After yesterday’s Weed Appreciation Day post… you might be thinking: 👉 “Okay… I appreciate them… but I still don’t want them.” Totally fair. The good news? Container gardeners actually have a BIG advantage when it comes to weeds. Let’s make the most of it 👇 🪴 1. Start With Clean, Quality Soil (This is where most weed problems begin) If weeds are constantly popping up, your soil might be bringing them in. What to watch for: - Reusing old soil without refreshing it - Using garden soil (instead of potting mix) - Compost that wasn’t fully broken down What to do instead: ✔ Use a fresh, high-quality potting mix ✔ If reusing soil, mix in new potting mix + compost ✔ Remove any visible roots or plant debris before planting 👉 Think of this as setting the stage for a weed-free season 🌱 2. Mulch… Yes, Even in Containers A lot of gardeners skip this step in pots—but it makes a HUGE difference. Why it works: - Blocks light (weed seeds can’t sprout) - Keeps soil moisture steady - Reduces how often weeds show up Easy container mulch ideas: ✔ Straw or shredded leaves ✔ Small bark chips ✔ Coco coir ✔ Even a thin layer of compost 👉 Just 1 to 2 inches can dramatically cut down weeds ✋ 3. Pull Them Early (Tiny = Easy Win) Weeds are like uninvited guests… The longer they stay, the harder they are to remove 😬 Your new habit: ✔ Do a quick 30-second scan when you water ✔ Pull weeds while they’re small ✔ Get the root (especially taproots like dandelions) 👉 This one habit alone can prevent 90% of frustration later After yesterday’s Weed Appreciation Day post… you might be thinking: 👉 “Okay… I appreciate them… but I still don’t want them.” Totally fair. The good news? Container gardeners actually have a BIG advantage when it comes to weeds. Let’s make the most of it 👇 🪴 1. Start With Clean, Quality Soil (This is where most weed problems begin) If weeds are constantly popping up, your soil might be bringing them in. What to watch for: - Reusing old soil without refreshing it - Using garden soil (instead of potting mix) - Compost that wasn’t fully broken down

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐖𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞… 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮 Let’s be honest for a second… When most gardeners hear the word “weed,” appreciation is NOT the first thing that comes to mind. It’s more like: 👉 “Ugh… not again.” 👉 “Where did THAT come from?!” 👉 “Didn’t I just pull you yesterday?!” But today—𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲—we’re flipping the script just a little bit. Because believe it or not… Those pesky little invaders in your pots and beds? 🌿 They might actually be trying to help you. 🌿 𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭… 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐟𝐮𝐥? I know. I know. Stay with me here. Weeds are what gardeners call “indicator plants.” That means they pop up based on what’s happening in your soil. Think of them like tiny green messengers saying: 👉 “Hey… something’s off here.” 👉 “Your soil needs attention.” 👉 “I’ve got you covered (whether you like it or not).” 🪴 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐁𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮 Here are a few “usual suspects” and what they often mean: 🌱 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 * Deep roots break up compacted soil * May indicate low calcium or compacted conditions 👉 Translation: Your soil might be tight and tired 🌿 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 * Fixes nitrogen into the soil * Often shows up in low-nitrogen conditions 👉 Translation: Your plants are hungry 🌾𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬 * Thrives in poor, dry, compacted soil 👉 Translation: Your soil could use organic matter and better watering habits 🌿 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐝 * Loves cool, moist soil 👉 Translation: You may be overwatering or have dense soil 🌼 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐘𝐞𝐬, 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐎𝐧𝐞) Even though weeds can drive us a little crazy… They actually: ✔ Protect bare soil from erosion ✔ Add organic matter when they break down ✔ Attract pollinators (some of them!) ✔ Help “heal” struggling soil over time Nature doesn’t leave soil bare—it always sends in a backup plan. 🧤 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐁𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥… 𝐖𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 😄 We can appreciate weeds… …but we don’t have to keep them. Here’s the balanced approach for container gardeners: ✔ 𝐏𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 Small weeds = easy win ✔ 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐝

There’s something about that first warm March afternoon. The sun feels stronger. The birds are louder. You step outside and think… “Maybe it’s time.” And suddenly you’re eyeing your seedlings like they’re teenagers who need to move out of the house. Slow down, my gardening friend. 😄 Spring may be flirting with us… but she hasn’t fully committed yet. Let’s talk about why patience right now can make all the difference later. 🌡 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 Air temperature lies. You might see 65° on your weather app and think your plants are ready. But soil warms much more slowly than air especially in containers sitting on patios or decks. Most warm-season crops (like tomatoes and peppers) want soil temps consistently above 60–65°F before they’re truly happy. Cold soil = • Stalled growth • Root stress • Increased risk of rot • Vulnerability to disease And stressed plants rarely bounce back into strong producers. Sunshine feels promising… but roots care about warmth. ❄ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 “𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠” March is famous for its mood swings. Three warm days in a row does NOT mean frost season is over. A sudden dip into the 30s can: * Damage tender leaves * Shock young seedlings * Completely undo weeks of careful seed starting And we do not work this hard indoors just to lose plants to one dramatic weather tantrum. 🪴 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐨 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 If you’re itching to “do something,” here are productive ways to channel that energy: ✔ 𝐑𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 This strengthens stems and prevents leaning. ✔ Check root development Gently lift one plant and peek. Are roots forming nicely without circling excessively? ✔ 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 * Clear drainage holes * Rinse out old soil residue * Check saucers * Inspect grow bags ✔ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 You don’t need to move them out yet just be ready when the time comes. ✔ 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 Longer days are coming (hello Daylight Saving Time 👀), and maximizing light now helps build stronger plants.

National Squirrel Appreciation Day is January 21, created to encourage learning about squirrels and their role in nature… even if they’ve personally declared war on our pots. 😅 So today, we’re doing this the container gardener way: * Appreciate their athleticism and determination… * while also politely declining their help with our soil, bulbs, and seedlings. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬 (𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥… 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲) Containers are basically a squirrel playground because: * loose potting mix = perfect digging material * fresh soil smells interesting * bulbs and seeds = snack treasure hunt * mulch looks like a place to bury “future snacks” 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫’𝐬 “𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭” 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 If you only do one thing, do a physical barrier. It’s the most reliable and the least “constant reapplying stuff.” Extension resources generally group deterrents into barriers, scare tactics, and repellents. Of these, barriers tend to be the most dependable for small areas like containers. 𝟏) 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐭 “𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞” 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: * Chicken wire / hardware cloth cut to fit the top of the pot (leave space for the plant stem) * Decorative rocks or heavier mulch layers to reduce digging 𝐏𝐆𝐒 𝐭𝐢𝐩: For seed-started pots, cover just until plants are established, then remove or widen the opening. 𝟐) 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚 “𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭” * Move pots temporarily to break the squirrel habit (they’re persistent once they pick a spot) * Hang baskets / raise containers where possible (harder access) 𝟑) 𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐚 “𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫” (𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬) * Motion-activated sprinklers/lights can safely scare off nuisance wildlife 𝟒) 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 (𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐟𝐮𝐥… 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 * Commercial repellents can work, but they typically need reapplication (especially after rain) * DIY “spicy” sprays are commonly suggested, but always test a small spot first and reapply regularly. (And keep anything spicy away from eyes/pets/kids.) 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲) Squirrels are clever, busy, and excellent at surviving winter, which is honestly… relatable. So we can appreciate the species while still setting firm boundaries with Steve who keeps digging up the lettuce pot.

Not all wins are dramatic. In winter especially, plant health shows up in small, quiet ways. And if you know what to look for, you’ll start seeing progress everywhere. 🌱 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧 #𝟏: 𝐀 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐟 𝐁𝐮𝐝 It might be small. Barely noticeable. But if you see a tiny bud forming? That means the plant is gearing up, not giving up. 🌿 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧 #𝟐: 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐦, 𝐔𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐦s Even if leaves aren’t growing fast, strong stems mean roots are stable and hydrated properly. Floppy stems signal trouble. Firm ones signal balance. 🪴 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧 #𝟑: 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐃𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 If soil dries gradually and evenly without staying soggy or bone dry, you’ve nailed watering rhythm. That’s a big deal in winter. 🌼 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧 #𝟒: 𝐍𝐨 𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 Maybe you spotted something earlier this week. If it hasn’t spread? That’s a win. Catching issues early is growth,even if the plant didn’t grow. 🌱 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧 #𝟓: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫 No sudden yellowing. No mysterious browning. Stable color = stable plant. And stable plants grow when conditions improve. 💚 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐈𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 Winter rewards patience. The plants that look quiet right now are often building strength you can’t see yet. Notice the small wins. They add up to strong spring growth 🌱 Share one tiny win you’ve noticed this week, even if it feels small. A bud? Better soil rhythm? No pests? Let’s celebrate the quiet victories 👏🌿