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| I just wanted to pass on something I have finally figured out about my problems with Calibrachoa (Million Bells). I have grown them frequently in past years with few problems but I kept having sections of my hanging baskets wilt and then ultimately die this year.
A combination of 2 factors have caused this, 1, we have gotten a lot of heavy rain this spring and summer and 2, the hanging baskets I purchased this year were redesigned with a inner plate in the bottom of the basket instead of a snap on drip bowl. It seems that this style doesn't always drain well, esp with heavy rain. According to the Proven Winners site, Million Bells need very good drainage and don’t like to have constantly damp soil or they will develop root rot. So I believe my Millions Bells have developed root rot. Next time I grow them, I will make sure I put additional drainage holes in their pots and keep a careful check on the amount of moisture they receive. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by oilpainter (My Page) on Mon, Jul 6, 09 at 20:24
| Looks like you've learned a lot about mikkion bells. One thing you said though gave me pause for thought, and that was about the drip bowl as you call it--I call them saucers. I remove every one from all my pots. There is nothing like standing water in a try under the plants to promote root rot. I'd rather water more often than court root rot. You may think differently, but I just thought I'd add my 2 cents. Ignore it if you wish |
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| I also have saucers/drip bowls on all my hanging baskets. They are all located on my deck and get a lot of wind and sun from at least 8am until 4pm. Before I started using saucers, when we had the hot sunny days, they would dry out very fast when there wasn't any saucer to hold some moisture. I also have several very large floor pots that also have saucers. I've been doing this for over 6 yrs and haven't had any problems with the soil being too wet for too long. If there's a lot of rain, you can always tip the hanging pots a little to have the excess water drain out and you can remove the saucers from floor pots until the rain lets up. This helps me cut down my watering time and also wasting a lot of water by having it drain out right away. Just my opinion, but it works for me. :) Kat |
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- Posted by lastmanager 6 (My Page) on Thu, Jul 9, 09 at 15:05
| I understand both using and not using saucers for containers. Generally I use saucers. But in this case the hidden saucers in my hanging baskets caused my plants to drown without me realizing the pots were holding so much water. |
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- Posted by michelle65 none (My Page) on Tue, May 14, 13 at 11:04
| million bells are usually pretty easy to grow. deciphering why they are wilting could be root rot or a fungus. 1 is treatable where the other is not. Some fungus stop the roots from absorbing nutrients therfor the upper part wilts. wait until the soil is fairly dr. Normally Id say,, dry it out until you see a slight wilt, but that here lies the problem.!? Add a water soluable fungicide with weak solution of 10-52-10. I do it twice. then use 20-10-20. They don't like a lot of phosphorus. One should just use straight water no fertilizer every 3rd or 4th watering. this washes out the buildup of salts from roots. Once a month I mix a Tblsp Epsom salts and calcium to gallon water . this gives the top a boost. greens it up, helps flowering. Ive lost 1 basket of million bells to a fungus and 1 to rain. For 10 years I plant yearly approx. 14 ,, 16"- 24" size Baskets +4 barrels. Noone excepts pennies any more , Hope my 2 cents helps someone here in this forum. |
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- Posted by purpleinopp 8b AL (My Page) on Wed, May 15, 13 at 12:58
| That's exactly what I told someone in this discussion, as I try to remember to do about any hanging basket plant. Those pots are not designed for longevity of use, but for grower ease, very temporarily. The hole in the bottom is usually recessed about 1/2" above the bottom of the pot, whether there's a liner in there or not. That's enough water to kill most potted plants if it's full often. It also gives a wildly incorrect perception of the heft of the plant. When it finally just starts to dry out, it's only because 1/2" of standing water is gone. The soil may still be saturated but feels so much lighter, one thinks "must be getting thirsty!" |
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