containier gardening

[ninnymary]

I have a hard time with container gardening because of the watering. I either water too much or too little. It seems that when I give a good soak, I give to much and the leaves start turning yellow and fall off.

Anyway, I have a hugh pot that I want to plant Scarlet runner beans. They will have a wire trellis to climb on. Can they grow in a pot? Also, do I need to change the soil every year since I know nutrients leach out?

Right now the soil in there has alot of tiny roots that I have tried to sift out. I was planning on adding compost to it but now I don't know if I should just change the soil.

What do you think?

mary

 

[lesa]

If you add fertilizer, I don't think you need to add new dirt. Are you sure you have enough drainage in your pots? Have you drilled a few holes in the bottoms? You might want to try the product that you can add to the dirt that holds water- I can't think what is was called, but they are dry nuggets that you soak in water. That really helped my window boxes...I have never grown beans in a pot- but I say it won't hurt to try... Good luck!

 

[inchworm]

My boxes are about 10 years old. If the soil looks really spent (pale and packed), I'll take half out and replace with compost. If it looks fairly dark and crumbly, I mix in enough compost to get it to the appropriate level. The only way I have ever overwatered a container is if there aren't enough holes in the bottom. Drill some more.

Inchy

 

[obsessed]

Yeah, I agree with everyone else. Too much water = not enough drainage. So drill some holes and and put some rocks to the bottom of your pot. I think beans would be fine in a pot.

As sifting out the little roots leave them alone as they breakdown they will add organic matter and nutrients to your beans. As for fertilizer, think about what you want out of your planting. Are you aiming for a ton of beans or just to grow something pretty? Because if your aiming for production then a little fertilizer won't hurt but will definitely increase your yield. But if you don't care so much then a little compost should do you some good.

Also think of compost more as and amendment than fertilizer.

 

[GrowsLotsaPeppers]

I'm in your neighborhood, Martinez, actually.

We grow our herbs in containers, because that's where they fit. Each year, we use a bag of potting soil from the local garden center, the one that Buzz owns, and dump the old stuff into the raised bed veggie gardens. Those get compost and potting soil and chicken poop and whatever else we need.

A bag of soil is $8. What's 40 lbs of beans worth?

When we're trying to do cheap and natural, I'll bring in a pickup load or three of organic horse leavings.

Not all of the watering works well on the computer drip system, but veggies often do.

 

[wifezilla]

You might want to try a wick system so they self water.
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg0711075714683.html

 

[ninnymary]

dirt. Are you sure you have enough drainage in your pots. Have you drilled a few holes in the bottoms? You might want to try the product that you can add to the dirt that holds water- I can't think what is was called, but they are dry nuggets that you soak in water. That really helped my window boxes...I have never grown beans in a pot- but I say it won't hurt to try... Good luck!

The pot is one of those hugh cobalt blue ceramic ones. I do know that it had at least one drainage hole. It is too heavy for me to lift to tip over to see how many holes there are. As far as drainage, I just think the soil gets too compacted. I will add some organic fertilizer when I plant. I am more interested in the pretty scarlet beans to attract hummingbirds than the actual beans.

 

[HiDelight]

I always put several inches of gravel or pot shards in the bottom of my big pots to help with drainage

clawing in some compost and some kind of vermiculite or perlite or something helps as well

then feed the pots a few times during the season with organics . or use time released ferts for the flowers ..

 

[vfem]

With my pots I add a bit of compost each year (or I would buy organic fertilizers before I started a compost).

I think you need to look into better drainage for these pots if you are over watering them.

 

[inchworm]

Ohh - I know the type of pot you mean. Seems to me they usually only have one drainage hole about the size of a quarter. It takes a special bit to drill the ceramic without breaking it - but it can be done. The other option is to fill a good portion of the bottom with loose gravel or shards (I'd say 1/4 to 1/3 of the pot, depending on the depth of it). That gives some place for the water to sit while it's waiting to drain out of the one hole. Pot makers really ought to know better -- Sheesh!

Inchworm