What if I'm using reptibark which is not pine?

Hopefully someone else can chime in about reptibark.. I don't use that, so I don't know!

Same with Reptibark, which is fir bark. My question would be, what are you growing? If something like blueberries, then no lime.

What if instead of peat moss, I'm using a preferred potting mix that has obviously already had pH balancing?

Then you might not need it. You could always run some water through the pot/mix and measure the pH of the water that runs out the bottom. Imo the pH is more about the water in the soil than the soil itself.

Ed, thank you! Yeah our water is alkaline and I'm not growing any acid-loving plants that I know of. I use G & B for a lot of container plants now (per gardengal's recommendation) but I'm gonna add the fit bark to smaller plants in plastic containers that I really don't want to succomb to root for.

Z

Z Man -- FYI re: Repti Bark, you might want to check your local PetSmart. Online the 24 qt price is $13.46. I (and the store personnel this evening) was shocked that the shelf price still showed up as $25.99. They had no problem honoring their own online price. For me, $13.46 for bark chips/fines is still pricey, but I don't have a source for bark fines out here (that I can determine) -- Houston area.

edweather and Z Man: Can either of you recommend a basic pH meter? Thanks.

Javiwa, that's a great price! I was just at Petco and the 24 quart bag was like $25. I will check out PetSmart. I've also seen that on www.chewy.com that they have 24 quart bags for $12 and change. If you order $49 of merchandise, shipping is free

Z

If you have a smartphone, Z Man, you'll likely need to pull up the online ad/price in order to get the discount. The reps this evening almost made it sound like PS retail vs online are two separate entities. I think I saw the chewy.com add earlier this week, but skipped since I knew I wouldn't be purchasing $49 worth. As it is, I can't believe I spent $28! :/

Did you buy two bags then?

Yes. I'm new to this container gardening stuff and was concerned one bag might not be enough. I picked up a Moro Blood Orange tree today (local nursery's 50% discount time of year). My plan is to eventually plant it in-ground, but it's just too darned hot (with no end in sight). I just can't see me digging a hole until next spring, so I thought I'd pot it up and hope I can see it through a winter freeze or two. At this size, at least I can pull it into the garage if necessary.

Where are u that it it is too hot? Here in NW WA we are still too cold for a lot of things to grow :(.

I would love to grow citrus in containers but I'm growing so much stuff right now. Maybe next year!

Z

Just outside of Houston, TX, Z. It got freakishly hot here and far too early -- been steadily in the mid-90s (with 'feels like' temps of 100+ when you factor in the humidity) since early May. We usually don't get temps like this until August (though July will hover right at 90).

I guess I shouldn't complain. At least I can water a bit more often. You (and so many in the Northeast) can neither force the sun to come out nor increase your soil temps.

Wow and probably the plants don't like 90+ although probably some plants deal with it fine. Here it just doesn't ever get warm. What you said in your last paragraph is why I'm really hoping to get a hobby greenhouse by the end of summer!

Z

Fortunately, I have a number of established shrubs that have done perfectly fine in the high temps and all-afternoon sun. For some reason I can't figure out (yet), I planted two tropical milkweed plants (3-gal) over a month ago. They've been well watered, and I even set up a 'shade tent' so they could established. Still, the sun shines on them starting around noontime -- by 2 p.m., the leaves are wilty and curled, and I need to re-drape the cloth. Soil is plenty moist, so I just don't get it. These are WEEDS, for pete's sake! :)

At the same time, I rooted some cuttings from the main plants and have since planted these: same full sun, but they do just fine...no coverings necessary.

Good luck with your greenhouse, Z.

That's the strange about the milkweeds. I grew tropical milkweed from seed when I lived in Tijuana and they did indeed grow like weeds. They would come up in other containers around the yard but I seldom yanked them because I really like them and think they're so important. Were the first two tropical milkweeds in 3 gal containers bought from the store? Were they root bound? Since you took cuttings and those did well it sounds like something when they were potted didn't agree with the main plants. Like root strangulation or something...who knows!

Z

I'm originally from L.A. Funny thing, spent almost 30 years of my life there and didn't make a trip to Tijuana until Year 29. :) Back then, the original La Perlita in Rosarito Beach was such a hole in the wall, mom-and-pop place. Just glancing at Yelp, it's grown in popularity (perhaps not necessarily in a good way).

