Self-watering pots not for certain tropicals?
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dirt/water in self-watering container SMELLS
Comments (5)Im using two sub-irrigation planters from Walmart with my standard 1:1 perlite and peat-based potting mix or pine bark fines with some CR fertilizers and top dressed with a thin layer of compost. Neither the planters nor my potting mixes smell. IÂm, however, not using these self-watering planters as you are or as instructed by Earthbox. The Misco Wal-Mart self-watering planters IÂm using have exposed and removable bottom water reservoirs. Since I am gardening under semi-protective shelter on a balcony and for various unique and horticultural reasons, I opted not to use and cover the potting mix with plastic mulch during this trial period. My potting mixes in these planters are not protected from Texas downpours and humidity. Under recent prolonged rainstorms and not being able to deliver and retain the necessary fertilizers to correct prior nutritional deficiencies, my transplanted gardenias showed emerging water stress - increased yellowing and browning of the leaves; hence, I also chose not top off the water reservoirs after the first week of use. A few days ago, I relocated the pots to let the potting mix dry out between rains to facilitate the movement of oxygen to the roots more efficiently and only filled the reservoirs partially with a weak acid-loving fertilizer solution. Any visible progress was slow. Instead of risking damaging the roots by watering and delivering the needed soluble nitrogen and micronutrients to the potting mix and the roots or further delaying supplementing the needed fertilizers and micro-nutrients until the potting mix moisture is ready, I also made due with a temporary weak concoction of acid-loving fertilizer foliar spray. The temporary foliar spray made a quick visible difference. The two gardenias have stabilized and are both doing well in the Wal-Mart sub-irrigation planters and with empty and partially filled water reservoirs. I project based on my short-term experience of using the Misco sub-irrigation planters so far with my fairly light mix and under my current wet growing conditions, topping off the water reservoirs may only be necessary periodically during vacation or hot and active growth periods in mid-summer growing conditions. Odor invariably has to do with soil moisture control and air movement. The wet rag smell is due to poor aeration, which can be caused by many factors such as, waterlogged growing medium, overpotting  little or no water and air movement due to reduced plant respiration and transpiration, emerging bacterial/fungal population, the use of plastic mulch for the wrong plant, climate/zone/season, or on the wrong SW planter, stale, unmoving, under-utilized water in reservoir over prolonged period of time, or any combination of the above. In theory, all passive sub-irrigation planters, small or large, closed or open, and without the use of air and water pumps, work off the same principles. Unless a design violates and neglects some physical laws in a major way, any differences in the effectiveness between planters should not be significant enough that they can't be easily accomplished in another way or managed by proven horticultural practices. Moreover, any advantages over hands-off effectiveness and good designs of one sub-irrigation design over another may be neutralized and less essential as in meeting the diversity of growing conditions and horticultural needs of different plants. In any case, itÂs more economical and effective to increase soil aeration (and/or the effectiveness of capillary action) by modifying the potting mix directly rather than shopping for the best sub-irrigation planter. Even if one has the best passive sub-irrigation planter on the market, the composition of a potting mix is still a leading consideration with respect to the needs of the plant and specific unique growing conditions. Other than the viewable exposed water reservoirs (an advantage or disadvantage depending on perspective) that may compromise the health of roots in extreme micro-climates and temperature fluctuations, or may subject them to attacks from insects (not an issue yet in West-Nile country Texas but the opening can be covered or insulated), I kind of like the simplicity, the functional flexibility, and the prices of WM's welf-watering planters, especially when the same laws of physics apply in all passive sub-irrigation growers. While there has been a lot of intervention on my part with this current semi-open sub-irrigation setup exacerbated by frequent downpours while trying to correct certain nutritional deficiencies in the first few weeks of this trial period, I am satisfied with the progress made by my gardenias in the Misco Self-Watering Planters. There is some appeal in branding a method or a planter as hands-off user-friendly, but my primary interests in using sub-irrigation planters and hydroponic systems in gardening are not for hands-off benefits but to be surrounded by nature, eat clean nutritious foods, grow things well with less efforts and higher yields while conserving resources  water and fertilizers to reduce environmental pollution. There is no buyerÂs remorse so far, but without testing the planters over at least one summer and winter and in other pot sizes, itÂs still too early to reach a verdict about the value of the purchase or future purchases....See MoreSelf watering pots
Comments (24)Wiz - the recommended ix is 1:1:1 peat -- perlite - vermiculite, plus a pinch of dolomite lime to up the Ph to 6,5, microelements and a bit of horticultural charcoal. That's why I buy my soil in the Violet Showcase by big bags - they do it for me. This mix is a variation of a Cornell soilless mix - you can google it in details. But I usually play with it some more - add more perlite for streptocarpus - and add some milled sphagnum moss for Sinningias and Kohlerias. Plus I put a layer of coarse perlite on a bottom - to increase the air flow to the roots.If you do not uuse mats - probably uyou are OK without extra perlite. Thing is - you start with something- and then experiment or try somebody's else idea - but only on 1-2 plants to see if it works or not. I do not know anything about a coarse AF soil - because usually the inexpensive brands of potting soil have composted bark or woodchips in it - and it is not good - wet wood decomposes making soil mix very acid and it absorbs nitrogen from the soil. Even when you buy Scotts or Miracle Grow AV soil - it is never consistent - but usually it is mostly peat. I would avoid a cheap allpurpose potting soil. I....See Moreself watering pots
Comments (3)those pots might be good for sabal minors maybe but, i can't think of any other tropical tree. I thought that my pritchardia would only get the water it needed, it would keep sucking the water till it was gone ! found out real quick not to grow palm trees in those !...See MorePotted tropical fruits in temperate clime greenhouse
Comments (20)Homey Bird, For extensive discussion on growing tropicals/subtropicals outdoors in the S.F. Bay Area, check out www.cloudforest.com. There were several in-depth discussions on growing mangoes in Northern California in February -- scroll down through the threads until you get back to postings from that month. The short answer is that mangoes have been grown and successfully fruited outdoors in the region -- I saw a mango "tree" (really a large bush) growing outside (but against the wall of a structure) north of Davis in February, and the owner reported that he had harvested about 40 fruits from the plant last season. However, mangoes are certainly (and obviously) not reliable plants in our area. They require a favorable microclimate, and even then they would probably be easily killed in a bad cold snap. They also require very good soil drainage in the winter -- cold, wet soil will probably cause root-rot. (So growing mangoes in a container or raised-bed, or on a mound, is a good idea.) As for bananas: yes, it is possible to fruit bananas outdoors here. Lots of people have done it. But certain specific cultural practices are required, and, even then, success is not guaranteed (even for experienced growers). Again, check out the "Cloudforest" site for lots of discussion on this. (Several participants there are "hardcore" banana-growing hobbyists.) I'm not sure if anybody has succeeded with sugar apples (A. squamosa) outdoors in Northern California. It is probably not worth doing, unless you are a dedicated Annona collector: the cherimoya is much more adapted to the region....See Morehobby_libby
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