text:
Anything you wanna talk about II
For just one sec, I wanna talk about God's sense of humor. When God was creating woman, He promised men that good and obedient wives would be found in all corners of the world - right?
OK - so then he went and made the world round!
Happy spring to those already enjoying it; and happy almost spring for those still waiting on it.
A Haiku:
lone spring spruce bough, bent
wrathful, seething, March's wind
turned back on itself ~ Al
Lololol..Nice one Al!
Who was the first financier in the bible?
By the way, I would love you to help me choose the right pots for my what is going to be Bonsai plants, that is if you don't mind:-)
It is going to be in the 60's by the middle of next week! 30's for the next couple of days. I am wondering if I should uncover my pond now? I don't think it will freeze 2 feet deep now,Hummm..
Perennialfan! You could substitute perlite for grit and pumice, or floor dry for turfcae.
I get my fir bark from any orchid supplier on the web, something like Re-pot Me, in larger quantities I get it from a place like Tindra's Orchids locally, and or you can get it at a pet store called Repti-bark:-)
The link below will help you. It depicts Al's screens.
Here is a link that might be useful: Al's screens
The first financier in the bible was prolly either Noah or the Pharoah's daughter? You already asked me if I'd help you pick your bonsai pots - the answer's still 'Yes, I'd be happy to'. ;-)
PF - I buy my fir bark from Oak Hill Gardens in Dundee, just NW of Chicago whenever I'm in the neighborhood.
You can substitute very coarse perlite for the granite, and Calcined DE can be substituted for Turface. Many use Floor dry from NAPA, part #8822 I think it is. There are other combinations you can come up with using other materials, too.
Al - thanks for sharing your thoughts on God's sense of humor. My husband thought that was funny - he thought it was VERY funny - so much so I think I should be offended :-)
I'm new to trying your soil mixes, and am excited to be giving it a try in the next couple of days (as I round up my materials). I'd like to thank you for your kindness and your patience in sharing your knowledge. Of what I've read, I've had several "ah ha!" moments when I understood my failures with container gardening. I'd pretty much given up, but am hopeful now!
Howdy, folks! I like your haiku, Al ;-)
So here's what I want to talk about.....my Pachira. It's taller than I am (6 ft.), and shows no sign of slowing.
The roots are surely binding up in that small container, and it needs to be re-potted....but it also needs a pruning.
The issue I'm facing is this: if I wait for the optimum time to re-pot, this Pachira will have grown an additional
foot to foot and a half. Shortly after re-potting the last time, I wrote that I'd rather cut a hole in the roof for the
plant to grow than dig a hole in the ground to bury it...well, that hole in the roof ain't far off!
I've never properly chopped a Pachira before, although I've seen it done by others many times.
What would your strategy be to get this tree under control (if you were into large-leafed monster
sized plants that are no good for bonsai)? ;-)
Krikit (the SECOND really cool name I came across today) - thank you for your kind words and for not being TOO offended. ;-) I replied to an email similar to your message earlier today. In it, I said that I never get tired of 'seeing the light go on', and that thinking I might have had some part in helping you or someone else to a better growing experience is a big lift for me - I count both as blessings; so thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts. There is a really good group of people at this forum who will go a long way toward helping you to your goals. I'm sure we're all glad you're here.
Hey, Josh - If it's really healthy now, I'd chop it above the second healthy leaf above the soil a couple of weeks after you move it outdoors, & then repot around the summer solstice - just what you were planning to do, I bet. ;-)
Sorry Mike - I don't know how I missed your post. At least we answered the questions in the same way, eh? ;-)
Sigh - my Red Wings let me down today. ;-(
That's a good one, Al... and being female, I'm certainly glad the earth is round, for I will never stand behind any man, but am willing to stand next to him in equal partnership. Obedience is something you teach children and pets... not wives! I'm a modern liberal... what can I say! ;-)
Wonderful haiku, as well!
As for the "Anything II" part, how about those MMA ladies, eh?! Did anyone get to watch the Strikeforce matches held the other night? Women headlined the show, and the combat was incredible! If you missed it, and you are a fan, you should go check it out! I'm sure there are video clips posted at many of the MMA news or official websites.
Josh, that's some kind of tree you got there! I know next to nothing about how to culture something like that, but I'm sure Al's advice is right on. It doesn't seem to mind the small pot, though... I was thinking of the physics of that hole in the roof... and I'm thinking not cost effective in the long run! You'd literally be watching heating money go right out the roof! ;-)
Mike, if it were me, I'd hold off a bit on opening the pond... it's only March. Then again, I'm not sure how cold March can get in your neck of the woods. With the way our weather has been, I might wait a bit...
I'm stoked for this coming spring! I have an entirely new plan for this mess that was supposed to be a business that keeps getting thwarted by my partner, and I've formulated a plan... I'm bound and determined to get this off the ground and the first step is almost complete... a written business plan. Now, if I can just figure out a way to keep her out of MY way while I work... ;-)
But seriously... I hope everyone is ok, and that the bad weather across our country hasn't affected anyone negatively.
Happy Growing!
Hey, Perennial, I believe Al made those screens himself.
Jodi, thanks for the tips, ha! ;-) I removed a lot of roots when I re-potted last time,
and that's probably the only thing that has kept this Money Tree growing well; but this
is the point when growth will begin to be affected. Plus, the leaves are like windsails, and
there is no way that tiny pot can stay upright, even when saturated with water. Last Summer,
this Money Tree fell over three or four times...I shouldn't have put off the re-potting and pruning.
Now I'm paying for it with an unruly tree :-)
Thanks, Al, I appreciate your advice. I can't wait to whack this tree down to size and get
another look at those fat roots inside the pot!
PF - I did make my own screens. Here's some more detail
I don't know what your last post means??
Jodi - I recorded Sat's fights but haven't had time to watch 'em yet. Maybe tonight.
I have haiku aplenty. ;-)
spring's lips, moist with rain
kiss away the winter snow
makes my garden blush ~ Al
Hi Perennialfan,
You can fine screens at any hardware store.
My DH built my screen as well from this screen that you can find at any Home Depot or Lowes.
OH.... I was just wondering...Did you ever receive my Celadine that i sent to you last fall? Didnt here anything from you and i even sent you a few emails just to see if it arrived alright, since it was the largest rooted Celadine i have ever mailed. I was surprised when you never returned my emails.... HMMMMmmmm I like to help people, but it sure makes one wonder if they ever recieve them. So even a simple email w Just a note would be nice to let one know that it did arrive. It is a basic courtesy. I certainly hope that my beautiful tree is doing well...
I was sort of behind a husband and wife who were grocery shopping in their local Meijer store today. The husband picked up a case of Budweiser and put it in their cart.
"What do you think you're doing?" asked the wife.
"They're on sale, only $10 for 24 cans" he replied.
"Put them back, we can't afford them" demanded the wife - he did - and they continued shopping. A few aisles further on along the woman picked up a $20 jar of face cream and put it in the basket.
"What do you think you're doing?" asked the husband.
"It's my face cream. It makes me look beautiful," replied the wife.
Her husband earnestly replied: "So does 24 cans of Budweiser and it's half the price."
They called a code for what I'm sure was "MAN DOWN" in the pharmacy section. I'm certain the poor guy never knew what hit him. ;-)
I'm sorry Al. I really do appreciate your help. I just got a little frustrated. Anyways, Home Depot carries all the screens except the 3/8 inch one. Any ideas where I can find this?? As far as the ingredients for the gritty mix, I'm definitely getting the fir bark, but I can't decide which other two I should use. What do you recommend?? I'm slowly putting all the pieces together for this project.
Oh, and Laura you have mail!
Al, that was hilarious! I almost spit coffee at my monitor! :-)
Speaking of gifts, Laura, I wanted to let you know that one of the two Plumies didn't make the winter dormancy part. I am so disappointed... not so much that it didn't make it, because these things do happen... but that it was a gift. That part bothers me. Plants that are gifts are always special to me. The other one, though, is firm and green and hanging in there... and I think it's going to do some nice things this coming season!
Whenever someone is kind enough to send me seeds or cuttings, or any kind of plant material, it's like having a little piece of that friendship, in living form. And I always feel terrible if something doesn't flourish under my care. I've lost several "friendship" plants over the years, and each time it bothers me the same... I always feel saddened by the fact that I did something wrong, or couldn't provide it with what it needed... I don't know... it's a guilt mechanism, I think, even though we know we can't always control what Mother Nature does.
However, I still owe a few people gift packages, and I set aside the nicest plant material last fall in anticipation of spring shipping. It's been a little lean on my end, so sometimes shipping cost simply isn't there. But I have not forgotten... just wanted to let those who are waiting for plants know this. :-)
Al, I'm glad you got a chance to record the fights... I think you'll be quite intrigued by the way the ladies really "bring it", with respect to cage combat for these fights. There were two female fights on that card, and both were simply amazing! I'm not sure what the ratio of female to male fans is, but I become more and more impressed each time the women enter the cage. The skill levels are just so amazing, and you can see how much work goes into preparing for a fight! They fight so hard, but I think it's because it's difficult enough to enter a man's world and hold a spot within it, so they know they have to go above and beyond.
The husband was just saying the other day, when I asked him why UFC won't allow women to compete... he said, "how exciting and constantly moving were those fights?" And I said, "do I really need to answer that?" His response was, "I think the UFC is afraid the women will dominate and a lot of the men's fights just won't fill the seats once women are introduced." He could be right. Anyway... I think you'll enjoy the entire card, even the pre-fights if you grabbed those, too! You know you're getting old and have been watching a long time when the children of the fighters you used to root for are now making names for themselves!
Josh, if only that tree did sprout real money, right?! It kind of freaks me out to lop off anything severely, but I know that many times, it's in the best interest of the plant you're working with. In the end, though, I know it's the right thing to do, and once it recovers, it will be a lovely and interesting tree. As a bonus, it won't topple over every other day! ;-)
I watched the fights last night. I missed recording the prelims, so didn't see Kaufman's performance, but how could you NOT be impressed by what Rousey did on the mat? ;-) Just so we're not too far off topic (it IS a gardening forum), I wonder if Ronda sent Miesha flowers and a get well card next day? ;-)
No worries Jodik! All of my Desert Roses but 3 died and I have had enough with those! Luckily, the only one that looks great still is Laura':-)
I set that one on a heat matt in a sunny window even though the temps of the air are cold, and it is doing well. Yahoo!
65 tomorrow and today it was 32, What's up with that?
Hey, you said we we could talk about anything Al! Going fishing soon? How are teh chickadees? Is that spelled right? Probably not.lol
heck, everytine I type the word the, it always looks like this..teh...until I fix everyone of them in a sentence.
Hi Guys!!!
I really like the Haiku... just beautiful!!!
The poor man that had the mishap in the pharmacy section that had "MAN DOWN" the next message was probably ... "Clean up on aisle 5.." after she was done with him!!! : ) Men.. Things they do... : )
Im so sorry to hear of one of the Plumies taking a turn... I do understand how you feel about plants, cuttings that our friends give to us. They actually mean more to me than things that i purchase. Hopefully the other one will continue to grow strong and give you the beautiful blooms that you deserve. You are a wonderful kind soul and im so gratful to call you friend. Im touched by all you do and say...i do understand about the times...so please dont ever worry about that. The pictures of your beautiful Roses are enough to keep me and others happy. Just to know you are feeling well and that you and your family are doing alright is more than one could wish for. Please dont even give it a second thought. : )
Thank you for the email. Im glad to hear that the tree is doing well. Hope it continues to grow and bloom for you.
