THE LAND — DECEMBER 24/DECEMBER 31, 2021
www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”
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Water, temperature important when indoor container gardening Gardening can continue in the winter need deeper pots. However, plants with some evaporation through the sides of the pots and by keeping plants indoors in containers shallow root systems are often grown in may require more frequent watering. Monitor the or pots. Plant containers are available deep pots because they are aesthetically moisture level of these plants more closely than made from clay, plastic, metal, ceramics pleasing if the height of the above ground those grown in metal or plastic containers. and other materials. Household items growth is equal or similar to the height Container-grown plants do best in soil that has such as the bottom half of a one-gallon of the container. been mixed with peat, sand, vermiculite, or perlite milk or juice bottle can be used as shortPlants grown in pots react more rapidly to keep it from compacting and slowing root growth. term plant containers. More substantial GREEN AND to environmental changes. Changes in Self-watering pots which use wicks to pull water containers may be created from large GROWING temperature affects the surface of outfrom a bottom reservoir into the soil will help keep detergent bottles or fiber jars after the the soil moisture at the right level. By Linda G. Tenneson door soil and so the soil temperature tops have been removed and discarded. changes slowly. However, the soil in a An online search for “container gardening.edu” Gardeners who start seeds in early spring may container can heat up or cool faster because the use paper pots which last long enough for a seed to sides and bottom of the container quickly transmits will show detailed articles on this subject from several neighboring state extension websites — particgerminate and grow before being transplanted to a changes in the surrounding air temperature into ularly the article from the University of Illinois. larger pot or outdoors. Creative gardeners may also the container. Dark colored containers placed in have containers made from wood, old shoes, or other southern windows or under grow lights will also Linda G. Tenneson is a University of Minnesota unusual items. Take care when using unusual plant have this effect. Clay or terra-cotta containers allow master gardener and tree care advisor. v containers. It is important that they have not been manufactured with chemicals which may harm Send your letters to: Editor, The Land, 418 South Second St., Mankato, MN 56001 plants. e-mail: editor@thelandonline.com All containers must be thoroughly clean and drainage holes or slits made in the lower sides or bottoms. Containers should be disinfected with a solution of nine parts water and one part household bleach to kill any potential plant pathogens. To the Editor, home used equipment. They want new Mr. Handzus’ recent letter to the ediand our defense industries, which proRecycled containers are not as attractive to look at tor (The Land, Dec. 10/17) expressed vide jobs in all 50 states, want to build and are often placed inside other containers. The opinions that were basically the exact opposite of new and our Congress people want to fund them. outer container does not need a drainage hole and so serves as a drip tray to collect excess water. However, my hopes and wishes. I would have hoped that all Republicans want mandated forced birthings, but Americans would have worked together to end the be sure to empty drip trays or saucers before too of course no government help for mother or child. scourge of covid, but a large percent of Republicans Republicans hate to allow women to have the freemuch water accumulates in them and is reabsorbed into the soil. Too much water will rot plant roots and refuse to be vaccinated. 800,000 dead Americans dom to control their own bodies. apparently means little to them. keep needed oxygen from existing in the soil. America has a history of freedom for heterosexual We should have left Afghanistan as soon as we Do not put gravel or pieces of broken pots in the white males only. Everyone else has had to fight for failed to find bin Laden, but I guess we learned bottom of containers. Water remains in the soil just their freedom. Difficult times loom. Trump’s Big Lie nothing from Vietnam. Even the Russians were not has pushed many Republican leaders into thinking above the gravel instead of draining out of the pot. so stupid as to stay in Afghanistan for 20 years. that democracy is no longer in their interest. Containers are best selected to accommodate the When 241 US soldiers were killed in Lebanon Difficult times indeed. size of the plant and its root ball. Plants with shalPresident Reagan withdrew all our soldiers. low root systems can grow in shallow pots, while President Biden could also see the reality of our sit- Greg Rendahl plants that extend their roots deep into the soil Ostrander, Minn. uation. Our military does not really want to haul
Letter: We are in difficult times OPINION
