I am using both 5 gallon buckets and square pals similar to dutch buckets and have already added drainage holes at the bottom , my question is do I need to add gravel or something else as a bottom layer to aid in drainage or will the Promix drain properly. I used a mixture last year of potting soil, compost and some vermiculite and water definitely didn't drain as well as I would like. The tomatoes started out well and later took a turn for the worse. When I pulled them and checked the soil mix there was actually a soupy layer where it wasn't draining.
Thanks
Pete
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
No actually the gravel does not help. The water tends not to pass the barrier between the fine textured soil and the gravel, until the soil is saturated, which is what you are trying to avoid.
https://puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda%20chalke ... ainage.pdf
To improve drainage, use a very free draining soil mix with plenty of sand/ perlite, etc. If drainage is a problem, you can add some cactus mix in. Make sure you have plenty of drainage holes, include some low on the sides of the container. Be sure the container is not sitting flat on a smooth surface like patio or deck-- use pot feet or rocks to elevate it. Don't use saucers outdoors and don't use self watering containers or the kind with built in saucers.
Your mix may have been off. I don't put compost in containers, because it is heavy and retains too much water and vermiculite retains a lot more water than perlite.
https://puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda%20chalke ... ainage.pdf
To improve drainage, use a very free draining soil mix with plenty of sand/ perlite, etc. If drainage is a problem, you can add some cactus mix in. Make sure you have plenty of drainage holes, include some low on the sides of the container. Be sure the container is not sitting flat on a smooth surface like patio or deck-- use pot feet or rocks to elevate it. Don't use saucers outdoors and don't use self watering containers or the kind with built in saucers.
Your mix may have been off. I don't put compost in containers, because it is heavy and retains too much water and vermiculite retains a lot more water than perlite.
Last edited by rainbowgardener on Sun Feb 23, 2014 7:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
[quote="rainbowgardener"]No actually the gravel does not help. The water tends not to pass the barrier between the fine textured soil and the gravel, until the soil is saturated, which is what you are trying to avoid.
https://puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda%20chalke ... ainage.pdf
Thanks for the article and the help!
Pete
https://puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda%20chalke ... ainage.pdf
Thanks for the article and the help!
Pete
I agree with rainbow. A friend of mine actually told me not to put the drainage holes in the bottom of the container. She told me to drill the holes on the sides of the container about 2 inches up from the bottom. Holes were drilled every 4 inches or so around the bucket. The soil of the bottom of the bucket stays mucky but the plants did fine and I had no problems with BER even though I did not add any calcium to the pots.
I do not use compost or manure in pots. The compost makes the mix too heavy and wet and the manure usually kills the plants. I have added a couple of handfuls of vermicast without issues. I do use a very light mix of equal parts peat and perlite. The five gallon bucket was only suitable for a small tomato. For larger indeterminate vines 18 gallon tubs were better. Tomatoes are heavy feeders and will need about three cups organic fertilizer or 2 cups synthetic over the life of the plants. I have done other modified self watering containers and they work fine as long as air can get to the roots. On the conventional pots I prefer to make the hole on the sides of the pots instead of the bottom.
A good organic mix that worked well for the pots was Gardener and Bloom planting mix also worked well. MG potting soil (not moisture control) did fine but I think it would have been better with some more perlite added in. Supersoil potting mix is too heavy and does not work very well.
I do not use compost or manure in pots. The compost makes the mix too heavy and wet and the manure usually kills the plants. I have added a couple of handfuls of vermicast without issues. I do use a very light mix of equal parts peat and perlite. The five gallon bucket was only suitable for a small tomato. For larger indeterminate vines 18 gallon tubs were better. Tomatoes are heavy feeders and will need about three cups organic fertilizer or 2 cups synthetic over the life of the plants. I have done other modified self watering containers and they work fine as long as air can get to the roots. On the conventional pots I prefer to make the hole on the sides of the pots instead of the bottom.
A good organic mix that worked well for the pots was Gardener and Bloom planting mix also worked well. MG potting soil (not moisture control) did fine but I think it would have been better with some more perlite added in. Supersoil potting mix is too heavy and does not work very well.
Well, now yall are teaching me something here. I did have some BER issues with my container tomatoes. So, I will try some holes on the sides and see if that helps.
One thought I had was to put 6-8 inches of mulch or leaves/sand in the bottom of the pots, and then fill with rich top soil. Any comments on that?
One thought I had was to put 6-8 inches of mulch or leaves/sand in the bottom of the pots, and then fill with rich top soil. Any comments on that?
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30540
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
BER = Blossom End Rot
Tomatoes (especially elongated sauce types), peppers, summer squash....
There's an extensive sticky thread in the Tomato Growing forum
Tomatoes (especially elongated sauce types), peppers, summer squash....
There's an extensive sticky thread in the Tomato Growing forum
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
As long as there isn't a sharp division between the layers, with different textures in them, should be OK. See the link I posted at the beginning.lakngulf wrote:Well, now yall are teaching me something here. I did have some BER issues with my container tomatoes. So, I will try some holes on the sides and see if that helps.
One thought I had was to put 6-8 inches of mulch or leaves/sand in the bottom of the pots, and then fill with rich top soil. Any comments on that?