Hey Mike,
Im with you on the typos.. my fingers dont move as good as they should and i dont have time to go and correct sometimes..LOL SO most people understand what im saying...Thank Goodness!! LOL
Glad to hear that the DR is doing well. They are sometimes difficult. Same with the Plumies.. DOnt feel bad about the losses, we all have them!!! I lost a few special cuttings when the mail was lost for 7 days. They didn't have a chance. I was so bummmed beause they came from a special friend. All we can do is to try and do our best. I did see your pics of the great deal on the Five dollar special on the Citrus.. Great Find!!! : )
Hey Josh,
I agree with Jodi...LOL Dont add a sunroof to your house!!! LOL : ) Your deck looks wonderful. Do you seal it every year? We need to do something to ours. It has seen better days and to price out having it replaced made my mouth drop... It is about 28 years old and we put it in ourselves even the retaining wall when we put in the swimming pool. Now you need permits even to repace the old deck that is already in place. Its nuts!!
Thanks again Everyone!!!
Happy Spring to you AL !
Take care,
Hi Mike - the kids went ice fishing weekend before last & brought back about 100 nice lake perch. We cleaned & filleted them & froze them for future use. ;-)
Lots of the chickadees stayed north this year because it's been so mild, and food's been so easy to find with the lack of snow cover that I haven't even been out feeding the birds.
By all means - talk about whatever comes to mind - I don't care - just a chance to talk about whatever is on your mind, whether it's gardening or not.
Thanks, Laura. Happy Spring to you, too!
Another haiku for you:
while conjuring spring
for crocus pocus magic
mother nature sings ~ Al
Al, I kinda doubt there was any "get well soon" or "sorry I broke your arm - you should have tapped sooner" gift given after THAT match! If that doesn't go on record as "fight of the night", I don't know what would!
Rousey was an animal in the cage! And if you've been following the story at all, then you know that at the weigh-ins, Tate kinda pushed Ronda, getting in her face... and Ronda wasn't having it, and pushed back! Sure, there's a certain amount of hype before any match for publicity's sake, with a little trash talk from both camps, but what happened at the weigh-ins was messed up, as Ronda put it... and there was no glove touch before the match, as is usual.
People have been saying Rowdy Ronda is a "one trick pony" because she's won every fight so far with an arm bar... and after the fight, the husband asked one of his buddies, who was rooting for Tate, "how you like my one trick pony now, huh?!" Not surprisingly, his buddy didn't answer back. That arm bar was on purpose, and had Miesha's name written all over it!
When you're a fighter, and you're locked in a submission hold, there's a point where gameness and stupidity cross paths... Tate might be game, but common sense should have told her that serious injury was imminent if she didn't tap out. Careers have been ruined by taking the stupidity route.
Anyway... I was just so impressed by the ladies this time around... I mean, they always bring it hard, but this time... it was more like watching the top of the mens food chain in action! The pre-fights were great, too... Ryan Couture, Randy's kid, won against his opponent, though the name escapes me at the moment... and of course, Kaufman's fight was great to watch, also! I wish there were more weight classes for the girls, and more of a selection.
The Vera's were benched by Dana White... and Brandon's wife can really bang! And I heard that Chris Cyborg got suspended... caught with steroids in a test. Her excuse was "female issues", but c'mon... you'd have to be blind to not see she's enhanced a bit.
On to gardening... Mike, I know... the weather has been too crazy this past winter... yesterday, I turned off the heat in the kennel and put the fan on to dry it out and suck some of that 65 degree air through... but I was sure to batten down the hatches as soon as the sun went down. I'm not sure how cold it's supposed to be today... I haven't been out there yet. The wind is howling like a banshee, though... so there's probably another storm front being pushed through. You should notice the change in temps and the winds by tomorrow, I would think.
Speaking of gift plants, it's always the ones I'm sure won't make it that seem to summon up the energy and thrive somehow... while it's plants that should be easier to keep going that seem to give up the ghost. Why that is, I don't know... I just know I'm saddened by the loss of a gift, even though with plants, there's always a risk factor.
Laura, this year I should really be adding some great pictures to my albums online! I've got a new plan for everything this year, and as long as I can keep over-zealous partner, who won't listen me, out of my way... the gardens should be twice as lovely! I've got a lot in store as far as changes and additions go! Plus, a lot of the younger and smaller roses of last year should come into their own this season... roses seem to take about 3 years to really settle in and perform well.
I'm just so excited for spring! I have twice the work load coming up... but I think if I buckle down, I can get it all accomplished. I have to take all of our rose stock out of pots, shake off soil, root prune the older ones, and get them re-potted... and I have one large garden section left to plant with roses and companion perennials... which needs a sod strip and a double dig/amending first. Then, I have to rake and re-mulch other areas, do a lot of pruning, dividing... and I still want to mess around with some Daylily breeding... so... oh, and I have more rocks to edge with.
So, I got my work cut out for me... that's for sure! But with all the enthusiasm and support from you guys and gals, it'll be an enjoyable experience, and one of learning, as well.
I hope everyone has a great day! And as always... Happy Gardening!
On the houseplants forum I had suggested that someone use powdered sulfur as an antifungal agent after trimming back rotted roots, & someone mentioned what she wanted was 'flowers of sulfur'. THAT reminded me of one of my high school escapades, which reminds me of the difference between 1968 when 'the incident' occurred and now.
When I was a jr in HS, I was really good at chemistry. Even though you a student was supposed to have a full year of chemistry before he/she could be a lab assistant, Mrs. Engel made me one half way through my first year of chemistry. Some of the things I did to get in trouble were, throwing sodium (an active metal) down the drain where it reacted with the water to make free hydrogen which then exploded because of the exothermic reaction going on in the drain. I had safety glasses on, so none of the sodium got in my eyes, and the burns where the pieces of metal hit my face after exiting the drain with velocity only lasted a couple of weeks.
Then there was the wine she brought in to have the alcohol content tested. I build a liquid-cooled still to separate the ethanol from the wine. Since the experiment was closely controlled (the temperature) the distillate was virtually 100% alcohol. I know it killed the skin cells in my mouth, and she had no problem discerning where the 'product' went. ;-)
The real reason I started writing this was the 'flowers of sulfur' thing. I have no idea what made me think I had to see if I could make gunpowder, but that's what I thought. I looked up the recipe and discovered we had everything I needed in the room where I did my deeds, which was between 2 classrooms. I combined the right volume of potassium nitrate (salt peter), carbon black, and flowers of sulfur. Then I mixed them in an Erlenmeyer flask, which is one of those flasks that is wide on the bottom, tapers toward the top, then has a straight neck about 2" long. The flask was sitting on a lab cart, the Bunsen burner was under an exhaust hood, and I was using a long steel ladle to scoop up the powder and light it in the Bunsen burner. It went Pssffftttt really good and made an impressive flash. The hood did it's job and expelled the noxious smoke. What can I say - I was a kid & it was like homemade fireworks.
The whole thing went off the rails when I called the buddies in. They were even more enthusiastic about a new adventure than I, and set to emptying the flask a ladle at a time.
Well, one of the properties of sulfur is that it melts & burns for a long time. There was some sulfur stuck to the ladle that must still have been burning when my buddy stuck it back in the flask. Oh boy!
The think is, the thing didn't really explode, but since it WASN'T under the exhaust hood, flames shot from the mouth of the flask like it was a rocket. It was an old school, and the ceilings were 10' high, but the powder was well-made and 15' still wouldn't have been high enough. The flames shot to the ceiling, hit the ceiling & sort of did this really cool mushrooming thing. Did you ever see how much smoke black powder makes?
A LOT!!! Smoke filled the room. We threw the windows open, but the smoke the hood was removing just blew back in through the windows. We lay down on the floor to breath. Unfortunately, there was a student teacher taking my teacher's place in the classroom. When she saw the smoke pouring out from under the door, she threw the door open and immediately freaked. She ran to the hall, never mind we might be dead, and threw the fire alarm. We evacuated too.
The next hour was honors English. About 15 minutes into the class, the door burst inward, and in came Mrs Engel on the seething wave she was riding. She never even LOOKED at Mrs Lossee. In less than a second her eyes fastened on me; in another second she was on me, with a death grip on my ear. She yanked me into the hall and literally slapped the crap out of me - first time I EVER heard that kind of language from a teacher, too. It was a bad day.
I didn't get expelled, never even got called to the principal's office. I'm pretty sure, since we were only a block from the office, the principal figured her wrath was sufficient and I prolly wouldn't do it again. I'm also quite certain she went to bat for me, though I can't fathom why! lol
Eventually Mrs Engel & I made nice and I got back in her good graces; plus, I was able to hold on to my lab assistant's job. She even got me a summer job in a lab that turned into a pretty decent gig for a while. I can only imagine what would happen today if the same scenario was to play .....
Al, that must of been the week it was in the teens for a few days. We havn't had any ice on any pond around these parts yet! I have never ice fished, but would love to give it a try.
What a beautiful bird. You sure had your hands full last year with these cuties.
Now Al. I love that story above:-0)
You certainly have a vivid mind to go along with your vivid plants! I guess the science has stayed with you after all these years, because it shows!
When did you ever get interested in plants and in particular Bonsai? What was the rigger point and even better, what made you so determinned to learn about the intrcacies of life, in particular plants?
You have a natured gift.
I can't remember what I did yesterday or what I wore, but, wait, yes, I can remember how much I was in love with my art teacher just a few years ago when I was a bit younger. Her name was Miss Doris!
I was in high school then and that was the only class I looked forward too, other than gym, football and swimming in particular although come to think of it, I HATED the locker rooms.
I could never forget Miss Doris since she was my first infactuation. I bought her an apple and better yet, a whole watermelon since I knew that we her favorite frut. She looked like Dolly Parton:-)))))))
Jodik! Yes, this weather is a bit surreal! I keep imagining what is going to happen if winter decide to move back in once everything is out and blooming?
My Magnolia is about to bloom and it never does until Apri! I have seen snow in May!
Now this weekend due to extremely warm temps for the next TEN days, and I am talking 60's and 70's.
I have to uncover my pond so the frogs can jump out looking for the mosquitos hanging by there already, lay the down the mulch and rake the flower beds before the perennials come up.
Do you fertilize your shrubs religously anyone every spring, or do you just ignore them? I am talking about Rhodendrons, Azeala, and Hydranga? I never see my neighbors doing it, but boy do their shrubs come back every year in FULL bloom compared to mine.
Jodik, one can onlyn imagine the stench that comes from that farm house if the fans and heat aren't allowed to escape no matter how santitary one is.lol
Thank goodness the owners of that property have you and Larry.
Does this weather make it eaiser on your bones and health overall? My heel feels great with this warmer weather.
Oooohh, I can't wait to see your roses this spring!
