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No matter what the weather outdoors, plants indoors are getting hungrier and thirstier this time of year. How are you going to give them the food they need to keep growth apace with burgeoning sunlight?
If the plants are new to your home or you just repotted them, the potting soil itself might supply food — for a while, at least. Compost in potting mixes slowly releases a smorgasbord of nutrients, sparing you — if there’s enough compost — the need to even think about having to feed a plant for a year or more. Most potting mixes that you buy or that new plants come in, however, do not contain compost.
Still, even a compost-less potting mix might provide extended sustenance if it contains some slowly available food source, either an organic one such as soybean meal or a specially formulated, slow-release chemical one. Those little glass-like beads you may have noticed on the soil beneath commercial plants? That’s probably a slow-release chemical fertilizer.
ONE OPTION: SPRINKLE FERTILIZER ON THE SOIL
Feeding is eventually necessary, and the most straightforward way to do it is to just sprinkle plant food on the surface of the potting soil. If there’s room below the rim of the pot, a half-inch or so of compost will do the job and confer other benefits of a compost mulch: better water infiltration, smothering of small weeds, and some protection against pests.
Your plants won’t get these other benefits with the previously mentioned soybean meal fertilizer, the slow-release chemical, or other concentrated fertilizers.
Nutrients in the compost, soybean meal or slow-release chemical fertilizer percolate into the soil when you water from above.
Some gardeners water their houseplants from below, filling the saucers beneath the pots so water is drawn up into the pots. In this case, fertilizer applied on the soil’s surface won’t get down to plant roots. Furthermore, if water is applied from below too frequently, salts build up in the soil, damaging roots. So it’s always a good idea to water from above at least occasionally.
ANOTHER OPTION: FERTILIZE WITH YOUR WATERING
Another way to fertilize houseplants is to feed them as you water them. You need a food that dissolves readily in water. Many gardeners use one of the popular brands of water-soluble, chemical fertilizer, but they all work well as long as you follow their specific application directions.
If you’d rather “grow organically,” then use one of the commercially available seaweed or fish extracts, or make your own extract by steeping compost or manure in water until the water turns the color of tea. Once everything greens up in spring, you can even make a nourishing “tea” by steeping a nutrient-rich plant such as stinging nettles in water for a few days.
As long as your “tea” or water-soluble fertilizer is not too concentrated, go ahead and use it to water your plants every time they are thirsty. Alternatively, feed periodically — once every two weeks, for example — with a more concentrated solution.
YET MORE WAYS TO FERTILIZE HOUSEPLANTS
Wander along the fertilizer aisle of any store selling gardening products and you’ll see that there are fancier ways to feed your houseplants. You can buy marble-size balls or spikes of compressed fertilizer that begin to slowly bleed nutrients after you push them into the soil.
Leaves can absorb nutrients to some degree, and foliar feeding provides yet another way to nourish your plants. However, foliar sprays are best reserved for emergency use on starving plants because they’re not very efficient and can damage leaves.
In fact, any fertilizer can cause damage. (Compost cannot damage plants, but it has a low nutrient content so is technically an “amendment” rather than a “fertilizer”.) Just as you would not eat the same amount of calorie-rich ice cream as calorie-poor broccoli, you should not feed your plants the same amount of a rich food — such as a concentrated chemical fertilizer — as a leaner food, such as seaweed extract. And, furthering the comparison, ice cream — even in the correct dose — is not better for you than broccoli, just more concentrated in calories.
Your plants are at your mercy, so follow feeding rates on fertilizer packaging with even more care than you follow “serving size” recommendations on that carton of ice cream.

The following are the radio dispatch logs from the Morgan City Police Department. To report unlawful or suspicious activity, call the police department at 985-380-4605.

Tuesday, March 26

7:09 a.m. 8400 block of La. 182; Alarm.

9:26 a.m. 7000 block of La. 182; Theft.

9:37 a.m. 300 block of Fifth Street; Medical.

10:45 a.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Medical.

10:46 a.m. Maple and Palm streets; Utilities.

1:58 p.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Assistance.

