"Gardens: Old wives' tales" from Saturday's Guardian
 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...-tales-gardens
or
http://gu.com/p/2yyd7

This was the one that shocked me:

Crocks in pots improve drainage
...
False: a drainage layer in the bottom of pots reduces the volume of
soil available to plant roots. Don't add gravel or crocks, but
ensure pots have drainage holes.

"Gardens: Old wives' tales" from Saturday's Guardian
 

On Jan 11, 8:39*pm, Adam Funk wrote:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...wives-tales-ga...
orhttp://gu.com/p/2yyd7

This was the one that shocked me:

* Crocks in pots improve drainage
* ...
* False: a drainage layer in the bottom of pots reduces the volume of
* soil available to plant roots. Don't add gravel or crocks, but
* ensure pots have drainage holes.

This was what we were taught when pots were made from fired clay and
had just one hole in the bottom, by placing crocks over the hole you
reduced the risk of the hole becoming blocked by lumps in the compost
which was made chiefly of seived loamwith added sand, later peat was
added esp when the John Innes Institute came up with their recipe for
seed, and potting composts.
With the introduction of plastic post you started to get 4 holes, and
gradualy the number and size has increased and a small intermitent rim
was introduced to stop the pot forming a seal on flat surfaces.
There are times when I still put coarse peat or bark chippings in the
bottom of large pots that are going to be sitting on the ground as I
believe it helps to prevent water being syphoned into the pot and
causing waterloging and thus stagnant compost.
David Hill

"Gardens: Old wives' tales" from Saturday's Guardian
 

On 12/01/2011 08:03, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:39:14 +0000, Adam
wrote:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...-tales-gardens
or
http://gu.com/p/2yyd7

This was the one that shocked me:

Crocks in pots improve drainage
...
False: a drainage layer in the bottom of pots reduces the volume of
soil available to plant roots. Don't add gravel or crocks, but
ensure pots have drainage holes.

I always generously crock big clay pots with a layer of broken bits,
but never bother with plastic pots as they have multiple holes and
often a 'castellated' base.

AS I find that compost tends to get washed out through the holes I
simply line the bottom of my pots with bit of kitchen roll, stolen from
my wife's kitchen. ;-0 Works for me.

--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire

"Gardens: Old wives' tales" from Saturday's Guardian
 

"Moonraker" wrote in message
...
On 12/01/2011 08:03, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:39:14 +0000, Adam
wrote:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...-tales-gardens
or
http://gu.com/p/2yyd7

This was the one that shocked me:

Crocks in pots improve drainage
...
False: a drainage layer in the bottom of pots reduces the volume of
soil available to plant roots. Don't add gravel or crocks, but
ensure pots have drainage holes.

I always generously crock big clay pots with a layer of broken bits,
but never bother with plastic pots as they have multiple holes and
often a 'castellated' base.

AS I find that compost tends to get washed out through the holes I simply
line the bottom of my pots with bit of kitchen roll, stolen from my wife's
kitchen. ;-0 Works for me.

--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire


When you empty the paper from the Office Shredder onto the compost heap,
fill something such as an empty loaf bag with some of the shredded paper and
keep in the greenhouse / potting shed to put into the bottom of the pots
:-))

(Save nicking the Kitchen Roll from her indoors)

Mike



--

....................................
Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive
....................................

"Gardens: Old wives' tales" from Saturday's Guardian
 

On 12/01/2011 08:03, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:39:14 +0000, Adam

I always generously crock big clay pots with a layer of broken bits,
but never bother with plastic pots as they have multiple holes and
often a 'castellated' base.

If there is a problem with plastic pots, it's that they are vey light
and a tall plant blows over too easily. A few crocks help add weight.

Recently I've tried "blocking" all the drainage holes with thin slices
of Oasis (sometimes adding crocks above simply to add weight). The
reason for doing this is to dissuade ants from entering the pots and
forming nests, and eventually removing much of the soil. As I grow many
plants in very sandy soil, this is a serious problem. So far it looks
successful, but I'd be interested to see the results if anyone else
wanted to try it. By the way, it doesn't seem to affect drainage as
water simply runs through the Oasis.

