I am using both the 5-1-1 and Miracle potting mix?

What is the point? I am going to show how much faster the 5-1-1 grows plants at side by side of soil (I know it has been done). I am going to do it with peppers. Same size pot 5-1-1 vs potting mix. I am sure we know what the winner will be but I will take nice pictures, at least try anyway. :) The closest might be a 50/50 mix of perlite and peat but the 5-1-1 will still beat that I am sure.

Great idea, Jodi. We're digging out from under a big storm here. You prolly got all rain by what I saw on the radar, but we got almost all snow. It was a mess yesterday, but I got everything cleared of snow now & the wife was out shopping today - she should've been a mail person. (Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays m'lady from the swift completion of her appointed rounds.) ;-]

I have all kinds of stuff up in the garden (a month early cuz of soil temps) under a foot of snow right now. There is NO frost in the ground, and I don't think we had any more than an inch at any one time so far. This is the strangest winter I can remember.

Was really disappointed by the Red Wings losing 2 games in a row, but especially so because the most recent loss snapped their NHL record-breaking at-home winning streak. Waaa! Hopefully they'll turn things around tonight.

Still waiting to see what that last Diaz thing looked like .....

Oh yeah - I have this nagging question I could use some help with, and parts of it are sort of personal ..... think I should ask it? anyone? ;-)

Al

Yes Al ask away!!! :) Like I said I only hope to add to the many pictures of the best plants grown in the 5-1-1 and hope to soon try the gritty mix. I think there needs to be even more pictures of plants thriving in the 5-1-1 or bark based mixes.

Master Gardener, you miss the point.
Marquest was discussing *confined roots* in trees - however, my comment was pointing out
that the roots aren't necessarily confined when they can spread out across a large surface area.
Due to more frequent rains, these roots don't need to be buried in substrate to remain moist.

Secondly, why are you re-posting that inaccurate statement?
It doesn't refute what I've written, if that's what your copy & paste was meant to prove.
To compare the air-roots of an Orchid to the fine roots of Christmas Cacti would be a bit of stretch.
In addition, why did you avoid my previous message, where I mentioned terrestrial Orchids?
Orchids that grow in the ground are certainly not bound.

That fact flies in the face of this statement:

"All orchids prefer being somewhat root-bound with their roots protruding from the top of the media"

Josh

Al: Please ask your question. This is your post, and I am sick of the troll feeding.

"Master Gardener, you miss the point."

I think I did and I am not being smart.

"In addition, why did you avoid my previous message, where I mentioned terrestrial Orchids?"
"Orchids that grow in the ground are certainly not bound. "

"These plants come from the dense tropical forests of Central and So. Amer. live in humid jungle conditions. They do not spread their roots....their roots live in a very small confined area. They live high in the crotches of trees, in pockets of humus, getting partial sun or shade under the swaying branches of the trees."

Can I stress this point:"They do not spread their roots....their roots live in a very small confined area."

Orchids roots climb up trees bark same thing as small pot with "their roots protruding from the top of the media"

"I am sick of the troll feeding"

I think it would take a lot to tell the many that "owns a nursery that my succulents, hoya, jade, and Epi cacti must be grown in tight pots in order for the roots to stop concetrating on themselves and encourage bloom " that they are wrong.

Here is something to prove me wrong.

"Aside from rainforest climate, they also grow in grassland areas such as pastures. These orchids adapt to many different types of environments which is one of the reasons they are so easy to maintain!"

But then this:

"In tropical climates, Phalaenopsis orchids tend to grow on tree branches and between rocks, usually near a source of water for moisture"

Them growing in between rocks is like using a small pot.

Sorry no more two posts, just wish there was a edit option.

Hey Jodi!!!

I totally agree with you!!! Let's talk about something else....

Alright Al, You have us all wondering about your "nagging question..." : ) Please feel free to ask your friends,,,since it sounds like it could be personal...

I think that we are setting ourselves up...or is it just me? LOL... Can't wait to here this one?

Give it to us Al... : ) Ask away....

