I think the problem is that I don't like to water. I don't. I feel like if a flower is in my yard it needs to be able to survive without me watering it. That's what rain is for, right? Well, when you have drought like conditions like we have been having then that seems to be a problem.
Okay, so this year (about 6 wks ago, acually) I decided that I would fill my containers with loverly flowers and tend to them and talk to them and water them....Did I say talk to them? Well, lately it seems like I have been more like yelling at them and questioning them. Why? Why are you doing this to me? I am giving you everything that you need. Everything that you ask for. And this is how you repay me? What have I done to deserve this?
While right next door she has this: Beautiful, spilling over the edge flowers. Come on, cut me a little slack. I am new to this, I say.
Even my veggie containers are looking pretty lame. Check out the difference. Look at these.
Now look at mine....something just ain't right.
Last night I got online and started doing some research. I googled "flowers in containers slow growing". From all the reading, I deduced that based on my flowers symptoms that the drainage is not up to par. Okay, so after I get the little guy down to sleep I set out to remove all the flowers from the pot and see what's going on.
I get all the plants out and then begin to remove the dirt...halfway down, aside from the smell being atrocious there is pretty much standing water. What the heck? I keep going and wade thru all the muck..get everything all cleaned out. So, let's see. I get some water and pour it in the pot...expecting it to drain carelessly out thru the hole in the bottom...nope, just sits there. I say to it" Go, go. You are free all mighty water." I get a blank stare in response. Hmmph.
Upon more investigation and dragging my hubby into it it was decided that there wasn't a hole for the water to drain thru at all. What, you say? Am I that slow? No, really, honest I am not. There is a hole in the bottom of the pot. How was I to know that it was only decorative. How was I to know that the hole in the pot didn't really go anywhere? It's a conspiracy, I tell you.
So, after all the love and attention and watering I gave to the flowers. All the times I made myself go out and water and water and water....it was really making them worse.
Case solved. So, now we sit back and wait. Wait and water and watch. Again. This time I am bound to have beautiful, spilling over the edge flowers, right?
9 comments:
I am also growing a lovely dirt-box garden. Something ate all the marigolds, a few others are shriveled and sickly. I have the beetlejuice garden.
Gnightgirl: That makes me feel better already. I am not alone. Sniff...
I am the exact opposite. If its in a container I do great. In the ground= dead. I have no idea what I am doing wrong. Sometimes for my containers I pull a shallow layer of rocks at the bottom so if there ever is extra water that isn't draining, then it sits in the rocks and not on my roots.
Right, er maybe, well we'll see? I know your record with plants in pots. Good luck. Mine, of course, our beautious. What can I say my thumb is a deep shade of green. ;0)
Mim: Well that is kinda just not nice.
Your supposed to spit in the pot.. Grampa R. always said to do that..
The only real success I've had container gardening is with an earthbox - it's self-watering. Just need to fill up the storage tank every couple of days. Otherwise, I seem to kill them all. All.
Alison: I am on my way to doing that..I will keep you updated!
Actually, overwatering is a bigger problem in containers than underwatering. So don't feel bad about that. And it took me years to get good at container gardening Oh, and many of my containers are self-watering, I think that helps a lot.
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