Most of my pots rest on concrete patio,
and therefore, staking is not practical.

Thanks,


JIMMY


"William Wagner" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"JS" wrote:

I would like to ask the experts in the forum.
I live in Dallas, TX area where strong wind
and/or thunder storm is very common.
In order to keep my backyard tree pots
from being blown away by the strong wind,
I put rocks (draining type) to make the pots
heavier, that way they can withstand the
strong wind.
Is this OK? am I not going to cause any harm
to the trees (mainly Plumeria and some fruit trees)

Thanks in advance,


JIMMY

No expert here, but ever consider of staking a pot.
Drive a stake and get heavy duty electrical ties and put one or two
about. I'd also look at micro climate possible fixes like a low wall.

Bill who brings his plants onto his porch when it really blows.

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade

This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid

In article ,
"JS" wrote:

Most of my pots rest on concrete patio,
and therefore, staking is not practical.

Thanks,


JIMMY


"William Wagner" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"JS" wrote:

I would like to ask the experts in the forum.
I live in Dallas, TX area where strong wind
and/or thunder storm is very common.
In order to keep my backyard tree pots
from being blown away by the strong wind,
I put rocks (draining type) to make the pots
heavier, that way they can withstand the
strong wind.
Is this OK? am I not going to cause any harm
to the trees (mainly Plumeria and some fruit trees)

Thanks in advance,


JIMMY

No expert here, but ever consider of staking a pot.
Drive a stake and get heavy duty electrical ties and put one or two
about. I'd also look at micro climate possible fixes like a low wall.

Bill who brings his plants onto his porch when it really blows.

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade

This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid


Ever hear of a star drill ?

Bill

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade

This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid

Bill,

If you don't mind, can we stick with my original question,
whether it is OK or not to put some landscape rocks
on the surface of a pot to make it heavier? It is just a
simple YES or NO answer !!

JIMMY



"William Wagner" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"JS" wrote:

Most of my pots rest on concrete patio,
and therefore, staking is not practical.

Thanks,


JIMMY


"William Wagner" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"JS" wrote:

I would like to ask the experts in the forum.
I live in Dallas, TX area where strong wind
and/or thunder storm is very common.
In order to keep my backyard tree pots
from being blown away by the strong wind,
I put rocks (draining type) to make the pots
heavier, that way they can withstand the
strong wind.
Is this OK? am I not going to cause any harm
to the trees (mainly Plumeria and some fruit trees)

Thanks in advance,


JIMMY

No expert here, but ever consider of staking a pot.
Drive a stake and get heavy duty electrical ties and put one or two
about. I'd also look at micro climate possible fixes like a low wall.

Bill who brings his plants onto his porch when it really blows.

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade

This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid


Ever hear of a star drill ?

Bill

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade

This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid

In article ,
"JS" wrote:

Bill,

If you don't mind, can we stick with my original question,
whether it is OK or not to put some landscape rocks
on the surface of a pot to make it heavier? It is just a
simple YES or NO answer !!

JIMMY



"William Wagner" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"JS" wrote:

Most of my pots rest on concrete patio,
and therefore, staking is not practical.

Thanks,


JIMMY


"William Wagner" wrote in message
..
.
In article ,
"JS" wrote:

I would like to ask the experts in the forum.
I live in Dallas, TX area where strong wind
and/or thunder storm is very common.
In order to keep my backyard tree pots
from being blown away by the strong wind,
I put rocks (draining type) to make the pots
heavier, that way they can withstand the
strong wind.
Is this OK? am I not going to cause any harm
to the trees (mainly Plumeria and some fruit trees)

Thanks in advance,


JIMMY

No expert here, but ever consider of staking a pot.
Drive a stake and get heavy duty electrical ties and put one or two
about. I'd also look at micro climate possible fixes like a low wall.

Bill who brings his plants onto his porch when it really blows.

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade

This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid


Ever hear of a star drill ?

Bill

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade

This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid


It would lower your center of gravity, and, depending on whether the
rocks were resting on the soil, compact and displace the soil (not a
good thing). If you patio isn't tiled, you may want to reconsider Bill
Wagner's idea.
--
FB - FFF

Billy
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/

If you don't mind, can we stick with my original question, whether it
is OK or not to put some landscape rocks on the surface of a pot to
make it heavier?

An inch or two wouldn't be a problem, I don't think. That's the kind
of depth (roughly) that you might put in for mulching purposes.