--

Jeff

"Gardens: Old wives' tales" from Saturday's Guardian
 

"Jeff Layman" wrote ...

Chris Hogg wrote:
Adam Funk

I always generously crock big clay pots with a layer of broken bits,
but never bother with plastic pots as they have multiple holes and
often a 'castellated' base.

If there is a problem with plastic pots, it's that they are vey light
and a tall plant blows over too easily. A few crocks help add weight.

Recently I've tried "blocking" all the drainage holes with thin slices
of Oasis (sometimes adding crocks above simply to add weight). The
reason for doing this is to dissuade ants from entering the pots and
forming nests, and eventually removing much of the soil. As I grow many
plants in very sandy soil, this is a serious problem. So far it looks
successful, but I'd be interested to see the results if anyone else
wanted to try it. By the way, it doesn't seem to affect drainage as
water simply runs through the Oasis.

You can buy sheets of plastic insect proof netting (or was it shade cloth?),
green in colour, and I've used a piece of that cut to shape to fit the
bottom of the pot in the past to stop ants using the pots as a nest. Worked
for me.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

"Gardens: Old wives' tales" from Saturday's Guardian
 

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...


"Jeff Layman" wrote ...

Chris Hogg wrote:
Adam Funk

I always generously crock big clay pots with a layer of broken bits,
but never bother with plastic pots as they have multiple holes and
often a 'castellated' base.

If there is a problem with plastic pots, it's that they are vey light
and a tall plant blows over too easily. A few crocks help add weight.

Recently I've tried "blocking" all the drainage holes with thin slices
of Oasis (sometimes adding crocks above simply to add weight). The
reason for doing this is to dissuade ants from entering the pots and
forming nests, and eventually removing much of the soil. As I grow many
plants in very sandy soil, this is a serious problem. So far it looks
successful, but I'd be interested to see the results if anyone else
wanted to try it. By the way, it doesn't seem to affect drainage as
water simply runs through the Oasis.

You can buy sheets of plastic insect proof netting (or was it shade
cloth?), green in colour, and I've used a piece of that cut to shape to
fit the bottom of the pot in the past to stop ants using the pots as a
nest. Worked for me.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

Bob I know it has been drummed into everybodies head time and time again
that I am not a gardener, but DARE I suggest that Ants nesting in a pot
'could' possibly mean that they are tooooooooo dry and need watering?

I know that is a fact in the compost heap, something of which I am an
expert, shock horror ;-)))

Mike


--

....................................
Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive
....................................

"Gardens: Old wives' tales" from Saturday's Guardian
 

On 12/01/2011 17:26, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Jeff Layman" wrote ...

Recently I've tried "blocking" all the drainage holes with thin slices
of Oasis (sometimes adding crocks above simply to add weight). The
reason for doing this is to dissuade ants from entering the pots and
forming nests, and eventually removing much of the soil. As I grow many
plants in very sandy soil, this is a serious problem. So far it looks
successful, but I'd be interested to see the results if anyone else
wanted to try it. By the way, it doesn't seem to affect drainage as
water simply runs through the Oasis.

You can buy sheets of plastic insect proof netting (or was it shade
cloth?), green in colour, and I've used a piece of that cut to shape to
fit the bottom of the pot in the past to stop ants using the pots as a
nest. Worked for me.

I've also used that, but I ran out of it, and the Oasis was at hand. I'm
pretty certain that weed-proof membrane would work too, as that lets
water through.

--

Jeff

"Gardens: Old wives' tales" from Saturday's Guardian
 

On 12/01/2011 17:33, 'Mike' wrote:

Bob I know it has been drummed into everybodies head time and time again
that I am not a gardener, but DARE I suggest that Ants nesting in a pot
'could' possibly mean that they are tooooooooo dry and need watering?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerophyte

--

Jeff

"Gardens: Old wives' tales" from Saturday's Guardian
 

"Jeff Layman" wrote in message
...
On 12/01/2011 17:33, 'Mike' wrote:

Bob I know it has been drummed into everybodies head time and time again
that I am not a gardener, but DARE I suggest that Ants nesting in a pot
'could' possibly mean that they are tooooooooo dry and need watering?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerophyte

--

Jeff

Now come off it Jeff, that looks very techy. Must go to my nearest Garden
Centre next Saturday and ask one of the young assistants to explain it to
me.