Laura

Hello Jodi, Mike, Josh and everyone else... : )

It is hard to explain things to those that do not understand so I will let others do it for me.
That is just what I am doing now in the Orchid forum under "Orchid container question".

greenman28,

You should check out the Orchid forum, you might find some interesting information there that pertains to this. Hint- "Orchid container question" or even "Is it time to repot? (pic)"

I am only doing this to help anyone who really might be interested in plants, not interested in ones "credibility".

I've been on the Orchid Forum for a while now, but I thank you.
I grow an Orchid - an Orchid that was hybridized and named after me by my grandfather.
I grow it well in a mix of bark, perlite, and lava rock, and it is currently in bloom.
With the proper mix, there is no reason that one can't pot an Orchid in a large container.
What you'll notice at the Orchid Forum is that folks are constantly killing their Orchids
due to water-retentive mixes, rather than pots that are too large.

Secondly, I wanted to address the point you emphasized yesterday. The point was that
certain plants *do not* extend their roots. If the plant does not spread its roots, despite
having the room to do so, then it is most likely genetically predisposed to a small root-system,
which Al mentioned previously. This is different than *preferring* tight roots, as you can see.

You can also see, given the variety of Orchids and growing conditions, that not *all* Orchids
prefer tight-roots with roots on top of the media. That was my point. The advice is incomplete
and, thus, inaccurate - as blanket statements tend to be.

Lastly, I invite you to the Hot Pepper Forum. What you'll notice is that folks recommend larger
containers to get better blooms and yields from their plants. If plants preferred tight-roots,
then pepper growers would be using 1 - 3 gallon containers...but they don't. They advise
5-gallons or bigger for the best results.

Josh

Would you say someone in zone 9a would use the same size pot for GROWING PEPPERS as someone in say zone 5a even?

Because I can tell you right now they would be much different considering peppers are perennials and last for years, but those that grow up north consider them a annual and they last only months, unless overwintered. Peppers in the south grow like trees.

I know many who do use the same size containers, north and south - 5-gallons or larger.
In hot climates, where peppers remain outdoors year-round, larger containers are indeed
used to allow the plants to continue growing. Bigger containers, more root-room.
In the heat, that extra container volume helps to regulate temperature (and moisture).

The only difference is that those who overwinter peppers in colder climates, such as myself,
downsize our containers to make for easier management during the winter. I prune the roots
of my peppers when I bring them in, which revitalizes the roots and, thus, the plant. It is easier
for me to fit a pepper on a window-sill in a 1-gallon container than a 5-gallon...plus, I don't
use supplemental lighting, so my plants aren't growing as vitally as they do during the summer.

Josh

Yea I know someone who used a 3 gal for Jalapenos and found it to be perfect for their climate. When he used a 5 gal the roots did not make it to the outside of the container. I think the amount of sun the area gets could be a reason.

This season I am using #2 pots for my pepper garden and also i have 9 #1 pots I am using to grow in just to see how the size in harvest differs from size pot. I will have the on self watering with a good complete fertilizer program and they will be supported by bamboo.

I have seen an NFT set up with 18 Jalapeno plants in a 2'x4' area outside.

I've grown peppers in .71-gallon, 1-gallon, 2-gallon, and 5-gallon.
I can tell you anecdotally that both pod-size and quantity of pods improves with larger containers.
As for the fellow who grew Jalapenos in 3-gallon containers, I don't know what the cause
of the roots not reaching the outside of the container was. It could have been related to
the choice of soil, or perhaps something else. Without eliminating variables, it's very hard
to make correlations.

Just for fun, here's a video I made back in November, showing the roots of a pepper.
If I had pulled the plant out of the pot before it was subjected to several hard freezes,
the roots would have been even more prominent and white. This also demonstrates how easy
it is to bare-root a plant in the 5-1-1 mix.

The last pepper standing.....

Josh

Josh I really like your vid and I have seen your pics too. Way to go I am so happy I found the joy of growing peppers.
I guess if the plants outgrow the #1 pots I will re pot them which I know is not the best to do to them in the middle of them trying to flower.

Take my word I will not post anymore on here untill I really have some pics and I mean it 100% this time everyone.