Laura, don't make me laff! Lolol. You no, sumtimes itss jus fun to typ wron just 4 teh hel of it! lol
i am so tired of writing and my auto correct doesn't work! Then when I have to go back and correct, I either have a headache or I have no time to do so.lol
You know. one time when my auto word correct did work, I was trying to tell someone here to use NEEM oil for their plants and after I posted, it said to use ENEMA..HAHAHAH
Thanks for the encouragement about loosing my plumies and D.R's. It saddened me..:-(((((
By the way, GREAT news! Florida is finally shipping citrus trees up here, temps are going to be in the 60's on Sunday, and I gave my forst massage since last summer when I broke my heel without pain! Life is good:-)))
Maple G - I'm not a chemist now, but I do remember a good part of what I learned, and I've always been interested in the sciences. I count that I have a mind that retains most of what I read/see as one of my greatest blessings. When I play Jeopardy, more often than not, I have no idea where the answers come from, and my wife (and I) are always astounded at how some of the most obscure facts were hiding somewhere in the back of my mind, waiting to be used. ;-)
Mike - I got interested in plants about 25 years ago when I was staying at a hotel in Chicago where there was a bonsai event going on. I was bored & wandering around when I discovered artists/vendors setting up for the show. I knew right at that moment that I HAD to learn how to grow those little trees, with not even a foggy idea about what was entailed. I went home & over 2 years discovered I was a failure. Still, I was soo determined to learn that I put the trees away and started studying what it would take to keep them alive and healthy. After about 4 years of forsaking most of what little TV time I had available in favor studying on soils and plant physiology, I picked up where I'd left off and found that with a little knowledge under my belt it was not all that difficult to keep my trees happy.
One thing I realized was that bonsai is container gardening raised to a whole different level, and that by applying what I learned about the sciences associated with bonsai to houseplants, actually to all other containerized plants, I was able to not only do some really cool things in esthetically, but I was also able to keep plants amazingly healthy.
It wasn't long before I started to develop a local reputation as someone willing to help others in the community to understand how plants work and what they respond to. Honestly, I get more rough treatment in a days travel at GW than I've had in the last 15 years of helping people in 1 on 1 situations and group settings, but the messages I carry produce such a high % of favorable responses that I don't let it bug me.
I know how hard I worked to gain the understanding I have of plants today, and I can look back & see that having someone to tell me the things I share with you guys would have fractionalized the time I spent chasing answers and learning from mistakes.
In most cases, we are our own worst enemies, making things more difficult for ourselves than necessary through less than ideal choices. There are a lot of reasons why those choices are made, but the most significant reason is just not understanding the impact our choices make. I like having fun, and threads like this one, but my real focus is on helping others to understand, if you will, to package up the most important pieces of the puzzle people need to advance their abilities and improve their results, in a way that is easy to understand. That's how I get my kicks - from knowing that my efforts have helped people like you and many others. I get a really good feeling inside from knowing I've helped. It's not a proud feeling; rather, it feels good to the point where I have to look at it as a blessing. That feeling gets compounded every time I see you and others helping too, by sharing what you've learned in your travels. I've been at GW long enough now to have seen a lot of people who were struggling when they got here, growing like pros. There's a lot of GOOD things that come from seeing and being around people who are enthusiastic or passionate about something, and I gravitate toward that not only here, but in my 'real life' as well.
I'm 60 years old and really enjoying life in soo many ways. Obviously, one way is through my interactions with you guys here on the few forums I haunt. If you don't use it you lose it, and you guys always keep me thinking - I like that. ;-)
You didn't REALLY give your teacher a WATERMELON?
I remember one day in grade school. It was the end of the school year, and the teacher was getting gifts from all of her pupils.
We had a florist's kid in class. When he handed her a gift. She shook it, held it overhead, and said, "I bet I know what it is. Flowers."
"That's right!" the boy said, "But, how did you know?" "Oh, just a wild guess," she said.
The next pupil was a candy store owner's daughter. The teacher held her gift overhead, shook it, and said, "I bet I can guess what it is. A box of sweets."
"That's right, but how did you know?" asked the girl. "Oh, just a wild guess," said the teacher.
The next gift was the son of a liquor store owner. The teacher held the package overhead, but it was leaking. She touched a drop off the leakage with her finger and put it to her tongue. "Is it wine?" she asked.
"No," the boy replied, with some excitement. The teacher repeated the process, tasting a larger drop of the leakage. "Is it champagne?" she asked.
"No," the boy replied, with more excitement. The teacher took one more big taste before declaring, "I give up, what is it?"
With an extra measure of grade school exuberance, the boy replied, "It's a puppy!"
I would like to get your thoughts on the fabric pots that are used by some (see link below). They supposedly self root prune and prevent circling. Furthermore, if placed directly on the ground excess moisture should wick away, right? The thought of mass re-potting once every year or two seems scary to me, so here's what I was thinking:
I grow a lot of figs so these would need to be pretty large, between 5 and 25 gallons. At that rate, buying turface or perlite in my region gets expensive. If I get these fabric pots, fill with compost/pine bark/peat mix, whatever I can pick up cheaply, I shouldn't have any problems with excess water retention. And being exposed on all sides to air should provide plenty of oxygen to the root zone. Root pruning should not be necessary, since roots supposedly do not circle around in these pots.
Am I missing something? Is this a cheap and easy way to achieve good results?
Here is a link that might be useful: Smart Pots
They do work very well, and because putting them on the ground (as opposed to a cement slab or deck) turns them into mini raised beds, so you can use heavier soils much more effectively than you could if you were using the same heavy soil in a conventional container - because of the wicking action of the earth. Just don't site them in a puddle on top of heavy clay. ;-)
You're still going to have to root prune, though not as often if you use big 'pots'. Once the soil mass becomes congested with large roots, the only alternative is to bear the negative effects of the congestion or alleviate it by pruning.
"Garden Web is not responding due to a long running script"
Anyone else getting this message on a regular basis? I have to wait about 20 seconds for the puter to bring up the message with a box that says "end script" before I can navigate a forum; and I have to do it every time I change forums. It started over the weekend.
I am getting this message all the time especially on cacti&succulent forum and housplants forum - a lot! Very frustating, sometimes I have to click on the heading 3-4 times before that message even pops up, then click on "end script" to continue...Rina
The "long-running script" message is still popping up on cacti&succulent forum and on houseplants forums. It started happening to me over the weekend just as Al said. Switching from forum to forum is the same (I read only these 3 at this time), but I don't seem to have problem with container gardening forum.
I am comp. illiterate...tried to look for help everywhere, did couple of things suggested but no change so far. Anybody knows what's going on? Originally I thought that solar flare was responsible!?
It takes lots of time to get thru few messages...frustrating
I haven't had any problems with this message...
Hasn't even popped up in any of the forums that i've been to in the last few days...
Hope this problem gets fixed for you all soon, it can be very frustrating when this happens. I hesitated to say anything, now it will happen to me!! : )
Enjoy the spring temps!!
I notice the same message on my home computer which has the newest version of IE running, but not on my work computer which has an older version (IE8).
I wonder if it has anything to do with pop-up blocking functionality. On the IE8 I have a pop-up blocking toolbar. Frequently, GW still manages to open pop-up ads. And frequently, when I click a GW link, things freeze up for a while until the pop-up ad appears, then the web page unfreezes. It's as if the web page knows that if it keeps trying it can bypass the pop-up blocking functionality. "Keep trying, even if you get blocked 999 times, just keep trying and maybe on the 1000th time, maybe you can just slip by." This is all guess-work based on the observation that things freeze up until the pop-up ad opens. Maybe the new version of IE has a better pop-up blocker built in so that the ad never pops up. This could then freeze the page indefinitely, but fortunately the new IE also detects this and allows you to stop the "slow-running script".
Sorry to flood you with conjecture. Don't know how it will help either.
All the ads are the one thing I do not like about GW.
At the very bottom of this page, you'll find a 'contact us' link. If you click it, you'll find a box with a drop down menu that offers 'technical issues' as the subject. I don't know if it will do any good, but you can ask GW.
I won't be around much until I get my repotting done, so I'll hope they get it fixed or someone figures out how to fix it. We've been hit with temps in the high-60s, 70s, and today we hit 89*, so I have about 100 deciduous plants all needing repotting, like NOW. I took next week off, but I still think I'm going to be in trouble, even though we'll prolly still have a blizzard or two. Hey - it's Michigan ..... what can I say?
Rob, just to give you my n=1 anecdotal experience with fabric pots - I attempted to use cheap potting soil (the no name brands that are part sand) with very large fabric pots thinking it would compensate for the obvious drainage problems. Stupid idea.
It was quite bizarre actually... the four tomatoes I grew in those pots seemingly never needed to be watered (and we all know what that means), despite the record breaking drought and heat of the past Houston summer. The plants grew to a reasonable size, but looked a bit sickly and appeared to have symptoms of anoxic conditions. I did still get a surprising yield of tomatoes from them.
When I emptied those pots out this spring, all of them clearly had roots penetrating the bottom layer of fabric into the soil underneath... which may explain why they survived. Or not. I'm really kind of at a loss to explain what actually happened.
Point being, consider just using 5:1:1 or a similarly well draining soil mix, even in the fabric pots.
Not me Al:-)
Thanks for the nice story and experience! 89!!!!!!
What the heck is going on Al? Talk about a 911 repotting. That is exact;y how I feel this year. All my plants are taking me off guard.
I just uncovered my figs and the branches look dead:-(((
70's the day before yesterday and thunderstorms, then 30's yesterday, 40's today, and then 70's by next week. My weather can't make up its mind! Maybe a blizzard by the end of the month?
I hope you enjoy your vacation Al!
Hello to everyone and have a great day. Stay warmer than me. It seems that the whole country is basking in solid warmth, except for the northeast once again! Last year we had the same setup, and missed all the extreme heat of summer. I can see it coming. A COLD summer to make up for a warm winter.
Green makes a great point Rob!
I used an extra water retentive mix out of laziness for one of my trees in this type of pot, and it stays wet for days still. I thought for sure I could use a bagged mix with these, but not so. I thought I could get away mt figs growing in these without the gritty or a 5.1.1 mix. Not so.
Just as soon as the spring comes, I am going to use a 5.1.1 mix in them too.
Boy, do I have lots of figs to replant too! I am going to use my smart pots for them for sure.
You could make a mix cheap enough with very little fine material.
Like mostly pine bark, with a small amount of peat and perlite? Don't forget to lime
Today, with us, I just found out it is all dependent on the wind.
If the winds come from the North East, which I pray it won't, which it has been, then its winter again with Carabu Maine being at 27 degrees and snow.
If from the South West it will be summer, with temps in the 80's just two states away...lol
Talk about a windy forcast. We can go from 80 to 30 in one day around these parts.
and anybody else having the "long-running script" message, try 'compability mode' (it worked for me - finally!):
HEY! That works! Thank you, Rina!
Just came in from repotting, Mike. I got at least another dozen done today. I lucked out, too. I'd ordered cherrystone from an elevator about 40 miles west of me and they said it wouldn't be in until Tue, but they called and said it was in today, so I ran up & picked up 600 lbs. I was worried I was going to run out before the weekend & would have to use something else, so I'm good to go for a repotting marathon now. Scheesch - it got up to almost 80 again today!
I'm beat - gonna grab a book & relax until sleep comes for me.
Thanks again, Rina!
Al! My goodness. Talk about a repotting marathon..lol What I would do to watch a video of you repotting for just one hour!:-)
Did that include root pruning and trimming of trees, or just changing pots?
Are you focused on evergreens, or some other sort of plant?
You know, all this talk of the 80's is making me very jealous considering it's only 39! What I find crazy is that it seems that all my dormant plants know the warmth is on its way, so they are getting ready for a wake up call!
I can only imagine what yours look like now.
600 pounds! How in the world do you get that all to your house? You must be in good shape after all that work and lifting, or extremely sore and deserve to call it a day. I am really happy you got it as soon as you did! Yahoo!
Repot away buddy and please, if you could post a couple pics of your repots, I would LOVE to se them:-)
Be safe and watch that back.
