GET THOSE CLAY POTS LOOKING NEW AGAIN
Usually, I reply to readers’ letters by e-mail as soon as I get them, but some I save to share with you. Here are two of them.
Susan T writes:
”I like how my plants look in clay pots, but after a while, the outsides of
the pots get white stains and sometimes turn greenish . Is there some way to
prevent that?”
Unlike plastic pots, clay pots are porous and allow water to seep through them.
The white stains are due to calcium salts and other minerals that remain in the clay as the water passes through and evaporates; while the green colouring is due to algae and moss that grow on moist, warm surfaces.
To prevent these problems, you have to make the pot waterproof. You can do this by placing a slightly smaller, similarly shaped plastic pot into it, or you can use a plastic lining. However, the most effective way is to paint the inside of the pot with waterproof paint or with a double coat of varnish.
To clean a stained pot, first scrub it with a stiff brush then soak it for about an hour in a tub of water with one tablespoon of bleach added to every four litres of water. Rinse it and scrub the outsides with the brush dipped in a paste of baking soda and a little water. Then, rinse the pot again. The soda will neutralize and remove the calcium and fertilizer salts that made the white stains, and your pot will look like new again.
Eldon D wants to know about fertilizers. He writes: “I have been gardening for over a year now, and I am still not sure what kind of fertilizers I should be using for the different kinds of plants I have. Can you please advise me?”
The main nutrients required by plants are Nitrogen (N) for foliar growth; Phosphorous (P) for root development and initiation of flowering; and Potassium (K) for flower and fruit development. The three numbers on a fertilizer label represent the proportions of these nutrients or N P K. A fourth number would represent the content of micronutrients
So, look for a fertilizer with a high first number for your foliage plants, leafy vegetables and established lawn; a high second number for a newly planted lawn, flowering plants, root vegetables and other plants requiring a strong root system; and a high third number for plants with flowers and fruits on them.
GARDEN NEWS
The Horticultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago (HSTT) invites you to exhibit at its Annual Flower Show on April 21st and 22nd at the St. John Ambulance Hall on Fitz Blackman Drive opposite to the National stadium.
You can enter floral arrangements, cut flowers, potted plants, fruits, vegetables and herbs. For further information, visit the HSTT headquarters on Lady Chancellor Road or phone 622-6423.
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If you have any gardening news or tips you would like to share, or if you are having a problem in your garden, e-mail me at thehappygardner@tstt.net.tt
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