Yes, the first TWs are from the nursery. I don't recall that they were root bound when I planted them (and I always make sure if the roots seem tight, I work the potting mix loose with my fingers -- all the way around and at the bottom). And because I had to feed 17 hungry cats, I'd pretty much pruned the plant down to 1/2; so, not a full load for the roots to support while acclimating to the soil. Finally, both plants have very healthy leaves and are blooming. Everything looks okay, except for the daily wilt. (I just gently brushed aside the top 2" layer of leaf mulch and soil, and I can see lots of small roots.) Perplexed, but I'll keep at it.

It's 1:40 CDT, and the MWs have been in the sun for 1-1/2 hours. Air temp ~ 90.

^^^ The first MW

This is the MW to the left of the first one:

This is the first plant, after several hours underneath sheers. It actually looked worse ~ 2 minutes before this was shot -- I watered lightly and the MWs always perk up a bit after some cool water:

I actually lived right on the water for a spell in Rosarito. It was OK but since it was just for six months in the winter, it was really windy and the house would shake from all the wind.

I read your message about feeding 17 cats and I pictured you in your house feeding a bunch of hungry feral cats (of the purring kind) stems and leaves of milkweed. Sorry I'm a little slow on the uptake ;).

I really think the wilting is due to the inner root systems of those plants. I think the roots in the middle of the root ball are stuck growing into each other and it's affecting the whole plant. Maybe you could try an experiment and take on of them and shear 1/2 of the plant and 1/2 of the root ball and wrip some of the roots to stimulate growth. It'll shock it but it might end up fixing the problem in the end. That's the only thing I can think of.

Z

Cats...pretty funny, Z. I get tired of spelling it all out. :)

I was thinking today I need to take some drastic steps, as I can't coddle these things for another month (before our L.A. trip). I know it'll shock the plants, and it'll be a shame to lose all that top growth (in case we're back to Square 1); but I know you're right. When I pulled back the top leaf mulch layer today, I say a lot of very fine, healthy roots right at the surface. I actually wondered if perhaps the entire plant was being supported by these, and the surface just go too hot for them (despite the 2" layer).

A project for tomorrow morning. Thanks for you help.

ETA: This will give me an 'opportunity' to root some mighty fine cuttings! I'll certainly be prepared for the fall migration.

Let me know how it goes. Up here in the Pacific Northwest ive tried some asclepsias speciosa milkweed from seed. I planted them before I found out they prefer cold stratification! Oh well, I had a few come up and some die. I have a couple so far now that are in their true leaf stage that look like they will make it. Just want to plant them as soon as I can outside so they can take off.

Z

Well, if it's any consolation, sometimes I follow the instructions to a tee and get dismal results. :/ You would think Mother Nature would realize we're doing what we do on behalf of the butterflies, and she'd give us a pass!

Thanks a bunch for pushing me to do what -- wayyyyy in the back of my mind -- I knew needed to be done. Saturday, I pulled aside the soil from the bases of the MWs and was ready to go at it. But I saw all those fresh, white roots and just couldn't bear to start hacking. I did realize, however, how incredibly dry and hard the soil around the plants was. I guess I both underestimated how moist the leaf mulch layer would keep the soil and how hot and dry the weather's really been this entire month (despite my handwatering every other morning). I loosened all the surrounding soil and deep watered, hoping this would do the trick; I couldn't quite bring myself to cutting off the top 1/2 (partly because I'd set aside the branches as root cuttings, and that would give me yet another chore to keep track of).

Yesterday, though, I saw the same wilting. Today, I cut off about 1/3 of each plant (so, now have 15 cuttings to tend), and took a hand cultivator and really loosened the root balls. Many of the roots were a light brown, but still fleshy -- hoping that means they're still alive. While the soil beneath and immediately surrounding the root balls wasn't bone dry (thanks to my watering), I wouldn't call it moist -- this heat and lack of rain has taken a toll. I moistened all the roots and watered well all the soil within a foot of the root ball. As of this posting (6:17 CDT) and after another hot, sunny afternoon, both plants appear to be breathing sighs of relief (though, I did have them shaded with some sheer cloth). I think we're on the way, though.

Hopefully you won't have any further problems with those MW. My Dad for years has had a rhododendron that wilts at the slightest provocation. It wilts days/weeks before any of the others and I'm sure it has something to do with the original root ball when it was planted.

We are supposed to get one more day of rain and then the temps are supposed to go up to the low 70s with clear skies. (For us low 70s is a heat wave lol). No matter what the temps during the day, it always gets down to low 50s T night. But hopefully I'll see my plants take off!

Z