I am planning to use a copper container for marginals/water plants and have a fountain and oxygenator with perhaps some small fish. I would think I need to paint the inside of the container. If so what would you recommend? many thanks Peter Cousins
Copper makes a fabulous medium to work with, due to its rust resistance and the patina it develops. Avoid copper if you want to raise fish. Copper containers and copper fountain units leach copper into the water, which can reach levels toxic to fish.
We have bought eight window boxes from IKEA. They have no drainage system - good because they wont drip on or neighbour but possibly bad as they msy leave the roots in water. Do you have any articles or advice on irrigation for window boxes>
Yes, a window box can be irrigated by a drip system, though it is not advisable to have a container without drainage.
Rain water is the most likely issue. If rain water can't drain freely from the container, root rot can kill plants quite quickly.
Here are some links to help you.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/containers/growing-plants-in-plastic-pots.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/containers
Will the plants suffer from waterlogging?
It's possible that the plants will suffer from too much water. I don't water my potted plants as long as there is water in the saucer. It's a good indicator, but not enough. Check the soil for moisture content with your fingers digging down a little, or with a soil moisture meter.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-moisture-in-plants.htm
owth stops at second week. The leaves are getting holes also. I could see some small black colour flies coming out of soil diring watering. Guide me to resolve the issue. I have plants in my balcony. The leaves grow and the bottom leaves dry after becoming yellowish. Then the whole plant dies. The growth stops at second week. The leaves are getting holes also. I could see some small black colour flies coming out of soil diring watering. Guide me to resolve the issue.
From your description I suspect "fungus gnats".
Here is an excellent article with several suggestions for control. You can determine what methods suit your situation and what materials are available in your area.
https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/how-to-control-fungus-gnats-organically
How do I make out whether my plants have brown leaves due to over watering or under? Looks like symptoms of both are the same... Area Bangalore, India
The watering needed for plants depends on the type of plant, the soil and weather.
If you have more specifics we can try to help further.
I know about not using water with more than 50ppm. However, nothing is ever said about the chemicals that are in tap water. I'm currently using distilled water but entertaining the idea of using a ZERO WATER pitcher which claims to drop PPM to near zero. What about chemicals? Thanks for any information you can provide.
Those are designed to filter out almost all chemicals. This will be fine as long as your fertilizer contains micronutrients like chlorine (which plants use just a tiny bit) but only a small amount is needed. So as long as you fertilize with a good quality food, then this will be very beneficial for the plants.
Should the trench be the size of their canopy?
The type of water system is completely up to you and your local regulations. A simple drip line will suffice, and will cut the need for a trench as long as your planting spot has been has been prepared properly.
This collection of articles has just about everything you could need regarding irrigation, and I believe that you will find everything that you need here: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/watering