Hi All,

I have two ground pots that either won't
grow anything or what grows looks all
stunted and diseased. Two years in a row.
The worst one has not killed three hollyhock
transplants and hollyhocks are the one thing I
am good at.

What to do?

I was thinking of digging out the two pots, disposing
of the contents, let the holes suffer the summer
heat, then over winter them. Come spring, fill
them with peat moss.

Your thoughts?

-T

T wrote:
....
I was thinking of digging out the two pots, disposing
of the contents, let the holes suffer the summer
heat, then over winter them. Come spring, fill
them with peat moss.

Your thoughts?

i'd never throw away organic material if i can
help it.

hollyhocks are usually not that great when
transplanted. i suspect those pots aren't deep
enough for them. try some elemental sulphur in
them and then plant something else next season.

is there something else going on with those
locations? like do they get flooded more often
or not at all compared to the others? more light
more heat, etc.?

i'd use worm castings instead of peat moss.
there's just not much to peat moss and i don't
think it works well for arid climates. around
here i can create my own leaf mould or something
that looks a lot like peat moss after it has
been buried for a few years below a few feet of
clay.


songbird

On 2020-07-31 22:02, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
I was thinking of digging out the two pots, disposing
of the contents, let the holes suffer the summer
heat, then over winter them. Come spring, fill
them with peat moss.

Your thoughts?

i'd never throw away organic material if i can
help it.

I was concerned that it had some disease in it


hollyhocks are usually not that great when
transplanted. i suspect those pots aren't deep
enough for them. try some elemental sulphur in
them and then plant something else next season.

Indeed.

Here is the thing. I am very successful at
hollyhock transplants. It is the one thing
I am good it. Well, that and growing dandelions.
That pot is the only pot I have lost transplants
(3 of them) in over the last two years.
I am SNEAKY!

That pot has also killed four clipping of
choke berries and that is how choke berries are
propagated.


is there something else going on with those
locations? like do they get flooded more often
or not at all compared to the others? more light
more heat, etc.?

It is just twp pots in a rows with multiple
others. The pots on either side have no issues.

Over two years it have become obvious
that there is something wrong with the pots
and not the plants.

Sometimes, if I do not get enough rocks or
dig deep enough (tied of the rocks), pots
won't perform. But when that happens, leaves
show signs of wilting, as it the were not
watered enough. The leaves are not stunted
and strivel.


i'd use worm castings instead of peat moss.
there's just not much to peat moss and i don't
think it works well for arid climates. around
here i can create my own leaf mould or something
that looks a lot like peat moss after it has
been buried for a few years below a few feet of
clay.


songbird


I add chicken scat based fertilizer to the peat
moss. The main reason for the peat is to control
the high alkalinity of the soil.

Worm castings sound interesting too. Do you have
a favorite brand? Any mixed with peat?

One of the local composters sells a quart of worm
casing joy juice from 80 U$D. I will pass.

T wrote:
On 2020-07-31 22:02, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
I was thinking of digging out the two pots, disposing
of the contents, let the holes suffer the summer
heat, then over winter them. Come spring, fill
them with peat moss.

Your thoughts?

i'd never throw away organic material if i can
help it.

I was concerned that it had some disease in it

it may have, but maybe not all plants will be
harmed by it.


hollyhocks are usually not that great when
transplanted. i suspect those pots aren't deep
enough for them. try some elemental sulphur in
them and then plant something else next season.

Indeed.

Here is the thing. I am very successful at
hollyhock transplants. It is the one thing
I am good it. Well, that and growing dandelions.
That pot is the only pot I have lost transplants
(3 of them) in over the last two years.
I am SNEAKY!

That pot has also killed four clipping of
choke berries and that is how choke berries are
propagated.

transplanting into full sun can be more
stress than they can tolerate.


is there something else going on with those
locations? like do they get flooded more often
or not at all compared to the others? more light
more heat, etc.?

It is just twp pots in a rows with multiple
others. The pots on either side have no issues.

Over two years it have become obvious
that there is something wrong with the pots
and not the plants.

Sometimes, if I do not get enough rocks or
dig deep enough (tied of the rocks), pots
won't perform. But when that happens, leaves
show signs of wilting, as it the were not
watered enough. The leaves are not stunted
and strivel.

if you're that worried about it then dig it
all out and make the holes bigger and then
throw it away or burn it or bury it deeply where
it won't be disturbed.


i'd use worm castings instead of peat moss.
there's just not much to peat moss and i don't
think it works well for arid climates. around
here i can create my own leaf mould or something
that looks a lot like peat moss after it has
been buried for a few years below a few feet of
clay.