Now don't try to baffle me again. You have been told enough times on this
newsgroup, I am not a gardener ;-))

Happy New Year.

Off now to Direct a play at one of the local Theatres :-))
http://www.shanklintheatre.com/event...r/details.aspx
Rather ironic considering my parents had an hotel and I was 'reared' in the
surroundings ;-)

Mike



--

....................................
Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive
....................................

"Gardens: Old wives' tales" from Saturday's Guardian
 

"Jeff Layman" wrote in message
...
On 12/01/2011 08:03, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:39:14 +0000, Adam

I always generously crock big clay pots with a layer of broken bits,
but never bother with plastic pots as they have multiple holes and
often a 'castellated' base.

If there is a problem with plastic pots, it's that they are vey light and
a tall plant blows over too easily. A few crocks help add weight.

Recently I've tried "blocking" all the drainage holes with thin slices of
Oasis (sometimes adding crocks above simply to add weight). The reason
for doing this is to dissuade ants from entering the pots and forming
nests, and eventually removing much of the soil. As I grow many plants in
very sandy soil, this is a serious problem. So far it looks successful,
but I'd be interested to see the results if anyone else wanted to try it.
By the way, it doesn't seem to affect drainage as water simply runs
through the Oasis.

--

Jeff

I have used the black weed proof stuff in the bottom of pots between
drainage grit/gravel and soil to enable reuse , seems to work.

I have also stabilised light plastic pots by using garden cane or tent pegs
passed thro the drainage holes and into soil or through the gaps in paving.

Alan

"Gardens: Old wives' tales" from Saturday's Guardian
 

Adam Funk writes:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...d-wives-tales-
gardens
or
http://gu.com/p/2yyd7

This was the one that shocked me:

Crocks in pots improve drainage
...
False: a drainage layer in the bottom of pots reduces the volume of
soil available to plant roots. Don't add gravel or crocks, but ensure
pots have drainage holes.

I always feel silly when on all the TV shows they say to add grit to
compost whenever you re-plant anything for drainage, but garden centres
don't sell bags of grit in their compost section, so what are you meant
to do?? Big bags of grit from the aggregate section in B&Q? How coarse
should the stones be?

Wish they'd answer these questions for the noobs like me :)

kate xx

"Gardens: Old wives' tales" from Saturday's Guardian
 

kate wrote:

Adam Funk writes:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...d-wives-tales-
gardens
or
http://gu.com/p/2yyd7

This was the one that shocked me:

Crocks in pots improve drainage
...
False: a drainage layer in the bottom of pots reduces the volume of
soil available to plant roots. Don't add gravel or crocks, but ensure
pots have drainage holes.

I always feel silly when on all the TV shows they say to add grit to
compost whenever you re-plant anything for drainage, but garden centres
don't sell bags of grit in their compost section, so what are you meant
to do?? Big bags of grit from the aggregate section in B&Q? How coarse
should the stones be?

Wish they'd answer these questions for the noobs like me :)

kate xx

Gather these items;
an empty tin can,
a trowel,
a kitchen sieve.

Go out in the garden on a nice sunny day, and scoop some dry soil
into the seive.

Shake the sieve to remove the soil, leaving only grit.

Transfer grit from the sieve to the tin can,

Buy a new sieve.

"Gardens: Old wives' tales" from Saturday's Guardian
 

On 11/01/2011 20:39, Adam Funk wrote:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...-tales-gardens
or
http://gu.com/p/2yyd7

This was the one that shocked me:


I was shocked by the theoretical treatment of the urine question.
Basically that you don't need to add nitrogen. Good case for a
controlled experiment methinks.

Then in a question on coffee grounds they say "add to the compost heap
as they are high in nitrogen"


--
CTC Right to Ride Rep. for Richmond upon Thames

It sounds a bit like what they say about vitamin tablets - you don't need them if you have a well balanced diet. How many of us can say our diet is totally well balanced, let alone our compost heap? ;-)

giggle I didn't spot that one!!