Hi and Welcome to the Oklahoma Forum!

I don't like putting the whole peat pot in the ground either, but sometimes you have to, as you have discovered. Here's what I do: If the peat pot is dry, fill a plastic container of some kind with a inch or two of water and set the peat pot in that water for a few minutes to soften up the bottom of the peat pot. Then, take it out of the water and use a knife to cut a big "X" across the bottom of the pot. This "X" will leave an opening for the roots to make their way down through more easily.

I do remove the plant and its' soil when I can, but when it is not possible, I soak and slash the peat pot and then plant it intact.

Watering is a much more difficult issue. Due to the variations in soil and how quickly it drains, wind and how quickly it dries out soil, etc., it is impossible to give a nice, easy answer like "water once a day" or "water every other day". The answer is to water your plants when they need it. When do they need it? When the soil in the root zone is dry. How can you tell? With brand new plants that have small root systems, just stick your finger an inch or so into the soil. If the soil is dry, water, If the soil is moist, don't water yet. You want to keep the soil evenly moist, but not sopping wet and not bone dry.

It is actually a tiny bit better for the plants to let them get a little bit dry, but not enough to wilt. When they are a little dry, they stretch those roots a little deeper looking for water...and that deeper root growth is good. You want to establish a good root system that goes down deep because that will help the plants survive in the hotter weather. So, it is better to water LESS OFTEN, but more deeply than to water MORE OFTEN but shallowly.

If you don't like sticking your finger into the soil to check the moisture, there are moisture meters you can buy that have a probe that you stick down into the soil. (If you have somewhat compacted soil, the probe will go into the soil more easily than a finger will too.)

Dawn

Matta65,
Dawn gives great advice. :) I don't have anything to add, except to say "hello" and hope you'll stick around.
Dawna

Hi, matta65, I guess welcome! I'm new to gardening, also, so I don't have a thing to add!! I just poke around and soak up all the great advice! I just scalped my bermuda, I hope it does alright, though I don't think you could kill bermuda if you tried. My grass has been around since the oil boom (the first one!)

And, I just planted my redbud last week. Wish me luck! Next week, FLOWERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Renee, what kind of redbud did you plant? I have seedlings of the species all over my yard.

Matta65, welcome to the forum! I buy a lot of those "Bonnie" plants that come in the peat pots and I just do as Dawn suggested and remove as much of the peat as I can. I am leery of planting them pot and all - afraid the peat won't completely deteriate as the instructions tout, and I want to give the plants as good a start as possible.

Susan

Blueberries, yummmmmm.

Welcome.

Welcome Matta. You'll learn a lot here. Come back often.

Thanks for the welcome guys and the info ). I will have many questions as Ive lived in Oklahoma awhile now and rarely get anything to grow haha.
My main interests are fruit trees and bushes (blueberry and blackberry) but I just cant seem to keep them alive after one year but hopefully this year will be diffirent.

-matt

Hi Matta and welcome to our group!! You will find lots of good advice here along with friendly folks!!

Matt - determination is half the battle in gardening! It's a mind thing. This forum is great with a lot of active people like Dawn, Randy, Dawna, Sheri, and many others (forgive me if I didn't mention your name). Dawn is pretty much our resident "professor of gardening", especially with veggies. She has tried and either proved or disproved what works in Oklahoma.

Everyone has to start somewhere and with gardening, there is always a lot of success and failure - even the most experienced Master Gardener has to suffer occasional losses. But there's always that "keep on truckin" attitude with gardening here. We perservere thru all kinds of weather, bugs, soil, you name it!

The other half of gardening to me, is learning to ask questions. There are no stupid questions!

Truckin' Susan