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In today's video we will see how to prepare
pots or containers for planting This forms one of the basic guidelines which
will help you set up your containers or pots to make sure you're growing in the optimum
conditions And we will go over a few myths and we will
try to debunk them as well So let's get started
Most Whiskey Barrel containers do not come with holes drilled in them
So what you have to do is use a drill with a half inch or 1 inch drill bit
And drill some holes just like that Make sure you drill enough holes
And make sure you drill holes which are at fairly equal distance from each other
That would make sure the water drains out from all the areas of the container
And most containers should have holes pre-drilled in them
As you can see here in this plastic Terracotta pot
Now we need to wash the pots thoroughly especially if you are using it from the previous season
Now some people recommend bleach or something to kill the bacteria
However I think you don't need to do that because using chemicals will not only kill
the harmful bacteria but also the beneficial bacteria
So just make sure you set your hose on the "Jet Spray" mode
And then just spray away your container making sure everything is clean
Using some kind of elevation for your containers makes drainage not only easier but it also
keeps the bottom part of your container clean and free from insects
So in the past it was recommended that you use stones or pebbles to improve drainage
However that's a myth - it does not improve drainage at all
What you can do to improve drainage is to use a high quality potting mix that will not
only improve drainage But also give you about an inch or two of
extra growing space So there's absolutely no reason to add stones
or rocks at the bottom And also remember that potting mixes and potting
soils contain a lot of porous medium like perlite or vermiculite which improve drainage
automatically So you do not need stones or pebbles or rocks
below your container All they do is just waste space in your container
Just use high quality potting mix or potting soils and you're good to go!
So once you add the potting mix or potting soil, just make sure you water well
And keep watering it at least a few times and make sure it drains well and drains completely
Now what's watering going to do is that its going to remove all the air pockets in your
container And make sure that you have the right amount
of potting soil or potting mix in your container So if you see the soil level going down, I
recommend adding a little bit more soil And then watering it again
Containers dry out must faster than the soil in the ground
So you need to make sure you add a nice drip irrigation system
which makes sure your container has a constant level of moisture
And also remember that wider the container you use, the more drip emitters you need in
your container So you could either use a soaker hose which
covers the entire circumference Or just use multiple emitters as you can see
here So that's all you need to know to start a
great container garden And I hope you enjoyed this video
And I will see you again soon in another episode of California Gardening
Until then Happy Gardening!
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