内容摘要：Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams calls out a play for his defense against Vanderbilt during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)

Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams calls out a play for his defense against Vanderbilt during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)

Handle fragile seedling roots gingerly when repotting to minimize the odds of transplant shock (newspaper and toilet paper roll pots are biodegradable, so there is no need to remove plants from them when upsizing containers; just plant the whole pot into a larger one.)You might be wondering why you shouldn’t just start seeds in larger containers from the outset. It’s a logical question with an equally logical answer: Larger pots require a larger amount of potting mix, which would hold more water than a seedling’s fledgling roots can absorb. That excess moisture would place seedlings at risk of root rot, an often-fatal plant disease caused by excess moisture.

It’s also cost-effective to go smaller. Sterile seed-starting mix is more expensive than ordinary potting mix, and you’ll use considerably less in a smaller container than in a larger one. When repotting young plants, you can use ordinary potting mix in their step-up containers, but never use ordinary garden soil; it’s too dense and may harbor pests or pathogens.Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign upfor weekly gardening tips and advice.

For more AP gardening stories, go toI see you, sitting there by the fire with your cup of hot cocoa (or wine). Don’t get too comfortable.

You might think you can rest on your laurels now that there’s a break in the mowing, weeding, sowing and planting action. But fall and winter are the best times to tend to your garden’s maintenance and prepare for the next growing season.

For instance, have youIn many areas across the country, pollen counts have broken decades of records. In late March, Atlanta Allergy & Asthma measured a pollen count of over 14,000 grains per cubic meter, which is considered extremely high.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.▶ Follow live updates on

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans early Thursday took a major step forward on President Donald Trump’s agenda, approving a legislative package that combines tax breaks, spending cuts, border security funding and other priorities.House committees labored for months on the bill, which underwent late changes to win over holdouts in the Republican conference. It exceeds 1,000 pages and is titled the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a nod to Trump himself.