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Carefully tip the pot of the plant you’re using in the planter to loosen the soil from the inside of its original pot. Doing this when your plant’s soil is wet works best because the soil will stay together better. Remove the entire plant with its roots and soil all together. You want to try to keep the roots of your plant the way they are as much as possible to avoid damaging them. Once they’re settled into your planter, they will start to take up more space, but for now, don’t spread them out. Simply set the whole plant with roots and soil into your new planter. On the other hand, if the plant appears to be root-bound in its current container, loosen the roots gently outwards with your fingers. A root-bound plant will have visible roots that coil around the inside of the pot. Unless your plant with its original soil is wide enough to fill your tall planter to its edges, you’ll need to fill in the remaining space with topsoil. Make a nice smooth top  layer of soil at the base of the plant, and give your plant some extra soil around its base if it lost any in the transplant. Many potted plants do well when their soil is changed each year, so they get new nutrients. You can discard the old soil from your planter into other parts of your garden, and use a new bag of topsoil to replace it. When you’re replacing the soil, peek down into your bottom filler to see if it needs to be replaced.  Change your bottom filler if you used wood and it’s starting to rot, or become squishy and smelly; and change out aluminum cans if they are starting to rust. Plastic items and Styrofoam generally last a long time, but it doesn’t hurt to check on them and see if they are breaking down and could be replaced. Rocks, broken pottery, and clay pebbles will be the materials that last the longest out of your bottom fillers. As an alternative to replacing the top soil completely, you can also just mix compost, leaf mold, manure, peat moss, gypsum, or other soil amendments into the soil. This works best if you originally started with healthy or living soil instead of premixed potting soil. If you used a mix like Miracle-Gro, it is likelier that you will need to replace the soil every year. Consider replacing it with living or organic soil.

summary: Remove your plant or flower from its original pot. Set the whole plant with its original soil into the center of your planter. Fill the surrounding space with topsoil. Change the topsoil and check on your filler each year. Mix in compost or soil amendments instead of replacing your topsoil.


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Outdoor flowers and plants often wilt due to a lack of moisture and a lack of water. This is especially common if it has been hot and dry outside, as the plant may need to use more water in its soil to stay hydrated. Check if the top soil is dry by sticking your forefinger into the soil so it is a few inches into the soil. If the soil is dry to the touch, the plant likely needs a good watering.  Water the plants in the early morning as this will help them conserve water for the rest of the day. If the flowers are planted in a flower bed, make sure you put mulch around the flowers as this can help to reduce soil evaporation.  Be generous with the water, as it can be difficult to overwater potted plants, particularly if the pot has good drain holes at the bottom. You should check the potted plants daily in the morning to ensure the top soil is not too dry and water the flowers again if the soil is still dry. If the soil appears to have moved away from the sides of the pot and is very dry, you may need to poke small holes into the soil with a pen to ensure the water reaches the plant's roots. If you do not do this, the water could simply flood the sides of the pot and not reach the roots at all. Deadheads are flower heads that have died or shrivelled up on the stem. You should trim off deadheads with gardening shears to signal to the plant that it is time to release fresh buds. Cut just below the deadheads but avoid trimming off too much of the stem on the plant. You should also remove any brown leaves and brown petals to give your flowers a chance to refresh itself. You can buy a potting soil mix that contains slow-release fertilizer or you can add slow-release fertilizer to the soil after the flowers have already been potted. Slow-release fertilizer can help the flowers stay healthy, but you may also need to fertilize the plant weekly to keep it looking perky. Use water-soluble fertilizer that has a formula of 15-30-15 or 20-10-20. Another option is to alternate with a "bloom booster" formula that is high in phosphorus (10-52-10). This will help to stimulate the growth of new flowers. If the flowers are really wilting and looking sad, you may want to consider replanting the flowers in a new pot. Use potting soil that contains slow-release fertilizer in your new pot and take the time to water and fertilize the flowers in their new pot. This could give your potted flowers the extra boost they need to stay healthy and vibrant. Make sure the pot has good drainage holes so the water can be soaked up by the soil when  you water the flowers.

summary: Give the potted flowers more water if the top soil is dry. Trim and remove any deadheads. Add slow-release fertilizer to the soil. Move the flowers to a new pot.


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These products can protect you when you go outside. You can spray on the insecticide or use products that make the area around them undesirable to the insects, such as candles. The best product for combating no-see-ums is DEET, but other products, such as citronella, can help.  Make sure that you follow all of the instructions when using these products. Insecticides can be dangerous when used incorrectly. Use insecticides only when you are going outside. Reapply them as directed on the product label. Keep the insects off your skin so that they can’t bite you. Cover your exposed skin with long sleeves, pants, socks, shoes, and a hat. You may even want to wear a hat with a fine mesh netting attached so that the bugs can't bite your face! Lighter-colored clothing will deter bugs better than darker clothes. These pesky insects will come into your home and bite you. No-see-ums are small enough to fly through a window screen, so the window must be fully closed to keep them out. Their most active time is the morning and evening, so it’s especially important to keep windows and doors shut during this time. Install mesh door and window screens to help keep the bugs out. Turning on a fan makes it harder for the insects to fly in the area. Any kind of fan will help, but an oscillating fan will protect the largest area. Use your fan safely! Don’t place it near a pool or other body of water, as it could fall in and create a shock hazard. Make sure that all extension cords are plugged in safely and do not pose trip hazards. No-see-ums lay their eggs in moist soil, which you’ll often find around ponds, rivers, and other waterways. Their most active season is mid- to late- summer, so you’ll encounter more of them around this time.  When camping during summer, choose a site that isn’t near a waterway. Since coastal areas can be a prime habitat, consult local maps before visiting or purchasing property in coastal areas.
summary: Use an insecticide like DEET to kill the flies. Wear protective clothing. Keep your windows and doors closed in mid- to late-summer. Discourage the insects with a fan. Avoid moist soil, such as around waterways, during peak season.