Laura, how have you been? Doing any repots yet or pruning?
I am soooo happy I am dancing...can't believe that I 'helped' you with anything!!!
Happy repotting, that is labour of love, isn't it? Hope weather holds for you too.
I have million questions for you when you are back - hope you won't be spent to answer...
600 lbs is only 12 bags, and easily fits in the back of one of the mid-size pickups we have at the shop; and it only takes about 2 minutes to take them off & get them onto a nursery cart so I can put them away.
I'm concentrating on whatever shows green first, and of those plants, I'm concentrating on the more refined plants so they're not in any jeopardy from being repotted late. I can't believe this weather. I used my snow blower ONCE, and I really didn't need it that time. We're breaking record highs everyday, practically. Today it's supposed to get to 60, but in the 70s all next week. Man! Big storms with GB-size hail threatened yesterday, but passed just far enough north that I knew I didn't want to be there. It was black and there was constant flashboom of lightning & thunder for at least 5 hours.
Yesterday I did 3 burning bushes, an apple, several elms (5?), 3 trident maples, and a couple of cotoneasters. If I get home early enough, I'm going to do the large maple forest today - if not, I'll start it tomo morning. I knew I should have taken pictures of some of them. I'll try to do that today or tomo.
R - your advice worked like a charm - thanks again! I almost got it wrong, too. I opened the 'tools' menu with MSN Explorer open and added that, but the second time I tried it, I had GW open and figure out I'd added the wrong address to the list. ;-)
Repotting ISN'T a labor of love, it's a labor of necessity if I'm to enjoy the labor of love part. I like the pruning and wiring part, but most of what I like about bonsai is planning the tree's future. Looking at a tree that is 6-10 feet tall, and knowing what it will look like in 10 years. It never works out exactly as planned, because in most instances the tree tells you what it wants to be, but then you get to revise the plan to take advantage of developing assets and eliminate or disguise weaknesses. Once you get to a certain point in bonsai, it becomes very cerebral. I can't really explain it, other than there is a lot of standing in front of the trees and 'thinking/imagining' - it's like there is a communion between you and your trees - almost like pets.
I'll be trying to watch the threads I started, so please ask questions. I'm not the only one here that gives good advice, either. There are a good number of folks here that understand container culture very well. Usually, if you're getting advice they don't agree with, they'll speak up & save you. ;-)
Take good care, all.
Al out .........
Now I know why I couldn't find you!!!! You're potting up!
Look, I've got all my ingredients for the Raised bed mix EXCEPT the Turface Pro League. I need to know if the quantity is correct before I shell out $$$, or, is there a less expensive substitute I can incorporate into the RB Mix?
5 parts PBFs = 13 buckets
2 Part Turface Pro League = 5 buckets
2 Parts Vermiculite = 5 buckets
2 Parts Sharp Sand = 5 buckets
1 Part Reed/Sedge Peat - 2.5 buckets
Remember, my buckets are 6.5 gallons each.
SW Fertilizer here only has the Red or Heritage colored Turface. Does the color matter? I haven't been able to locate the "natural" color. I read something about the dye in the "Gray" not being stabilized in a guy's aquarium and putting out some scummy stuff on the surface of his water...
If color isn't a problem, I just wanna be sure I need to buy FIVE 50 lb. bags of Turface Pro League @ $18.99/bag to fill five 6.5 gallon buckets (my "Part" in the equation).
LMK soon as you can, cause I'm filling the 4x8' bed tomorrow, to a depth of 11".
Linda (Gymgirl)
I think Al said "Al out ........."
I would think he may not be here until after repotting?
I am sure there is enough smart members here to be able to help...
me just thinking:
if 2pts turface = 5 buckets
than 1part = 2.5 buckets;
therefore 5 parts PBF should be 5x2.5=12.5 so 13 buckets should be OK (rounded)
I am not sure if my math is OK...
I meant temporarily out, Rina. ;-) I'll still try to watch my threads as best I can. Just finished the half-way point, repotting the maple forest. It's a bear - I knew it would be. It took 5 hours just to separate the trees & prune the roots. Now I have to decide how I want to place the trees. I'll get after that in a bit - after dinner. I'll get a picture for you, Mike, when it's done.
No storms here at all - just about 2 minutes of a few scattered (big) drops of rain, like we were on the edge of something serious. We got no wind to speak of, and just got to watch the fireworks off to the north a few miles. My son lives about 10 miles N of us & he got a bad hail storm, wind, and torrents of rain, so I guess I lucked out.
We've had a week of rain, and well over 4 inches!
Hey, Al, lookin' forward to pics of the maple forest and other select re-pottings...!
In other news, just like I said...GardenWeb gets glitchy whenever new advertising appears...
you might have noticed the "nopal" ads mid-list.
For those of you who keep in contact with me through email, and you know who you are :-)... we are in the midst of changing providers, so email access will be a problem until everything gets worked out.
I just don't want you guys and gals to worry... everything is fine... just changing service providers. Got the internet part up and moving right along. It's much faster than our last provider, which I thought was pretty fast!
The weather has been overly warm for this time of year, and I've already got Daffodils up, Scilla and Hyacinths starting, and the Crocus are already done. I'm still leery of doing too much too fast... it IS still March, and anything can happen. Yesterday, the Forsythia burst into bloom, a lovely yellow.
Al, I'm looking at some major amounts of re-potting, myself, this season... looking at, not looking forward to! ;-) There's so much that needs to be bumped, or root pruned and re-potted!
The next couple of months will be overwhelming for me, so I probably won't spend a lot of time reading and posting. But I will be trying to document the changing gardens through photographs, so I'll try to get a link up soon.
Take care, everyone... hope you're having a lovely day! :-)
Good luck, Jodi. I know it's daunting when you have so much to do. It always seems like such a good idea to put in that extra bed, extend the garden a little here & there, and buy those extra plants over the course of a year - after all, it's ONLY a dozen - right? ...... and then there's that propagating thing. I can't tell you how many new trees I've started this year because the parents are cool and, mainly, it's hard to put the brakes on that. I used to laugh (in a nice way) about Fred, because he couldn't stop, and Fred was well over 90 at the time. He's still around, but in a care facility, and still has plants 2 rows deep in front of the 1 window in his room. He's such a cool guy.
I noticed the adds, Josh. The trouble started over the weekend last week, quite a while before the adds showed up, but I suppose that doesn't mean it might not have had something to do with whatever they had to put in place to make the adds happen. I'm not very computer literate at all, so I';d have no clue.
Been at the repots since around 7 this am. Just came in to fix another spiced tea & take a little break. Pictures later, after my present verve wanes. ;-) TTYGL
Good morning, Jodi and Al, great to see you!
Jodi, noted! Just keep up with the documentation so we can enjoy some rosaceous tours eventually ;-)
Al, it's an uncanny correlation. If problems begin to appear, I know that an advertisement
change is in process or about to go into effect. It is so regular, I can't help but think there
is a causal relationship. I could be wrong, of course ;-)
Well, the rain continued to hammer us yesterday and brought our rain total to 7 inches!
Hey, Josh, and a good morning to you too!:-)
Because that of that ad, I can't get on the forums anymore at work because they screen out certain ads, and that is a glitch! I HATE not being able to access these forums at work. Now I have to read them on my Iphone and post post only when I am home.
Al, I have been at repotting and pruning since 7a.m.! I just took a break and thought I would say hello to all of you. You should see what I did. I think you would be proud of me. I made some very nice looking Bonsai pots of maple together and a few pines. I even used moss and yes, trimmed the roots!
I can't wait for you all to see what I did, but of course, I lost my photo card reader and now have to buy another.
You must be very busy and you are VERY lucky to have such nice warm weather, although I am not sure if that is going to be detrimental to anything.
We were finally promised a high of 60 after a week of low 40's and drizzle, and yet agin, the weather men were wrong! The sun never came out thanks to the cold oceanic breeze and it's 45. Depressing if you ask me, but at the same time grateful it is slowing down the dormant plants. My White Magnolia is about to pop blooms, and anything under 50 rots them away. I pray they hold off.
I think tomorrow we might finally get a south wind and hit the 70's. Remember, it's 35 degrees in Maine, and if the North east wind pays a visit, forget the warmth.
I can't wait to see what you have been up to. Please do not forget us and take some pics. all this talk of that little forest has be curious now:-)
Now, what do you mean '''burning bushes''' and an apple tree? Do you really grow them, in pots? How big do you let them get? Does the apple tree get lots of fruit? What kind is it? I think you may be not only pruning your potted ones, but the in-ground too? Now that is a lot of work!
Do you also use dormant oil treatment?
Jodik! Hello. I have been wondering where you have been! I will miss you around these parts if you don't come back longer than a day:-)
Talk about a rush to get things done all at once, right? I don't think anyone expected summer in winter. This is very strange. I pray we don't get winter in summer.
Laura says just about all her plants are outside already. Her lows are not even dropping below the 50's lately. I hope all her plants, dozens and dozens she carries out will be ok.
Laura, if you are seeing this, make sure the air is ok on your flights, will ya Don't forget to bag it up.?lolol
Lololol...Did I tell you that it took me 2 hours of sifting to make the 5.1.1 mix this morning and after making it, I only made enough to fill 2 five gallon pots? Unbelievable. I think I am going to have to take a day off just to make my 5.1.1 mix.lol
All I kept saying to myself was" my plants are worth this, my plants are worth this, my plants are worth this".
Josh...4 inches of rain!? Sheesh, you won't have to worry about salt buildup with all that flushing of your containers with good ole rain water:-)
You must be extra fertilizing, no?
Have a great all, and by the way, to the new ones on this thread, it's nice to meet you all!
Time to head to the beach to get fresh lobster, steamers and a nice glass of cold beer at my Dad's expense! Who cares if it is only 46 there.
As I sit here typing this, my orchids are throwing out the most generous fragrance I have ever smelled:-) The sun just peeked out! I am out of here.
Hey, Mike, I was wondering where you were! ;-)
No more posting from work, eh? Sorry about that!
Mike, we actually got 7 inches of rain...and guess what, it is raining again!
Snow levels are supposed to drop considerably. Overnight low of 29°F is in the forecast.
No extra fertilizing. Maybe I should....
A rough bark maple that will never be a bonsai unless I layer the top off - because it's grafted to an A palmatum seedling
You can see I sawed off 3/4 of the root mass before I even thought about trying to untangle the roots.
You can also see I removed large roots growing downward & chunks of the stem so I get a flat root system
The roots still need a lot of work, but I don't want to do any more than what I already did, or I might jeopardize the tree's survival.
I thought I'd show a before & after picture so you can see the difference a little wiring and pruning can make.
and after:
Notice how I secured the tree to the pot because of the greatly reduced root system, and because securing the tree to the pot fractionalizes the length of time it takes for the tree to reestablish. It's too bad you can get a feel for depth by looking at the pictures. This is the tree's first rough styling, but it has branches in the right places; and because it's so apically dominant, a top will be easy to build. The main goal will actually be to RESTRAIN the top through constant hard pruning to keep the top branches from thickening. That would make the tree look unnatural, because in nature the lower branches are always thickest.
Here is a Japanese hornbeam seedling with a horrible root system. Notice how I pruned the top very short & left the bottom branches long? That's so the bottom branches thicken. I'll probably chop this tree back eventually, at about half the ht it is now. I'll train another branch to vertical like I already did at the top. See where I chopped it?
It would take years to correct the root system, so I'm going to build another one that will be perfect. Here's how I do it - I put 2 zip ties tightly around the trunk, like this.
