I have some very large pots that had dried out in the recent heatwave..........

The soil had contracted and left room around the side of the pots so that the
water just ran straight down and thu the drainage holes at the bottom. The pots
are too large to dunk in a bucket........

I didn't have any soil at hand to fill up the gap......

My solution :
I rolled up some newspaper and tucked it in between the soil and the side of the
pot. that way the water stays in until absorbed :~))

Worked a treat and the newspaper will eventually disintegrate into the soil
anyway !!

--
Jenny
(Rotterdam the Netherlands)
remove the squirrel to reply

"JennyC" wrote in message
...
I have some very large pots that had dried out in the recent
heatwave..........

The soil had contracted and left room around the side of the pots so that
the
water just ran straight down and thu the drainage holes at the bottom. The
pots
are too large to dunk in a bucket........


What do you think your bath is for? :-))

Steve

JennyC wrote:
:: I have some very large pots that had dried out in the recent
:: heatwave..........
::
:: The soil had contracted and left room around the side of the pots
:: so that the water just ran straight down and thu the drainage
:: holes at the bottom. The pots are too large to dunk in a
:: bucket........
::
:: I didn't have any soil at hand to fill up the gap......
::
This often happens here too, I just run my fingers around the edges to push
the compost back into the gaps, also after I have watered everything, I
start all over again an hour later, the first watering just barely dampens
the compost, the second allows a good drenching.

While I'm here and on this subject, how is 'over watering' achieved?....I
have two lots of tomatoes, both planted directly into the soil but in
different greenhouses, those in the polycarbonate GH are double the size of
those in the glass one, both were planted out within a week and have similar
light conditions and soil types, the glasshouse leaks in through the roof
and so the soil is permanently damp, the plastic one has been bone dry for a
good few years - I mean not a drop - the toms in the glass house seem to be
dying from the bottom upwards, yellowed and withered branches and even the
small bunches of flowers are shrivelling up, it looks like they have never
been watered but they've had plenty....?

--
If God had intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs.

"Phil L" wrote in message
. uk...
JennyC wrote:
:: I have some very large pots that had dried out in the recent
:: heatwave..........
::
:: The soil had contracted and left room around the side of the pots
:: so that the water just ran straight down and thu the drainage
:: holes at the bottom. The pots are too large to dunk in a
:: bucket........
::
:: I didn't have any soil at hand to fill up the gap......
::
This often happens here too, I just run my fingers around the edges to push
the compost back into the gaps, also after I have watered everything, I
start all over again an hour later, the first watering just barely dampens
the compost, the second allows a good drenching.

Ah, but these are very large pots with big plants, and the root ball has become
really solid. The earth is very compacted and I will have to re-pot the plants
this autumn !

Jenny

"JennyC" wrote in message
...
I have some very large pots that had dried out in the recent
heatwave..........

The soil had contracted and left room around the side of the pots so that
the
water just ran straight down and thu the drainage holes at the bottom. The
pots
are too large to dunk in a bucket........

I didn't have any soil at hand to fill up the gap......

My solution :
I rolled up some newspaper and tucked it in between the soil and the side
of the
pot. that way the water stays in until absorbed :~))

Worked a treat and the newspaper will eventually disintegrate into the
soil
anyway !!

--
Jenny
(Rotterdam the Netherlands)
remove the squirrel to reply



Apparently adding a bit of washing up liquid to the water helps it to soak
in.

--
Martin & Anna Sykes
( Remove x's when replying )
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sykesm

Phil L wrote:


While I'm here and on this subject, how is 'over watering' achieved?....I
have two lots of tomatoes, both planted directly into the soil but in
different greenhouses, those in the polycarbonate GH are double the size of
those in the glass one, both were planted out within a week and have similar
light conditions and soil types, the glasshouse leaks in through the roof
and so the soil is permanently damp, the plastic one has been bone dry for a
good few years - I mean not a drop - the toms in the glass house seem to be
dying from the bottom upwards, yellowed and withered branches and even the
small bunches of flowers are shrivelling up, it looks like they have never
been watered but they've had plenty....?

Possibly because the roots of the glass house plants stay near the
surface because it is always damp, and those in the poly house grow
down seeking moisture and find more nourishment at the same time?

Jo in Spain

On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 21:20:41 GMT, "Phil L"
wrote this (or the missive included this):

While I'm here and on this subject, how is 'over watering' achieved?....I
have two lots of tomatoes, both planted directly into the soil but in
different greenhouses, those in the polycarbonate GH are double the size of
those in the glass one, both were planted out within a week and have similar
light conditions and soil types, the glasshouse leaks in through the roof
and so the soil is permanently damp, the plastic one has been bone dry for a
good few years - I mean not a drop - the toms in the glass house seem to be
dying from the bottom upwards, yellowed and withered branches and even the
small bunches of flowers are shrivelling up, it looks like they have never
been watered but they've had plenty....?

