Dear Helen: I am late in planting my container flowers this spring. I鈥檓 wondering how to increase moisture retention in the soil of my hanging baskets and patio pots. In the past, I have used a commercial planting mix.
M.H.
The larger the pot, the easier it is to keep the soil adequately damp. Concentrate moisture- retention measures on the smaller pots and baskets.
First, for summer container plantings, choose a commercial mix that is not super-fast to drain off moisture. I use Pro-Mix BX, their 鈥渂asic鈥� blend rather than their HP (high-porosity) mix.
Then, add about one-third as much all-purpose sterilized soil. The all-purpose is important. You don鈥檛 want a soil doctored to do something you do not necessarily desire. The soil adds substance and staying power to a mix and increases longevity in a planting.
Coconut fibre (coir) in a planting mix increases moisture retention and helps to buffer temperature extremes. Also, for my baskets I use worn kitchen sponges, dried and saved, at basket bottoms to help hold moisture and release it into the soil as needed. I have heard of people using the absorbent, 鈥渨orking鈥� section of (unused) diapers in the same way for moisture retention.
听
Dear Helen: I鈥檝e had the most terrible time with my clay soil this spring. I thought it would never dry enough to plant. What can I do to break it up and make the texture more friable? Would sand help?
S.B.
Though close-textured, clay-based soils can be back-breakers, they also hold onto nutrients and moisture well. However, they remain cold, wet and sticky in the spring.
Prolonged cool, wet conditions this spring have sorely tested the patience of home gardeners dealing with clay soils. Attempting to work with them while they are still wet only compacts the soil further.
Areas for planting that are raised above surrounding soil levels will drain and warm faster in spring.
I don鈥檛 favour adding sand to clay soil. Sand is heavy, and too much is needed to make any difference. Compost and other organic materials are better choices.
My large Vernon garden was the most productive one I have had. The most effective method I found to make its clay soil more workable was to use well-aged sawdust mixed with grass clippings to mulch plants and rows for the summer. In the fall, I dug the mulch in just roughly.
The combination of high-nitrogen lawn mowings and high-carbon sawdust created a suitable carbon-nitrogen balance, and the blend was fairly efficient at biting into the tight-packed soil.
听
GARDENEVENTS
View Royal meeting. The View Royal Garden Club meets tonight at 7:30 in Wheeley Hall at Esquimalt United Church, 500 Admirals Rd. Club members Michael Fox and Betty Sherwood will speak about water features in their gardens. A judged mini show will feature exhibits from members鈥� gardens. Plants and garden items will be sold. Visitors welcome. Drop-in fee $5.
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Flower and garden show. The Mill Bay Garden Club will host its 70th community flower and garden show on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Cobble Hill Community Hall, 3550 Watson Ave. The event features displays in more than 80 categories, a silent auction, master gardeners, plant and garden vendors, a strawberry tea and workshops 鈥� on hardy ferns at 9:30 a.m. and composting basics at 10:30 a.m.
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Garden tour. Ladysmith Rotary is hosting its 20th annual garden tour, show and sale on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $20. Aggie Hall, 1110 First Ave., will be open from 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for ticket sales, vendors, breakfast and high tea. Eight gardens will be featured, from acreages in Yellow Point and Cedar to home gardens in Ladysmith and Saltair. More information at 250-924-3402.
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Small trees. Douglas Justice, head of horticulture and curator of collections at the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden, will speak on small trees for residential gardens at Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse, 2487 Mt. St. Michael Rd. on the Saanich Peninsula, on June 21 at 7 p.m., with cider tasting at 6. The talk is one of the Russell Nursery 25th anniversary speaker series. Tickets costing $25 are available at the nursery, 1379 Wain Rd. in North Saanich, or from russellnursery.com. Space is limited. Tickets must be purchased in advance.