Specialty Gardening: New to vegetable container gardening, question about soil., 1 by tapla

tapla wrote:
First, as long as the drain hole isn't blocked, there is no advantage to multiple holes in a container bottom. The difference in time it takes for a container to drain with 1 vs 10 holes is small, and of no significance. All containers should have their drainage holes at the bottom of a container, not on the sides.

The bark is out there. It is usually from southern yellow pine & in your area likely processed by Southland Corp. It's worth looking for. It often is sold as "soil conditioner". Look for the partially composted stuff or if unavailable, buy the small bark (about 3/8 ") and use it as is, or compost it for 6-9 months before using. It is much superior to any peat-based soil and will retain its structure far longer. The bark is rich in a lipid called suberin. It helps prevent micro-organisms from cleaving hydrocarbon chains & breaking down the pieces.

The picture I provided shows the composted stuff at the top. The stuff on the left is the next best choice, but will work better if composted awhile before using.

Al