roots. I just finished reading some posts about the difference between "soil" and "mix". It all makes sense. The MG mix is soil-less. It is a combo of 50% composted bark with sphagnum peat moss and pasteurized poultry poop. Thank you, Taz, for your advice about roots needing oxygen. I like your thinking. Adding perlite and sand would make a lighter, more breathable mix and I do want to encourage good root development. Finding sand shouldnÂt be difficult. I live near the ocean! -- Fred