Containers can be incredibly hot depending upon sun exposure, container size, and how the container is sited (on risers versus sitting on a slab of blacktop). From what I recall, the color of a container doesn't offer as much of an advantage as I'd previously thought....a white container was only 5F degrees cooler than a black pot...if I'm remembering rightly. Josh

Darn..I clicked the box to inform me of responses..guess clicking doesn't work anymore either. Cactus..thank you. Who would have thought Agaves would grow so large in containers..especially small containers. Some roots have cracked their pots. Many have offshoots. But No flower, boohoo. Mojave. Well, maybe you should 'borrow' a few pots from mom, and she'll forgot she loaned them to you..lol. Mojave..My suc soil is well-draining. I make my own mix, been using it for years..Depending on pot size, soil dries 3 days after being watered. You said you have 15 plants..I have 300-400. If I had to water more than I do now, I'd give up growing, lol. I use bagged soils, but amend with other ingredients. Guess it's a matter of famiarizing oneself when to give a plant a drink. Heck, if I had to water daily, I'd put concrete floors in my house, and use a hose..lol.. Cactus, lol..told you you had a sense of humor.. Marquest, you're female? God, I am sooo sorry. lol. It's not really a matter of size..I'm 5'5 and weigh 116lbs. Don't know if you consider that large or not..lol The problem is, I once tried caulking a wall. Think it was caulk..lol..the stuff hardened before I could apply it. Turned out a big mess. lol.. Wow, nice pot..is it made of pebbles? Your Calla is coming along nicely. Do you over-winter indoors? Mojave, are you asking me or someone else...about the conservatory???? I like Lithops, but have a difficult time keeping them. My last Lithops bloomed, then died, a couple months ago. I should research their care..But they are very very interesting, and so many different varieties..Toni

Wendy: I am currently using the light cellophane "195MST" size 5 x 3.25 x 13 gusset. They are about the right size for 1/3lb or a bit more of greens. I'm thinking of trying a larger size. These folks will also custom size the bags if you need larger amounts. On the web site they only give prices for quantaties of 1000. I purchased both the 4 " and 5" sizes in the 250 pkg which they also offer. I find the smaller 4" size great for herbs, basil, cilantro, etc. They really do keep the product fresh and they're environmentally friendly. Good Luck, Glenda

If you get the tree tubs at a nursery or commercial landscaping company, go ahead and ask them if they have bulk qtys of landscape mix or whatever kind of manmade bedding mixes they fill large landcape islands or beds with. Usually, these will run from $25 dollars a "scoop" (generally 1/2 cubic yard) to maybe $55 - $65 a cubic yard, which would pretty much fill a shortbed pickup truck to where the bumper was down on the wheels. So, if they do, sweet talk the operator into letting you fill the tubs with this mix for some dirt cheap price like 50c or a buck per 10-gallon tub. One farmer I get this stuff from will let me fill 10-gallon tubs for 25c - 50c each depending on what kinda mood he's in or how close it is to Miller Time. He makes his mix from rotted bark and wood chips from the utility company right-of-way trimmings, rotted horse manure and stall bedding, native clay loam, sand and agricultural lime. I notice a lot of lawn care contractors also drop off leaves and grass clippings in his composting area. Anyway, get something that drains readily. Don't use garden soil! If the mix isn't sterile, such as homemade like what I get from that farmer, cut a piece of porous landscape fabric to top the filled container and suppress weeds. I plant my tomato transplants on my tailgate at the farmer's loading yard as I fill my containers in the spring. Don't go buying fancy shmancy bagged mixes if you can get something that works cheap from a farmer, soilbuilder or commercial nursery, etc. I add a little release Ozmocote fertilizer and some cheap 12-12-12 granules like what you can buy at Dollar General or Walmart for 2 or 3 bucks a 4-pound box ... right into the tubs as I fill them. Like in the top half of the growing mix. Then I still fertilize with half strength Miracle-Gro type tomato formula or rose formula every week to 10 days and water every other day or every day when it gets supper hot. You can stuff some wheat straw in the top of the containers and pile some up around the containers if the sun causes the black tubs to get exceedingly hot 'cuz if you don't, you risk baking the roots, distressing them, and causing BER. Good growing. Bill