Straight talk from someone who wants to see you get the most from your growing experience: Collectively, your posts reveal you're new at growing plants indoors. Even if you were extremely successful as an outdoor gardener, a large part of what you know about growing in the ground is not transferable to growing in pots. On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being growing things in the earth, and 10 being hydroponic growing, growing in pots is about a 7 or 8, so, very unlike growing in the earth. IOW, you'll need to reconsider everything you know about gardening and learn a whole bunch of new stuff about container gardening in order to get to the point you don't have to worry about your ability to keep your green friends happy with what you provide. All of the information you need to be an accomplished container grower fits together like a jigsaw puzzle that is under assembly. Each of the pieces are somehow connected to the other pieces - either directly or extraneously, but they ARE all connected. If ever you’ve put a jigsaw puzzle together, you probably remember that it’s easier when you try to get the outer 'frame' together first. This outer frame is representative of an understanding of the most basic knowledge that is needed for success. Of the basic knowledge, most important is an understanding of how the soil/water relationship works & how the individual soil components interact as they relate to the whole. Basically we need to understand that a healthy root system is required if the plant is to be healthy. Then, and easier to understand are a very few additional issues like the importance of light to your growing experience, how fertilizers work and what fertilizer is most appropriate ……. We also need at least a very basic understanding of how some of the other cultural conditions might affect plant growth/ performance. Once the grower has this essential understanding in grasp, that is to say the framework of the growing puzzle completed, assembling the rest of the pieces will occur at a rate exponentially faster than the rate at which you progressed at the outset of your growing experience. Unless this basic framework is complete, we’re basically relying on trial & error, which is certainly no short cut to success. The link I left upthread was intended to help you assemble the framework of a good container gardening experience. I can assure you that proficiency isn't just going to happen; and if it does happen, it will take much, much longer via trial and error than it would if you took the time to understand the basics. I might be reading your second post wrong, but I didn't get the impression you read what I linked you to. The only reason I bring that up is, I WANT you to be successful, which means being equipped to avoid the pitfalls I can visualize as being in your path. If you need a nudge, I hope others will weigh in and offer some comment re how a little knowledge can move you further/faster along the path to proficiency. If I read your last offering wrong, I sincerely apologize. Al

Grow a Fruit Tree AZ is a new forum dedicated to the discussion of growing fruit trees in Arizona. All are welcome to contribute and we hope to avoid much of the interpersonal drama that has ruined other Arizona specific fruit growing groups. We hope that you can join us. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2328852860722036/

What gorgeous weather we had yesterday! I had to walk outside to cut some herbs and I just loved the warm breezy day. It was not really sunny, but not dark either. The sun did peek out once in awhile. I was determined to take a walk at some point, but never made it. We were just busy with company all day and then it was dark. But not getting a walk in was the only disappointment of the day, for which I am very thankful!! Hope everyone enjoyed their day yesterday too. Definitely thankful to still find friendly 'faces' here on the NE forum to visit with and talk gardening! Happy Thanksgiving!

I said this in another forum . . . I first met John one Sunday morning at the Celebration of Old Roses, in El Cerrito. He was sitting with the late Col. Mel Hulse, of the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden ... Mel, sitting leaned back in his chair, and both of them having a grand time. Now, they are gone from us, as is Miriam Wilkins, founder of the Heritage Roses Group ... and the wonderful Barbara Worl. And so many others . . . I have this vision of a permanent gathering in some Heavenly rose garden. There's John, with Mel, and Miriam, and Barbara -- but also dear, wonderful Sean McCann, and if he's there, I bet so is Dean Hole, and of course, there's Peter Beales, and Jack Harkness, and so many others. Mel's mixing Rose Growers, and handing them around, because no one there will ever be more than mildly tipsy, or have a hangover -- and THE THINGS they will share about roses!