A really thick layer of rocks might tend to compact the soil, though.

What we do here is to put bricks on the pots (well, or on the trays,
I'd have to go out and look exactly where the bricks are and whether
they are supporting the side of the pots or on top of the pots). That
way they don't affect the soil.

In article ,
"JS" wrote:

Bill,

If you don't mind, can we stick with my original question,
whether it is OK or not to put some landscape rocks
on the surface of a pot to make it heavier? It is just a
simple YES or NO answer !!

JIMMY



I've used rocks as a mulch more than once. I've never killed anything
doing that. I mostly do that for succulents tho'.

I doubt that it'd hurt anything. Just watch for excess soil compaction.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

In article ,
Omelet wrote:

In article ,
"JS" wrote:

Bill,

If you don't mind, can we stick with my original question,
whether it is OK or not to put some landscape rocks
on the surface of a pot to make it heavier? It is just a
simple YES or NO answer !!

JIMMY



I've used rocks as a mulch more than once. I've never killed anything
doing that. I mostly do that for succulents tho'.

I doubt that it'd hurt anything. Just watch for excess soil compaction.

I've got pebbles on top of the soil in my herb pots here outside the
door, to keep my hens from eating the potting soil. I don't know why the
biddies like the soil, but they do.

The plants are doing a lot better with the pebbles than they did with
the potting soil being disturbed and removed all the time.

Jan

"JS" wrote:

If you don't mind, can we stick with my original question,
whether it is OK or not to put some landscape rocks
on the surface of a pot to make it heavier? It is just a
simple YES or NO answer !!

I'd say it's fine for the plant to place whatever you like on the
surface of the *pot*, but not necessarily directly on the potting
soil.

Didja ever consider heavier pots...

Search: concrete planters

http://www.wausautile.com/index.cfm/...roduct/y/id/22

Also, perhaps you can coat your pots with something heavy... I hear
tell these days you can buy Chinese Pb paint real cheap.

In article m,
Sheldon wrote:

"JS" wrote:

If you don't mind, can we stick with my original question,
whether it is OK or not to put some landscape rocks
on the surface of a pot to make it heavier? It is just a
simple YES or NO answer !!

I'd say it's fine for the plant to place whatever you like on the
surface of the *pot*, but not necessarily directly on the potting
soil.


Actually, the person that suggested putting the weight in the BOTTOM of
the pot had a rather good idea.

I don't have a wind problem here most of the time, but it gave me food
for thought...

I can get all the free lead I want, at least for now.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

Omelet wrote:
In article m,
Sheldon wrote:

"JS" wrote:
If you don't mind, can we stick with my original question,
whether it is OK or not to put some landscape rocks
on the surface of a pot to make it heavier? It is just a
simple YES or NO answer !!

NO!! !!


Actually, the person that suggested putting the weight in the BOTTOM of
the pot had a rather good idea.


YES!


--
john mcwilliams

Coach: "Are you just ignorant, or merely apathetic?"
Player: "Coach, I don't know, and I don't care."

Omelet wrote:
Sheldon wrote:
"JS" wrote:

If you don't mind, can we stick with my original question,
whether it is OK or not to put some landscape rocks
on the surface of a pot to make it heavier? It is just a
simple YES or NO answer !!

I'd say it's fine for the plant to place whatever you like on the
surface of the *pot*, but not necessarily directly on the potting
soil.

Actually, the person that suggested putting the weight in the BOTTOM of
the pot had a rather good idea.

Actually had you not taken my one statement out of context and read
and comprehended my *entire* post then you might realize that placing
rocks into the bottom of the pot is not such a good idea... it robs
space from the plant roots (the more rocks the more space they rob)
and really doesn't add a lot of weight as it displaces soil that when
moist weighs almost as much as the rocks. And rocks don't hold
moisture or help with aeration, better to use some broken clay pots -
which of course don't weigh very much. A larger and/or heavier pot is
the better solution. Staking the pot down is not such a great
solution either... any wind strong enough to blow an unsecured pot
about is likely strong enough to rip the plant out of the pot,
especially if it's some sort of tall plant, and most especially if
there are root space stealing rocks. In heavy wind storms potted
plants (and all other items that could become missles) should be
secured indoors.

In article .com,
Sheldon wrote:

Actually, the person that suggested putting the weight in the BOTTOM of
the pot had a rather good idea.

