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The
Summer Solstice for 2007 occurs at 1537 hours (3:37 p.m.) Central Daylight
Time on Thursday, June 21.
I
hope you are all watching your water consumption. There are several ways
to help your container plants survive the days when we don’t get rain. I’m
not too concerned with established plants in the ground. It’s just that
some of my smaller containers need watering twice daily.
One
suggestion is to buy some polymer crystals to add to your potted plants to
add supplemental water during dry spells. I can think of two brands I have
used in the past: Terrasorb Hydrocrystals and Soil Moist.
These
are both very good. There are a couple of ways to use them. First of all,
mix the moistened crystals with your potting soil. Second, poke a 2 inch
hole in the potting soil, all the way to the bottom of the pot and fill
with the moistened crystals.
Each
manufacturer has suggestions on moistening their products. I simply take a
16 ounce measuring cup and fill it with water, add one tablespoon of
hydro-crystals and wait a whole day. The crystals will absorb most of the
water. Never add un-soaked crystals to your potted plants as they absorb
100 times their weight in water and increase their size accordingly! Your
plants will be "jumpin’ out de’pots!"
As
your plants deplete the water from the crystals, you will be able to
replenish it when you water the plants. (This is also a plus when it
rains.)
Always
keep watering cans and buckets nearby your container plantings and fill
them when you water your plants. This helps when you see a plant
withering... you can give it an emergency drink between watering times. If
you keep your bird baths full for your feathered friends, that’ll make a
good emergency watering supply. Just set your pots into the bird bath and
let them soak for a few minutes. The birds won’t mind. They’ll just
think of it as outdoor living décor!
I’m
always looking around for unusual things to put in my garden and I find
some of them at the most unusual places. For example, a few weeks ago I
was in Andalusia and I stopped for some water and a snack at this out of
the way, off the beaten path convenience store. They had some
miscellaneous gardening stuff, but I was surprised to find a hyper-tuffa
bird bath made by folk artist, Ace Gannburg. His stuff is hard to find, so
you can imagine how excited I was. Of course I bought it!
The
most unique yard art, outdoor living accessories and gardening gadgets can
be found all over the place. Sometimes you just have to get off the
Interstate and take the roads less traveled to find them.
If
your local radio station isn’t carrying the gardening radio show Home
Grown Tomatoes yet, call them and request it!
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