Tips for outdoor grow in pots

[Anaken Moonwalk]

Back again already..

Looking for tips/advice on optimising an outdoor grow in pots
I'm thinking maybe 50L fabric pots
Tending toward the organic style - have in mind worm castings/vermiculite/potash combo with potting mix
Watering with drip irrigation from rainwater tank
Will probably cover top of grow area with white insect netting

Any words of wisdom, recommendations, soil additive/fertiliser advice, watering tips etc..?

Cheers!

 

[Sun Ra]

Back again already..

Looking for tips/advice on optimising an outdoor grow in pots
I'm thinking maybe 50L fabric pots
Tending toward the organic style - have in mind worm castings/vermiculite/potash combo with potting mix
Watering with drip irrigation from rainwater tank
Will probably cover top of grow area with white insect netting

Any words of wisdom, recommendations, soil additive/fertiliser advice, watering tips etc..?

Cheers!

Why don't you want to put them into the ground ?

 

[Anaken Moonwalk]

Why don't you want to put them into the ground ?

Fair point.. it's very sandy and not particularly fertile soil. I'm not sure how much work I'd have to do to get the soil to a point where it would perform better than a premium mix in pots - would be interested if you have an opinion on that?

Also, is there less potential for things to go wrong in pots?

It would be nice to be talked out of the expense of buying pots to be honest

 

[Sun Ra]

Fair point.. it's very sandy and not particularly fertile soil. I'm not sure how much work I'd have to do to get the soil to a point where it would perform better than a premium mix in pots - would be interested if you have an opinion on that?

Also, is there less potential for things to go wrong in pots?

It would be nice to be talked out of the expense of buying pots to be honest

Quote: "Also, is there less potential for things to go wrong in pots?" - I may be wrong but the only advantage with
pots is they are portable so you can move your plants into a shed or garage if you have advance notice that you are
having visitors who "might not understand".

I used to grow in very sandy soil in Heatherton, VIC years ago - the sand belt part of Melbourne.
Fantastic drainage. You can get that soil happening very easily but you should have started
3 months ago. Actually you should still do it - keep them in pots for a month and then re-plant
them.

Here is some of what you need to dig into it - Dolomite, Gypsum, Worm Castings, a few bags of cheap
potting mix, some fertiliser - dynamic lifter or blood and bone ........ dig it in 2 feet deep and turn soil over
and water once a week if its not raining. That's what I used to do and it worked pretty well for me back
in the day.

Others may have and will have other suggestions but imo the biggest and best plants are in the ground
rather than pots - even if they are 50L pots - and in terms of portability you'd need a dolly to move those around.

 

[Indy]

Here is some of what you need to dig into it - Dolomite, Gypsum, Worm Castings, a few bags of cheap
potting mix, some fertiliser - dynamic lifter or blood and bone ........ dig it in 2 feet deep and turn soil over
and water once a week if its not raining. That's what I used to do and it worked pretty well for me back
in the day.

Likewise, for bush grows. I preferred dynamic lifter over blood and bone though. Blood 'n bone could bring in the animals, and start scratching around.

EDIT: Minus Worm castings, had no idea about its potential back then. But use to retrieve this rich black soil, predominately at the base of cliff faces. Dig down a bit, under the fallen foilage and you'd hit onto it. Type of soil that looked as if it had a fair bit of Worm activity through it at some stage. Good soil it was, pity its to hard to get to now, in the later years.

 

[Anaken Moonwalk]

Awesome, thanks heaps for the advice Sun Ra and Indy! Definitely feeling inspired to get them in the ground... suspect I'll be doing as you suggest

 

[Gazza]

The plants will be substantially bigger in the ground too, no restrictions on the root system.

 

[Harry bootlace]

If you can put in the ground do so
Even if you dig a hole the size of a 50 liter pot and fill it with better soil it will do better than in a pot imho.

Apart from bigger root system, pots can get really hot in summer and damage the roots.