Growing serpentine clay-loving plants in pots

Cody H plantboy@gmail.com
Wed, 14 Jun 2017 10:08:50 PDT
Thanks Arturo! I will try watering from below. What do you use for the
organic component in your soil?

On Tue, Jun 13, 2017 at 10:39 PM Arturo Tarak <anmeghalimprnum@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi Cody, I'm actually one step behind but also facing the same kind of
> dilemas, in my case with hardy Cyclamens. The step behind is that I've yet
> to get hold of many of your mentioned species. The question you arise is
> about translating wild conditions back to a gardening situation, an even
> more inside a container (clay pot, plastic pot , or plastic bag.). How much
> clay you want in your soil mix inside a pot is a question of finding the
> right ammount. None is never right. Also adding generous amounts of organic
> material will help in moisture retention. My strategy with potted plants
> are to water them from below. Then the crown area will be dry, yet further
> down it will keep moist and even wet without any harm during the dormant
> season. You simply have to check say once a week that the bottom tray has
> standing water. If doing so there's hardly any risk in dessication. So the
> soil mix inside the pot ought to be on the porous side because it will help
> in the capillary forces that wicker upwards the moisture. In the garden
> things work out differently. The options are working different typesof
> soils placed in layers. You can place a clayey mix quite low and then add a
> sandy/loam mix on top with very good drainage in the upper inch or so,
> including a sandy grit as top dressing. The strategy is to avoid water
> collecting around the roots of dormant bulbs during your summer general
> garden waterings. It would be best to place your bulbs that have similar
> requirements away from plants that have different watering requirements. I
> don't have serpentine clay soils here.
> arturo
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<div>Thanks Arturo! I will try watering from below. What do you use for the organic component in your soil?</div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div>On Tue, Jun 13, 2017 at 10:39 PM Arturo Tarak &lt;<a href="mailto:anmeghalimprnum@gmail.com">anmeghalimprnum@gmail.com</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:///1px/ #ccc solid;padding-left:///1ex/">Hi Cody, I&#39;m actually one step behind but also facing the same kind of<br>
dilemas, in my case with hardy Cyclamens. The step behind is that I&#39;ve yet<br>
to get hold of many of your mentioned species. The question you arise is<br>
about translating wild conditions back to a gardening situation, an even<br>
more inside a container (clay pot, plastic pot , or plastic bag.). How much<br>
clay you want in your soil mix inside a pot is a question of finding the<br>
right ammount. None is never right. Also adding generous amounts of organic<br>
material will help in moisture retention. My strategy with potted plants<br>
are to water them from below. Then the crown area will be dry, yet further<br>
down it will keep moist and even wet without any harm during the dormant<br>
season. You simply have to check say once a week that the bottom tray has<br>
standing water. If doing so there&#39;s hardly any risk in dessication. So the<br>
soil mix inside the pot ought to be on the porous side because it will help<br>
in the capillary forces that wicker upwards the moisture. In the garden<br>
things work out differently. The options are working different typesof<br>
soils placed in layers. You can place a clayey mix quite low and then add a<br>
sandy/loam mix on top with very good drainage in the upper inch or so,<br>
including a sandy grit as top dressing. The strategy is to avoid water<br>
collecting around the roots of dormant bulbs during your summer general<br>
garden waterings. It would be best to place your bulbs that have similar<br>
requirements away from plants that have different watering requirements. I<br>
don&#39;t have serpentine clay soils here.<br>
arturo<br>
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</blockquote></div></div>

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