Please help...I kill everything!

FutureGreenThumb · Mon Jul 11, 2005 10:43 am

Hi everyone! I'm new here and hope some of you can help me. I've been container gardening for a couple of years so I'm not completely new to it all, but I've always just sort of "winged" it and my plants either never do well or die. Could I just get some basics on container gardening? Does soil make a difference? I usually just pick up a bag of whatever, though I do ensure it has plant food in the mix. We just hired a lawn service to spray the lawn and landscaping, but I do still notice very small black flying insects (gnats?) usually flying around all my containers. Could they be contributing to the problem? I had a beautiful Impatience at our old house that did well, but died at our new home. I replaced it with a new impatience (new soil and all) and now that one is on it's last legs; will not bloom, wilty, dropped leaves. I live in Southern Florida and wonder if anyone can suggest plants (flowering especially) that would do well here. My containers are on a covered deck that gets afternoon sun for a couple of hours. I have a bromeilia that seems to be doing very well, though I have only had it a few weeks so we'll see what happens. Thank you so very much for any advice you could give!

Grey · Mon Jul 11, 2005 3:09 pm

Florida, eh? I used to live there!

Good plants for full sun: marigolds, african daisy (they get 3' wide & tall), mexican heather, Tibouchina (also part sun), Burgundy Lorapetalum, aztec grass/other grasses, pentas (also a butterfly attractant), Mexican Petunia, plumbago (trim it to keep it neat, otherwise it tends to sprawl messily).

Good container plants for shade: Mona Lavender Plectranthus (personal fave), impatience (needs a lot of water). Other shade: camillias, - I'll think of others.

Good plants for part sun/shade: Snow on the Mountain, herbs (they don't do well in full sun in FL, they just scorch, so I learned pots in part sun works for basil, sage, parsley, lemon balm), hydrangea, also Oakleaf hydrangea

You'll find lots of info on here about dirt - it does make a difference!

FutureGreenThumb · Mon Jul 11, 2005 3:24 pm

Thank you Grey. I looked up the mona lavender and it's beautiful; I will have to look for that. Thanks for the tips. I am planning on repotting the entire 2 plants I have left with premium soil, and am hoping that will improve their condition. Other than that, I'm just not sure what I'm doing wrong. I water them when needed (the finger poke test) and we have a lawn care company that sprays bi-monthly for pests, so I just don't know what the problem is. Anyway, thanks!

Grey · Mon Jul 11, 2005 5:09 pm

Florida is hard on plants - the heat and humidity make it pretty challenging, in my book, to keep thing pretty and healthy.

As for soil - usually if I need dirt I just get a bag of Black Kow and add a little 10-10-10 for basic needs. An excellent Florida gardener I know swears by a simple 6-6-6. Some plants need more nitrogen, others more acid and such, so I try to adjust it. But now Opabina's got me trying to be more and more organic (I've always composted leaf & lawn clippings anyway) so I'm in a new ballpark between that and being in a new-to-me state.

The Helpful Gardener · Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:58 pm

Containers are all about the soil and the drainage. Right plant in the right place of course, but all the bad containers I've seen usually screw up on these two key points. Good light soil (garden soil or top soil will NOT do) and some gravel at the bottom to help drainage and make sure you have the right plant for your spot (afternoon sun is the hottest, so lean towards full sun plants...)

HG

opabinia51 · Wed Jul 13, 2005 1:23 pm

I don't live in Florida so, I don't know what sort of plants you have down there. I visited once.

Anyway, soil building in your garden would follow the same principles. Use mulched fallen leaves, hay, alfalfa, pea pods, bean pods as browns and coffee grounds, manure, vegetable scraps as greens. Eggshells are great, I get them from my University cafeteria for free. Layer everything up in your beds alternating greens and browns. 6 - 8 months later, you will have rich, nutrient abundant soil that your new and established plants will thrive in.

I have heard that the soil in FLA is really sandy. This mulch method is the perfect way to cure both Sandy and Clay soil.