I'm in, Al... your stories are always interesting!

Weatherwise, we go from too cold to right around the 50's... we have had some frost... but not too deep I don't think.

I've been more worried about my perennials and items that require a cold dormancy...

So... from what we hear, Vegas pulled their usual stunt, and Diaz took a suspension. Always in Vegas... only in Vegas... reminds me of the corruption that city is built on... anyway, he'll be helping Nate train, working with their school, etc... he'll be back, but not sure when.

So, now... the floor is yours... tell us a story... :-)

Lol - I'll get around to it when the mood is lighter. You prolly already know of/remember my situation anyway. ;-)

I've been too busy to pay much attention to the weather, but I know they've BEEN talking about a potential ice storm here soon. Dunno ..... We'll see

I know the Red Wings play tonight & they lost the last 3 games in a row after their 23 game home winning streak was snapped.

Go Wings!

Have a good day, everyone!

Al

I have to concur with the pepper pot size for MY climate. I'm in zone 5a, I have used several different sizes of pots on several different peppers. I used 5-1-1 and had very good yields on peppers. I also had peppers in the ground, and the potted peppers were better and earlier. That being said, the 3 gallon pots did as well as 5 and 7, but better then smaller pots. I think the reason is simply my climate and length of season. If I was in a different zone, with a longer season, I may have been able to get larger plants in larger pots, but the 3 gallon seems to be all I needed to get maximum yield for my climate. I don't think the plants could have done much better.

On the blooming argument, I don't think plants "like" being rootbound. But many plants bloom as a stress response, thinking it might be their last chance to reproduce. This might be why many people think rootbinding a plant is better for blooming. This may actually be true for some plants, but not because the plant is liking being rootbound, but it may be freaking out and blooming as a survival response. Whether this is healthy for a plant, I suspect not, but doesn't matter for annuals, but may affect the long term health of a perennial.

Thanks Capoman for bringing that up.
", but the 3 gallon seems to be all I needed to get maximum yield for my climate. I don't think the plants could have done much better"

"That being said, the 3 gallon pots did as well as 5 and 7"

Good point.

"Whether this is healthy for a plant, I suspect not, but doesn't matter for annuals, but may affect the long term health of a perennial."

^A point I was trying to bring up this whole time, you worded it quite well, Thanks!!!!!!

When I ask what "your climate is" in response to a question about suggested pot size for growing peppers. People start to wonder. But then talking to someone like Capoman that understands zone 5 like I do.

Annuals respond to tight roots in the same way as perennials. We've all purchased cell packs of plants with congested roots, planted or potted them w/o correcting their being so root bound, and witnessed them do nothing but survive, if that, for the entire summer or growth cycle.

Capoman's peppers grew in 3 gallon pots as well as in 5 & 7 gallon because the roots never grew enough to get congested. Had the roots become congested in the smaller pot, it would have impacted growth and he would have seen better growth in the larger pots - other potentially limiting factors being equal.

It also looks like you got told the same thing over at 'orchids' we told you here, repeatedly, so why not let the issue rest instead of insisting on continuing the inflammatory posting? A number of individuals on multiple forums in multiple threads have called you on your behavior that appears to the casual observer to be innocent, but to those who post regularly is obviously trolling.

Al

I just think if you want to get an increased harvest in a given area, stress blooming will give you more yeild. When the plants are going to come down anyway. Allowing them to be in a huge pot where roots can keep growing you will not have that same effect. Point is stress blooming is not good for a plant but will increase the harvest at the end of the season.

Yes large pots grow large plants, but they take up room thus not getting the same yeild per square foot.

As many call me on here, the troll, here I am. I really look like a troll or even a fat elf, literally. ;)

{{gwi:1688}}

Al, you are correct. The pots smaller then 3 gallon did get rootbound, and the plants were smaller and yielded less. The ones larger then 3, didn't root out to the edges of the pot.

TheMasterGardener1, I don't think stress blooming will give you more yield, although your qualifier of "end of season" may pull it ahead of frost, but that is not what you've been saying. I think it just makes a plant bloom sooner then it normally would. Timing.