2:09 p.m. 500 block of Egle Street; Harassment.

2:11 p.m. 500 block of General MacArthur Street; Disturbance.

2:43 p.m. 2400 block of Tiger Drive; Complaint.

2:57 p.m. 300 block of Cardinal Street; Assistance.

3:14 p.m. Railroad and Federal avenues; Frequent patrols.

3:40 p.m. 800 block of Willard Street; Medical.

4:41 p.m. Marquis Manor; Alarm.

6:51 p.m. Egle Street; Warrants.

7:35 p.m. 300 block of Egle Street; Removal of subject.

7:44 p.m. 1500 block of Bernice Street; Medical emergency.

7:48 p.m. 2100 block of Sixth Street; Complaint.

7:50 p.m. 7500 block of La. 182 East; Complaint.

8:24 p.m. 200 block of Terrebonne Street; Domestic disturbance.

9:15 p.m. 7600 block of La. 182 East; Alarm.

10:39 p.m. 200 block of Glenwood Street; Loud music.

Wednesday, March 27

1:48 a.m. 1000 block of Greenwood Street; Alarm.

2:31 a.m. 600 block of Barrow Street; Complaint.

A 19-year-old Bayou Vista man was booked on drug charges after detectives searched his home and found marijuana and drug paraphernalia, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith said in a news release.

—Brennan Giandelone, 19, of 3 B’s Lane in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 4:27 p.m. Monday on charges of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute over 14 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of controlled dangerous substance law in a drug-free zone.

Narcotics detectives executed a search warrant in the 100 block of 3 B’s Lane in Bayou Vista. During the search, detectives located marijuana and drug paraphernalia, Smith said. The home is located within 2,000 feet of a church. Giandelone was jailed with no bail set.

Smith reported that deputies responded to 35 complaints and reported the following arrests:

—Wilbur James Richard Jr., 35, of Muriel Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 11:46 a.m. Monday on a warrant for failure to appear on charges of possession of Alprazolam, possession of drug paraphernalia first offense and possession of marijuana.

Richard was located at the Morgan City Police Department jail. He was transported to St. Mary Parish jail on the warrant. Bail was set at $10,000.

—Ricky Joseph Lightsey, 43, of Sixth Street in Berwick, was arrested at 9:31 p.m. Monday on a warrant charging him with battery of a dating partner.

—Donna Sue Mayon, 53, of Lori Lane in Patterson, was arrested at 9:31 p.m. Monday on a charge of battery of a dating partner.

A deputy went to Lori Lane in Patterson to conduct a follow up investigation. Upon arrival, the deputy spoke with Lightsey and Mayon about the altercation between the two that occurred Sunday. After speaking with both subjects, they admitted to being involved in a physical altercation with one another, Smith said.

Lightsey had an active warrant for battery of a dating partner. Mayon was then arrested due to her involvement in the altercation. Both were jailed with no bail set.

—Stephanie Lightfoot, 56, of Filmore Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 2:01 a.m. Tuesday on a charge of driving under suspension.

A deputy patrolling the area of Cypress Street in Amelia observed a vehicle fail to use a turn signal. Upon conducting a traffic stop, Lightfoot was identified as the driver. A background check on Lightfoot revealed she was driving under suspension, Smith said. Lightfoot was issued a summons to appear in court June 19.

—Dat H. Duong, 52, of Glenwood Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 5:37 p.m. Monday on charges of stop signs and yield signs violation, possession of crack cocaine and violation of controlled dangerous substance law in a drug-free zone.

Narcotics detectives were patrolling the area of Siracusaville when they observed a vehicle fail to stop at a stop sign. Detectives conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, identified as Duong.

After questioning Duong, he gave consent to search his vehicle. Upon searching the vehicle, detectives found crack cocaine, the sheriff said. The location of the traffic stop was within 2,000 feet of a church. Duong was jailed with no bail set.

—Brennan Skinner, 26, of Grace Street in Siracusaville, was arrested at 6:13 p.m. Monday on warrants charging him with two counts of criminal neglect of family and resisting an officer.

