# Spring is sproinging – planting thoughts for a new year **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 9, 2020, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spring-is-sproinging-planting-thoughts-for-a-new-year/849126 "2020-03-09T00:44:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spring-is-sproinging-planting-thoughts-for-a-new-year/849126/41 "2020-03-14T19:23:30Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Is your health department also shutting down the grocery stores? > > I would think that, if anything, the farmers’ market is less risky. You’d think, but they likely know something I don’t. Hard on the vendors, though. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spring-is-sproinging-planting-thoughts-for-a-new-year/849126/42 "2020-03-14T19:29:12Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > I left the strawberries in the planters because I was told they would return the following year. So far nada. I may have to get new plants for those. What’s your location? Perennials won’t winter over in hanging baskets in the colder zones. As for the other planters, it’s not too late to start those with seeds. Depending on your zone, it may better to start them indoors. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spring-is-sproinging-planting-thoughts-for-a-new-year/849126/43 "2020-03-14T20:08:28Z")
Spring more or less begins in mid-February in California, so I really should have planted stuff weeks ago. This year I decided to build a raised bed garden. So I built that, and then it rained last weekend so I wasn’t able to plant anything. Then it was warm and sunny all week while I was at work and didn’t have the time. Now this weekend it’s raining again. Hopefully next weekend I’ll be able to get some tomato and pepper and basil plants at the farmers market and get them planted. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spring-is-sproinging-planting-thoughts-for-a-new-year/849126/44 "2020-03-15T09:11:56Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Most varieties of lettuce are at least slightly frost-hardy (some more than others); so if you’re past all but the occasional frost, lettuce should be fine. And sowing some seeds every two or three weeks is exactly how to do it. Lettuce will bolt sooner or later (again some varieties faster than others) so the way to have it all season is to keep re-seeding it. > > Basil, on the other hand, is very frost-tender; and is cut-and-come-again. Either start it indoors or wait till after danger of frost; but you don’t need to seed it repeatedly. Just keep trimming the plant back as you want to use it. If it goes into bloom, the flowers are also edible; and basil, unlike lettuce or cilantro, doesn’t change flavor when it starts to flower; but if it starts getting really leggy, trim it back some extra. > > If you like dill pickles at all, try dilly beans. They’re very good, and presuming you use the right sort of recipe so that you’ve got enough vinegar, they can be hot water bathed\*. > \*if I were saying that, I’d say it with the short a of “bath” in this context. But spelled out like that, it looks like it would be said with the long “a” I associate with the different meaning of ‘past tense of a human, or possibly other animal, taking a bath to get clean; or going swimming’. I should be able to buy seeds at the grocery store, so I’ll try sowing the lettuce and peas outside, asap. I have a cardboard egg carton, so I could try starting basil inside. I’ll might have to take some of the dirt out of the containers, I’m not sure there’s any at the store. And I’ll see if there’s some flower seeds as well. The window containers could come inside. Actually I could start the basil in one of those. Hmm. And the mention of dilly beans reminds me that I saw pickling cucumbers at the store. I have a packet of pickling spice, which I believe is for cold processing. So I could try that. I always buy a basil seeding and end up not using as much as I could. I should try freezing some, assuming I can get it to grow, for use during the winter. Probably will have to mow the lawn soon. It’s getting a bit raggedy. Fortunately it’s small, so it won’t take long to mow. ---
**Author:** ![Sandwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@Sandwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sandwood)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spring-is-sproinging-planting-thoughts-for-a-new-year/849126/45 "2020-03-15T11:34:10Z")
A gardening thread! I do a fair amount of balcony gardening every year. It’s still a bit too early for most things, but I do have some herbs already (citrus thyme and winter savory), plus my usual pot of spring onions. This is just the white bulbs of store-bought spring onions cut off and planted into soil, after which the green part regrows and can be cut off as needed. I left them out on the balcony all winter, didn’t harm them at all since the weather was so mild. I’ve been wondering something else though, and I wanted to ask about input and thoughts on sterilizing potting soil. I usually just re-use all my soil every year, but last year I had a case of whitefly and now I’m worried that the soil may be contaminated with larvae or eggs. I really don’t want to throw everything out, so I thought I could try and sterilize the actual soil plus all the pots and planters that I used. Any ideas? Bake it in batches in the oven? Throw boiling water on it? I live in an area that is on virus lockdown right now, so I got lots of spare time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spring-is-sproinging-planting-thoughts-for-a-new-year/849126/46 "2020-03-15T14:20:16Z")
Don’t forget radishes! There are many varieties and they grow quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spring-is-sproinging-planting-thoughts-for-a-new-year/849126/47 "2020-03-15T14:37:45Z")