FutureGreenThumb · Wed Jul 13, 2005 4:03 pm

Thank you both. I am going to invest in a good quality soil and I will try the compost idea. Another question; is it better to purchase soil with food in the mix, or add liquid? How often do you do this if using liquid? What kind is the best? Sorry for all the ?'s, just trying to learn as much as I can before attempting to purchase new plants. thanks!

The Helpful Gardener · Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:00 pm

We are an organic lot around here and I have a soil company that adds compost to the soil that I like. The others have a starter shot of fertilizer, but it's salt based nitrate, so we don't recommend it. If you are already using blue juice and like it then by all means...

Scott

FutureGreenThumb · Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:11 pm

what is blue juice? I really don't know anything about soil and food additives....I have always just picked up the first bag I see.....lol

The Helpful Gardener · Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:14 pm

I call Miracler Grow and all it's knock-offs blue juice...

FutureGreenThumb · Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:18 pm

got it!

Grey · Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:22 pm

Actually, in FL your hottest sun is between 10am and 2pm. Don't even go outside then, you'll fry like an egg.

The Blue stuff is fine. I use it on my house plants.

Grey · Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:24 pm

Oh yeah - on the sandy point - if you put any plants in your soil -er- sand, fertilize them every time it rains. With the sand, all those nutrients get washed away into the aquifer (so do try to use organic fertilizer!)

The Helpful Gardener · Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:30 pm

Don't ferget we're talking containers here; build your own soil...

FutureGreenThumb · Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:50 pm

lol Grey...it's always easy to spot the tourists...red as a beet!
How exactly do I "build" my own soil? I'm certain you all think I'm a complete imbecile, but I really am just novice at this!

Grey · Thu Jul 14, 2005 10:49 am

Hey FGT:
there's a great book out that will help you know when to put some plants in pots in Florida. Actually, it'll tell you when to plant anything and everything from grass to veggies. It's a general failing of chain stores around there to continue to put plants out for sale that are not going to survive the Florida sun. They look pretty, but they were grown somewhere else.
The book is Month by Month Gardening in Florida. It was my gardening bible when I lived there.

FutureGreenThumb · Thu Jul 14, 2005 11:47 am

Great, thanks Grey; I will look for that. I guess I need to do more research and choose more plants that are native to Florida. My bromelia and crotus are doing really well, so I will lean more towards tropical rather than pretty flowers

Grey · Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:52 pm

I killed nearly every bromiliad that I ever got (sigh). And supposedly they're among the easiest plants to keep in FL. They just never liked me! lol. But I grew a lot of things other people couldn't, so I leave the bromiliads to people who understand them.

St. Pete area has some plants that do really well that I couldn't have north of Tampa, where I lived. I can probably help if you see a few that are more "difficult" to grow there than just the native varieties.

FutureGreenThumb · Thu Jul 14, 2005 5:15 pm

I have no idea why mine is doing so well. Maybe check back in a couple of weeks and it will be a different story! I am going to the bookstore tonight to buy Gardening for Dummies which I hear is excellent for beginners. I am going to wait on the book you suggested as a revised edition is to be released soon.

The Helpful Gardener · Thu Jul 14, 2005 5:57 pm

FGT, you should go into the Organic forum and check the threads about soil building (we are blessed here at HG with a soil biologist /moderator/gardening nut named Opabinia who is VERY good at making dirt into soil; lots of good tips...

Just remeber that for containers you need to keep it light; lots of peat, maybe a little dehydratred manure, and my secret ingredient is cocoa mulch (nice and light, but hold some water and BOY! does it help the helpful soil fungii)Pelleted compost is good too...

