[Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page

[Dick]

Ray, I had the same experience with the named potting soil concluding that I 
was not using the media correctly. But, there are several things one can do 
to eliminate or minimize that problem. If you are using black plastic pots 
in direct sun, you may be cooking the feeder roots in close proximity to the 
black, heat-absorbing container wall. You can set it in a spot to shade the 
pot, or, drape burlap secured with clothes pins around it, or, slap a coat 
of white latex paint on the pot to reflect the sun's rays.  In my yard, most 
non-desert, adapted species survive in well aerated, fast draining soil in 
full sun if watered well before the point of critical wilt.

If you can nestle the pots in soil to provide a wicking action between the 
soil in the pot and that in the ground, the water table will procede on 
through the bottom pulling critical air in behind it.

In pots, the water table will only recede to the level at which the 
attraction to the root media is equal to the pull of gravity. The more dense 
the soil, the higher the water table. Below that table the soil is saturated 
without air where the roots strangle--in a manner of speaking. But, a direct 
connection between the two soil media, if possible through drains, helps in 
my yard.  I used to drill double holes in pots with coffee filters lining 
the bottom to retain the soil.

Friendly contradictions to the above welcome and other solutions to the same 
problems solicited to make this a productive exchange.

Dick Gross, Master Gardener Volunteer
University of Arizona Maricopa County
Cooperative Extension



----- Original Message ----- 
From: <rayt1957 at hotmail.com>
To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>
Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2008 2:13 PM
Subject: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page


>
> 85719
> rayt1957 at hotmail.com
>
> I have been trying to grow tomato plants in 5 gallon plastic buckets for 
> the past year, with absolutely know success(have lost about 10 plants). I 
> drilled plenty of drain holes in the bottom of the buckets and used 
> Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix. However, I think I might be 
> overwatering them and it appears that my tomato plants might be dying from 
> pythium root rot, pith necrosis or some other disease, because of this. 
> The upper leaves start dying and move downwards and the stems become 
> hollow inside. In this respect, I think the Moisture Control Potting Mix 
> might be causing me more problems, because it retains so much moisture 
> that the roots aren't able to get enough oxygen to them. Everything I've 
> read on the internet says that you must water plants in containers more 
> often, at least several times per week, than those planted in the ground. 
> I didn't water my tomato plants for 3 weeks and that's living in Tucson, 
> Arizona, where the temperature has reached approxima!
> tely 80 degrees or more, during that period. After watering(til water 
> trickles out the bottom), within a couple of days, my tomato plants 
> starting wilting from the top, down and all but one of my plants, died. I 
> haven't watered the lone surviving plant since then(almost 3 weeks ago) 
> and it seems to be growing back, just fine. How can I possibly know how 
> much and how often, to water my tomato plants? Is the Miracle-Gro Moisture 
> Control Potting Mix the best choice for container gardening? I would 
> appreciate any advice you can give me on this matter. Thanks
>
>
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