Potted plant

Question

Hello friends. I have not been out here for sometime, but I have a question. This is my meter box. I planted a butterfly garden around it but on top I placed a potted plant. Everything I plant on top of this box seem to die. Can anyone tell me why?

Wanda sinnema · Answer

my guess would be everything does not get enough water,,,when it does it sits in it..... is there drainage in the pots.... Most plants don't like SOGGY FEET'

Chris Clasohm · Answer

Hello Stephanie, I'm sure Wanda is correct. I live in Australia, but the situation will be the same. All plants that are to be potted, need the correct potting soil suitable for them. I'm sure your nearest garden centre will help you select the right type. Secondly always choose a good quality pot. Something in terracotta, cement, preferably glazed on the outside will help to keep the plants roots cool. I like to seal the inside with a pot seal paint
. This stops the moisture escaping. Also place some rocks in the bottom to help with draining. Perhaps mulch on top if the weather is hot and water and fertilize according to the needs of the plant you choose. Good luck and Happy Gardening! XX

Mary Himmer · Answer

@Stephanie, another possibility is that it could be from the electro magnetic fields from the meter box. If the water suggestions don't work, that could be why. I don't know a solution though other than maybe to move the potted plant to a different location, not what you wanted to hear.

Kristen · Answer

Since everything on the planet is vibrating (although we can't see it) the electricity may be disrupting the vibrations of your plants. In that case it would not matter how you fed or watered it. Sorry if this comes across as silly. It isn't meant to be. So, it is best to move the plant as well as yourself away from the box.

Debra Grieve · Answer

I must agree with Kristen and Mary on this one. You could try a 3/4' or thicker, wood shelf (painted green to blend in), to set the pot on. It may be enough of a 'shield' to keep any plants from dying. Worth a shot.....

Elizabeth Poteat · Answer

Could you run into a problem watering the plant on top of the box ? Water and electricity don't mix together very well. I also agree with Mary and Kristen about the electro magnetic field. Maybe instead of putting something on top, plant a vine and let it run up to the box but you will have to trim it back from time to time.

Cornelia Schott · Answer

We had the same issue when we planted around a meter box. We experimented with many hardy perennial plants. Mary Himmer (above) mentioned what we realized. If you are good about watering then the box is the issue. We were able to grow a butterfly bush and hostas. I can't tell from the picture, but if the planter is sitting on top of a meter or electric box, I would remove your pretty planter for safety reasons. Good Luck.

Marty Coffield · Answer

Probably the heat from the metal of the box transfers into the pot drying out the roots. Can you create some light weight centerpiece that you can set in there?

Kathryn Zomer · Answer

I'm thinking the sun reflects quite a bit off the siding and the box, producing a warmer-than-you-want condition.

Darlene Littleton · Answer

How about just setting a really cool birdhouse on the box instead of a potted plant? That would be a fun focal point behind your plants.

Leona G · Answer

I think the electro magnetic field around the box is the problem do why not get a pretty statue and place in the middle of the flower bed. Solves a couple of problems, no need to water and the plants won't die. Just make sure it is light weight enough that if the electric company needs to get into the box they can move it. My electric company doesn't like for me to plant to close to the box because of maintenance issues.

Lulujack · Answer

In what type of soil are you using? I find that anything grows in MIRICLE GROW. What sort of plants are you putting there. I'd try a dwarf butterfly bush.

Gail · Answer

Am I the only one confused? You are talking about sitting a plant on top of the meter box that is on the house? I don't see a garden around the meter that is on the house or are you talking about the round flower bed in the foreground.

Deb · Answer

no I'm confused too

Dottie Unruh · Answer

It appears you're talking about your water meter pit since your electrical is on the side of your house; thus, you can rule out the electro-magnetic field theory. Have you checked for insects? My guess is not enough water.

Rusty Avery · Answer

Remove the plant from the top of the meter and put in a large bird cage or bird house or some type of large garden art. I think with the others above that water and electric don't mix and all of the other things mentioned. may be your problem.. Don't waist money on plants that will die.

Khonstanze · Answer

You could always 'cheat' and use artificial plants in the pots above the meter. Surround with living plants and no one will ever know! (except you and I!)

Theresa Hamilton · Answer

I like the birdhouse,could be a lighthouse or what about one of those shiny big ball in the pot?

Duv310660 · Answer

Why not do a controlled study? Put a plant on the box and another pot of the same species on the ground, away from the meter. If the pot on the meter dies, then the source of your trouble is the meter. If they both die, then something environmental (water, pests etc.) is at play. If neither die, you've solved your problem! And BTW, since we are all made up of atoms that vibrate, the theory of relativity tells us that we will not be able to detect that vibration. People, please! You are going to send us all back into the dark ages if you refuse to build on the last few centuries worth of discovery and understanding!

Frankie Laney · Answer

I would just paint a design or stencil a design on the box. Now water, nor worries.

Songhope · Answer

I'm going to try to veer toward a more scientific answer. The planter in your picture (if I'm not mistaken) has no drainage holes, correct, and is plastic? If there is no liner with holes & you live in a long, warm (hot?) climate, small plastic pots aren't very good permanent homes for plants. Plants in small pots need a LOT more watering than plants in the ground. AND soil that retains the water for a while! So, either it's not getting enough water, OR, it's getting too much!! The combination of no drainage and plastic, can mean, the rate of evaporation can't keep up with the amount of water going in. Some plants don't like their roots in soggy, wet soil. But the opposite condition might be true, also!! If the soils is exceptionally porous (like some potting mixes) and doesn't hold water in it for long, it can be drying out fast and not getting ENOUGH water. I don't use plastic because I can never seem to get that control I need for plants to be stable. We can't know, since we cant' be there to examine it, but I've encountered both situations.

The Garden Frog with C Renee · Answer

Are you talking about the flower bed in the picture? This looks like your water meter which is not supposed to be blocked nor altered in any way. You need to leave clear access to the meter box and make sure that nothing is in the way. I would not plant any kind of shrub or tree especially since this is a water meter and any damage to it may be your responsibility. The reason the potted plants die may be, as many have suggested, the drainage and/or the soil in the pot. If you want something for all year interest, think about a small shrub in the pot or find a larger pot and put in an arborvitae or boxwood for green all year. I have shrubs in pots all year and after 3 years I put them in the ground and start over. I would leave a 'path' to the meter and the rest of the plants seem happy. good luck

Kathy T. · Answer

I agree with the water and soil. I can't get a close enough look but do you know if it is Portulaca also known as moss roae. If the stems have a wax or water look to them, it's probably Portulaca. Any plant indoor and out, if you snap a stem and it looks like thickened water these plants are retaining it so they don't need as much.
Especially indoor like Jade or Aloe Vera. Another tip is water preferably in the morning or in evening. Water the soil, not the plants. If you have a wand water nozzle.that saves the back.

Stephanie · Answer

ok hometalkers, the meter in on the ground and its electical box that says meter....Its not a water meter...I have been here 5 years no one has open the box...The pot is not heavy that u can not moved it....its not blocked either....I do have a good idea on what to do...Thank u everyone for your ideas......

Bernice Cannon · Answer

Hi. you can buy inexpensive bushes for marked down prices at Walmart and sometimes, they'll have more than 1 stem/stalk per pot and plant it in several places surrounding the meter but allowing room for the bushes to grown and not crowd the meter. The garden looks like the plants are too close to each other much less too close to the meter or any device that you are trying to hide. Just an fyi. Thanks

Barb chomet · Answer

All I can say, is use grasses in a pot, problem gone away....I have @ 6 pots outside & I don't water,  all I do is look@ them.... I planted  grass in one, u know what I mean, they grow, blow with the breeze, no problems..... & it gets hot here, and cold here,  they die off in winter, come right back next spring....

Dcr604674 · Answer

Are you using a well draining potting soil for the container..that is a must! If you are using anything but potting soil, that might be the problem. Good luck!

Swe318696 · Answer

The meter box has a current going to it. It may cause the roots to die, but make sure it's watered properly.

Songhope · Answer

The electricity, ...the 'current' is insulated and will not cause this problem. If it did, it would be UN-insulated and you'd get a shock every time you touched a plant! What everyone may be eluding to with this discussion is the EMF (electromagnetic field) that can SOMETIMES be present around the meter. If that were true, though, the OTHER lovely plants would be dead too, since the recommendation approx. 1 yard of distance. I think it has more to do with the small pot, the loose soil and the lack of water or too much water (as a posed, earlier). I would find a drought-tolerant plant or more dense soil and a larger pot with a mixture of potting soil and heavier soil. Keeping an eye on how long it takes to dry out, whether the plant she chose is really getting it's required water and light...or too much of one or the other. Potted plants are more finicky, especially in small ones and in hot, full sun.

Songhope · Answer

Don't sleep in a bed against a wall that is the same wall that the elec. meter is mounted on. Observe the 1-2 yard distance rule to avoid potential long and (rarely) short term repercussions of EMF's from your elec. meter. Oh, and if you spend hours with your cel phone against your ear, where you sleep won't matter. Your getting more EMF radiation from that. :)

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