h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

You are right about pot plant watering. Although I don't have my own garden, just a communal garden, I did put some wall plant pots and ground tubs in for some Ivy a few years ago to brighten up the entrance to flats and they are drinking up the water now the sun is hotter. The entrance to flats is just about direct sunless so the Ivy is doing really well with just a trim if starts to climb up wall. Infact the Ivy is ideal as adds something to entrance but apart from watering and a bit of feed every now and then it looks after itself.
As you said though watering is important for plant pots as weather gets hotter so am giving mine a good soaking to start the summer off and will water reularly. I have a small watering can which I take out with water on way to work and carry it back up to flat when I come home which makes regular watering easier. If I had a milkman I would use milkbottles to water plant when putting them out, but sadly don't!

Hello SS ,

I have two plastic square planters with an ivy plant in each which I have been trying to get to grow up the fence to provide a bit of privacy. They have been in about two years now and refuse to grow up however much I tie the stems in . They are preferring to grow along the ground and where I don't want it to grow. I will keep battling with it, the roots have almost filled the container now and need more water during this warm weather.

It sounds like it is the best way to water your tubs to save you from carrying water back and forth all in one go. I find that pop bottles are useful if you have a container that needs watering .

All the best and thanks for reading.

Nigel

Have you tried putting them in hanging baskets near the top of the fence, let them trail as much as they want then arrange them along the top. this way you should get the desired result.

I just watered my ivy in pots again and stood back and thought how well they are doing! Not from my fantastic gardening skills, I have none, but from luck and Baby Bio feeding. Strictly speaking the ones in wall pots need bigger pots but since they are doing ok and bigger pots would be difficult to fit I will carry on with the pots I have. I know Baby Bio is really an indoor plant feed but it works and I have some already. The tubs on ground are large so ok.
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Ivy doesn't have the pretty flowers of course like many garden plants but the leaves are a nice shape and if bushy enough stand as a feature in thier own right. Some parts of my ivy are starting to grow up wall in the wall pots, most are growing downwards as simply hanging down.

Hi SS and Penske666 (Nice to meet you ),

Penske666, that sounds like a good idea, I never thought before about planting them in hanging baskets and let them trail . What I will do is take a few cuttings of the climbing ones, and use them in the hanging baskets, mainly because the ones I have at the moment are in large tubs and won't fit into a smaller container.

SS, Baby Bio has a balanced amount of nutrients ideal for your outdoor plants as well as in. I have not used it for years but when I did, I found it to be . Do you feed at every watering with Baby Bio or just every week?

As you say, ivy is mainly grown for its foliage which can be very pretty during the wintertime. I have found that the variegated type is usually much slower than the normal green type, which is the original to begin with.

When I was working for myself, doing bits of gardening, I was asked to take down a green ivy covering the back of somebody's outside toilet block. The tendrils held onto the wall so hard, when I pulled it down the brick mortar came away with it . A half day job turned into a full day, re-mortaring the customers wall. It is surprising what they can cling too, obviously depending on variety.

All the best.

Nigel

How often do I feed the ivy? Blimey, now your asking, I think once a week. I know if you feed weekly or every watering you are supposed to vary amounts. To be honest my amounts aren't very accurate, slapped wrist, howeever I use 10 drops to my small(ish) indoor watering can which seems to work ok. I suspect I give less Baby Bio than recomended but feel I would do less damage with a weaker mixture that giving ivy an overdose.