One of those “do as I say not as I do” topics is reusing potting soil. I can give you some really good reasons not to reuse potting soil. Fresh potting soil is usually a soilless mix that is weed-free, pest free, sterile and ready to go. This lessens problems with soil-borne diseases, pest larvae in the soil, weeds in the soil mix and time-consuming preparations. So, yes, fresh potting soil is the best choice for any container planting.
The reality is that I can’t say that I never reuse potting soil. It just seems so wasteful to dump that nice planting material into the garden. I do use fresh potting or seed-starting mix for any seeds, delicate transplants and any plant that I know is difficult to grow.
What about the rest? If I have had a fungal or soil-borne problem with a particular container, I dump the soil. If I have a window box or container that had a mass of annuals or vegetables that performed well last season, I’ll probably reuse the soil.
A second tenet of the “do as I say not as I do” topics is that when reusing soil, it should be sterilized. This usually involves heating the soil to destroy any organisms (spores, seeds, larvae, bacteria, and so on) that may have wintered over in the soil. I’ve heard of people using their ovens — really bad idea, or their grills — almost as bad, to heat the soil. It probably works, but the dirt and stench is simply not worth the effort, at least not to me.
So, is there a middle path? Yes. I empty the containers into a large bucket or pail, break up the clods and remove any obvious dead plants or large roots. If I’m really ambitious, I sieve the soil. This produces a fine mix ready for this season’s plants. I trade off sterile, weed-free soil for economy and convenience of reusing the old stuff.
This season I remembered a long-ago purchase, a compost sieve that has been sitting, unopened, in the shed. It is a cylindrical pan with a heavy wire bottom, legs that elevate it about a foot above the ground, and a crank that moves a rod through the soil. It made the work go a lot more quickly but is no longer available online. There are, however, plenty of manual soil/compost sieves or riddles for sale and free plans to build your own online, usually just a large set of screens.
I still buy fresh potting soil each season, usually a compressed bale or two of ProMix. We grow quite a lot of things in containers and always need fresh potting soil. We have plenty of deer, groundhogs and rabbits that are eager to dine on anything set in the ground.
Mother’s Day ideas
I’ve been asked for a few ideas for those with mothers who garden. I’ll start with a few things that aren’t really good gifts:
•Plants: Don’t assume that a particular plant, especially a large tree or shrub, is just what mom wants. Unless you know she’s been wishing and searching for a particular plant, give a gift certificate to her favorite nursery rather than a plant.
•Tools: Don’t go for those cute/fancy hand tool sets. If she really gardens, most of those tools will break during their first use. If you want to get tools, pick a replacement or upgrade for something she already has and uses, or something she has specifically asked for.
•Books: Don’t buy a book unless you know a specific author or topic that mom is interested in. Most of us have plenty of beautiful but not very useful coffee table books or weird topic volumes cluttering our homes. The same guidelines apply to subscriptions to magazines; they are wonderful if the recipient is interested in the topic but just wasted trees and more recycling if they aren’t.
•Statuary: Don’t buy some adorable lawn ornament if your mom doesn’t already have a few. Statuary is as personal as plants; they need to suit the site and the person. Unless you are really sure she can’t live without it, offer to go on a shopping trip to pick something out together rather than just showing up with another humorous frog or hilarious cutout.
So what makes a good gift? Something that you know she needs, wants and doesn’t already have.
•Hats: A gardener needs a good hat — or two. One wide brim hat, usually woven for working out in the bright sunlight and another, preferably cotton or other washable fabric, that gives you somewhere to spray the insect repellent.
•Gloves: While it certainly is possible to go without gloves, they do offer protection from a variety of irritants. Check for sizes, not all women have tiny hands so note if mom has large hands or long fingers and size up to assure a good fit. Lightweight washable gloves work well for light weeding and pruning or harvesting. Medical gloves are great for really messy work, mixing or using chemicals or fertilizers, or even under other gloves if your mom is someone who values a good manicure. Heavy work gloves for protection when doing heavy pruning, heavy labor such as raking or shoveling, clearing out gutters or other messy work.
•Shoes: Take her with you when purchasing any type of footwear. Closed toe shoes with good traction are a must. A thick rigid sole protects the foot from painful injuries or bruises to the arch when digging or working on a ladder. Boots for working in the muddy spring, the summer garden after a few days of rain, the cool wet fall and the icy slippery landscape of winter.
•Toiletries: Avoid any heavily scented lotions or sprays—they just make mom the target of constantly buzzing pests. Insect repellant, sunscreen, hand lotions, nailbrushes, and emery boards—all these make good filler gifts.
•Plants: Yes, they are listed in the not a good idea list, but there are exceptions. If mom really loves geraniums and fills the front containers every year—then buying a flat or two of her favorite annual and offering to spend an afternoon working with her in the garden can be a great idea. If she collects African violets and you see an unusual plant that you know she doesn’t have, go for it.
My idea of a favorite gift for a mother who gardens would be to take her for a nice breakfast or lunch at a favorite spot. Then, on to a leisurely visit to a favorite nursery (with a gift certificate or monetary gift). Followed by an afternoon in the garden sharing her love for the garden.
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