Al, my reference about it not being as important for annuals was simply a reference to the fact that if you stress bloom, you don't care about the long term health of the plant. You just want to bloom sooner. I do think it matters more for perennials as you affect the long term growth and health of the plant by stressing it.

One other note TMG, I personally do not deliberately attempt stressing plants to make them bloom. To compensate for my zone, I start peppers early (Feb), grow them under strong indoor lights and place them outside already in bloom. I got tons of peppers in July by doing this. This is a much better method rather then trying to stress plants into blooming early by under potting or other similar methods. I just use artificial light and a small greenhouse to extend my season. I did try several different sizes last year to figure out the ideal pot size for future reference and education.

Yes indoor hydroponics is way different then outside growing. With that said, If a grower using nft DECREASED the number of plants and INCREASED there size and life time they would DECREASE their over all harvest.

Found this from some other forum. It is someone real, not some source online.

"When in Vietnam I noticed, that the gardener in one of our hotels kept the Bougainvilleas in pots with very lean soil. Noting, that his were all bloom and few leaves, I tried the same with mine here and achieved much better bloom than before. "

In other words are going by GROWER convenience or what is best for a plant. Because when it comes down to it, its grower convenience.

The grower in the hotel stressed the plant out to get all bloom and no leaf so the people visiting could look at it
and say how nice it is. If it was not stress bloomed it might not have the same amount of flowers and more leaves and growth which IS NOT GOOD INSIDE. So would you want the plant to really reach its full? No.

Talk to some interior landscapers.
The industry is not intersted in what is good for a plant.

I will say no more.

In my experience last summer, ALL my pepper plants did HORRIBLE left in smaller pots and I am in zone 5.

Why? I couldn't get them into larger containers before the roots filled them and became root bound. What did happen was that I got TONS of blooms and yes fruit, but half the size as my peppers last year and very yellow leaves. What peppers I did get this past summer were hard skinned, bitter and crunchy and I tossed them.

As for my tomatoes, same thing. I got tons of little hard tomatoes, many that ripened much to early, many green ones that fell off before they could ripen, dry tasting ones that were not juicy at all, and week foliage growth.

I promise I will NOT let my roots ever get congested in their pots again unless I break my other foot. It was the worst harvest I ever had in my life. Sure I got something, but not half as good as the ones I grew last year when I gave them plenty of root room.

NOW, MG1, I have a question for you if you don't mind. Please pay attention so I can see if you understand this concept, ok?

Why do plants do well when there is plenty of roots to roam in the ground, if it's warm of course, but I am told not to let the same plants, in particular peppers, have the same opportunity in a pot? There is this mind set that plants perform better in very tight pot or root bound and yet not the same for those planted in the ground.

Example: I grew 7 fig trees in containers and of the 7, one gave me double the amount of fruit and grew twice as big, plus the fruit was much sweeter!
When bringing them back inside in the fall, the 6 were terribly pot bound, and the one that did 'awesome', I couldn't pull up from the ground because the roots had busted through the pot and had taken hold into the ground. Why is that?

Al thus far to me has answered my question over and over again. If you find the answer, I will be proud of you:-) By the way, looks like it is almost spring there, nice.

Mike

Cant you hear my example about the the gardener in vietnam that deliberately used small amount of soil in the pot to get a easy to manage plant with a lot of bloom?

I am not sating stress your peppers I am going with the 3/4 of the container filled with roots is when I see fastest growth. Maybe because I always used potting soil.

MG1 You change your thoughts so many times, that my head is spinning.lol

I didn't see that one though. I am just not sure of how to take you since your viewpoints are always changing. Sorry:-)

But you still have not answered my question?

Mike:-)

I am not saying stress your peppers I am going with the 3/4 of the container filled with roots is when I see fastest growth. I was making an instance where stress blooming is used. To answer your question.

I stress this: Maybe because I always used potting soil.

I am growing in 5-1-1 this year and never have. I have seen plants grow faster when their roots take up at least 3/4 the pot, maybe because of the medium that everyone uses. I am using potting mix in my smaller pots for that reason.

