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Making It Grow! News Articles

June 26, 2005

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The summer soltice has come and gone and with it we say good by to the longest period between sunrise and sunset for the entire year. We should be thankful that this time of maximum sunlight occurs in June before summer temperatures hit their peaks in mid- July and August. Everyone should have a shade garden or a container garden to serve as a retreat on summer's hottest days.

Container gardening is a perfect way to draw attention to the most attractive parts of your home and garden. Plants placed in container get our attention because they are lifted up off the ground and are usually planted more closely together. The containers themselves are often beautiful or whimsical and further add to the overall appeal of this type of gardening.

But plants growing in containers face certain environmental conditions that create stresses not experienced by the same plants grown directly in the garden soil. Containers are often placed on paved surfaces where they become much hotter than the surrounding flower beds. The smaller amount of soil supporting the flowers and foliage plants dries out more quickly and requires more frequent watering. Many containers must be watered daily during summer's hottest days, especially when accompanied by those drying winds.

With all this extra water and heat, fertility in containers becomes more complex than a simple early spring application of a well- balanced fertilizer over a 100 foot flower bed. Most container gardeners have found that using slow-release fertilizers keeps their summer pots blooming and beautiful.

The most common slow-release fertilizers look like little beads and are actually coated with a polymer to slow down the release of the water-soluble nutrients they contain. A "fat" bead has a thicker coating on it and it will not release its contents until later in the season. A tiny bead, with only a single layer of that protective membrane, will quickly make its nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium available to the plant roots.

The rate of release depends on the thickness of the coating and on the soil temperature and amount of water the coated particle experiences. Usually, one application made when the container is planted in the spring will keep annual plants well fed for their blooming season. If the container is reused in the fall for winter- hardy annuals, another application of a coated fertilizer should be made at that time. By the next spring, the entire contents of the container should be added to your compost pile and fresh potting medium used in the container.

Since most of these fertilizers do not supply micro-nutrients, many gardeners like to add a small amount of well-rotted manure or commercially packaged compost to their potting mixture. Compost is an excellent source of the micro-nutrients that are required for the very best plant health. A manure tea can also serve as a source of these essential elements.