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Post by ottawagardener on Jul 25, 2013 7:38:00 GMT -5
I'd like start some seed in containers buried in the ground but am concerned about the containers collecting water. I think I heard mention of using large grate bottomed tubs. Anyone?
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Post by khoomeizhi on Aug 30, 2013 20:12:36 GMT -5
i've used regular nursery pots just fine a number of times. they drain fine themselves, you just need to be sure the hole they're in drains somewhat. and in some places, the whole rig needs to be encased in 1/2 inch wire mesh or the rodents happen.
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Post by steev on Aug 30, 2013 20:48:21 GMT -5
Exactly so. As long as you have adequate drainage in the pots and you don't sink them in a solid clay deposit, it's all good; you might want to mulch them well with leaves or such, even around in a trench, just to ease lifting the pots in the Spring; other than that, think planting in the ground, except you're doing it in containers to facilitate lifting.
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Post by MikeH on Aug 31, 2013 7:17:53 GMT -5
I'd like start some seed in containers buried in the ground but am concerned about the containers collecting water. I think I heard mention of using large grate bottomed tubs. Anyone? We have done it a lot with plants and consistently have had very mixed results. Seeds would be even more problematic because it doesn't take much to rot weeds. Snow melting in the spring is a serious problem. The water sits in the pot and then freezes and then thaws. With the freeze-thaw cycle, the plants start to break dormancy which means they're in a fragile emerging growth state. We get a lot of rotting right at the soil level. Whether or not the roots are already dead or die as a result, I don't know but a lot of plants don't make it. We sink our pots in our raised beds so it's not a problem of sitting in clay. With our winters, the plants need a cover but snow isn't the answer because of the spring melt. I think that you need to keep the snow out of the pot entirely so mulching might be the answer. I'm thinking of a heavy layer of straw with hardware cloth underneath so that the rodents the straw will attract won't feast on the plants. We don't need to sink a lot of pots this year but I'll trial a few with straw and hardware cloth. This might work for seeds as well. |
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Post by khoomeizhi on Aug 31, 2013 7:51:57 GMT -5
i've overwintered pots with seeds that needed stratification above ground before too. kept from getting too wet/too dry with a piece of plastic wired over the top with slits cut in it. some rain/snowmelt gets in, but not lots, done well a number of times. done it with persimmon and a few different nuts.
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Post by ottawagardener on Sept 2, 2013 21:28:49 GMT -5
I wonder if I could do above ground surrounded by mulch to insulate early and late in the year.
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Post by steev on Sept 3, 2013 0:02:06 GMT -5
As long as you can keep things adequately watered and your mulch doesn't sink below your needs, why not?
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Post by ottawagardener on Oct 14, 2013 7:12:25 GMT -5
I just noticed the like button on the top of the comments. That's going to make me lazy.
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