Dear Helen: In the last few years, I’ve been disappointed with the quality of the potting soil I buy, for both indoor and outdoor use. It seems to be without much substance. Can you recommend ways to augment these thin, wispy potting soils?
L.S.
I’ve had many comments just like yours complaining about not being able to find potting soil that suits them. Some types that people had come to rely on became hard to find in recent years.
I’ve always made it a practice to add some sterilized soil with substance to any standard potting mix that I started out with as the base of a completed blend. I agree, most basic mixes lack substance. Adding a weightier soil blend gives outdoor container plantings added “staying power” through the growing season.
For adding that element of substance I look for an “all-purpose” soil that specifies that it is suitable for indoor use and for seeding as well as for potting in general. A potting mix labelled “multi-purpose” is not the same. Always check for “all-purpose” and look also for seeding directions.
Currently, to a mix such as a general-purpose Pro-Mix, I add either, or both, of these two products: Cinnabar Valley Farms Premium Organic All Purpose Potting Soil, which is more peat-like than the other, heavier one — Island’s Finest Professional Premium Sterilized Potting Soil — Tout Usage (all-purpose).
Dear Helen: In a recent column you mentioned harvesting carrots last month and making a carrot cake with them. Would you consider sharing the recipe?
D.J.
I’ve been making this carrot cake from the time my children were tiny tots. The original recipe called for one cup sugar, which I have reduced to one-third cup. The carrots are already sweet and I routinely cut the sugar down or out of almost all recipes. Here’s the version I use. Add more sugar if you want.
Carrot Cake
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup oil (I use grapeseed)
3 eggs, added one at a time while beating
1 to 2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/3 cups flour
2 cups grated carrot
Mix sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Combine dry ingredients in another bowl and add to oil and egg blend. Add carrots. Bake for one hour at 300 F in a nine by nine pan. Optional: Add pecans to the batter.
Icing: Again, I avoid “sugar bombs” such as the usual cream cheese and icing sugar blend. Instead, I mix a little maple syrup (and cream if needed) with cream cheese for topping individual slices of the cake.
GARDEN EVENTS
Abkhazi news and plant sale. Abkhazi Garden and Teahouse, 1964 Fairfield Rd. in Victoria, are now open seven days a week, 11 a.m. 5 p.m., with last entrance at 4. Their website: conservancy.bc.ca. Reservations are recommended for the teahouse. Phone 778-265-6466. The Garden is hosting plant sales this Saturday and Sunday, April 22 and 23, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Most of the plants are grown from the garden, including irises, shade perennials and unique garden gems. Proceeds help to maintain the Abkhazi Garden.
Alpine show and sale. The Vancouver Island Rock and Alpine Society will host their Annual Spring Show and Sale on Friday, April 21, 1 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lambrick Park Church, 1780 Feltham Rd. in Victoria. Enjoy beautiful exhibits, unusual plants for sale with club members on hand to advise, and seed sales. virags.com.
Rhododendron show and sale. The Mount Arrowsmith Rhododendron Society will hold a Show and Sale on Saturday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Qualicum Beach Curling Club, 644 Memorial Ave. Admission is free. Shop for rhododendrons and perennials, with expert advice on hand. marsrhodos.ca.
Container vegetables. The Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St. in Victoria, is offering a workshop on Growing Vegetables in Containers on Saturday, April 29, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Learn about what types of containers are the best to use, how to choose the right soil, and what varieties of fruit and vegetables are best grown in containers. For information and registration, call 250-386-9676, email office@compost.bc.ca, or go online at compost.bc.ca/publicworkshops.
