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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Pot Gardening Tips from the Pros

Apr 29, 2022 09:30AM ● By Maya Whitman
Plant growing in pot

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From Melinda Myers, author of Small Space Gardening:

Mulch the containers. Covering the soil with an organic mulch like evergreen needles and shredded leaves helps conserve moisture and suppress weeds until the plants cover the soil surface.

Use a slow-release, eco-friendly fertilizer. Incorporate it into pots at planting and if needed, make a second application mid-season. It’s a lot easier than applying a fast-release product every week or two.

Incorporate organic wool pellets into the potting mix to reduce watering up to 25 percent and add air space, nutrients and organic matter to the soil.

Tips on Types of Pots:

Terra cotta pots are heavy and tend to dry out faster. 

Glazed ceramic pots hold water for long periods and are available in a variety of shapes and colors. Both should be moved indoors for the winter. 

Plastic pots come in a variety of colors, are lightweight and can often be left outdoors. 

Fiberglass is lightweight, pricey and designed to be left outdoors year-round. 

Metal is usually not a problem for northern gardeners and are quite trendy. 

More information on galvanized steel safety.


From Lisa Hilgenberg, Chicago Botanic Garden horticulturist:

Climbing plants: Growing plants vertically is a great way to save space and add an architectural aesthetic to a container kitchen garden. Select a trellis to accommodate the type of climber. Peas and beans climb using tendrils that grow best around a thin fishing line netting; they won’t stay secure to an iron trellis. Some vining plants need help climbing, so they will need to be tied onto bamboo poles. 

Melons: The minimum diameter container is 12 inches for watermelon, provided it’s a smaller stature, bush-type cultivar. Generally, watermelons produce two melons per plant if they are provided with highly fertile, well-drained soils. Muskmelons can be trellised in pots. Apply organic fertilizer three times during the melon plant’s growth: when the vines begin to run, when the first
flowers appear and after the first harvest.


From author Mark Ridsdill Smith

Seasonal favorites: 

Spring: new potatoes, kale, mangetout snow peas (edible pods)

Summer: tomatoes, chilies, climbing French beans, Japanese wineberry

Fall: arugula, kale, chard, apples


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Easy Container Gardening: How to Grow Edibles in Pots and Planters

Growing vegetables, flowers and herbs in pots can be cost-effective, inspiring and tailored for any urban balcony or country patio. Read More » 

 

Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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