—Zacolby L. Granger, 27, of Grace Street in Siracusaville, was arrested at 6:13 p.m. Monday on a warrant charging him with failure to appear for an expired license plate.

—Cedric Benjamin Gant, 21, of Grace Street in Siracusaville, was arrested at 6:13 p.m. Monday on a warrant charging him with littering, obstruction of justice, prohibited acts/drug paraphernalia and unlawful posting of criminal activity.

Narcotics detectives were patrolling the area of Siracusaville and observed Skinner, Granger and Gant in a yard on Grace Street. Detectives knew all three suspects had warrants. Skinner, Granger and Gant were jailed. Skinner’s bail was $3,239.41. Granger’s bail was $100. Gant’s bail was $20,000.

—James P. Tassin, 48, of Lake Arrowhead Road in Harvey, was arrested at 12:33 a.m. Tuesday on charges of failure to signal, possession of schedule I drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A K9 unit patrolling the Amelia area when he observed a vehicle fail to use a turn signal. A traffic stop was conducted and the deputy identified the driver as Tassin.

He appeared nervous while speaking to the deputy. The deputy asked for consent to search the vehicle, which Tassin denied, the sheriff said.

K9 Buddy was deployed to conduct an open-air sniff. K9 Buddy was alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle. During the search of the vehicle, marijuana was found along with drug paraphernalia, Smith said. Tassin was issued a summons to appear in court June 19.

Morgan City Police Chief James Blair reported that officers responded to 43 calls and reported the following arrests:

—Joshua Paul Francois, 27, of Wren Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 8 a.m. Monday on a warrant charging him with failure to appear pay a probation fee and a charge of probation violation.

Francois was located at parish jail and arrested on a city court warrant. He was transported to the Morgan City Police Department.

—Desmond Jerrod Richard, 37, of Mike Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 12:05 p.m. Monday on warrants charging him with three counts of failure to appear to pay fines, three counts of contempt of court and one count of probation violation.

Richard was located at the Patterson Police Department and arrested on warrants for City Court of Morgan City. He was jailed.

—Colby Tyrese Nicholas, 19, of Wren Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 2:29 p.m. Monday on a warrant charging him with criminal trespassing and a 16th Judicial District Court warrant charging him with four counts of failure to appear.

An officer came into contact with Nicholas on Egle Street. Nicholas had warrants for police and district court. He was jailed.

—Rebecca Martin, 47, of Fifth Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 2:53 p.m. Monday on a charge of remaining after forbidden.

An officer responded to a Willow Street home in reference to a person refusing to leave the property. Officers learned from the homeowner that Martin came to the home and was refusing to leave, Blair said. Martin was given several opportunities to leave the home but refused to leave, Blair said. She was jailed.

—Jonathan Jermaine Motte, 35, of Oak Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 5:04 p.m. Monday on charges of resisting an officer, possession of marijuana first offense, possession of methamphetamine (2 grams to 28 grams) and violation of uniform controlled dangerous substance law-drug-free zone.

An officer patrolling Egle Street came into contact with Motte on Morgan City Housing Authority property. While officers were speaking to Motte, they noticed Motte was holding a plastic bag containing suspected marijuana, Blair said.

When officers attempted to arrest Motte, he pulled away and began fleeing the arresting officer. While Motte was eluding the officer he attempted to discard the suspect marijuana, Blair said. He was taken into custody by the pursuing officer.

During the search of Motte, police found suspected drug paraphernalia, Blair said. Once at the police department, officers located a bag containing suspected methamphetamine he had concealed on his body, Blair said. Motte was jailed.

—Gregory Warren Ballance, 20, of Morgan City, was arrested at 3:34 a.m. Tuesday on warrants charging him with failure to appear to pay a fine and probation violation.

Ballance was located at Berwick Police Department and arrested on warrants for City Court of Morgan City. He was jailed. Berwick police had arrested Ballance on the warrants at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday

Berwick Police Chief David Leonard Sr. reported the following arrest:

—Brian Ott, 39, of Mount Street in Berwick, was arrested at 4:05 a.m. Tuesday on charges of driving under suspension, no vehicle registration and no insurance. Bail was set at $378.