A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Gardener's Chat 2 questions

1. We bought 2 iron window planters with that moss type stuff in them. They've been outside ready to hang but it's been raining for 2 days and now I notice that the moss isn't connected on the sides anymore. How do I fix that? Come to think of it how will I fix it every time I replant the containers? Maybe I shoudn't hang these kind.

2. Is the ivy that grow like a weed in my yard going to kill the big oak trees it's growing up. I've tried without success to keep it off these trees but since it's been raining so much lately it has really taken off. On one of them it's all the way to the top.

I think that's more than 2 ?'s. Lo siento. Je suis de sole. Ich bin traurig. I'm sorry.

i don't know about anything but the ivy, and the key is to keep it from girding the tree. if you cut it off at the base of the tree periodically, by the time it could kill the tree, you will be long gone. at least that is how the local college handles it. every few weeks, they go cut about a 3-6 in wide strip of ivy off the tree at about waist high all the way around. what's up will die without it's water (roots) source. that's how some here are trying to managed kudzu without chemicals too.

That's sort of what I've been doing so I guess I'll keep it up. I cut it and spray it with roundup. Ivy is relentless.

Thank you.

you are more than welcome. it is relentless and while lots of folks want it to grow on their houses for the effect, they don't realize the damage the air roots do to the mortar in their brickwork.

a trick to accomplish the look while preserving the integrity of the home was to use eye bolts and create a grid of 100 lb test fishing line about 4 inches off the wall. train the ivy up the grid and it will give the illusion without damaging the house.

Do you mean Sphagnum Moss lining? I think what happens is that it soaks up water and get plump, then dries out and shrinks. I think if you plant it, it should be fine. I remember hearing that you should soak the moss then plant, the moss I think is supposed to help retain some moisture

It's moss and not a cocoa liner right? If it were the cocoa liners you can buy replacement ones at Walmart, they don't hold up too well from year to year and generally need replaced......If it were Sphagnum Moss lining I think I'd swap it out for a Cocoa liner eventually anyway.

Oh and one good tip I got out of one of my gardening books----stick some used tea bags in the bottom of your container planters---they help hold onto and absorb moisture so your plants don't dry out as fast.

Speaking of teabags, it may also be helpful for some water retaining gel or beads so you can water less. The beads swell up to 5x their size and turn into jelly like blobs when fully wet but are either powder or like sand when dry

this isn't the planter, mine is rectangular and bigger but this is the type of liner. Which is it?

coconut fiber aka coir. what loz was talking about.

Sheri, I know that my walmart has lots of different sizes of replacement liners for planters like that....you should check it out sometime.

Those liners last me one season, then by the end of the year they are looking pretty darn awful.

thank you very much.

this is my planter. Didn't get it up today because it started raining.

Beautiful planter.

I love the leaf design, what are you going to put in it?

I've got 2 and I'm going to hang them outside the kitchen windows.

Looks very nice Sheri - I'm with Kenny - what will you plant in them???