Then I use a brad point drill to drill through the cambium into the sapwood. I let the holes dry w/o letting the roots dry, and fill them with a rooting hormone gel.
Pot it so the soil is just below the wounds:
Then I pack wet sphagnum moss (not peat) around the wounds.
Then fill the pot with gritty mix so the wounds are about 1" below the surface. By next spring, a huge bulge will appear above the zip ties. By spring of '14, roots will have appeared in perfect symmetry around the large basal flare, from the holes I drilled. This is a perfect way to shorten a too tall tree too, and there is no risk involved with the procedure, other than what you might normally be incurred from other cultural conditions.
I think I'll post this to the tree thread, too - just for reference.
I forgot to take an 'after' picture of the maple forest. I'll do that tomorrow.
My son is over & is up for staying up to watch the hockey game that starts at 10:30 - I'm not sure I am though. It's been a long day. ;-)
Sweet work, Al!
Too bad about that A. palmatum rootstock on the rough bark maple. The rough bark is awesome.
Fantastic rooting tip on the hornbeam, as well. Great technique to correct those crappy roots.
I've gained a lot of courage when it comes to root-pruning, thanks to you :-)
Many people are shocked when they see how I treat my plants to a re-potting.
Wow... I learn something new every time you post a project, Al... thanks! :-)
The before and after pictorials help so much! They give me courage, too... and I won't be so afraid to tackle the huge job of cutting back the root systems on several roses that have been stuck in pots for too long. They need fresh soil, but they'll also require losing some roots before they choke themselves to death. I've been putting it off, having so much other work to accomplish.
I got trash pickup done yesterday, which just consists of walking the gardens and roadsides and picking up what people threw out while driving by, and anything that blew around the yard. I got the garages opened up and some warmer air let in, and I see that things are coming out of dormancy. The Peony trees have fresh budding, as do many roses. I got all my hoses hooked up, and I'm working on several small projects I didn't get to last season.
From the looks of it, a lot of the Heuchera never even went dormant. It just wasn't that cold or long of a winter. I hope it doesn't harm them.
I'm debating how much of the leaf cover to leave in some garden areas... I can't really rake because the Daffodils are already up, and things are greening fast. I might just pick out armloads of the thick cover, and leave a little.
In town, the Star Magnolias and other trees are already flowering, but since we're further out, it'll be another week or so for ours, I think.
Pruning... I don't even want to talk about. I have so much to do. And while Lupus didn't seem so bad over winter, it's out of any remission now with a vengeance. So, I'm battling that, as well. Half or quarter of a valium seems to keep the back, hip, leg, and shoulder spasms at bay, but each year, I'm able to do a little less. I really want to make this year the one we actually succeed at getting the whole business put together and operating the right way, with total organization.
Got the business plan solidified, am slowly working through inventory, and trying to tackle everything else. I need like 2 knowledgeable helpers that I don't have to babysit, but that's not gonna happen. It's me, a little help from the husband, and I just try to keep everyone else here at arm's length... mainly because there's no skill set available to work with, except the possibility of salesmanship... but that enters the picture later.
My partner has been freaking out since February, wanting to jump the gun, but I know what will happen... we do that, and we will get a late winter snow or cold spell, and there goes everything we did too fast. I keep telling her to chill out, relax, I got this... mainly because I want it all done right, and I want everything to survive. It's just not the right time to do certain things. Period. She has way too many irons in the fire already, and honestly, I don't want help if it isn't helpful.
On the plus side, the Hyacinths smell wonderful! Tulip leaves are growing quickly, as are the leaves from Alliums, Daylilies, Columbine, Honeysuckle, and several other perennials that are companions to the roses. Someone parked all the farm machinery on the row of Tommies, so I barely got to see those bloom. And somebody has allowed gate panels and other farm items to expand into my garden areas... I'm less than pleased with the junkyard look. It's got to go. The farm help has been warned. If I have to mentioned it again, heads are gonna roll!
It's a battle... but I'm determined to win and make something of this. I know it can be done.
Well, I'll give it my best shot to get the camera contents uploaded and posted.
Mike, I've got my phone charged, so anytime you get a spare moment and feel like saying hi, I'm here. I keep thinking of all your beautiful plants and the blooms... and it keeps me smiling! They're so gorgeous! Hi, Mom! (waving!)
Josh, I can't wait to see what you guys do with that empty yard, the picture with so much potential! I picture a really well put together garden with paths, leading to a spot for seating, maybe space for a veggie patch... and then all the neat things you've got in your own yard!
JoJo, I hope everything is good with you... I'm always thinking about you guys! :-)
Laura, I think it's time to start bringing the Plumies out to the greenhouse, and give them more light... the one seems ready to begin growing leaves. I recently gave it a decent watering... it was looking like it's time.
That about covers it, I think... a quick breakfast, and it's off to begin another day... dogs first, then yard...
Happy Gardening, Everyone!
Just got in from another day of repots, yard cleaning, raking, pond prepping, unwrapping of ground planted fig trees, and pruning! My ankle has swelled up like a balloon. Time to get off of it and stop by to say hello!
By the way, my best friends, the FROGS, raised them since they were babies are singing right now in the pond. One is very timid, jumps and peeps into the pond as soon as I approach, while other whom has grown huge lets me pat him and just sits there watching me work my a...off!
Now, Al! I must say I REALLY appreciate the encouragement and illustrations you are giving us to be more confident in pruning and root work. I was scared to death to do this to any of my trees until you showed me. That Bonsai quick learning experience I had last year dod nothing for me compared to what you have shown us. Thank you. I can't see the big picture with your trees, but I can follow to see what you do.
I have a ????. That wiring you do. Why is that? All that wiring on all that tiny growth. Will it restrict the growth on those new branches or will those tiny branches grow into the wire?
I definitely can see what you are doing with the root system on the bottom plant! Wow. All this time I thought drilling any holes into the main trunk would kill it! I see what you are striving for and I love it. I have gotten plants like that and thought they could never be grown in a small pot. Awesome!
The wiring on that Maple is just amazing..:-)
Josh! What's up? Yes, this is something I needed before my repot and prunings, just in the nick of time. I can't wait to see what becomes of the trident maple you sent me:-)
Hey Jodik! So good to see you. Look at all that hard work you are doing and with the health the way it is. I wish I could be there to give you a hand, really!
I hope your health allows you the pleasure to work around the house as time goes by:-)
You are a hard worker for sure. I can't believe what you have to do and so fast. What a lot of responsibility you have to do.
I can't wait to see your roses. I hope the weather stays this way and doe not return to the cold chilly rains. We don't need mold or fungus issues.
I think I will give you a buzz on Tuesday. So be on the look out:-) Thank you so much for your kind words. You should see my greenhouse. All teh orchids are blooming and smell great. I have one that smells like Coconuts! I wish I could find my card reader so I could take pics. Mom is watching I love Lucy and tuurned back and said to say hi to you all!
Take care everyone and I wish you all a good warm night. Tomorrow, the easterly sea breeze will kick in and I can say goodbye to the warmth for yet another day:0( My weather is like a sea saw! I can hardly wait until I can KEEP my plants outside for good!
Hi Guys and Gals!!!
Great pictures of some of your repots...I am just amazed at the transformation that took place on the Rough Bark Maple.
Question? I can see that it was pruned somewhat already, did you have this in your yard as a Bonsai in Training before you decided to take it to the next level? Or was it purchased that way and you started from that point. I can see that the leader was cut already before you cut the roots and started wiring, so im just curious about how long it was growing before you took the next step. I can really see how small and delicate those limbs are that you wired...will the wire stay on for a few months so they will harden off? Then will you rewire again? Thanks for the wonderful illustration on the way you cut the roots and wired. Really like to see the before and after... gives us all a boost when we repot our trees. I still wonder when i will get to that point of cutting off as much as you do, but i know you have been doing this for awhile and it definitely shows with your great skills.
Thank you for the beautiful pictures and i hope you continue to get all of your potting done soon! I haven't started mine yet, but i should get there probably next week or so. I have an order in for my Turface and ill pick that up tomorrow. The local feed and seed stopped ordering the Gran-i-grit, but the local Southern States carries it and they have some in stock. Whew!!!
I think my trees sense that im looking at the roots and thinking of "pruning" they are starting to get nervous!! : )
Hi Jodi!!
Sounds like you have been busy getting all of your roses ready as well as getting your business in order. Im sure it is alot of hard work. I know you have been working really hard on this project and i'm sure it will be a successful plan that will come together soon. We are all looking forward to seeing pictures of everything that you have done. : )
Hope you are feeling better and that you continue with your positve attitude that you always pass on to everyone here!!
We are having the fog that you all had the other day when i was in BOS. The winds are blowing in from the east and the visibility was so low last night, i didnt think we would make it in...thinking that i would end up stranded at PHL..Uggg The warm temps are not with us either and the lows last night were down in the upper 40's. Sooo..I did the dance last night with some of my smaller Plumeria and brought some of them in late last night ( rare varities)
Hope your foot is feeling better..sounds like you over did it today. Small steps my friend. Take it easy on that foot so you can have a better spring this year!!!
Love to see some pics of the frogs!! I bet they are really cute sitting there watching you!!! : )
Hi Josh!! Hope all is well with you!!
Take care everyone!!!
Thanks for posting great pictures of your work on those trees, Al. That's a very interesting technique for growing a new root system - I presume that comes from the bonasi lore. How long will the original roots continue to function, after you have tightly applied the zip-ties? Is this procedure widely applicable to all potted trees, or are there only selected trees that can be treated like this? Please do post updates next year and the following!
Mike - I know what you mean about problems accessing from work. I have a variation of your problem. For some reason, certain posted pictures get blocked. You can't even tell that there was a picture there. (Fortunately, Al's pictures above did not get blocked) The weird thing is, that some photos get blocked but others are okay. Even photos posted from a particular site, such as Photobucket, some people's pictures will always get blocked but other peoples' pictures, also from Photo bucket, are not ever blocked. I don't know what the difference is, but the phenomenon makes certain threads absolutely pointless to not be able to view the photos.
The new ads in the middle of the thread list are somewhat irritating - GW is always looking for more ways to make a buck, right?
When you apply a tourniquet, water and nutrients still flow upward to the canopy via the xylem, but photosynthate/carbohydrates are blocked by the restriction and accumulate in tissues above. You can actually start the process before you start the layer and it will take less time. Here is another maple I did this to because of an ugly looking root system (initially).
The trident after a chop. The thin new leader will be allowed to grow for a least a year. By then, the larger 'sacrifice' branch to the right will have 'fed' the trunk below the thin branch, helping it to fatten and improving the taper of the trunk. In a year or two, that branch will be removed/chopped. The process will have already been repeated further up the tree. This is a special tree because of it's great root system, something coveted by experienced bonsai artists.
After depotting
I've removed the bottom 2/3-3/4 of the root mass by sawing through it.
A look at the roots after cleaning.
The top view shows how perfectly spaced the roots are. If you were to look really closely, you'd see something unusual about the roots.
You'll see it clearly in the next pictures
Did you notice the large gauge aluminum wire embedded in the tree below the upper roots? I employed the technique I illustrated above on the hornbeam on this tree Actually, I'd forgotten I did it until I saw the roots. By then I had figured out what I did. See how the trunk bulges out above the wire, making a strong root flare ..... and the position of the surface roots are a promise this will one day be an exceptional tree.
