I find that the containers respond well if you aerate them. The soil mix becomes quite compacted and the plant doesn't seem to take up the nutrients.
http://garden.org/ideas/view/J...

Great and very timely reminder, Joanne! I just noticed today that some of mine needed help, but I couldn't quite pull the info from my brain on just what needed to be done.

Thank you!

I need to do this with my hanging baskets! Thanks!

Even though I put a good slow release fertilizer in the container at initial planting time, I always use a bloom booster (water hose application) starting now until end of season, every 2 weeks. You should see some quick results if you aerate 1st. Hanging baskets that are shallow or smaller than 14 " diameter will bounce back nicely from the compact soil conditions. I guess aeration also has a lot to do with more oxygen to the roots.

Great reminder. I'll go out tomorrow and check my containers.
Thank you Joanne.

Hey, interesting and timely. When putting holes in the sides of my hanging baskets, I'm sure that inadvertently happened.


In the process of doing this to all of the baskets of a plastic that will allow it over the past few weeks, about a dozen finished. Kind of getting slim on pieces to pinch at this point. Grow man, grow!

Your plants and yard are stunning! I'm a fan!

I have been telling all my friends about this. Thanks Joanne!!!!

Everyone,
Let us know if you see a difference.

I think some of the flower beds need aeration also.

I was thinking the same thing. I might go poke my beds too

Poke your lawn also. It needs to be Aerated

Purple your pots are looking great. Lots of growth.. I cannot wait to see them all filled in they are going to be beautiful.

Thanks, Marquest! I got a chuckle out of the lawn comment. I know some do but the last thing we want is for the lawn to be more happy or grow faster. I'm chasing these grass vines like crazy this summer, going up walls and fences, over borders, even found some that were going under the house. That's one of the few things I miss about OH, the grass. You probably have nice grass.

I don't have any issues with compaction in pots (which I always attributed to peat so no longer use any) but don't think I've left any of the hanging ones alone for more than few weeks this year. Keep changing the combinations, adding things as pieces grow long enough to share and when I 'find' them in stores or trade. Not having to water anything with the hose (just potted plants on the porch,) has left me with waaaay too much spare time. Not a day goes by that I'm not poking something, moving things around, salvaging stuff I'm still finding from some long-gone gardener who used to live here, there's always something to be done. Sometimes I wish I'd done more flowers to deadhead. If I'd known there would be virtually no sun here in July, I would have definitely done things differently, as far as "annuals" go. Silly me, I thought they would actually grow!

purple
I understand planting for the weather. We have had 90s and dry summers for 2 years so I planned for dry hot plants for this summer. We have had more wet days than dry and I have a bunch of soupy unhappy plants out there this year. I cannot win.

Please keep posting updates of your pot.

Joannabanana said:Everyone,
Let us know if you see a difference.

I definitely perceive a difference in my over-planted and un-pinched pot of petunias already. Need to take an "after" photo to judge by how much.

Tuberous begonias are a bit trickier -there doesn't see to be much area that's safe to poke. I really don't like these in plastic pots. Next year I'll take the risk of damaging them and remove them from those. I like the coir baskets much better for these plants.

chelle said:


I definitely perceive a difference in my over-planted and un-pinched pot of petunias already. Need to take an "after" photo to judge by how much.

Tuberous begonias are a bit trickier -there doesn't see to be much area that's safe to poke. I really don't like these in plastic pots. Next year I'll take the risk of damaging them and remove them from those. I like the coir baskets much better for these plants.

Before poking, my plant was just a long-legged, gangly ol' thing; without much of anything in the center of the pot. (Something like it looks from this angle, but without a hint of any growth in the center.)




Just a short time afterward, new growth has appeared in the previously bare middle. This plant has definitely been given a mid-season jump start!







Thanks again, Joanne!

Joanne,

Should I close my eyes, bite the bullet, and trim off the long branches (with all those pretty blooms on 'em!! ) now?

Chelle,

It would take about 4 weeks to get your blooms back. Double petunias tend to bloom at the end of the stems, not along the branch. Not sure what to advise. We never know what kind of weather will happen in the next month

I'll leave them long then...as usual. I have a hard time cutting away petunia buds/blooms anyway.

Thank you!

Pretty petunias, Chelle! If you do trim them, please keep your eyes open! I've never seen one with so many petals, nice. Does it smell wonderful too? The other bits of your yard in the pics look great too.

Cinta, IKR! The one thing you can count on in gardening is that you can't count on the weather.

I've been poking more pots, although from the side again. I was doing them one at a time, but went into a frenzy putting all of the holes I could in the last half dozen pots even though I don't have plant material to put in all of them, yet. The open holes are definitely aerating these pots for now, and I put the tools away. Now to wait for stuff to grow enough to take cuttings again...