The Winchendon Courier
Serving the community since 1878 ~ A By Light Unseen Media publication
Week of March 21 to March 28, 2024

Gardening

Selecting the Right Potting Mix for Your Plantings

spring plants in containers
The right potting mix will help ornamental and edible plants thrive.
Photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com


As gardeners, it seems we are all looking for an ideal potting mix for our houseplants and containers. As with any gardening endeavor, a lot depends on what is available, the plants you are growing, and the type of maintenance you provide.

That said, there are some things you can do to increase your success and reduce ongoing maintenance. It all starts by reviewing the label on the bag you plan to purchase. You'll find a variety of bags labeled as planting mix, potting mix, container mix, and more. Check the label to see what the bag contains and recommendations for its use.

These mixes usually contain inorganic and organic materials and may also include sand and mineral soil. They may or may not be sterilized to kill weed seeds and pests. If it doesn't say sterilized, it probably is not, and you should consider another product instead.

Many potting mixes are labeled as "soilless." They consist of peat moss, sphagnum moss, and compost for moisture retention and vermiculite or perlite for drainage but do not contain mineral soils such as sand or clay. They are lightweight and blended to hold moisture while draining well.

Some potting mixes are modified to accommodate the needs of certain plants. Orchid mixes often contain more bark for better aeration while cacti and succulent mixes have more sand or perlite for better drainage. African Violet potting mix contains more organic matter to create a moist, rich growing medium.

Organic potting mixes are also available. Many gardeners prefer to know the ingredients are free of pesticides and other contaminants. Check for the word organic and OMRI on the label if you want an organic product.

Once again, check the label on the bag for more details on the potting mix. Some potting mixes contain a "starter charge" of fertilizer. This minimal amount of fertilizer is usually gone after two or three waterings. Some include additional fertilizer that provides small amounts of nutrients over a longer period. The label may say controlled-release, time-release, or slow-release fertilizer, meaning it provides your plants with nutrients for a certain amount of time.

Moisture retaining products are supposed to hold water near plant roots and reduce the frequency of watering. Research has not shown them to be effective. Some gardeners feel they are effective while others end up with root rot when using these.

Consider adding an organic product, like Wild Valley Farms wool pellets (wildvalleyfarms.com) to potting mixes that do not contain moisture-retaining products. It is sustainable, made from wool waste, University-tested, and has been shown to reduce watering by up to twenty percent, while also increasing air space and adding organic matter.

Select bags of potting mix that are light, fluffy, and moist. Avoid bags that are waterlogged and heavy. The mix can break down and become compacted and some of the slow-release fertilizer may be pre-released and damage young seedlings when saturated with water.

Spend a bit of time searching for the potting mix that best matches the plants you are growing and your watering regime. The time spent selecting your perfect potting mix will pay off with greater growing success.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including The Midwest Gardener's Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything" DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Wild Valley Farms for her expertise to write this article. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.

Antiques

Latest Antiques and Collectibles News

William Scott painting

Photo courtesy of Wayne Tuiskula


In my last antiques and collectibles article, I focused on rare finds. In this column, I'll discuss an important stamp that's coming to auction as well as a painting from our last auction that made news.

The most well know rate stamp is the "inverted Jenny." The 1918, 24-cent U.S. stamp features a picture of an upside-down Curtiss JN-4 airplane. The rare stamp sold for $2 million in November. There is a stamp that's expected to smash that record, according to ArtNet. An 1868 Benjamin Franklin stamp with a Z-grill will be sold in June. After the Civil War, the U.S. Postal Service was concerned about people washing off cancellations and reusing stamps. They created grills which were "a waffle-pattern embossed into the paper with a metal device," according to ArtNet. The grills broke the fibers of stamps and created indentations, which left evidence when the stamp was canceled. The Z pattern grill is especially rare with only two 1-cent stamps, two 15-cent stamps, and six 10-cent stamps featuring the Z-grill ever being certified genuine. The stamp is estimated to sell for $5 million, which would be a record for a U.S. stamp.

Antiques and the Arts Weekly recently reported on our January auction after a painting by William Scott topped the auction results. Scott was born in Scotland in 1913. At the age of 11, his family moved to Northern Ireland. He studied at the Belfast College of Art and at the Royal Academy School in London. He eventually returned to the United Kingdom where he worked as a lithographer making maps. After World War II, he became a senior lecturer at the Bath (England) Academy of Art. While at the Academy, he traveled to New York and met leading abstract expressionist painters like Jackson Pollock, Elaine de Kooning, Mark Rothko, and Franz Kline, according to askArt.com. He was influenced by their works and his style drastically changed.

I've mentioned in previous columns that the provenance of rare art and other historical pieces is very important. Provenance is "the history of ownership of a valued object or work of art or literature," according to Merriam Webster. The Scott painting we sold had a receipt from the gallery where it was purchased, along with additional documentation showing the multiple galleries where the painting had been exhibited. The previous owner's name was even documented. All this information made bidders comfortable that the work was an original by William Scott. The 1956 abstract, still life "Nine Pears on a White Plate" oil on canvas painting sold for $141,000. This was the highest price for a single item by Central Mass Auctions. The painting was purchased by a buyer in the United Kingdom. William Scott's painting has returned home.

Our comic books and sports memorabilia auction will begin in early May. We are still accepting consignments of gold jewelry, sterling silverware, art, coins, and other antiques and collectibles for our early summer auction. I'll be discussing "what's hot and what's not" at the Holden Senior Center on April 22nd. I'll also be presenting on downsizing at a Learning in Retirement event in Danielson, Connecticut on May 6th. Please visit our website www.centralmassauctions.com for links to other upcoming events.



Contact us at: Wayne Tuiskula Auctioneer/Appraiser Central Mass Auctions for Antique, Collectibles Auctions and Appraisal Services www.centralmassauctions.com (508-612- 6111).