Expect to add at least a gallon of water a day when the temps are cool and the air is still. When it's sunny and windy you could be adding more water and doing that a couple of times a day. It's important that your container should be lightly colored. If it's black or dark it will absorb heat from the sun, if it is white or pastel, it will reflect the heat. What happens is that the sun can superheat the soil and it can singe immature roots, they then cannot efficiently, if at all, uptake moisture from the soil. You can also place the container in part shade and have a very successful crop with only six or seven hours of sun everyday. T

In containers or in the ground? Makes a big difference. Container plants normally require dilute feeding on a regular weekly basis anyway regardless of plant type. In ground plants are routinely fed after first fruit set and again 6 weeks later etc. But in that case it all depends on the type of feeding routine you are using (ie: fertigation vs. side dressing), the soil prep done before planting, etc. Dave

This is going to sound really wierd, but I've been adding about a cup of unsalted cotton seed meal 1-2 weeks after planting. My tomatoes and peppers have taken off since adding this! I heard about this from an 85 year old lady who has gardened all her life. She told me that if I wanted really big tomatoes to add this stuff. I plan to add about another 1/2-1 cup per plant every month. I bought a 50 pound bag for $9 at the local co-op. I don't know the composition of this stuff, but my plants really seem to like it. Rick

I use whole fruit spikes (4-5) every few weeks in my lotus bog, but I'm not sure that's even enough. I used to use very small tomato spikes in my 7 gallon water lily containers But I do think I'm under fertilizing the water lilies for a couple years. It's hard to know how much you're giving in those chunks of fruit tree spikes. I would just go by their response. if they seem happy and are making blossoms, I think you're using enough. I had problems last year with my water lilies, and maybe it was because I wasn't fertilizing enough. But like I said.....if yours seem happy and productive, I wouldn't change anything. But...........only twice a season seems sort of low. Would you say your lilies are doing well?