Bulbs Related Q & A desk by Heinie

[Farhan Ahmed]

I concur fully
Placing the pot over soil, if not elevated can be beneficial also
We should also keep in mind that walls of clay pots(if not painted) also seep water.
I also second that we should do away with stone(thikiri) over the hole and place something porous to enable good drainage as well as to reduce soil loss.

This being said. I present a slightly different point of view regarding drainage.
Pots require daily/twice a day watering in our hot summer even with current poor drainage scheme i mentioned. Pots(especially clay pots) are said to be less water retentive than soil. Now if we assume that we have a good free draining media and an excellent drainage, wont that be an issue as the potted plant will be stressed out within matter of an hour. Plant/Bulb will be faced with not only drought but also high UV index, excessive evaporation due temperatures in range of 45 plus. Do we require water to drain so quickly?

It is also important to that most bulbs are introduced in our plains and not endemic, hence not sufficiently adaptable to our climate(Plains).

Considering our environment, i propose something in between. Good drainage but not an excellent one.
I propose that this can be achieved by the quality of media to be more water retentive such as addition of compost/perlite in slighter larger composition as mentioned by you.

[Farhan Ahmed]

In my opinion. During winters we can go for excellent drainage scheme.

[Hamad Ahmed Kisana]

yes sir but main problem is may-June and after them sudden moon soon.we prepare pots to compete heat of may-June then moon soon destroys everything if pots are kept without shelter.

[Farhan Ahmed]

@Hamad. Monsoon is a phenomenon that will last for a day or 2 at a stretch. Keep in mind that pot has good drainage and that pot can only hold certain amount of water(rest of which will be spilled over). Most of pots are in-fact at sheltered sites.

And most importantly the UV index is highest after rain due clearing of dust particles from the sky. I see plants getting cooked up even after a good rain. Have you felt the scorching sun just after rain?

[Farhan Ahmed]

@Heinie. I must also mention that quality of clay pot is not as superior as you have shown. Over here they are made up from ordinary soil, go under no refinement, treatment and are far more porous.

Just to give you an idea about the quality of pots.

[Hamad Ahmed Kisana]

oh yes sir ....very hot and scorching..it is common folk saying that even deer's back becomes black in sunlight in moonsoon season.so you are right mostly plants die due to this heat recently my plant of Bignonia capreolata Tangerine Beauty died after rain in bright sun and i was wondering why it died.so it is due to high degree of UV index that sunlight becomes scorching..very good information ..

[Heinie]

I perceive from the photos I have seen that your soil looks like a dry sludge type of soil or is the soil of a very fine consistency. It looks like mud that dried in the pots.

With all said it must still be kept in mind that you should try not to water the plants during the very hot periods of the day when the roots and plant is under stress due to the very high heat because the plant will wilt. Never spray water over the leaves at that time either.

Something else I picked up in your post Farhan is that you mention a lot of dust on the leaves. That may pose a different problem for you in that the dust on the leaves cover and close the stomata on the leaves and open stomata are necessary for a plant to breathe. If a plant is unable to breathe it cannot cool itself down and the plant will become stunted.

If you have too much water clogging the medium the plant will show the same wilting effect as a plant that is dry. This I explained in detail in my last post regarding the Oxygen that diffuses through water slowly and if there is too much water the plant cannot receive Oxygen and will also wilt so you will experience the same effect of wilting on a plant that is water logged and a plant that is bone dry.

I hope that from the discussions there may be certain aspects that you can take up to suit your plant circumstances a little better in your extreme environment.

Something that have not been mentioned yet is how much wind do you experience because that is also a factor that can assist to cool things down for the plant.

[mikhurram]

Mr Heinie has a point regarding coverage of drainage holes. We are fortunate to benefit from his experience & wisdom. I only have one question regarding the type of sand to be used. Mr Heinie would you recommend using 60 percent fine sand or coarse sand?

The paragraph also mentions the same point regarding pot drainage from the URL address mentioned below.

http://www.clematisqueen.com/content/ho ... inage-hole

When growing in containers it is an absolute must to have a drainage hole(s) so that the water will flow out allowing the plant’s roots to breathe.  The problem is when you add your soilless soil to the container it can wash out (until the plant’s roots takeover) of the hole(s) whenever you water.  So, what can you do to curtail this soil evacuation while your container is draining?  Many have suggested various types of material that can be used to eliminate this problem ranging from: pieces of pottery shards, coffee filters, packing peanuts, pieces of burlap, rocks, to plant leaves.  I have even heard of people using used tea bags.  But, in my opinion, the best solution is to line your pot’s drainage hole(s) with some type of plastic meshing material.  Doing so allows for the crucial aeration of the roots, doesn’t inhibit the water movement, definitely won’t block up the holes and keeps the potting mix from escaping out of your container.

Some gardeners like to employ screening fabric which is used for windows and in a pinch I think it’s an okay substitute because it’s so readily available.  However, I think the better alternative is to use the plastic netting material used by many bonsai growers because it’s flexible and easy to cut, but is still strong enough to keep the soil in the container.  I also like that it does not easily disintegrate making it reusable.   It lasts for years, and the green plastic mesh shown in my picture that I have had since 1995 is living proof of that fact.

Source: Bonsai Netting Mesh

[aykhan]

Great information. I have come to believe in sand as a medium since it along with some peat moss has helped my younger plants. Peat moss is not cost effective when moving onto to dozens or large pots. That's where sand and compost help. I recommend stocking up of Nehri Bhai when there is "Bhal safai" in Lahore. I don't think the Karachi folks have a problem since their bhalo matti is quite sandy and porous to begin with. Just add compost like Graden Green and I think you're good to go.

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

. What is the best potting mix for flowering bulbs, can you share the recipe or composition ?
My answer to this is in a previous post but here is what I do. I use 60% sand, 30% grit (particles of between 2mm and 5mm in size) and 10% compost (Heinie)

What is good for the goose is good for the gander, is this mix good for bulbs only or for all plants.
You use lot of bark but has not recommended it?

Do you renew the pot soil if so how often?
The compost breaks down in a year or two, do you add more?