I was going to show a boxwood repot too, but Photobucket stopped working ......
what a great tutorials. I wonder how do you find time to take photos & post with all that repotting/pruning you need to do now. Thank you.
Will you eventually remove that aluminum wire? And when?
Did you use the zip-ties on hornbeam instead of wire?.
You can actually start the process before you start the layer and it will take less time.
I am not sure I get this right: do you mean that first you would "repair" the root system (tourniquet/drilling) and then after a while (next year?/season?) you would start the layer? What would take less time - the work itself or growing those great roots?
I'll remove the wire next repot when I'm better able to gnaw away at the bulge under the surface roots with a tool called a knob cutter. The zip ties are more sure. With the wire, even using 2 wraps, the tree can grow right over the wire as if it's not there and the work can fail. The plastic zip tie just work better, and that won't happen if you use 2 of them.
You can wrap the zip ties around the exposed trunk anytime, then wait for the bulge to occur above. This confirms the carbohydrates building there. Start the layer in the next spring by drilling the holes, adding the root hormone, & potting the tree very deep. Roots should appear quickly - by the next spring. You may even be able to separate all the old roots at that time.
Here's a boxwood:
And the before/after pics of a maple forest I've been working on for 5 years. It was just repotted & I'll be concentrating now on developing ramification (twiggyness) in the tops through frequent pruning & defoliation.
I made a big batch of soil this evening after another 12-15 repots. I should be done with the deciduous stuff by the end of the day tomo. Then I can sort of take my time on the conifers, but I DO need to get them outdoors - they're still in the garage. This weather is incredible - every day a record breaker with temps in the 80s. It's not supposed to cool down until Fri, but then temps will still be in the 60s. I KNOW I'm going to be moving these plants in and out when we return to something closer to normal, and THAT'S going to be a h/a. I've been putting in 12 hr days since Sat, and Fri I worked 8 hrs repotting. I really need to reduce the number of plants I have! Having the week off has allowed me to do more wiring & detail work that I wouldn't have had time to do with a regular schedule. I did have company for a couple of hours this afternoon that put me off stride a little, but I still got a lot done today.
A Berberis thunbergii atropurpurea 'Bagatelle'
Oh, so awesome Al! Thank you so much for all of this. How in the world do you get some closeup pictures of the roots to look so clear?
You have no fear with pruning roots or branches, that is for sure.
Do you have any idea of how much money one would have to spend to get lessons like these?
I think you're a genius with plants and a true gift here! Please let me us see them when they all flush out to? I would love to see what some of these plants look like leafed out.
I LOVE that little forest! Now where are the wild animals?:-)
What mix are you using for that forest? It looks a bit finer than the actual gritty mix and seems to be more of a rustic color.
Josh, amazing right? And I thought you cut your plants back hard!
Ok everyone, I did my best with these although I am not even sure if they are possible Bonsai candidates, or just small plants in small pots!
Awesome, more cool pics! :-D
Al, I second Mike's delight with these pics, tips, and techniques! Follow-ups would be great.
Is that a bark mulch in the Berberis pot? I love the color with that pot and Berberis trunk.
Mike, thanks for posting these plants for us to see!
You weren't kidding about all that moss! The only thing to consider - and I should have mentioned
this when we were chatting the other day - is that the moss may interfere with moisture levels.
What you might want to do is start a few trays of moss to grow as their own plants, and then transfer
the moss carpeting to the pots when you intend to show off your bonsai. A bit of moss is just fine,
but I've heard that you don't want a dense covering over the entire soil surface. Perhaps Al will
explain further.
I love that moss, though...and the fact that it's "flowering" ;-)
I usually remove all the moss at repot time because it can cause problems if there is too much of it on the surface of the soil.
That's just the regular gritty mix in the barberry pot. The pot's so small the bark sort of floated up to the top, but if you look down on it, it looks like the gritty mix. I selected the deep burgundy pot to compliment the foliage that isn't there yet. This plant grows REALLY slowly, and it will be a lot slower now that I moved it from a gallon down to about a cup of soil.
I'm beat - son's here watching hockey & I haven't even had a shower or dinner yet. I'll ttygl.
There has to be at least a LITTLE bonsai hiding in that raw material somewhere?
With a little patience to allow the top & foliage pads to develop, it'll make a cute little bonsai by this time next year. It's about 4" tall - a J procumbens nana (dwarf Japanese garden juniper).
Hi Al,
I never would believe that this cute little Bonsai would be hiding under all of that foliage!!
How cute is that little guy... I see that you have removed some of the bark for the (Jin) Deadwood technique? Will you have to treat these little branches?
Thank you for all of these great pictures ...
Gives me courage to see what could be hiding under some of my trees!!
Love the forest that you repotted. Fantastic!!!
Hope all is well with everyone...
Seems like the cool weather is starting to find its way back again, so i may have to bring in some of my trees early next week.
Take care,
Thanks, Laura! It's turning colder here, too. I'm safe tonight, but the freezing temps will be back for awhile starting tomo night, and I'll be shuffling plants in and out of the garage (200 or so) as temps allow.
After the jins have weathered awhile, I'll shorten & refine them & treat them with lime sulfur as a preservative.
This is more raw material. It's called a raft planting and it's J chinensis 'Shimpaku' (Shimpaku juniper). A raft planting is created by cutting a branch off a juniper & then wiring the smaller branches up so they stick out of the soil when the big branch is planted. I wired the buried branch into a sinuous shape and cut off a strip of bark off the bottom to expose the cambium to hasten rooting. This planting is 2 years old
All I wanted to do is get a look at the trunks & establish the positions of the trunks. I realize it doesn't look much like a bonsai yet. Now I'll let it grow for another 2 years before I start working on it. Shimpaku is my favorite juniper. They're great to work with and very forgiving.
Hockey game's over. The Red Wings came from behind in a 4-1 hole to win 5-1. Kids are still here & the hens are jabbering away full speed. Take care!
Just amazing, Al! Not only is bonsai a skill, but I see an artistic gift involved, as well.
I don't know if I have THAT much courage yet, to cut off so much growth, and "see" the bonsai hiding within and what its future will look like. Just amazing!
Mike, you've got some lovely trees there, too! And I love the water feature!
Maybe one of these days I'll actually get a little time to try something similar... both the water feature, which I already have the pump and stuff for... and maybe a try at bonsai. Who knows?! Right now, I'm just hopeful of getting everything I need to do done!
Have a great week, everyone! :-)
Well HELLO my dear friends!
Al! Great work! I LOVE your pictures and the time you take to share and help. I must say what you do has to be art. What you behold in your vision against somebody else's could be totally different for the same plant. I like your vision.
I can't believe what you did to that Dwarf Japenese garden juiper ! I would of never thought.....
Jodik! It's so good to see you. How have you been? I hope your weather is holding a bit more stable than mines. Someone is still seeing the 70's all the way up to Michigan ! Thank you for your kind words as always. I finally have lily pad leaves starting to float on top, but maybe not by tomorrow with the very cold temps expected:-(
I shall have to take another pic for you since the pond has cleared up now that the U.V light has been connected.
You would love the noise of a water feature after a stressful day. Talk about serenity.:-0)
Laura: How's your weather been these days? Yes, I know you must be bringing in all your plumeria and desert roses about now, now that your temps are falling like mine. Crazy, right?
Hoping you are happy and well:-)
Hey Josh! Thanks for teh tid bits and will do. It's funny, but I think that the moss would die off anyway. If I keep those plants in full sun, the moss dies. The moss already looks sickly, unless of course I stuck them in shade.lol
Hi Guys!!!
Another great picture of a beautigul tree AL!!
I agree with Jodi and Mike..I am amazed at the beauty that you can see . Quite impressive!!
Pretty work as always!!! : )
Mike...I have been moving trees and DR's, and everything else. I thought that i might be able to leave a few outside with freeze cloth over some, well..i gave in a few minutes ago after going out and checking the temps in the greenhouse. I had only left out five huge Plumeria outside and i had wrapped them in frost cloth and they looked all nice and secure. But, we are having gust up to 35 + and the frost cloth was already off of the trees. ARGGG... I draged those huge trees inside and they are in the back bathroom and in the middle of the greatroom along with all of the other many trees etc. The DR's have been trimmed up and are looking like they have new growth starting to show... Im still thinking of the islands.. : ) LOLOL.. My back is still sore... Those huge trees are getting to large to move in and out all of the time. Hmmm..
All is well here! Hope you are doing well.. Love the pics of your trees and pond.. Always looks great!!!
Tell SIssy that i said "Hello" and give her a big hug from me!!
Hi Jodi!!! How is your weather? Are you having these low temps too?
Hii Josh!! Hope you are doing well!!
Take care,
Hey Al
You are amazing. Last year as a first timer, you and greenman really got me off to a good start. I had a successful year growing New Mexico chiles in containers in spite of my lack of gardening skills. Anyway, I am at it again, and have several chile, and tomatoe seedlings that I am growing this year. I live in the San Diego area, and have had a terrible time trying to find fir bark or pine bark around here. I have been able to find orchid bark, but it is from redwood, which I believe you did not recommend. Searching local nurseries, I feel like I really only have a couple of options. E.B. Stone Ednas Best potting soil; E.B. Stone Orchid mix; or Green All soil booster, which I used last year, which you didn't really recommend. I can't locate any of the other professional mixes discussed in the forums, and since I can't locate the bark fines to make your 5-1-1 mix, please tell me all is not lost if I use either of the E.B. Stone products, and which of the to would you say is the least worse of the 2.
Thanks again for all your help.
Jon - you can use redwood products if their size is appropriate for the task you're applying them to. No problem there.
I don't use any of the products you're asking about, but I'm guessing they're peat or peat/coir-based soils. If so, I'd keep trying to find some bark that is suitable as a large fraction of the soil and use that as the basis - adding a little of the soil you mentioned to the bark, along with some perlite & a little lime.
No need to be in a big tear to get it done, especially if you're happy with the way things went last year.
Mike, Jodi, Laura - thanks for the kind words (again). ;-) I appreciate them very much - as always. Nothing wrong, Mike. I've just been busy with bonsai, the garden, especially work - we're getting very busy at the business already. Thanks for the concern.
Hava good weekend, guys!
Hey, friends!
Good to see you all here :-) Spring Break has just started for me.....
and, boy, is Spring *breaking*! We're in the midst of a massive wind and rain storm!
Jon, great to see you back for more ;-)
E.B. Stone also packages Greenall MicroBark...any chance you can find some of that?
It's the same Fir bark as their "Orchid Bark" in fine-grade, but it comes in a larger
bag for less money, a win-win. It certainly needs screening for the Gritty Mix,
but only minimal modification for the 5-1-1.
referring to pics you posted of your plants: (not even sure if they are possible Bonsai candidates, or just small plants in small pots!), I am wondering about euphorbia polychroma - looks like it has been potted for a while.
Would you possibly consider it for bonsai? I find that the roots are deteriorating after couple of seasons, actually it is behaving like some grasess - dying out in the centre. I never had one in the pot, but have number of them around garden (they self seed). They look great in spring...Rina
Al and Josh,
Thanks for getting back to me. The E.B. Stone Ednas best has 2 mixes. I have the Califrornia mix. which has the following: Contains Composted Fir Bark, Sphagnum Peat Moss, Redwood Compost, Mushroom Compost, Volcanic Pumice, Earthworm Castings, Washed Sand, Kelp Meal, Bat Guano, Feather Meal, Gypsum and Mycorrhizae.Oyster Shell Lime and Dolomite Lime are added as pH adjusters. A natural wetting agent, Yucca shidegera saponin, has been added to help remoisten the product.
