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Old 23-08-2006, 01:45 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Mike Mike is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 179
Default Irrigation and Peat Free Compost

Shallow Saucers for water for the tips of the roots. Water would soak up
into the compost on demnd. I am not a gardener as the owners and net nannies
of this newsgroup will be very very quick to point out, but my wife is an
avid gardener and we have lots of pots, even more now I have built a big
verandah right across the back of the house, and they are all in shallow
saucers.

If it works for her, why not you?

Kind regards

Mike


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Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com


"Rick Eggleston" wrote in message
...
Because that would leave the roots permanently waterlogged.

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Best Regards,

Rick

"Mike" wrote in message
...

"Rick Eggleston" wrote in message
...
I have grown tomatoes, cucumbers and melons for the first time in pots

with
Bowers peat-free compost. As the Bowers dries out quickly, I have

installed
timed irrigation from rainwater butts. This has had limited success as

the
water seems to take the path of least resistance straight down through
the
Bowers. Even using a ring of micro-soaker hose in the pot, water is

running
out the bottom before the compost is full soaked.

I have potted vines in John Innes compost watered by the same method

without
problems.

Has anyone experience of any other peat-free composts?
Would a blended mixture of Bowers and John Innes work?




Why not stand the pots in saucers to a depth you want the water to be?

That way the roots will still be in water even after the water has run
through!

Mike


--
--------------------------------------
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com