FutureGreenThumb · Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:24 pm

The ingredients you mentioned; are they readily available at a garden centers such as Home Depot? Thanks for the tip...I will check the Organic forum.

opabinia51 · Sat Jul 16, 2005 2:27 pm

You can get most gardening ingredients from Home Depot but, I would recommend going to your local nursery (s) instead. You can usually find a better deal there anyway. And if you go to a nursery often enough, they'll start giving you stuff for free! (Not going to happen at a big box store)

FutureGreenThumb · Sat Jul 16, 2005 5:06 pm

Thanks for the tip. I actually did visit a local nursery today and bought some plants as well as a big bag of Jungle Growth potting mix. They said they use it for everything, and since their impatiens were the size of VW Beetles, I am guessing it is good stuff! I have always shopped Home Depot for my plants and other gardening needs (I suppose it is because we are renovating our 1930's bungalow and are ALWAYS at Home Depot), but the visit to the nursery has convinced me otherwise. The gentleman we spoke to was very knowledgeable, something you rarely find at big chains, and the selection was almost overwhelming.

FutureGreenThumb · Sat Jul 16, 2005 5:12 pm

By the way Grey, I bought a Mona Lavender at the nursery today and it is beautiful! I actually did not know what it was when I chose it, I just loved it, then when I was paying I asked the cashier what it was and he told me.
I thought 'How about that'! I guess we both have great taste!

p.s. Any tips to keep it alive?

Grey · Sat Jul 16, 2005 5:27 pm

Hey FutureGreen!
Mona Lavender is a bit tricky to find the perfect spot for - I found in Central Fl. it liked morning sun (up til about 11/11:30) and indirect sunlight after that, or it liked to be in dappled sun (mostly shade with a little sun during the day). They work out GREAT in containers. I put mine in giant galvanized pots and sometimes added some thyme to spill over the side and offer its little flowers too - blended in nicely.

I also made the happy discovery of a great nursery. I found one here pretty quick, the prices are better than Home Depot, Susan is the nicest lady ever and can tell you all kinds of stuff you never knew about plants. I get patented roses for $15!!! I recently wandered through the garden section of Home Depot looking at plants, and found myself shocked at the prices. "Who'd pay that??" Then grin - I used to. lol.

Grey · Sat Jul 16, 2005 5:29 pm

Oh - I fertilized Mona Lavender with a general 10-10-10 about every 3 months.

FutureGreenThumb · Sat Jul 16, 2005 6:03 pm

I use Dynamite 13 13 13 every 3-4 months for all my containers. What's the difference in the numbers? Is one better than the other?

Grey · Sat Jul 16, 2005 7:27 pm

Nope - the 13's just a higher concentration.

FutureGreenThumb · Sat Jul 16, 2005 9:20 pm

thanks

The Helpful Gardener · Mon Jul 18, 2005 8:31 am

Good on you FGT! Out of the big boxes and into the garden center; information is a powerful part of gardening (we like to think

) and you will ALWAYS get better info at the garden center, as well as the selection and product mix that supports how we at HG like to garden. And as Grey notes, the "savings" aren't there much anymore so why get inferior plants and advice when you can support REAL professionals? (Certified Nursery Specialists, my aching behind

)

HG

grandpasrose · Mon Jul 18, 2005 1:26 pm

I have always shopped at my local nurseries for plants and skipped the big stores. Not just because they usually have inferior, forced plants, that have not been taken care of since they left where ever they were shipped from. I also prefer to support my local economy, and the hardworking people in my own community who have taken to trouble to experiment and learn what will grow and what works in my area!! Alot of what is shipped into the big stores is bulk shipped everywhere, regardless if it is appropriate for your area or not.

VAL

opabinia51 · Mon Jul 18, 2005 6:54 pm

Good on you Grandparose.

The less shopping at Big Box stores and the more shopping at locally owned businesses the better. At least in my books it is.

FutureGreenThumb · Mon Jul 18, 2005 8:24 pm

I was sad to learn hydrangeas are just about impossible to keep here

yet some of the big chains carried them. Go figure. I used to buy plants without really researching them; I figured if they were for sale, they would work in my region. Then they would die and I would blame myself. Now I know I was just picking the wrong plants based on what was available.

grandpasrose · Mon Jul 18, 2005 8:35 pm

But they got your money, and it didn't stay in your community!
It's a lesson we have all had to learn.

VAL (Grandpa's Rose)

The Helpful Gardener · Tue Jul 19, 2005 4:23 pm

Hear, hear!

Scott