If I use this I think i will use a couple of wicks in each pot. Josh thanks for the Heads up on the micro bark. I will start looking around for that in the morning.
I would like to make the 5-1-1 for my peppers and tomatoes IF I can find the GreenAll micro bark will that be an appropriate size? Do I still use 5-1-1 ratio? and can I substitue some of the Ednas best that I have already, in place of the peat moss?
Thanks again for all your help
I was able to cofirm that one of our local nurseries does indeed carry GreenAll micro-bark. I doe have a few bags of the Edna's best potting soil that I would like to use up. The ingredients in the ednas best is listed in my previous post. Could I just add some of the edna's best to the micro-bark? if so, what ratios would you recommend? Or, mix micro-bark, perlite, and edna's best on a 5-1-1 ratio? Or should I forget the Edna's that I already have and just get some sphapgnum peat moss, perlite and mix those with the the micro-bark on a 5-1-1 ratio? Or do you have a different recipe you'd recommend.
Thanks again,
Hey Josh,
Thanks for the quick reply! I now have next weekend planned. Also, in an earlier reply Al suggested adding some lime, however, If I remember correctly, since I am using dyna-gro F.P. I don't need to worry about adding lime or any other micro nutrients, correct?
I'll take some pictures and post when peppers get potted up.
Thanks so much for all your help and have great week,
You need dolomitic lime for pH, not fertilization. Peat/bark based soils are very acidic, and for most plants the lime is required to raise and stabilize the pH.
It also happens to be the missing nutrients in some commercial based fertilizers, but not F.P. I think you still need the dolomite for the pH when using F.P.
ok, 2 more questions then. First, Last year I checked out our water and found the alkalinity to be a tad high, so i was adding 1 tsp. of vinegar per gal of water. So, If the water is going to raise the pH couldn't I just start off with the more acidic soil, and as the the pH rises then add the vinegar again, just later in the growing season? Second, if you still think I should add the lime, I have a box of e.b. stone dolomite lime pellets. How much do I add to the mix? I will be putting my pepper plants in 5 gallon painters buckets from Home Depot.
Thanks guys,
Hey Guys,
I made it to the nursery today, and ended up getting Orchid Bark from a company called Kellog Garden in Ontario CA. It doesn't specify the source of the bark, it simpy says forest bark, and is labeled as Orchid bark. I chose this over the micro bar by GreenAll, because the size of the bark was significantly more uniform. I will plan of using this at 5 parts bark, to 1 part perlite, and 1 part Ednas best potting soil. how should I calculate how much lime to add to the mix?
Also, Thanks to Al, for the advice from another forum on the Neem Oil. I used Green Light Neem last year with no success. I did use for for several applications. I went to the store today and got some Dyna Gro cold pressed need. Hopefully I stay ahead of the pests and fungi this season.
Hey Josh!
I didn't realize I was giving out a tip. I guess I got lucky for once. At the nursery I got it from (Green Thumb) the Orchid Bark was actually the same price, for a 1/2 a cubic foot more per bag than the Micro-Bark.
For the lime do i use nursery measurements, for real measurements? Ie: A 5 gallon painters bucket from home depot, is much larger than a 5 gallon nursery pot. How many gallons would you consider a #15 nursery container?
While I've got you, how many times to pot up? If I remember correctly you only pot up twice? When is it safe to go to the final pot? I feel like I should pot up many of my peppers, just not sure if I should go from the 6inch pot to like a # 5 nursery container, or right to the 5 gallon bucket. I have been hesitant, because i am still bringing them inside every night to avoid cold nighttime temperatures, and it is much easier putting them in trays and bringing them inside while they are in the smaller pots. But curious as to your suggestions now that FINALLY have the ingredients for a good mix.
Thanks again,
I use "real" measurements for the Lime. So, if I'm filling a 5-gallon nursery container,
I use less than 4 Tablespoons total. If I'm filling a 1-gallon nursery container, I use about
3/4 of a Tablespoon of Lime. I'm not sure what the actual gallons are in a #15, but I seem
to recall a handy chart posted here by Al or someone else once upon a time.
I go from 1.5 inch seedling 6-packs, to 4-inch seedling pots, and then to 5-gallon nursery pots.
As for re-potting, how large are the plants in the 6-inch pots right now? I would keep them in the
6-inch containers until they're almost root-bound...in other words, for as long as their vitality
isn't compromised.
I have a question, but keep right on with your discussion .....
Whenever I viewed a thread the topic line would change to purple until someone's next contribution to the thread; and threads that I hadn't opened were in blue. Now, everything is in blue, whether I've opened the thread or not, and whether or not there have been contributions subsequent to my having looked in on the thread. Anyone else? It was always a great way to save the time it takes to ck on threads over & over.
Wow! I never paid that close attention. Most of the time I am using an ipad, but I do use a comp. and ipad, and will try to pay attention and let you know from my end.
Thanks for the advice on Neem oil in the pest forum Al... I got some cold pressed neem oil for this season!
Hello everyone!
Just stopping by to wish you all the best. I LOVE this thread.
There is nothing much happening my way in the plant department. The weather is not helping at all these days. To cold for anything to grow. Everything is just stagnating or resting until the warmth moves back in,if it ever does.
Hey, Mike! ;-)
We finally have some beautiful weather...!
My citrus and a select few Jades and other plants are soaking up the Sun!
Al, I have a question: we all know that egg-shells are pointless when added to containers.
But lately I have seen the suggestion to "boil" the egg-shells and then to fertilize with the water.
Does that make any chemical sense?
As noted in other threads, CaCO3, which represents about a 95% fraction of eggshells' composition is virtually insoluble in water at the pH levels favorable to plant growth. If it WAS soluble, it would drive pH upward and could antagonistically prevent adequate uptake of Mg and other nutrients.
As far as its solubility, CaCO3 (eggshells) are LESS soluble in hot water than in cold. For instance, eggshells are only 1/3 as soluble at 120* F. as they are at freezing (point of water). Reasoning through what we have seen, what I mentioned would account for the precipitation of CaCO3 that causes lime scale build-up in hot water pipes and on tea kettles.
Many people think that because a particular amendment you might add to your media contains an abundance of this or that essential element, that it is automatically a good thing to incorporate it into some vague plan, and you're bound to end up with a better plant for the added measure of any nutrient; but that isn't so. There is only 1 perfect ratio of nutrients to each other, and one perfect concentration of those nutrients IN that ratio. Adding a banana peel for extra K or eggshells for (what one might think is) extra Ca can only be a plus if those elements are actually in short supply. If they are not, they have no potential to be considered advantageous, only the potential to be limiting. This is the simple premise Liebig's Law of the Minimum is predicated upon.
If in fact there was a deficiency of (only) Ca in the soil, based on both the ratio of Ca to the other essential elements AND the presence of Ca overall, advocates of adding eggshells or other forms of CaCO3 might want to reconsider. You can add 1 lb of hydrated lime [calcium hydroxide/Ca(OH)2] to 5 gallons of water, agitate for 5 minutes, then allow the mix to settle over night before syphoning off the supernatant w/o disturbing the sediment. Add 8 oz of the supernatant per quart of water & water as usual.
How do you state your case for chemical fertilizers when people blame chemical fert run-off as the reason for massive algae blooms that support invasive species population explosions, like Asian Carp in the Midwest. These are the same people that think abiding by organic methods all the time will help them live longer because 'chemicals' are not natural in nature.
I've always disliked the term 'chemical' fertilizer. I would rather see it replaced with inorganic, soluble, synthetic, or man-made. Most of these words have negative connotation, but chemical is the least attractive... especially when compared to the big 2012 buzzword "organic".
I generally try to use the terms 'soluble' or 'synthetic' when it comes to fertilizers like MG and others. My case would be primarily based on the fact that soluble synthetic fertilizers do a superlative job at what they're intended to do - supply nutrients to plants.
I don't use massive volumes of synthetic fertilizers that find their way into waterways and water supplies, and I'm guessing spreading manure is likely to generate a whole lot more N and P runoff than the small volumes of fertilizers I use. If someone wants to point their finger and yell 'irresponsible' I'm pretty much nonplussed, and I don't feel guilty. In my mind, I act responsibly, my conscience is clear, and I simply point to the fact that my priorities are arranged to place a higher premium on results than politics or ideology. Who better to arrange my priorities than me? ;-)
I approach things from the plant's perspective, so if someone wants to debate, they need to approach from that perspective as well. It's much easier and efficient, and there is a much greater degree of certainty insofar as what the plant is getting and when it's getting it when using soluble synthetic nutrients as opposed to relying on the break-down of soil amendments and organic fertilizers as the source of a plant's nutrition.
I think that when you're growing, it makes greatest sense to try to look at things from the plant's perspective - and they don't care where their nutrients come from, as long as they don't get too much or too little - also something easier controlled via soluble synthetics.
Still, I'm perfectly happy to make whatever allowances required to make room for those whose reasoning or value set won't allow them to use fertilizers like Miracle-Gro or Foliage-Pro. I think it's important in a forum setting to point out what I mentioned about soluble synthetic being easier and more efficient to use, so I do. People need to use their own value system to make their decisions, not someone else's.
I'm not here to judge people, but based on my own experience and what I know of the sciences, I'm not bashful about judging methodologies - especially those I've left behind in favor of something more productive. I'm not going to try to convince you your tomatoes or potatoes will taste better or grow so tall/heavy you'll need a crane to support them if you do XYZ. I'll tell you why I do what I do, and my perspective on the science that supports my actions; then, you can judge the merits of other arguments and make your own decisions. I don't care what you decide, only that you have the information you need to make an informed decision.
I think that part of my credibility comes from the idea that I almost always look at things from the plant's perspective. If I'm biased, it's a bias that favors methods that favor the plant, or a bias that favors facility of the grower's ability to reduce/eliminate factors that limit the plant, and not a bias born of something that arises from personal politics or a self-limiting ideology. Unless we're certain another methodology is a better course for the plant, eliminating soluble synthetics as a source of nutrients self-imposes limitations.
There's no hope if this doesn't warm your soul.
Dance like no one's watching ...........
(Copy/paste link to your browser)
Al, a totally off topic question. Can you think of a reason why nearly all my plants respond dramatically to epsom salts? I have montmorillonite clay soil that is neutral-slightly alkaline at the surface, and trends towards alkaline as you go further down. Most of the property has a thick layer of bank sand put down by the construction company, and a thin layer of organic topsoil. Salinity is low. There's plenty of magnesium present, though its probably bound up in the clay. There's no logical reason I can think of for my plants to show magnesium deficiency, but they do!
Beautiful pictures like those make me contemplate getting into bonsai.. and then I'm reminded the incredible amount of patience it requires. I do grow some fast growing trees from seed (neem, moringa) though.
Btw, I've given up on making 5:1:1, though I make a lot of gritty mix nowadays. All the reliable, economical sources of small amounts of bagged, crushed (not shredded) pine bark have dried up here in Houston. I really need to get a truck.
Happy gardening everyone!
This is in the ground - right? The things I can think of right off the bat are low soil pH, a high Ca or K content in the soil, lots of manure use, or it's not Mg the plants need; rather, S.
Too bad about not being able to find the pine bark. Keep your eyes peeled, though.
Best luck.
Thanks, Dan! I'll be in touch soon.
Quickies that came in my mail today ......
Aspire to inspire before you expire.
My wife and I had words,
But I didn't get to use mine.
