ph: 361-935-1556
nancyk
December 08, 2017
By Beth Ellis - Victoria County Master Gardener
Edited by Charla Borchers Leon
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY PINTEREST.COM
Succulents thrive in a strawberry pot with their shallow roots and minimum watering requirements. They should be planted in a potting mix specifically for succulents and cacti and have adequate ability to drain. Good options include a mix of succulent plants, or one type can be used. Different kinds of sedum, echeveria, hens and chicks and other succulents are combined with very small blooming annuals and perennials to make this striking strawberry pot container.
PHOTOS BY BETH ELLIS/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
Strawberry pots are designed with a large opening on top and cup-size pockets on the sides for clean fruit and even ripening from sun rotation. With strawberry plants and other plantings, a center PVC watering pipe system can be constructed to help insure even watering in both top and bottom of the pot. Supplies to create this container are shown here and include a pot with cup-size pockets, a PVC pipe (with end cap) 2 inches shorter than the pot, a permanent ink pen to mark holes and a drill to make the holes that will adequately water the plants.
When the PVC pipe is drilled, position it in the center of the pot above a layer of 2 inches of soil to prevent the pipe from clogging the drainage hole of the pot. Make sure the concentration of drilled holes is at the level of the plant pockets so that plant roots can be adequately watered. Insert plants from within the pot and from bottom to top in the pocket holes and add soil accordingly. Be sure to keep the PVC pipe above the soil line and open for water. Add similar plants or try a larger focal plant with similar growing needs in the top hole.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY GARDENMATTER.COM
A mini-herb garden can be created in a strawberry pot by planting herbs of various leaf structure, shapes and textures that all have similar soil, watering and light requirements. Try herbs like basil, marjoram, rosemary and thyme shown here. Consider planting others like sage, parsley and mint and place the one that grows the largest, like rosemary, at the top.
A beautifully planted strawberry pot with its cup-shaped pockets filled with healthy plants is a visual delight. In fact, one can make a decorative addition to your landscape - and provide an equally pleasing gift to someone this holiday season.
Multipocket standing or hanging pot
Consider a container pot (usually out of clay) planted with seasonal plants, herbs, succulents or a combination of them. There are even some made of lighter weight materials that can hang from structures or tree limbs.
Moisture can vary top to bottom
All too often, however, the plants at the bottom of these pots eventually start to look starved for water. If you've ever cleaned one of these pots out in an attempt to diagnose the problem, you've likely noticed that the soil toward the top is moist, but the soil at the bottom is inevitably bone dry.
PVC to the rescue
I recently discovered a hack that remedies that problem. All you need is a piece of PVC pipe, an end cap, and a trusty drill.
To try this hack, cut a one-inch diameter piece of PVC that is the height of the pot minus about 2 inches, and add an end cap to one end (no gluing necessary). If your pot is particularly wide, you might consider using a pipe with a wider diameter.
Don't forget to add the end cap because it will keep the water from immediately running out of the bottom of the pipe and right out the drainage hole every time the pot is watered.
Put 2 inches of soil in the bottom of the pot, temporarily insert the pipe with the cap already attached and use a sharpie to mark dots along the length of the pipe that align with the planting pockets.
Take the pipe out and drill holes where the dots are located. Then add additional holes in those areas as well as a lesser number in areas not aligned with the pockets, so that the roots of your plants can spread out and still find water.
Note that the 2 inches of soil between the end cap and the bottom of the pot are necessary to prevent the pipe from blocking the drainage hole - after all, a poorly draining pot is just as bad as one that stays bone dry as far as your plants are concerned.
Once the holes are drilled, position the pipe in the center of the pot so that the greatest concentration of holes line up with the pockets, add soil to the level of the lowest pockets, and then carefully insert the bottom tier of plants. Continue filling and adding plants until done, taking care to keep the pipe centered in the pot and soil out of the pipe itself.
When adding the last of the soil, make sure the top of the pipe extends above the soil line so it's easy to find when watering, and to keep soil from washing into the pipe when watering. If you don't like looking at the exposed top of the pipe, just cover it with a decorative rock, a broken piece of pot, or something similar. Eventually, the plants will fill out and hide it.
Once planted, monitor the plants to determine your watering routine. If plants look like they are getting too much water, or you've planted succulents or other types of plants that prefer less water, fill the pipe with gravel or small stones to slow down water release, and reduce how often you water.
Other planting considerations
Match soil type to the plants you've used. To plant strawberries, annual or perennial flowering plants, herbs, or small ferns or foliage plants, use a good potting mix and add a slow release fertilizer.
If planting succulents or other low water plants, use a cactus mix, and add gravel or small stones to the PVC pipe.
Long-term success
Once your strawberry pot has been planted, locate it in a place that meets the lighting requirements of the plants you've used. Monitor the plants to get an idea of how often to water, and set up your watering routine accordingly. By using a PVC pipe to facilitate watering, you'll find that all of the plants in your strawberry pot will flourish and look their best.
Living garden gift
Many people are appreciative of something living like a garden gift - especially when made by someone who cared to take the time to construct it.
For something different this year, try a strawberry pot with plantings of seasonal plants, herbs or succulents - a living garden gift that can be made or designed by you.
The Gardeners' Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension - Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com.
http://blog.gardenloversclub.com/container-gardening/strawberry-planter/
http://www.livecreativelyinspired.com/planting-succulents-strawberry-pot/
http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/12470/growing-herbs-in-a-strawberry-pot
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-plant-a-strawberry-pot-4070276
http://www.mcmga.com/35/26/easy-diy-watering-system-strawberry-pots/
NOW
• Plant mixture of violas in cup pockets.
• Add larger pansies in top.
• Place various leaf lettuces in cup pockets.
• Add ornamental cabbage, kale or Swiss chard in top.
• Rotate white alyssum, blue lobelia in cup pockets.
Add dwarf red snapdragon or cyclamen in top.
SEASONAL
• Plant dwarf variety of overflowing/trailing bloomers in cup pockets.
• Add vertical blooming focal plant in top.
• Plant small ferns or green foliage in cup pockets.
• Add mixed-shade bloomer, dusty Miller or colored foliage in top.
• Plant varieties of succulents in cup pockets.
• Add drought-tolerant plant(s) in top.
• Choose plants with shallow, spider web-like, fibrous root systems for cup pockets.
• Select plants with similar soil, light and moisture needs.
• Plant cup pocket plants from inside out to prevent damaging roots.
• Choose annuals or perennials with small blooms for pocket color.
• Various herbs will grow well in this mini-constructed herb garden.
A mixture of succulents does well in this pot for all seasons.
• A larger, focal plant can be placed in the top of the pot.
ph: 361-935-1556
nancyk