THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 10, 1996 TAG: 9603090081
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBERT STIFFLER, GARDENING COLUMNIST
LENGTH: Short : 34 lines
BEFORE THE GROWING season starts, take all the containers you used last year and clean them out with a stiff brush. Then wash them in bleach water to eliminate any diseases.
Dump the soil from the pots onto your garden and let it become more productive there. It's smart to replace the soil in containers every year, although not all gardeners do that, including me.
Replacing the soil not only eliminates the possibility of disease but gets rid of other organisms that often find their way into old, over-used soil.
You can make your own potting soil from compost, peat moss and vermiculite or Perlite. Everyone has their own preferences, but one-third of each is a good starting point. It's often easier to buy a few bags of good, lightweight potting soil at a garden center.
Although porous clay containers have traditionally been the most recommended and preferred, they break easily. Many new containers made from high-grade plastics look so much like clay pots, you have to touch them to know the difference. Plastic containers will outlast clay pots, and there's little proof that clay makes a better growing container.
The important thing is to get your containers ready now before you need them.
KEYWORDS: WEEDER'S DIGEST by CNB