Are you growing tomatoes in a glass-house where they have been grown
for some years previously, and is the crop under plastic the first
tomato planting ever there (or the first for some years?)

There could be a virus or other disease clue here.


--
®óñ© © ² * ¹°°³ -¹

Ron Clark wrote:
:: On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 21:20:41 GMT, "Phil L"
:: wrote this (or the missive included
:: this):
::
::: While I'm here and on this subject, how is 'over watering'
::: achieved?....I have two lots of tomatoes, both planted directly
::: into the soil but in different greenhouses, those in the
::: polycarbonate GH are double the size of those in the glass one,
::: both were planted out within a week and have similar light
::: conditions and soil types, the glasshouse leaks in through the
::: roof and so the soil is permanently damp, the plastic one has
::: been bone dry for a good few years - I mean not a drop - the toms
::: in the glass house seem to be dying from the bottom upwards,
::: yellowed and withered branches and even the small bunches of
::: flowers are shrivelling up, it looks like they have never been
::: watered but they've had plenty....?
::
:: Are you growing tomatoes in a glass-house where they have been
:: grown for some years previously, and is the crop under plastic the
:: first tomato planting ever there (or the first for some years?)
::
:: There could be a virus or other disease clue here.

Both GH's have not had tomatoes for at least 5 years.


--
If God had intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs.

On Fri, 24 Jun 2005 16:00:56 GMT, "Phil L"
wrote this (or the missive included this):

Ron Clark wrote:
:: On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 21:20:41 GMT, "Phil L"
:: wrote this (or the missive included
:: this):
::
::: While I'm here and on this subject, how is 'over watering'
::: achieved?....I have two lots of tomatoes, both planted directly
::: into the soil but in different greenhouses, those in the
::: polycarbonate GH are double the size of those in the glass one,
::: both were planted out within a week and have similar light
::: conditions and soil types, the glasshouse leaks in through the
::: roof and so the soil is permanently damp, the plastic one has
::: been bone dry for a good few years - I mean not a drop - the toms
::: in the glass house seem to be dying from the bottom upwards,
::: yellowed and withered branches and even the small bunches of
::: flowers are shrivelling up, it looks like they have never been
::: watered but they've had plenty....?
::
:: Are you growing tomatoes in a glass-house where they have been
:: grown for some years previously, and is the crop under plastic the
:: first tomato planting ever there (or the first for some years?)
::
:: There could be a virus or other disease clue here.

Both GH's have not had tomatoes for at least 5 years.

Well that's one possible theory exploded, then.

Just picked my first ripe tomato of the year today
(Stupice variety)

Some plonker next door has spent loadsa money on space heating,
bench heating, incubators, artificial daylight lamps, you name it ,
he's got it.

He did pick some ripe tumbler tomatoes about 3 weeks ago but he's not
far advanced compared with my soil-grown toms in an unheated
glass-house. And he did get his heated benches totally overrun and
colonised by ants which seemed to appreciate the early warmth.


--
®óñ© © ² * ¹°°³ -¹

"Martin Sykes" wrote in message
...
"JennyC" wrote in message
...
I have some very large pots that had dried out in the recent
heatwave..........
snip
Jenny
(Rotterdam the Netherlands)
remove the squirrel to reply

Apparently adding a bit of washing up liquid to the water helps it to soak
in.
Martin & Anna Sykes

It's chucked it down with rain on Friday night, so problem has now been
completely resolved :~))
Jenny

JennyC wrote:
[...]
It's chucked it down with rain on Friday night, so problem has now
been completely resolved :~))
Jenny

Glad to hear it. But I'd keep an eye on them anyway, since even a
torrential downpour may find it as difficult to rewet containers as
you did.

--
Mike.

In article , Mike Lyle
writes
JennyC wrote:
[...]
It's chucked it down with rain on Friday night, so problem has now
been completely resolved :~))
Jenny

Glad to hear it. But I'd keep an eye on them anyway, since even a
torrential downpour may find it as difficult to rewet containers as
you did.



I would fill a bucket with water and then stand the pot in the bucket of
water until all the bubbles have gone.. That way you know that the
compost is wet. Or drip feed it under as very very slightly open tap or
water barrels which gives the water time to soak the compost rather than
drain straight through. I find that leaving a spray on is best.
Just treated myself to a Gardena spray which has a timer on it so you
can set it for 1-120 minutes or on all the time. The two hour timer is
just a manual clock dial that turns and then shuts off the water so you
don't leave the spray on by accident. It's well worth the extra few
pounds. It also has two adjusters for the nozzles so each half can be
direct straight or out to the sides in a fan.

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk