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GrumlethegoatGrumlethegoat Posts: 2
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Hello,  I have put some trellis up and bought two beautiful honeysuckles and have pooted them with a john innes compost. I water them everyday at the moment but I was wondering if I should add some soil as the compost keeps drying out?

Is it ok to plant things in pots with just compost?

 

Thank you

Posts

  • lazy gardenerlazy gardener Posts: 317

    JI compost is a soil-based compost- you do not need to add anything to it

    If it is dryng out -perhaps the pots are not big enough-how big are they?

    Anything can be grown in pots but it is up to you to feed and water.

    Is there a reason you did not plant into the soil?image

     

  • Alan4711Alan4711 Posts: 1,657
    Hi Grum this year iv taken lots off honey suckle cuttings, some now in good size pots and one in the garden in almost full shade trained on a fan ,in just a few months the fan is now around 6/8 foot tall and 8 or 9 feet wide its romping away,also the ones in pots are all in great shape,i also put them in J,Innes compost and 50/50 of my own garden compost,but all the plants have been fed on Nettle Tea from the start as i wanted good growth on roots,stems and leaf in the first year to get them big and strong and going onto Comfey tea next year to add more Phosphate to the plants for the flowers, however the have all given a really good show of flowers already and are all a really deep healthy green,next year i will top them all with good compost and feed on comfrey Tea

    Good luck Alan4711 PS i cant upload pics on this site sorry
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,295

    When the pots get really full of roots it's hard for the plant to take up enough water to see it through a day. 



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • addictaddict Posts: 659

    Are you sure its drying out? The top can look dry and even crack a little but stick your finger in and it maybe moist underneath.image

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 85,995

    Are you sure it's a John Innes compost?  

    Some soil-less composts are advertised as being 'with added John Innes' which means that they've added JI fertiliser.  

    Westland do one, as do J Arthur Bowers which I much prefer to the Westland which I've had very poor results with.   

    However, neither of these are soil-based composts and will dry out very quickly.


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • GrumlethegoatGrumlethegoat Posts: 2

    Hi, Thank you for all you replies.

    I have made a section in the garden that is pure sand (approx 18") underneath where there used to be slabs. We've kept it raised but I'm trying to make a cottage style garden and have put a couple of trellises up so I had to pot the plants.

    It is John Innes 'multi purpose' compost.

    I now know that I need to look at soil based composts.

    The compost had dried out but I am watering it daily and feeding it miracle grow.

    I've tried to upload a photo but it won't let me:O(

    Many thanks again

     

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