Here is what I am using in my larger pots, thanks to Al!!!

{{gwi:1689}}

I will try to get a shoot of the 5-1-1 medium.

Hey MG1.

I think you are so caught up trying to make a point, you are missing mine and that of others. To help you understand what I would like from you, I will re-post the question?-)

Here you go.........................Please read below.

NOW, MG1, I have a question for you if you don't mind. Please pay attention so I can see if you understand this concept, ok?

Why do plants do well when there is plenty of roots to roam in the ground, if it's warm of course, but I am told not to let the same plants, in particular peppers, have the same opportunity in a pot? There is this mind set that plants perform better in very tight pots, or root bound, and yet not the same for those planted in the ground.

Example: I grew 7 fig trees in containers, and of the 7, one gave me double the amount of fruit and grew twice as big, plus the fruit was much sweeter!
When bringing them back inside in the fall, the 6 were terribly pot bound, and the one that did 'awesome', I couldn't pull it up from the ground because the roots had busted through the pot and had taken hold into the ground. Why is that?

****MG1...Just a bit of advice. I would use smaller pieces of bark varying from 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch or maybe 1/4 but not much bigger. Your pieces look way to big and should be screened. The sizes you may use is NOT what Al has taught us.
What he has taught us is linked below:-)

If the 5.1.1 mix is not made correctly, it may disappoint you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bark fine sizes pictured here

"Why do plants do well when there is plenty of roots to roam in the ground, if it's warm of course, but I am told not to let the same plants, in particular peppers, have the same opportunity in a pot? There is this mind set that plants perform better in very tight pots, or root bound, and yet not the same for those planted in the ground."

How come growing in containers you achieve more harvest per square foot then in ground? How come in ground you use more fertilizer and water?

"The sizes you may use is NOT what Al has taught us."

Same mid size bark mix. One week old cactus pod.

{{gwi:1690}}

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz-ufjBj0YU

Speeking of figs...Check this out, he explains how many figs he gets in his small containers. Go 3/4 in the vid.

Sorry for so many posts but this may help you get an understanding.

Hi Laura, Al, Josh, and Jodik along with many others that I know.

I was wondering, how has your weather been?

It's been very strange here and in fact a rest bit from last winter when we got over 130 inches of snow. This year, excluding Halloween, we have had about 6 inches.lol

Today we might get 3 or 4 then back to the 50's this weekend!

How did the WINGS do Al?

Have a great day and I can't believe I am saying this, but pray for snow so we our ground plants will get refreshed before the spring pounces upon us.

MIke

I'll take spring pouncing any day! We're in the middle of a mess - snow, rain, sleet, freezing rain ...... yuk. Luckily, the temp's supposed to start rising around midday & get into the 40s, so it will be short lived.

Wings won last night 5-2. ;-)

Al

Meyermike: What size pot worked best for you for peppers? I am also zone 5. 3 gallon pots seem to be in the sweet spot as going larger didn't really help much. Less then three and my plants were stunted.

I am just going to change the subject now. Mozart- Klavierst�ck Kv 33b. One of my favorite pieces.
Just learned to play it. I am sure you have heard it, if not prepare to hear a masterpiece. No sound as beautiful
as the harpsichord.

Mozart- Klavierstuck KV 33B

I am very sorry, I posted it and it did not come out right. This is it.

Hey Capoman!

I found that the 5 gallon worked best for me too.

My growing season doesn't allow enough time for the whole container to fill out, and, allows the roots to stay moist for a few days at a time.
This year in 3 gallon ones, I had to get my neighbor to water EVERY day. It was aweful. My poor mother even tried to help but tripped over the hose at teh beginning of the growing season, first week of July, and broke her arm a week after I broke my foot. What a mess.
I was so afraid they would go bone dry, and in fact, a few pots did. I lost a few plants that was upsetting.
I had kept kicking myself in the but with the good foot, lol, wishing I had planted them into bigger pots.
They were looking so nice up until about the middle of July, and to watch them helplessly deteriot was an aweful experience. In fact, I had to let many tomatos ripen and rot as I couldn't pick them.