I add chicken scat based fertilizer to the peat
moss. The main reason for the peat is to control
the high alkalinity of the soil.

Worm castings sound interesting too. Do you have
a favorite brand? Any mixed with peat?

i make my own via buckets of worms that i keep
for digesting all the household food and paper
scraps. it is my only fertilizer besides green
manure crops and burying plant debris. i get
between 160-200lbs a year that gets used in the
gardens. i don't bother to separate the worms
from the castings when i take them out to the
gardens as i can keep enough worms back to
restart the buckets for the coming year, by
the time the next year comes around i have
plenty of worms again.


One of the local composters sells a quart of worm
casing joy juice from 80 U$D. I will pass.

yeah, i don't drain any liquids off the buckets
as that is part of the fertilizer i want to capture.
if you pay attention to how much wet stuff you add to
a bucket you won't get too much liquid. worms are
actually very tolerant of water and don't mind if the
ground is near saturation. as long as they can get
enough oxygen they can survive.


songbird

On 2020-08-02 04:08, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
On 2020-07-31 22:02, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
I was thinking of digging out the two pots, disposing
of the contents, let the holes suffer the summer
heat, then over winter them. Come spring, fill
them with peat moss.

Your thoughts?

i'd never throw away organic material if i can
help it.

I was concerned that it had some disease in it

it may have, but maybe not all plants will be
harmed by it.


hollyhocks are usually not that great when
transplanted. i suspect those pots aren't deep
enough for them. try some elemental sulphur in
them and then plant something else next season.

Indeed.

Here is the thing. I am very successful at
hollyhock transplants. It is the one thing
I am good it. Well, that and growing dandelions.
That pot is the only pot I have lost transplants
(3 of them) in over the last two years.
I am SNEAKY!

That pot has also killed four clipping of
choke berries and that is how choke berries are
propagated.

transplanting into full sun can be more
stress than they can tolerate.


is there something else going on with those
locations? like do they get flooded more often
or not at all compared to the others? more light
more heat, etc.?

It is just twp pots in a rows with multiple
others. The pots on either side have no issues.

Over two years it have become obvious
that there is something wrong with the pots
and not the plants.

Sometimes, if I do not get enough rocks or
dig deep enough (tied of the rocks), pots
won't perform. But when that happens, leaves
show signs of wilting, as it the were not
watered enough. The leaves are not stunted
and strivel.

if you're that worried about it then dig it
all out and make the holes bigger and then
throw it away or burn it or bury it deeply where
it won't be disturbed.


i'd use worm castings instead of peat moss.
there's just not much to peat moss and i don't
think it works well for arid climates. around
here i can create my own leaf mould or something
that looks a lot like peat moss after it has
been buried for a few years below a few feet of
clay.

I add chicken scat based fertilizer to the peat
moss. The main reason for the peat is to control
the high alkalinity of the soil.

Worm castings sound interesting too. Do you have
a favorite brand? Any mixed with peat?

i make my own via buckets of worms that i keep
for digesting all the household food and paper
scraps. it is my only fertilizer besides green
manure crops and burying plant debris. i get
between 160-200lbs a year that gets used in the
gardens. i don't bother to separate the worms
from the castings when i take them out to the
gardens as i can keep enough worms back to
restart the buckets for the coming year, by
the time the next year comes around i have
plenty of worms again.


One of the local composters sells a quart of worm
casing joy juice from 80 U$D. I will pass.

yeah, i don't drain any liquids off the buckets
as that is part of the fertilizer i want to capture.
if you pay attention to how much wet stuff you add to
a bucket you won't get too much liquid. worms are
actually very tolerant of water and don't mind if the
ground is near saturation. as long as they can get
enough oxygen they can survive.


songbird


In the spring, when I was transplanting my plants
from Walley World, I noticed that when I made the
hole to put the transplant in, that each pot had
a worm in it. Threw the worm back in the hole.
Things are looking up!

On 2020-08-02 04:08, songbird wrote:
I was concerned that it had some disease in it
it may have, but maybe not all plants will be
harmed by it.

Purslane does not seem to care.

T wrote:
On 2020-08-02 04:08, songbird wrote:
I was concerned that it had some disease in it
it may have, but maybe not all plants will be
harmed by it.

Purslane does not seem to care.

haha! it is a plant that seems to do well here
in about any garden.


songbird

On 2020-08-02 21:26, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
On 2020-08-02 04:08, songbird wrote:
I was concerned that it had some disease in it
it may have, but maybe not all plants will be
harmed by it.

Purslane does not seem to care.

haha! it is a plant that seems to do well here
in about any garden.


songbird


It gets ****ed at me if I don't water it enough.