In and Around the Garden

The bridge between winter and spring

March is a maddening interval for gardeners. Oftentimes, the soil is still too wet or cold to work. Gardeners go stir crazy itching to dig into the soil, amend beds, and plant until his or her body aches from bending over. Flipping through garden catalogs and magazines only worsens the desire to get close to nature. My solution is to repot, replace potting mix, or create new plantings in unused or new containers.

Conditions for repotting:

Start by checking the existing potted plants around your landscape to see if the plants are root bound or if the mix has hardened, a sure sign it no longer allows good oxygen circulation needed for healthy roots. There are three ways to check the condition of the soil in potted plants:  1) look for roots reaching outside the drainage hole; 2) if the soil is moist, gently lift the plant out of the pot. If there are more roots than soil, it’s time to repot; 3) stick a hand trowel into the soil six inches deep to see if the soil is compacted or fluffy.

Type of outdoor potting mix

These days, most gardeners can’t afford the ‘best’ potting mix but if possible avoid purchasing the ‘cheapest’. Choose an all-purpose blend of organic matter like peat moss, garden loam, or manure, and perlite. Together these will provide proper drainage and oxygen flow to the roots.

Now comes the fun part

Before heading to your local nursery, note the size pot required of each plant being repotted and how much potting mix you’ll need for this task or if you’re simply replacing the old mix. If you’re starting from scratch select plants with same light and water requirements. When freezing temperatures is a danger, protect frost sensitive plants.

Planting up a pot or two will help diminish the stir-crazy itch of waiting to cross the bridge from winter and spring.