Actually had you not taken my one statement out of context and read
and comprehended my *entire* post then you might realize that placing
rocks into the bottom of the pot is not such a good idea... it robs
space from the plant roots (the more rocks the more space they rob)
and really doesn't add a lot of weight as it displaces soil that when
moist weighs almost as much as the rocks. And rocks don't hold
moisture or help with aeration, better to use some broken clay pots -
which of course don't weigh very much. A larger and/or heavier pot is
the better solution. Staking the pot down is not such a great
solution either... any wind strong enough to blow an unsecured pot
about is likely strong enough to rip the plant out of the pot,
especially if it's some sort of tall plant, and most especially if
there are root space stealing rocks. In heavy wind storms potted
plants (and all other items that could become missles) should be
secured indoors.

Shel' dear. I always have put gravel in the bottom of pots to facilitate
good pot drainage. I was taught to do that by my Botany professor when I
used to work for him and take care of the class greenhouse. He also
always put a pot sherd over the hole or holes.

But, I use really big pots when I do that. 1 gallon on up to 25 gallon
depending on what I am planting. ;-)
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

In article ,
"JS" wrote:

Bill,

If you don't mind, can we stick with my original question,
whether it is OK or not to put some landscape rocks
on the surface of a pot to make it heavier? It is just a
simple YES or NO answer !!

JIMMY
Well, actually, the original question that you wanted answered was would
the rocks hurt your trees. If used as Omlet suggested, the answer is no.

"I always have put gravel in the bottom of pots to facilitate
good pot drainage. I was taught to do that by my Botany professor when I
used to work for him and take care of the class greenhouse. He also
always put a pot shard over the hole or holes." - Omlet

Sometimes these post take on the aspect of the whispering game where a
sentence is whispered around a circle and by the time it returns to the
original whisperer, it has changed significantly. Something happens with
news browsers. The old are deleted to avoid clutter, and sometimes the
original question gets swept-out as well. Sorry it took so much time to
give a clear response but at least it is thoroughly vetted.

Good luck with the tress.

"JS" wrote:

I would like to ask the experts in the forum.
I live in Dallas, TX area where strong wind
and/or thunder storm is very common.
In order to keep my backyard tree pots
from being blown away by the strong wind,
I put rocks (draining type) to make the pots
heavier, that way they can withstand the
strong wind.
Is this OK? am I not going to cause any harm
to the trees (mainly Plumeria and some fruit trees)

Thanks in advance,


JIMMY

No expert here, but ever consider of staking a pot.
Drive a stake and get heavy duty electrical ties and put one or two
about. I'd also look at micro climate possible fixes like a low wall.

Bill who brings his plants onto his porch when it really blows.

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade

This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid


Ever hear of a star drill ?

Bill

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade

This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid


--
Billy
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/

Billy wrote:
In article ,
"JS" wrote:

Bill,

If you don't mind, can we stick with my original question,
whether it is OK or not to put some landscape rocks
on the surface of a pot to make it heavier? It is just a
simple YES or NO answer !!

JIMMY
Well, actually, the original question that you wanted answered was would
the rocks hurt your trees. If used as Omlet suggested, the answer is no.

It is a crying shame that the OP became so incensed, as each response
was in one way or another made in an attempt to solve his problem albeit
not with pat Yes or No answers. I have actually tied large container
plants to fixed trellises or posts and kept them upright in high winds.
I haven't had the opportunity to stake down patio containers as I'm able
to move mine behind windward walls, but it's a damn good idea! Too bad
he didn't want to hear about things like that.

In article ,
Pennyaline wrote:

Billy wrote:
In article ,
"JS" wrote:

Bill,

If you don't mind, can we stick with my original question,
whether it is OK or not to put some landscape rocks
on the surface of a pot to make it heavier? It is just a
simple YES or NO answer !!

JIMMY
Well, actually, the original question that you wanted answered was would
the rocks hurt your trees. If used as Omlet suggested, the answer is no.

It is a crying shame that the OP became so incensed, as each response
was in one way or another made in an attempt to solve his problem albeit
not with pat Yes or No answers. I have actually tied large container
plants to fixed trellises or posts and kept them upright in high winds.
I haven't had the opportunity to stake down patio containers as I'm able
to move mine behind windward walls, but it's a damn good idea! Too bad
he didn't want to hear about things like that.

In that case, can putting rocks on top of the soil hurt his trees, the
answer is YES.

It can cause soil compaction which causes a host of problems.

Consider other suggested alternatives.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson