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Brought to you in cooperation with the Kansas State Johnson County Research and Extension Master Gardeners. Each week we feature the most popular questions received on their "Hotline". |
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Week of 3/15/04 During the EMG Hotline’s first week of the current season beginning on March first, our volunteers responded to 120 contacts from telephone callers and visitors. Retrospectively, it’s almost possible to plot the temperature and weather conditions by the volume of contacts on any one day. It is obvious that gardeners are anxious to get out and get at it. Our inquiries this week again involved cold season vegetable crops (see last week’s article) and eliminating unwanted fruit. It seems homeowners are really annoyed by Sweetgum fruit. There were also some interesting questions about repotting house plants. This is also addressed by some K-State Extension publications and the Horticulture Newsletter. Information on these publications is also available by contacting our Hotline volunteers at (913) 764-6306. Any container grown plant depends on renewed supplies of nutrients and, in most cases, increasing room for root growth and development. The exceptions are slow growing plants that seem to enjoy being root bound. Experience is the best guide, for only careful removal of the plant from its existing pot will show you for sure if the roots are really crowded. An annual repotting takes care of the needs of the great majority of house plants. This serves to provide room for plant growth and renews the plant’s nutrient sources, particularly if enriched potting soil is used. The advantage of using a good commercial brand of potting soil rather than using soil taken from your lawn or garden is that packaged potting soil should be free of detrimental soil-borne substances and diseases, and may contain material that improves the moisture retaining quality of the soil. Depending on the potting soil selected, it may or may not include added nutrients or even chemicals to control fungi or pests. Be sure to read the label carefully. Many systemics are NOT to be used on edible fruits or vegetable producing plants such as container-grown tomatoes, peppers, etc... Repotting requires care in selection of an appropriate sized container. Usually, the “next size up” or a pot no bigger than one to two inches larger in diameter is sufficient. Cover the holes in the bottom of the pot with pot shards or gravel Then add the new soil mix to the bottom of the pot to ensure that the plants rests at the same level as before. Tamp the soil down carefully and add soil around the sides of the root ball, again tamping it down to be sure it fills in firmly on all sides. After planting, add water with care to avoid excessive accumulation of water that may lead to root rot. Callers sometimes ask if the material of the pot is important. Some prefer clay pots because of their appearance, but they do tend to lose moisture more rapidly than plastic pots. Beyond that, the choice is largely a matter of personal preference.
Articles submitted by Bill Latimer, Johnson County Extension
Horticulture Assistant and Dennis Patton, Johnson County Extension Horticulture Agent.
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