Ok...now what?

[corrie]

Hello everyone!
I am new to this forum and hope to become a successful gardener like all of you!
I love to cook, and buying fresh herbs and veggies at local farmers markets was finally getting to me so...
I planted yellow crookneck squash, rosemary, sweet basil, jalepenos, serrano chillies, better boy tomatoes, chives and cilantro. Mixed half veggie planting soil and half compost in large pots. I have not fertilized yet because I just planted 2 weeks ago. By the way I have a black thumb and I only got this far because my boyfriend grows rare palms like it's nothing!

First question already!- I watered every 3 days in the morning and not on the leaves. The soil started to seem too wet, so I stopped watering to let it dry a little. The soil seems to be compact and there's a space between the soil mass and the pot. Now what? Do I water less often like I'm doing, break up the soil a little or did I mess up with my soil to begin with? The plants all seem to be liking it and the tomato plant is growing a lot!

Any help would be much appreciated!

[malcolmx]

you need to keep soil in tubs moist if you are experienced shrinkage then stand tubs iin water until soil absorbs enough . also nutriment will now have run out so add a slow release fertilizers and water tomatoes with a potash feed each time you water

[TPeers]

Have you got the pots standing in trays or straight onto the ground? It really is amazing how much watering a pot will need.

There are a couple of easy rules of thumb you can apply to check if you need to water - If the pots are terracotta or stone tap the side of the pot - if you get a dull thud the compost is wet, if the pot rings the compost is dry and needs watering.

The second 'rule' works for any pot - shove a finger into the compost, if it is dry water, if it is wet - don't!

Enjoy your first crops - bet you will want to grow more!

Terry

[corrie]

Thanks for the input! I was worried I was watering too much because it drained out into the trays everytime I watered. I just put an organic slow release fertilizer on them this morning so wish me luck!