They were growing so nice and lush, and then just all of a sudden stunted! I hear you on that.

Al....Congrats buddy ! Maybe they will be on their way to another winning streak?

That same weather is heading here. Did you see all the tornados just south of you? What a mess. I hope we get some good rains at least, since we have had less than an inch or two most of the winter. The next thing you know they'll be putting watering bans up if we don't make up for the deficit, then I have to worry about my perennials and shrubs.

???
Al,I was wondering if I went to my local store and snapped a couple of pictures of pots, if you would help me decide which one to put my, what I want to be possible Bonsai maple into?

Hey Mike,

AL, Jodi, Josh and everyone ...

Our temps here have been just crazy as well! Two days ago we had 83 degrees and then the next day it was 53* for the high. Rain today with thunderstorms and wind. Temps into the mid 70's for tomorrow. The trees dont know what to do. Cherry trees, Forsythia, Quince are all blooming now and it not even March yet. That makes me worried for the blooms..

Al,

Glad to hear the Redwings won.. That does make you happy!!!
Sorry to hear of all the weather you are having...hope it breaks for you soon. Im sure you have had a mild winter compared to last year?

Seems we all have had a mild winter. We still need a good freeze to kill the insects (fleas) that are an issue here in Virginia Beach.. UGGG! ALl of my beloved pets are flea free, but when they go outside for a walk..they have to be checked. Its a pain in the *** !!!

Hope all is well with everyone. My trees are doing great and the Goldfish plant looks like it has little fish all over it. I cant believe how cute this little one is!! Thank you!! : )

Mike...I picked up an Orchid the other day and smelled the fragrant ones and thought of you...they are very impressive. I did have to buy just one!! LOL...

Take care everyone,

Laura

Hey, Mike, Al, Laura, and all!

Work's been busy and, frankly, I can't keep up with 101 topics all in the same Thread.
Too much noise to signal ratio.

Last night we had a wild wind and rainstorm blow through. Snow is falling just up the hill
from me, right above 2000 feet elevation. It seemed like I was awake all night listening to
the wind. My citrus cold-frame survived, whereas it blew over last year...so that's a success ;-)

I'm almost ready to start my hot pepper seeds...more arrived in the mail this afternoon.
Talk to ya'll soon!

Josh

Mike: Yes, I had to water the 3 gallon pots every one to two days during periods without rain. The 5 gallon would go two to three days between waterings, something people need to consider when deciding on a pot size. I didn't mind that as part of my ritual was checking plants daily, and I had a rain barrel hose that reached my plants so watering was a non issue for me. As far as health and yield though, they were exactly the same.

I wish blow molded nursery pots commonly came in white.. I think there are some UV resistance issues though. I have large 15 gallon pots for some tomatoes, but I'm going to have to paint them white to prevent the roots from cooking in the Texas sun. Thing is, the spray paint recommended for plastic is silly expensive, especially considering I went with black nursery pots to lower costs.

I've considered using cloth, but I'm not as talented with a sowing machine as I'd like to think - and it doesn't seem cost effective either. I even considered using hydrated lime to whitewash... silly idea.

Al, or anyone with a better understanding of container gardening physics - can the insulating characteristics of a plant container ever be counter productive, by slowing the cooling down of the soil at night? Or is virtually all of the cooling due to the transpiration of the plant, as I suspect? By insulation, I mean both radiative and conductive..because some have suggested using cheap mylar emergency blankets to cover the container.

Interesting that you need white pots. Where I live at elevation away from the lake, it actually gets very hot in summer, over 90F quite often in July/Aug. I still need the black pots for peppers to do well. I suspect the watering and evaporation still keep the roots cool enough to do well. Probably the big difference is the night temperature, which drops quite a bit in my area.

This past summer in Houston was record setting, as I'm sure you've heard (with almost three months of highs regularly over 100 degrees), but temps have always hovered near 100 in the summer months here. And you're right, night temperatures don't drop much, because of humidity and other factors. The humidity also means evaporative cooling through transpiration is less effective. Anyway, it all conspires to make even peppers weak and stunted in growth when in containers. In the ground though... it's gangbusters. You should've seen the okra we got from just three plants (in the front yard ;) this past summer. Fortunately, my family likes okra a lot... and I think the tons of yellow hibiscus-like blooms are gorgeous.

