On Wed, 27 Jul 2016 10:32:30 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Wed, 27 Jul 2016 09:37:14 +0100, T i m wrote:

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?

If the ants are established within the pots, it can be a sign of too
dry soil.

Ah.

When you water, you say the pots seem to drain fairly
quickly.

Well, some do Chris (there are quite a few) and so may have never
shown any sign of draining (for the amount of water I have put in).

The pots haven't got too dry at some point in the past, have
they (not necessarily in your care but before) and the soil pulled
away from the edges, and the water just runs down the sides and out of
the bottom, hardly touching the core of soil.

I don't think so (and certainly not in my car) but one that seems to
drain very quickly does seem to have a lower soil level lower than
most of the others.

If that happens,
standing the pots in a bucket of water for half an hour to give them a
really good soak will swell the compost again. Or at the very least,
push the soil into the gap around the top, to block off that direct
path.

Understood. However, I'd probably have to get a crane in to do that.
;-)

Thinking about immersing the pots in water, they're not in pot-saucers
are they, which fill with water and then remain standing in it for
several days? That will definitely keep the soil too wet and may
result in yellowing of the leaves.

These are 50 x 50 x 50cm square (actually tapered out at the top)
concrete planters painted to look like terra cotta. They are very big
and very heavy!

It would be worth checking to see where the ants are coming from. If
they have set up home in the pots, I'd use an ant killer to eliminate
them, such as Nippon http://tinyurl.com/jyby946

So would they potentially affect the privet to the detriment? I have
no problem with them being there if they aren't likely to be doing any
harm?

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

IIRC there is a fungus disease of privet (rust?) that has caused
problems everywhere in recent years, but I'm not very well up on it.
Someone else may be able to comment.

Ok, thanks anyway.

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).

Pot plants certainly need the occasional feed. You mention some sort
of liquid bone meal. I've not come across it, but Googling for it
suggests that it's a 0-12-0 fertiliser (N-P-K,
nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium), which would make sense as bones are
calcium phosphate.

I'll get more information for you re the actual stuff.

But plants need more than just phosphorus, and in
particular they need nitrogen to help keep them green. I'd pop into
your local garden centre or shed and get a small packet of balanced
fertiliser such as Phostrogen and give them a feed with that, and see
what happens http://tinyurl.com/zou6ao3 You might find they green up
quite quickly.

Yes, I have read about a more long term feed that you apply once a
year type of thing.


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

Re-potting from a smaller to a larger pot is desirable in the early
years of a plant's life, but once they've reached 'maturity' (how do
you know?!) they can stay in their final pots.

Ah, ok.

While you certainly can
change the soil every few years then, an alternative is just to remove
and replace the top inch or so, which is a whole lot easier to do. But
if these plants are only temporarily in your care, I wouldn't even
think about it.

Understood. I was thinking of more of a long term plan for him
(possibly with my help) if it was recommended by the panel and if it
might minimise any general issues?

Cheers, T i m