> [@Sandwood](#): > > I’ve been wondering something else though, and I wanted to ask about input and thoughts on sterilizing potting soil. I usually just re-use all my soil every year, but last year I had a case of whitefly and now I’m worried that the soil may be contaminated with larvae or eggs. > > I really don’t want to throw everything out, so I thought I could try and sterilize the actual soil plus all the pots and planters that I used. Any ideas? Bake it in batches in the oven? Throw boiling water on it? The whitefly life cycle involves egg-laying on foliage, growth of nymphs and then pupation before adults emerge. So if you discard any foliage remaining from the previous season you should be OK to re-use the potting soil (of course, this may not eliminate other pathogens present in soil. I generally dump old potting soil on the ornamental garden and start afresh with new potting soil in my vegetable tubs, but this can get expensive). I’ve heard of people baking soil in the oven to sterilize it. Apart from the mess, baked soil supposedly has a memorable odor you may not want in your home. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spring-is-sproinging-planting-thoughts-for-a-new-year/849126/48 "2020-03-15T15:08:15Z")
I’ve sanitized soil by baking it - it’s a pain in the butt since you can’t do very much at a time. Here’s some directions - [this set includes steaming and microwaving method](https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/sterilizing-soil.htm)s. If you have enough room and warm sunny weather, you can also just sanitize soil using sunlight. Lay down a sheet of plastic, spread the soil on it (don’t go more than about 6 inches deep), moisten, and then lay another sheet of plastic over it. Leave it for a month to six weeks - longer if the weather is cool. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spring-is-sproinging-planting-thoughts-for-a-new-year/849126/49 "2020-03-15T15:20:18Z")
For those gardeners worried about getting coronavirus-contaminated plants and supplies via mail order (yes Virginia, there are actually such concerns out there), one source reassures us that the risk is very, very low. > **[Boxed U.S. Plant Shipments Unlikely to Transmit Coronavirus](https://www.fbts.com/Ask-Mr-Sage-Can-I-Get-Coronavirus-from-FBTS-Shipments.html?utm_source=Salvia%2BAlert%21&utm_campaign=94adf619a3-UA-6692714-2&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5bcf677f61-94adf619a3-246437657&goal=0_5bcf677f61-94adf619a3-246437657&mc_cid=94adf619a3&mc_eid=4b11d5a078)** > > Cardboard boxed mail-order plant shipments are unlikely to transmit Coronavirus infection says Ask Mr. Sage at FBTS Online Plant Nursery. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spring-is-sproinging-planting-thoughts-for-a-new-year/849126/50 "2020-03-15T20:08:17Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > You’d think, but they likely know something I don’t. Hard on the vendors, though. They may not know something you don’t. They may just be freaking out and flailing. As you say, hard on the vendors. If you have contact info for any of them, they may well be able to arrange some sort of drop off / pick up system. > [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > I always buy a basil seeding and end up not using as much as I could. I should try freezing some, assuming I can get it to grow, for use during the winter. Basil’s easy to air dry; just hang some up somewhere with good air circulation. Excess dried basil IME makes a good present. I don’t know about freezing it – maybe in ice cubes? But it really doesn’t like to be cold; though you can certainly freeze sauces that have basil as an ingredient. You could also try bringing the plant indoors for the winter. If you can get enough light on it, either sun or artificial light, it might well keep right on growing. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spring-is-sproinging-planting-thoughts-for-a-new-year/849126/51 "2020-03-15T23:43:43Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > As you say, hard on the vendors. If you have contact info for any of them, they may well be able to arrange some sort of drop off / pick up system. Yep. I mentioned that in my original post about this. Most of the farmers there live within a few miles of me so we can make other arrangements. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Basil’s easy to air dry; just hang some up somewhere with good air circulation. Excess dried basil IME makes a good present. I don’t know about freezing it – maybe in ice cubes? Chopping basil up and freezing it in ice cubes works if you plan on using it in sauces - you just toss them into whatever you are making and adjust the liquid content if necessary to compensate for the extra water or broth you use to freeze the basil. I put a teaspoon of leaves into each ice cube cup and then top with water or broth. You can also just make the sauce you were going to use it in and freeze that. I’ve also made pesto and frozen it, but you lose the bright green color, so it’s better off used in applications that don’t rely on appearance. I also have a dehydrator - our air here is too humid to air-dry anything well most of the year - and as long as you can store it in an airtight container away from heat and light, dried basil will keep well for a year or so. Once I dry it, I just crumble it and store it in an airtight spice jar. ---
**Author:** ![Sandwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@Sandwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sandwood)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spring-is-sproinging-planting-thoughts-for-a-new-year/849126/52 "2020-03-16T12:12:27Z")
Thank you for the input on sanitizing soil, everyone! I tried baking a batch in the oven yesterday, in a baking dish with aluminium foil on top so it could happily steam away inside. The odour was as expected but not horrible, it sort of reminded me of peat actually. I’m still waiting to see whether the oven took on any smells inside though, haven’t used it since yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spring-is-sproinging-planting-thoughts-for-a-new-year/849126/53 "2020-03-16T16:23:05Z")
Freezing is better; air drying leads to loss of the volatile copoments. With as little air as possible! In ice is a good idea, but make sure you used the melted ice–for the same reason. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spring-is-sproinging-planting-thoughts-for-a-new-year/849126.md?page=2)