Is it wrong that part of me is almost hoping someone complains about the front yard food gardening...I have so much righteous indignation on behalf of my plants that I never get to use. My hatred for lawns grows with each passing day.

GT,

I was looking for something similar for my peppers and found these white pots (see link below), which seem pretty reasonably priced plus there's free shipping. Just need to drill some holes into the bottom and they'll be ready to go. By the way, I posted a similar question here a few days back and got a couple of interesting answers ("How do you shade the pot?").

I'll also take a shot at your question. I don't think you want to thermally insulate the container; if you were to do so, you are correct that it would both warm slower (in the day) and cool slower (at night). Painting it white (or using foil, shadecloth, other shade, etc.) serves to reflect the sunlight and thereby prevents the sun from warming the black pot, but would have no impact on pot temp. at night.

Here is a link that might be useful: 5 gallon white buckets

Laura!! You didn't? lol. What kind of orchid is it? Ok, now I will have you getting orchid fever in no time.lol
I am surrounded by the smell of the most fragrant orchids I have ever had:-))
Now I just need a great plumeria and another gardenia..Hint, hint:-0)

Today it's 32, dark, and snowing after 50's and sunny yesterday. Yuk!

Josh..WONDERFUL that your greenhouse held up. You did good buddy! You certainly prepared this time knowing in advance how bad your winds can be. Great job.
To think you could go skiing right up the road from your house while you have rain amazes me.

The pot thing black verses white is very interesting.

Have a great day all:-)

Mike

GT, sounds like you have a climate I wouldn't want to live in. I can barely stand the daytime heat here in summer... I look forward to the evening cool off each day. If I was living where you are, I'd probably just be growing in the ground, which sounds like the best option for your climate... Mind you, at 100+ degrees, I probably woudn't want to go outside at all... LOL

Hi Mike,

Yes, i did buy one..LOL Hopefully i can limit myself to just a couple. Im taking my mother to a garden show tomorrow and they have lots of Orchids and DR's and other things. On Saturday i am planning to head up to PHL for flower show that has the theme of "Hawaii" I hope that i can carry all of the goodies back on the plane!!! I will let you know what i can't live without!!! : )

Greentiger,

I also have the same problem with my containers during the summer here in Virginia Beach. My collection of Plumeria like to be in black pots during the spring and fall. But during a few weeks of the hottest part of the summer, we can have temps in the triple digits which can fry my roots. I also had to think of options to protect my trees. Sometimes i will sink my pots snd that really helps, but i have so many trees that i did try and place white contact paper around the outside of the containers to reflect the heat. It did work, but i didnt like the look ... So... I decided to place the black pots inside larger containers and place mulch in between the pots. This seems to work very well when the temps reach over 100 degrees. They are all on my back deck facing the western sun and it gets very hot out there.

Thought you may want to see what i did to my containers...

The first pic is of my containers (black) The Plumeria love the heat during the spring and early summer. Then once August comes around and we cant breath with the humidity and the heat, i place them inside the other contaner.

Just thought i would let you see.. : )

{{gwi:1691}}

Inside the other container with mulch to protect the roots..
{{gwi:1692}}
{{gwi:1693}}
{{gwi:1694}}
{{gwi:1695}}
J-105 (Thai)
{{gwi:1696}}
{{gwi:1697}}
{{gwi:1586}}

This really helps my trees with the heat..Plumeria love the heat, but cant take high triple digits..any roots would cook in the heat that we have.

Hope this helps..

Take care,

Laura

Those really are gorgeous Laura! I've used that approach for smaller pots, but it really isn't feasible with 15 gallon pots. I've been toying with the idea of plumeria in the ground as a companion for my roses, hoping that I can protect them through the winter by cutting them down and putting them under bell jars. Probably wishful thinking, but we'll see :P

I think I'll just go with spray painting the pots. It's an investment I suppose.. thanks for everyone's advice!