I've only seen it planted in the ground in native soil, pretty heavy clay. I've never seen one in a pot other than in nurseries and then I can't remember seeing anything larger than a 5 gal. I also can't remember seeing one in the nursery that looked full, flowers, large, etc. Generally stick like. Not saying this is always true, just what I remember seeing.

To me soil type has more to do with watering in our climate. Lots of plants do great in light, well draining mixes if watered often enough. Miss a watering or two and death follows. In other climates you get warning clues like wilting, here death seems to be the main clue I've screwed up. Using heavy clay soil in a large pot can be more forgiving, survive longer between watering. So I use clay soil for everything. I do have to be careful with succulents and cactus and not allow any water to stand for more than a short time or they rot. Not sure how Red BoP reacts to standing water.

Okay, thanks! I kind of figured. I don't see them much at all out here (though I think it's b/c people just don't know about them...), but when I do, it's in the ground.

I've had a tough time with heavy soil in containers - lost a couple favorites last year. After reading a lot on the Container Gardening forum, I am trying out bark-based mix. So I think I'll go with that.

It is *very* helpful though to know that your soil is clay-based. I've never grown cacti -- of course this isn't one, but it does seem to prefer the desert! -- and I thought maybe I would need some other type of mix, but it sounds like bark/5-1-1 should work.

Thanks again!

"Miss a watering or two and death follows. In other climates you get warning clues like wilting, here death seems to be the main clue I've screwed up"

I've started to use clay mixed into the potting soil in most my pots. I still mix perlite and other light ingredients in, but having low/no water retention is pretty much instant death in the summer here for most plants (especially blueberry). I'm finding a good balance between the two because it seems pretty easy to go too fast draining.

That's a good point, definitely. I garden on a very hot patio, so it is almost like the desert a lot of the time.

The thing is, for me, I need to make a change b/c my plants aren't happy. I highly recommend the Container Growing forum for anyone who's not happy with their pot results. The guy you want to look for is Al -- http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg011449584897.html?20

I think for me what has been happening is, I water a lot, to try to keep up with the heat, but my soil just gets soggy and the roots can't breathe or drink. Al is way into "particle size," meaning, the soil mixes don't smother the roots even though you can adjust the level of water retention by changing your amounts of various ingredients. (Warning: he gets very technical at times. But slowly some of it has been sinking in...)

It makes a ton of sense. I am very much hoping to get good results. The other error I've made is not fertilizing enough (and Al is great on that too). In the past I just used fish emulsion, but there are a lot of other options.

Anyhow, thanks again -- you are correct. Keeping moisture has been a huge problem for me.

Different kinds of soils certainly get different results, but that has more to do which how the soil is used, not the soil itself. The best mix imo that can be used in many cases is just plain sand...if you water and fertilize a certain way.

In my limited experience I've never been able to get a plant to recover by changing the soil mix. Pretty good way to push it over the edge imo.

If I over water or over fertilize a pot with clay soil I can do the same for a lighter mix. The issue isn't the soil...it's me.

Over watering is blamed almost exclusively by many people. When a plant struggles I'd guess over watering is blamed 90% of the time and under watering 10% just because that's what people hear all the time. I've done some experiments that I've published online over the years with growing plants in pots with zero drainage...standing water almost. Things like tomatoes which already were known to work but also Mesquite trees, which everyone will tell you require good drainage. Grew them in no drain pots for 2 years. They did just fine, roots were healthy and plenty at the bottom of the pot which was always standing water. There are risks with less drainage but the kind of knee jerk reaction you will see everywhere doesn't really match actual test results.