In last Friday’s newsletter, soil expert Steve Zien discussed the best ways to build up your garden soil during the cool season. Among his suggestions: leaving the roots of the summer garden plants in the soil, but discarding the top parts; incorporate compost and worm castings into the existing soil; covering the area with an organic mulch, such as leaves.
Robin asks, “Does it make sense to follow these procedures if you are growing vegetables in pots, or are you better off completely changing out the soil, given that the original soil was potting soil?”
As long as the potted plant looked healthy and disease-free, there’s no reason why you can’t reuse the existing potting soil, with a little help and modification…and lots of water. In today’s newsletter podcast, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor (and thrifty gardener) Debbie Flower, explains how to do that.
Farmer Fred’s Ride for the Kids!
I’m fundraising on behalf of the 2025 Sac Century Challenge on Saturday, October 4 to raise money for the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery, and I could use your support. Here’s the link.
On that date, I’ll probably be riding (it arrived!) my new (and probably last) bike, the FRED OTL (a custom Haley titanium bike, NOT an e-bike). “OTL” - in bike race parlance - stands for “Outside Time Limit”…participants who were sent home for being “dead ass last”. I never said I was fast. But I do persevere to the end.
The journey of 100 miles throughout the Sacramento area is to help out the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery. I’ve ridden 100 miles in one day plenty of times…when I was younger.
But at 74, and with a few health setbacks in 2025, I could use some moral support, and the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery can use your pledge money.
Because of those health setbacks, I’m having to prepare harder for this event. This will be the slowest century I’ve ever done, probably close to 10 hours on the bike. The doctors have not given their OK (yet) for me to do this, but to paraphrase Willie Nelson, “There’s more old bicyclists than there are old doctors, so I guess we should have another ride!”
The Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery is the only program of its kind in Sacramento County and directly prevents child abuse and neglect by supporting families with small children at times of crisis. The nursery allows parents to bring their children ages newborn to five for emergency hourly or overnight care during difficult times, with the goal of keeping families together and reducing the number of children entering foster care. To care for our community’s most vulnerable children, we rely on support from community members like you. By donating, you empower us to provide a safe haven for children throughout the Sacramento area, offering respite to parents during times of crisis, and building a strong support system for the future. Your support helps provide a safe place to stay local kids in need.
Again, here’s the link to make a donation to the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery.
Say “Hi!” if you see me pedaling like crazy out there on Saturday, October 4th!
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After the Paywall:
The complete transcript of our conversation about reusing old potting soil.
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