The Friday Funny....The Marines

A large group of Al-Qaeda (AQ for short) fighters was moving down the road when they heard a voice call from behind a sand dune, "One MARINE is better than 10 AQ fighters." The AQ commander quickly ordered 10 of his best men over the dune where upon a gun battle broke out and continued for a few minutes, then silence. The voice once again called out "One MARINE is better than 100 AQ fighters." Furious, the AQ commander sent his next best 100 troops over the dune and instantly a huge gun fight commenced. After 10 minutes of battle, silence. The MARINE'S voice called out again: "One MARINE is better than 1000 AQ fighters." The enraged commander mustered 1000 fighters and sent them to the other side of the dune. Rifle fire, machine guns, grenades, rockets and cannon fire rang out as a terrible battle was fought......then silence. Eventually, one badly wounded AQ fighter crawled back over the dune, and with his dying words, told his commander, "Don't send any more men....its a trap. There are TWO OF THEM!"

Contributed by Ron Heisler

February - great time to repot houseplants

My grandma was an avid gardener, and always told me late February was an ideal time for repotting houseplants here in the northern US. The reason is plants will start coming out of their winter dormancy soon, and they'll need fresh nutrients when they start putting out new growth. Plus it feels good to us gardeners to get our hands into dirt again after the long winter.

To remove most plants from their pot, turn the pot on it's side and gently tap against a hard surface. If it is a very large plant, pound the side with your fist to loosen it. This should allow you to lift the plant from the pot easily. Examine the roots, and if they are growing out the bottom of the pot, or the roots are solid and not much dirt remains, your plant is root-bound, and will need a bigger pot. It's a good rule of thumb to increase the pot size by 1 to 2 inches in diameter to allow for root growth. With most plants, you should also break up the roots, or score with a sharp knife, to encourage new root growth.

Some plants, such as the Boston and Asparagus Ferns can be divided to make additional plants when they become root-bound. First cut off the existing foliage - I know it's a hard thing to do, but you will end up with healthier plants in the end. With a sharp knife, cut the root ball into thirds. Then repot each section into a new pot. In no time, you will see new growth shooting up, and you'll end up with 3 plants instead of 1.

Repotting:

Soil - Purchase a good potting soil mix. Some plants such as cactus do better with a special soil mix just for them to get optimum results. Potting soil by itself doesn't provide many nutrients, so a fertilizer is recommended.

Pot - The new pot should be 1 to 2 inches larger in diameter than the old pot. It's best to use a pot with a hole in the bottom with a drainage tray or saucer, to avoid roots sitting in water. If you use a solid pot, place large stones or a large piece of a broken clay pot at the bottom for drainage. If using a terra cotta pot, pre-soak it in water so it doesn't wick water away from the new plant. Always wash a pre-used pot with soap and water before replanting.

Fertilizer - Some potting soil mixes will contain a time-released fertilizer. If yours doesn't, add a good fertilizer. Fertilizes come in liquid, granular, spikes, and many organic formulas are also available.

Planting - Put some new soil into the pot, and position the plant so that the previous soil level is approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches below the rim of the pot. Then pour dirt in around the plant, packing it gently as you go. Be careful not to pack the dirt down too much, as you want the roots to be able to breathe. Bring the dirt level with where it was previously on the plant.

Water - In most cases, it's best to water from the bottom, putting water into the drainage saucer, and let the plant draw the water up into the pot. If using a pot that doesn't have drain holes in the bottom, be careful not to over-water it. The roots will rot if they sit in water.

Now put your newly potted plants in a sunny window, sit back and relax. Your plants will soon reward you with beautiful new growth shooting up.

February gardeners checklist

Here's a very useful checklist I found at Demesne gardening site which offers helpful tips on what you can do in February to prepare for this year's garden. I hope you find it helpful.

"February is cold and dreary in many parts of the country, but it's important to do as much preparatory work as you can this month, because once March comes you'll have dozens of garden chores that seemingly need to be done all at once.

Make sure all your tools have been cleaned, sharpened, and are ready to go. There is nothing quite as vexing as having a perfectly good weekend opportunity to mow the lawn only to discover that the blades are dull or it otherwise needs service. It's your last best chance to get your implements in prime working order this month. Waiting could result in longer wait times as other procrastinators discover the same thing.

It's a good time to inventory your supplies including seeds too. Seeds, if kept dry and cool, will often be just as good as they were last year. Use them up, but don't rely on them.

Now is the time to build the trellis for your indeterminate tomatoes, squash, and gourds, so purchase materials this month.

Have you made your plan of what you want to grow this year?

If you plan to start from seed, have you ordered your seeds?

Set up flats for starting seeds. Full spectrum lighting and a heat mat can facilitate growing a variety of annuals, perennials, and vegetables for this year's garden.

Do you want to add arbors or other support structures? Order now to have them delivered before your plants go in the ground.

If you have a garage or workshop, repair and repaint garden furniture this month.

Once you plan your plantings, pots, and beds, you can design an irrigation system that can save you time and money in more efficient watering for a maximum yield.

Prune shrubs and trees—especially fruit trees—this month if they don't bleed (like elms and maples) or bloom early (lilacs, rhodies, and azalea).

Destroy insect eggs before they hatch. Inspect, pick off, and destroy without resorting to pesticides if you can.

Prune grapes. Trim oldest wood and leave only primary stems. Each stem should have four to six canes from last years growth.

Build frames for new raised beds.

Books
The Ann Lovejoy Handbook of Northwest Gardening: Natural Care and Sustainable Design "