Watering plants doesn’t have to be a nuisance

My Houseplants

are enjoying their summer vacation. They are outdoors, their leaves cleansed by summer showers or otherwise joyously basking in sunlight unobstructed by window panes. Luxuriant growth is fostered by weekly feedings of fertilizer, and a daily drenching of roots with water.

The last-named luxury afforded these plants — their daily dose of water — can overburden even the most dedicated plant lover. The problem is that natural rainfall can’t supply all the water needed in the limited root run of a pot. Having to hand water potted plants through the summer once tethered me to my home as much as a milch cow would have.

Watering potted plants need not be drudgery (and is no longer for me), because the whole process is easily and inexpensively automated. Kits are available, or individual components can be purchased, for systems that direct water from a hose spigot into a plastic pipe (called “the header”), then out into short lengths of small diameter tubing (“spaghetti tubes”) which terminate in special emitters set in each pot.

Nowadays, I set up my automatic pot watering system late each spring, once plants have begun growth in earnest and slurp up water fast enough so they are more apt to suffer from underwatering than from overwatering. I group houseplants together at various places around my yard. The grouped plants make an attractive oasis, with header tubing bringing water to each “oasis.” is a battery-operated timer. Without the timer, I would have to turn on the water, then come back later to turn it off — admittedly not a very demanding responsibility, but with the timer I even can leave for days at a time, knowing my plants are getting watered. the hose would thread onto a length of black polyethylene tubing (1/2” to 1” diameter) laid on the ground near the plants. I use black polyethylene tubing for the whole length of the water run.

I set the timer to turn the water on for fifteen minutes each day of the week at eleven o’clock in the morning. This is late enough in the day to carry the plants through the heat of the day, yet early enough to revive any plant that may have wilted on a previous especially hot, dry, and windy day.

A fertilizer injector is an optional component that could follow the water computer along the water line. I prefer to hand fertilize my plants. This gives me the opportunity, at least once a week, to take a close look at each plant, and I can tailor fertilization to individual plant’s needs.

The black polyethylene is the tube into which the spaghetti tubes with emiters plug. The spaghetti tubes plug into holes in the header made with a special punch. The fit should be snug, and no glueing is necessary.

A spaghetti tube snakes into each pot, two tubes for large pots.

This time of year, with luxuriant plant growth, an automatic watering system probably does a better job of watering that any gardener can do (barring those gardeners with an abundance of patience and time, and few plants).

If they were spread around the patio or yard, longer runs of mains, buried or mulched out of view, could bring water to the plants

Starting at the hose spigot, the first component of my automatic watering system

Next along the water line is a 150 mesh filter, which removes any particles in the water that could clog the spaghetti tubes or emitters. Following the filter is a pressure regulator, which is needed only if the emitters are of the low flow type, also known as “trickle” or “drip” irrigation emitters, which put out a quarter to a couple of gallons per hour.

Garden hose could bring water from the pressure regulator or filter to any oasis of potted plants. At its end,

When a chill returns to the air in late summer, plant growth will slow and water will linger in pots. Then, roots are apt to become damaged from overwatering. At that time I either keep a more careful eye on the weather, the water, and the plants, and turn the system on and off manually, or opt for hand watering.

Any gardening questions? Email them to me at garden@ leereich.com and I’ll try answering them directly or in this column. Come visit my garden at leereich.com/blog.

Are ants harmful to the garden? Usually not

By JeSSicA DAMiANO

Associated Press

I replanted some of my containers last week, swapping out dead pansies for petunias, which will better withstand the heat as summer progresses. As I removed the spent plants from their pots, a swarm of ants immediately covered my bare arms.

That wasn’t the first time I’d disturbed an ants’ nest in my garden. Last year, they were in my potato grow bags; the year prior, in the front garden bed. Each encounter ended with me racing into the house, removing my clothes as quickly as possible, placing them straight into the washer and taking my second shower of the day.

It’s not pleasant to stumble upon a colony of ants, to say the least, but are the tiny little insects actually harmful to our plants?

Myths abound! I’ve heard gardeners attest that peonies won’t bloom without ants. This is simply untrue. I’ve also heard gardeners lament that ants were eating their peony blossoms. Also untrue. In reality, ants and peonies share a mutually beneficial relationship: Peony buds exude a sweet nectar that attracts and feeds the ants, who in return protect the plant from insect pests.

(I’m not referring here to carpenter ants, fire ants or leafcutter ants, which can pose serious threats to structures, people and plants, respectively. If you’ve identified one of those species around your home, insecticides may be warranted. Check with your county extension office for guidance.)

Some folks report noticing leaves on a plant turning black and, upon inspection, find an army of ants on its on stems and foliage. It’s not the ants that are damaging the plant, however. They’re innocent bystanders whose presence merely indicates that the plant is infested with aphids, the real threats in this scenario.

30-year rate inches back up to 6.81%

By M ATT O TT Associated Press

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate ticked back up this week, remaining a barrier for Americans trying to upgrade or buy their first home.

The average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan rose to 6.81% this week from 6.78% last week, which was the lowest level in a month, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the average rate was 5.3%.

High rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting how much they can afford in a market already unaffordable to many Americans.

High inflation has driven the Federal Reserve to jack up interest rates since early last year.

Highest in 22 years

Beginning with its first hike in March 2022, the central bank has lifted its benchmark interest rate to between 5.1% and 5.3%, its highest level in 22 years.

The average rate on a 30year mortgage remains more than double what it was two years ago, when ultra-low rates spurred a wave of home sales and refinancing.

The far higher rates now are contributing to a dearth of available homes.

Homeowners who locked in those lower borrowing costs two years ago are reluctant to sell and jump into a higher rate on a new property.

The lack of housing supply is also a big reason home sales are down 23% over the past six months.

The average rate on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with those refinancing their homes, inched up to 6.11% from 6.06% last week.

A year ago, it averaged 4.58%, Freddie Mac said.