Also, last year my herbs in a window box (smallish glazed glay rectangle pots ... oregano, basil, parsley) were disappointing. Do you need to fertilize more than the usual amount/frequency if you're using containers outdoors that require daily watering? I'm worried about burning the roots -- have made that mistake before with houseplants.

Any advice is much appreciated!
Dee

Dee, what happened that caused the roots to burn?

It's worrying with outdoor plants, though -- mine get full sun and tend to dry out between waterings no matter what. So, maybe I need to use some type of fertilizer other than the type you put in the watering can. I wouldn't know where to begin, though.

Thanks for the coffee filter tip. I think I'll take it a step further and use screens! (so it's more permanent)

1. go organic
2. use Osmacote

Last summer was my first real summer gardening, and after having some plants burn up after HH (helpful hubby) overfertilized, I switched to using Osmacote.

The year, I am planning to go organic. It just makes sense to me that having healthy soil = healthy plants that can fight off whatever attacks them, and I won't have to worry about having different pesticides, fertilizers, etc.

I also go the coffee filter/screen and packing foam route.

On further reflection, I think I'll skip the water granules -- I found an MSDS on food-grade polyacrylamide co-polymer (whether the quality of the type sold for gardening is food-grade or not, I don't know), and "no data is available" for several key areas (skin contact, ingestion...). Sure, I could assume the good people of industry are not going to sell us something that will infiltrate our bodies and cause us harm, but I like to see some proof, just the same. "Non-toxic" is a slippery term.

Non-biodegradable foam. I have no idea whether the shipping/packing foam I have is biodegradable, but thank you for pointing that out! I'll have to try soaking it for awhile, to see if it holds up. Now ... what possible terrible effects could result from growing vegetables in styrofoam, I wonder?

Osmacote is good stuff if you are going the chemical fertilizer route; it's time-release, so you really can't burn your plants, and it's easy! Just use some when you are potting your plants, and then, depending on how much you have to water, once again maybe mid-summer.

I'm going to feel a little crazy doing this (maybe I'll sneak out under cover of darkness), but I think I'll just wind a loop of string around each larger pot and lash it to the railing or something. Then I can keep the soil mix light while preventing anything from falling over (I hope). My railing box plants aren't going to blow out of their boxes, are they? It's not a very exposed area, but it can get gusty around here....

I'm thinking about mixing pumice into my potting soil (soilless mix, whatever that is I don't even know! Peat?) instead of perlite, and pine bark if I can find it -- this is based on the string where Al is describing water considerations and soil mixes. Very helpful! I'm going to have to put a wick in my lemon tree pot -- it stays moist far too long, I think, and would be better off if it had some more aeration -- something I hadn't even really thought about, previously.

I'm going to put styrofoam at the bottom of my larger pots, just to lighten them a little and give them some insulation from the cold basement floor where they'll be overwintered.

Thanks for all the tips -- I'm hoping I can stave off any major catastrophe, but with as much as I'm planting, something's gotta make it!

Yup, I try to lash/tie everything - containers and/or plants - to railing, deckboards (not too successful). I like to use the the velcro stuff where possible - it's about 1/2" wide and comes in a roll (light green in color). It's easy to work with, especially in those awkward spots that are hard to reach and tie knots, and holds tight forever.