Five Signs it’s Time to Repot:

1. Root-bound
2. Roots coming out of the bottom or top
3. Yellow leaves
4. Loss of leaves
5. Stagnation of growth

The growth of your household plants continues based on the nutrients available, and repotting your plant gives your green some new and fitting nutrients. In varying times your plant will outgrow their containers, so depending on the plant, you may need to repot each spring or every 2 to 5 years. The plant’s roots are likely to be the first to indicate a need for more nutrients. This could be shown in roots extending past the bottom of the pot, or the roots may take the shape of your container, making the plant “root-bound”.

A root-bound plant is identified by the roots encircling the top or bottom of your pot, showing the roots need more room to grow. Additionally, the plant could be asking for a larger living space, if its roots are coming out of the bottom of the pot. The best way to check, each spring get your hands a little dirty and gently investigate the interior of your pot. 

The roots aren’t the only source the plant may use to show its needs. The leaves of a plant turning yellow can indicate overwatering or a lack of nutrients, or maybe both. If the leaves of your plant are dying off frequently, or the plant isn’t growing any new leaves (or stems dependent on the plant) the plant could be craving more nutrients. The leaves or flowers can’t grow if the plant is overcrowding its living space. The combination of yellowing, or loss of leaves and over-grown roots are strong indicators it’s time to move. 

What’s Next?

1. Repot and Re-soil
2. Trim and Refresh

There are two options this spring if your plant has outgrown its space. First, you can repot and continue the growth of your household plant, verifying with a safe source the type of soil or fertilizer your plant needs moving forward. In contrast, if you’re happy with the size, there is still work to be done so plants can live in your ideal sized pot. Learning the language of your household plants includes understanding when to repot. If the goal is to grow, change its size. If you want to maintain, trim and refresh. The best time to repot is Spring, so before the season is over make sure you’re doing what’s best for your potted plants.

Fast Facts in Repotting

1. Your Ivy plants need to be repotted every 1 to 3 years
2. The household snake plants need to be repotted every 3 to 10 years
3. Succulents need a repot every two years
4. Spring is the best time to repot (or trim)

Whether you’re planning to hike, picnic, or barbecue, today’s gadgets can help you save money and energy, sustainably. In America, the average carbon footprint for each person is 16 tons, but buying from a trusted source and reducing overall consumption is a great way to make an individual impact. Not sure where to start? A non-profit that helps to verify trusted sources for consumers is B Lab, an organization that certifies companies with a “B Corp Certification”. A company awarded the B Corp Certification must follow three criteria; they “demonstrate high social and environmental performance,” remain “accountable to all stakeholders, not just shareholders,” and exhibit “transparency by allowing information about their performance” x. A certification that verifies a corporation’s care for its employees and consumers and follows a structure of sustainability before profits. We can follow that structure in our own purchases.

For our picnic and barbecue lovers, look to switching to reusable plates and utensils or save your extra food in a reusable food-storage wrap. Using beeswax instead of plastic reduces your carbon footprint and saves you money, as the washable wraps last for a year. Plus, before you throw them away, you can use your old food storage as a fire starter for your next barbecue. 

Into summer activities with more movement? Off-set your carbon footprint while moving with a backpack made from the plastic in our oceans. The plastics used in the backpacks were ocean-bound, mostly taken from the 1000 lakes that contribute 80% of ocean plastic. Solgaard sells packs in hopes of reducing our impact now and into the future, saving 229 plastic bottles from entering the ocean with any product. So, while you hike up your next trail using your solar-powered, plastic-saving backpack to charge your phone and keep your water cold, you can feel the weight of your carbon impact lifted from your back(pack). 

While a third of Americans enjoy hikes, half start their day with a cup of coffee y. Yet, as we start each day with coffee, coffee production actually emits more carbon than processing chickens, regardless of the following activities. Our solution: Overview Coffee. With regenerative agriculture, Overview prioritizes the health of the soil while maintaining high standards for animal welfare and worker fairness. Or well priced, Peace Coffee is a B Corp Certified company with a variety of coffee flavors.

Don’t need these products? Great, reducing our consumption is an excellent step towards sustainability, but when you do need your next pool floaty or a s’more stick, buy from a company you can trust. So, while you enjoy the outdoors or the indoors, you can know you’re helping to sustain our hikes and picnics and beach days for now and the future. 

References 

https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/certification/

https://dealsonhealth.net/coffee-statistics/

Background on DST and ST

The daylight savings time (DST) and Standard Time (ST) we know today are not exactly the first biannual change to our watches. In 1966 the Uniform Time Act was the first enacted federally mandated time change. While daylight savings time has been used since 1918 to reduce energy consumption, the biannual change from Daylight Savings Time (March to November) to Standard Time ( November to March) was altered multiple times over the past 30-some years. The time of year to change the clocks has been argued in order to achieve the objective; saving energy. In theory; by utilizing the sun to coincide with workdays we will use more sunlight during the working hours, so more energy is saved, and less money is spent. This was essential in the early 20th century. Before 1925, less than half of all homes in the U.S. held electric power, so the use of candles and gas cost the individual more in cost and emissions than our modern-day light bulbs. 

Modern DST and ST

Today, the theory of saving energy has been argued more and more in the past 15 years. Research has shown in Ontario that around 1% of energy was saved using daylight savings time. Comparatively, another group’s research concludes that the use of DST increased energy consumption in Indiana, mostly in the evenings. But beyond the objective, the biannual time change indicated other consequences. On the day of the time change, the rate of fatal car accidents increased up to 30%, and individuals’ mental health was shown to be negatively affected, pushing the argument against DST. Each industry of business holds different opinions on the potential change as well; golf-courses hope to utilize the additional light in the evening while schools worry about kids walking in dark mornings.

After The Change

Theoretically, we will see a small decrease in fatal car accidents, positive impacts on our mental health, and either a 1% increase in energy use or somewhere between 3% – 5% decrease in energy use. Opinions vary. Most states have spoken since 2015 with 30 states introducing legislation opposing the bi-season time change. If the Sunshine Protection Act is to pass, all 50 states will switch their clocks this coming November, the next March, and then keep in DST past our 2023 fall. So in November of 2023, schedule your meetings early; if the Sunshine Protection Act passes you may just make those morning meetings.