What was my mistake? Not adding bark?

Thank you for the link. It's quite confusing for someone new like me but it was an interesting read

Your mistake was using garden soil/topsoil in a container. It is very heavy and dense and won't allow proper drainage. If you are growing in a container - which has much different requirements than growing anything in the ground - then you need to use a soil mix (actually they are soil-less mixes) that is formulated to offer those unique requirements. ALL potting soil - no topsoil or garden soil and no compost - would be much better but even that can offer some challenges with many store-bought mixes as they can be too fine a texture and too moisture retentive,

Consider the soil recipes offered in that link. The 5-1-1 mix is what you want to shoot for when growing veggies or other annuals.

I made a mistake earlier when I wrote Potting Soil, I did in fact use a soil-less mix and not potting soil. Though I did add all the other entities mentioned.

Does that soil less mix help my situation and help you better direct me when it comes to watering? Or have all the other components still caused too much of a problem?

Typically 'potting soil' is intended for pots or containers and IS a soil-less mix (although not always). It really doesn't help that you used some of that in your mix...the outcome will still be the same. You want that to be ALL of the mix :-))

Thank you. I will know for next year

I think that maybe you need to get that garden soil out of the bottom of your pots right away. By creating strata, gardengal has advised that you will have poor drainage and are looking for root rot. Watch for yellowing leaves and anything related to fungus or wilt. Those roots are likely to be very delicate, so I don't know how to advise on cleaning out the bottom strata. Good luck to you. It's live and learn on here and no harm in trying, failing, and trying again. The path of success is often marred by failures that are our best teachers! Suzanne

You soil is fine. Its all about how you water.

There Anthony goes again spreading terrible info.

As long as you got a drainage hole you can use any soil. I prefer garden soil mixed with leaf mold or pine straw. Peppers, cherry tomatoes, etc do great in containers. Most gardening is simply done best in the ground.☺

"Most gardening is simply done best in the ground.☺"

For many folks, especially those unfamiliar with growing in containers and the unique set of growing requirements container culture demands, that is probably true :-) But not everyone has the necessary real estate or ability for inground gardening and that's where container growing comes into the picture. And you cannot equate inground gardening and its methods with container gardening and the different methods it demands. Using garden soil in that case is just not going to work well!! It is far too heavy and dense, with slow drainage and lack of pore space and necessary aeration, and the typical listed accompaniments, like compost or leaf mold, only exacerbate that problem. It is VERY difficult to assure necessary drainage and proper aeration for the roots of container plants in that sort of medium and a poorly draining medium will lead to stunting and lack of productivity, disease issues and even root rots and death.

You CAN'T use just any soil and expect good results!! It just doesn't work that way!

Anthony, I would urge you to read this thread carefully to help you understand the differences and with a greater understanding of container culture, then perhaps you will change your ill-advised suggestions :-)

He won't read it. He doesn't care. He's here for one reason, to be obnoxious.

Not sure why anyone would come to a garden forum and act like a 15 year old, but that's what Anthony chooses to do.

I just tell like it is.

You don't. You're looking for attention and recognition in all the wrong ways.

theres not a single person that wants you or your information around here. You should go back to your cave now.

Dave....you think I'm gonna be a movie star ? HAHAHA

Gardengal: I have already read it....just another repost. Do yourself a favor...don't believe everything you read on the internet. KEEP THE GRAVEL OUT OF YOUR POTS !

LOL!! As my ex would say, 'you buy 'em books and buy 'em books and all they do is eat the pages!!"

I certainly don't believe everything I read on the internet - there is typically more garbage than useful info (your input would be classified in the former category). However I do have a strong horticultural education and can discern true science as opposed to unbased opinions and can assure that all the information contained in that link - which I seriously doubt you read or understood if you did - is based on sound soil physics. Sorry, but you cannot argue with that - it is what it is.