On Wed, 27 Jul 2016 08:19:53 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Tue, 26 Jul 2016 23:43:47 +0100, T i m wrote:

Hi,

We are looking after some privet plants (buxus sempervirens possibly?)
for a mate and noticed today that some of them have yellowing to the
tips? They are about 70cm in diameter.

Because of the weather and the fact they are in planters (probably 50
x 50 x 50 cm) we have been watering them every second or third day and
wondered if we are over watering them? ;-( FWIW, most of them seem
to drain (a couple pretty quickly) whilst / after watering so I'm
hoping they are draining ok.

I think he suggested about a 1/3rd of a watering can each every other
day if it was really hot and dry and upto maybe a week if it was dull,
cool or rainy?

He also suggested feeding them every couple of weeks (liquid bone
meal?) but we haven't done that yet as I think I remembering the
interval for that 'about every couple of weeks'.

I can get some pictures the next time we are there if it might help.

Any thoughts or advice welcomed please. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

When watering stuff in pots, I rely on sticking a finger in the soil
rather than sticking to a fixed regime. If the soil is dry an inch or
so down, then I water it. But if the soil feels even slightly damp, I
leave it a day before trying again.

Ok, good tip, thanks Chris.

Another way is to lift the pot
plus plant. If it feels light, then it needs water, but this requires
a little more experience of what's light and what's heavy,

Yes, whilst no gardener I've done that in the past and feel it's quite
logical to tell the difference between wet and dry *soil*. Not always
so easy when the plant is in some lighter potting compound / whatever
and some don't seem to have much substance or hold much water?

and a pot
that's not too big to lift in the first place.

And unfortunately that is the case with these. Even rocking them back
on one side suggests how heavy they are (concrete pots painted to look
like terracotta).

Other things I forgot to mention on my first post and have come up
since I've been doing further research and they a

There seem to be quite a few ants (probably 20 or so on the move on
any pot at ant time) coming and going between the pots and somewhere?
If they are unlikely to do any harm then I'll just continue ignoring
them?

There are a couple of yellow / dead 'holes' on some of these plants
that have been there a while (apparently).

I think I have read that feeding these plants with a liquid fertiliser
(he has bone meal of some sort there) isn't the best thing but they
(because they in pots) do need some feed at some point (because the
natural nutrients in the pot will diminish over time).

I have also read these things should have their soil replaced once
every few (3?) years?

Sorry for all the extra questions but I'm trying to understand if
there may be some 'other' causes that may have meant my potential over
watering may have just pushed them too far etc?

Cheers, T i m

p.s. I may have been encouraged to over water them because 1) some of
the pots seem to start draining pretty quickly suggestion you couldn't
over water and 2) because he mentioned a gardener he had previously
left in charge of these privets hadn't been watering them (and unlike
me was being paid to do so). ;-(