Container gardens can dry out quickly in hot temperatures and may require daily or even twice-daily watering. MICHAEL WYKE / Tulsa World file
Q: Watering my containers can seem like a full-time job - am I doing something wrong? M.F., Tulsa
A:
There is no denying that Mother Nature has been on our side this summer, but containers especially can be a tricky business when it comes to watering. With limited access to spread their roots and the intense heat and wind we experience in Oklahoma, potted plants can dry out quickly. Daily and even twice-daily watering is not unusual.
There are some common-sense solutions to make your life simpler. Start with a good potting mix, one that offers good drainage but still retains moisture. Focus on plants that are drought- and heat-tolerant. All you need now is adequate light and a convenient water source.
To determine when it's time to water, you will need to get your hands a little dirty. Stick your finger into the soil about 2 inches deep. If it's dry near the tip of your finger, it is time to water. It's important that you give enough water that it runs from the bottom of the pot - but always discard the runoff in the saucer.
If all this seems like too much guesswork, you can always rig up a simple drip-irrigation system or self-watering container.
If you have a medium to large container, try this easy drip system. Take a soda bottle and make one or two small holes in the bottom. When the bottle is placed beside the plant, the holes allow a constant but limited amount of moisture to slowly drip into the soil.
A self-watering or wicking system uses a reservoir of water and allows the plant to soak up water as opposed to being watered from the top. There are a variety of wicking containers at garden centers, but you can find relatively simple instructions online. Watering this way allows your plants to get water whenever they need it, and it can provide a great way to take a vacation from your watering chores.
If you have a garden-related question you would like the Master Gardeners to answer in a column, call 918-746-3701.
Gardening tips
Tall fescue should be mowed at 3 inches during the hot summer and up to 3 1/2 inches if it grows under heavier shade. Don't fertilize fescue lawns until it cools in September, then fertilize again in November.
For areas being converted to tall fescue this fall, begin spraying Bermuda grass with a product containing glyphosate in August. Bermuda will take at least two sprayings at one-to-two-week intervals to be eliminated.
Grassy winter weeds like Poa annua, better known as annual bluegrass, as well as the purple spring-blooming weed henbit can be prevented with a pre-emergent herbicide application in late August. To be effective, the product must be watered in after application. Contact Master Gardeners for specific recommendations.
Original Print Headline: Container gardens tricky to tend
Home & Garden
All Helenium species are native to North America and were introduced to Europe in 1729 and, by the 1940s, many cultivars were available from German and English breeders.
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