Frustration is trying to find your glasses without your glasses.
Blessed are those who can give without remembering
And take without forgetting.
The irony of life is that, by the time
You're old enough to know your way
Around, you're not going anywhere.
God made man before woman so as to give him time to think
Of an answer for her first question.
I was always taught to respect my elders,
But it keeps getting harder to find one.
Every morning is the dawn
of a new error.
I dialed a number and got the following recording:
"I am not available right now, but
Thank you for caring enough to call.
I am making some changes in my life.
Please leave a message after the
Beep. If I do not return your call,
You are one of the changes."
Al, I've known you long enough to realize that your view is always firmly embedded in what's best for the plant in its particular situation, whether that's grown in a container or grown in the garden... and I've learned so very much about the difference therein. The basics of science and physics and vetted facts play such a large role in positive growing.
I've had the best success following your advice for anything I've grown in any type of container... and if I could sum it up in one sentence, it would be... Organic growing is best saved for the garden, while a more inorganic approach works best for those plants confined to container growth, because of the massive differences between the two.
In spite of our wacky early warming and on and off spring weather, I've decided to stick to the tried and true... which would be a frost cut-off date somewhere around May 10-15 for my own area... and that's when I'm going to plant my more tender vegetable crops.
If you could only see the size of the weeds I've been pulling out of the newer rose beds, I think you'd agree it's the perfect place to incorporate some vegetables. The roses are young yet, so there will be room for one more season of extra annuals before they take over and close in the space!
Well, that's all I have to say on this extremely early morning! Have a wonderful day! :-)
Thanks for the response Al! I've considered most of your suggestions before, but now that I've received some confirmation from an expert I'll be investigating each one more thoroughly. I may end up just getting another soil test with a more detailed analysis.
I rarely use anything but organic fertilizer in my actual garden, and water soluble fertilizers in containers. The thing I've always been wary about with organic fertilizers is the source of their ingredients. The alfalfa meal, soymeal, cornmeal, and even the chicken and cow manure... it's hard to imagine that all of these come from organic outfits themselves. So in a sense, we end up using chemical fertilizers by proxy, in many cases. Of course legumes like soy and alfalfa fix nitrogen, but I don't think they're completely unfertilized. Rock phosphate is stripmined. Bat guano is completely unsustainable. Manures are derived from meat industry livestock that eat conventionally grown feeds. Fishmeals are sometimes from farmed fish, and other times from unsustainable seafood fishing. Seaweed harvesting upsets the marine ecosystem. Even bark mulches can come from unsustainable sources.
I'll stop rambling now.
Darn it! Just when I was starting to LIKE container gardening ..... ;-)
Thanks, Jodi. Anywhere they'll grow is a perfect place to plant veggies. ;-) I'll put my maters in (pots) sometime between the 15th & Mem Day. Going on my yearly journey to Detroit next week to get some of the more difficult to find thrillers. That's always a fun time.
Take care.
Thanks! - I'd forgotten this thread.
Something that came in my email that is illustrative of how good the hearts of some are:
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table.
A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.
"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient..
"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins.
"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.
When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies......
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.
The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.
I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her."
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek.
Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.
He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"
Any dancers out there? Got this in my mail from a GWer friend (Thanks, Viv!) .... had to share it with you guys. These kids are GREAT, and I've never seen this before. Enjoy!
Thanks Al!!
Loved watching these young dancers..
I only wish i could move like them... They were fantastic!!
So nice to see young men and women enjoying the ways of yesterday and truly enjoying themselves...
That young man could really move.. I couldn't keep my eyes from his feet! WOW!!
Thanks for the warm feeling that not all is lost in the younger generation...
Terrific Job to those two!!!
Travelling by plane may be fun...
Kulula is a low-cost South-African airline that doesn't take itself too seriously. Check out their new livery! Plus, get a kick out of the comments at the end of the photos.
Kulula is an Airline with head office situated inJohannesburg. Kulula airline attendants make an effort to make the in-flight "safety lecture" and announcements a bit more entertaining.
Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:
On a Kulula flight, (there is no assigned seating, you just sit where you want) passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing, when a flight attendant announced,
"People, people we're not picking out furniture here, find a seat and get in it !"
On another flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said,
"Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."
On landing, the stewardess said,
"Please be sure to take all of your belongings.. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it 's something we'd like to have."
"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane."
"Thank you for flying Kulula. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."
As the plane landed and was coming to a stop atDurbanAirport, a lone voice came over the loudspeaker:
"Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"
After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in the Karoo, a flight attendant on a flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell everything has shifted."
From a Kulula employee:
"Welcome aboard Kulula 271 toPort Elizabeth. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."
"In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with more than one small child, pick your favourite."
"Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Kulula Airlines."
"Your seat cushions can be used for flotation; and in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."
"As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses.."
And from the pilot during his welcome message:
"Kulula Airlines is pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"
Heard on Kulula 255 just after a very hard landing inCape Town: The flight attendant came on the intercom and said,
"That was quite a bump and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault, it was the asphalt."
Overheard on a Kulula flight into Cape Town, on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain really had to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said,
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to The Mother City. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!"
Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."
An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exited, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline". He said that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment. Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said,
"Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Why, no Ma'am," said the pilot. "What is it ?"
The little old lady said,
"Did we land, or were we shot down?"
After a real crusher of a landing in Johannesburg, the attendant came on with,
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal.."
Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement:
"We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today; and, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of Kulula Airways."
Heard on a Kulula flight:
"Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing.. If you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em."
That green paint is used to stop the metal from corroding during the building proccess of the plane. That is removed then painted with the desired paint when the plane is finished. They never painted the planes!?!? :)
Wow this air line is almost as big of a joke as jEt Bl(u)E. ;)
I say, that those flight attendants have a great sence of humor.. We have all heard and witnessed things like that before.. Mostly a new story every week in my business.. : )
Probably should have wriiten a journal 17 years ago when i first started in the "friendly" skies...
Seeing women open their mouths and their dentures dropp on the floor.. Would you pick them up and hand them back? Well i did.. i have some napkins, i just smiled and she just said..thnkk you..
I had a three year old boy go into the bathroome and stay in there for st lest 5 minutes or so.. i went snd knocked on the door to see if he was alright.. he said in his cute little voice.. "yes, Mam" he finally came out and i could see why it took so long.. He had found the compartmnt of where the ladies items where kept for energencies.. Needless to say.. he walked down the isle back to mom with all sorts of sticky "surfboards" placed all over his clothes.. his mother was mortified.. everyone lsuged and i let her take them off and let her explin whst they were for... SO cute...
I will say that the the public can make me smile when they "leave their brains at the door.." I do love to help people and especially the elderly. They are the ones i watch out for most often, but some of the ones who dont fly much have the strangest questions i have ever heard...
I could go on and on... so i will just pass and be rest assured that tomorrow will be a new day to "smile.."
Sometimes i wish that i could say some of those things mentioned above on Rina's post, but my airline is so conservative that we have to be very careful in what we say and how we act... I did have someone give me a fit today.. they stuffed their bag so tightly into the overhead bin that it wouldnt close.. i couldnt get the bag out myself, so i asked whose bag was this? Noone answered.. i asked three times.. then someone decided to claim this bag.. i guess they thought the plane would be evacuated since their was a bag that noone would claim. I couldnt get it out myself and i had said three times, if it doenst fit, please put it under your seat. They were determined to get it in.. Well, i wasnt going to tear my shoulder apart, so i said in a nice way, that she would have to remove her bag and place it under her seat.. she said that "I" had to remove it and i said, "yes mam" it is your bag and you stuffed it in there and it is your turn to wrestle it out.. she called me rude.. lol.. I just laughed and walked away.. My shoulders have suffered enough with people who wont listen and will do what ever they can to place a large package in a little area ..just to say that they can do it.. Then i get to let them take it out.. "it doenst feel good on the shoulders does it?" LOL...
i witnessed Sully and his jet sitting in the water that day on the Hudson... we fly over from PHL to LGA.. quite a scence tha i will never forget... Score one for US AIrways! GO "SUlly"
You had asked about that type of dancing.. It is called shagging and some will say that it started down in Myrtle Beach. Some will differ to say.. But it is a very common "souther dance down in the low country"
WOw... That's what i say Al!!! LOL.. So many stories of wonderful things that rruly touch our hearts.. I have seen families picking up loves ones at Dover Military Base to claim their sons and daughters... I have witnessed parents holding folderd flagss after burial at Arlinggton Narional Cenetary... I have wirnessed soliders coming home from the east with the biggest smiles and i announce that they are our pride and joy.. i give then all hugs and kisses and i cant even expalin how happy that simmple act makes them feel so special.. i asctully have the whole plane wish then well and geive he a round of applause to express how we feel about what they do and that they are back home.. Some of them i have seen at Mcdonalds just buying a one dollar hamberger, now i know that hey wouldnt just buy a 1 dollar hamburer. so i would o up to them and slip them a twenty under their hands ..so noone would see and i wuld day..."My son is in the 82nd Aibrorne ivision" If he was hungry, i woud hope so,eone woulf do this for him.. They would take te money under their hands and quicklu thank me as i walked ways with treay eyes and watch them go back to the Meds kline and orfer hat they really want. These kids have no money..
I wanted to say that my son in law came home yesterday from AFtganistn he will be here for his daughters birth next week, I am thrilled that my daughter will have him there to witness this great joy in there life..
OK.. ill stop.
Can u tell i love my job? Can u tell i love my military menm and women? YOu betcha!! The are all the best..
Thank you Rina for taking me off course and rambling about those things...lol.
Thee are tru to mu heart and i cant say enought about our soliders and their falilies,,, But the tories from the daily airlines do have a great way of keeping mme on my toes!!! : )
Take care,
Hi Guys and Gals!!
Just reread my post from late last night...Sorry for the typos!!! LOL...
It was a long day and i was late (3 am) when i finally arrived home and settled in for the night. You all can see the typos, sorry for that.. I was really tired, but i wanted to respond to that post..
All good stuff in my opinion..
It is another good day.. Enoy it !! : )
Take Care,
The inside joke is, I'd been helping Laura with some plant issues and she had sent me an email she composed one night in the middle of the night after she returned from a trip, very tired. In my reply to her, I changed all her words around and added a few, so when she read my incredulous reply the next day, she thought that she had actually written all the crazzy stuff that were the changes I made to her original. It was a purely coincidental thing - if she hadn't been so tired, she would have known the words weren't hers, but since she WAS so beat, she thought she'd really written everything she was reading. Anyway - that's the inside line and it was a hoot. I used to do it to my SIL all the time - little changes - & it drove her nutts until she finally caught on.
LOl..I love the jokes and teh stories! Laura, do you remember the one you told me about when we had breakfast?
You know, about the plastic bag or something like that that they pulled on another stewardess?
By the way, I'll admit, I am a dancer! I LOVE to dance and many say I have the moves like a professional. I particularly excall at Sambd, Merege, and Salsa...Better than at writing words..lol
Oh, and as for the Mantis, how in the world do you find them hiding like that? The last time I ever saw a LIVE one, is when I bought eggs years back and watched them hatch. I have not seen one ever since then or before. You guys could be so lucky!
Movement in the trunk(line) creates interest, so I'd have the wire wrapped around the trunk, instead of the stake, and I'd use the wire to make some gentle bends in the trunk - wouldn't change the planting depth. I would clean up that little stub where the branch was pruned just above the soil line so it can eventually heal over - it's ok to cut it flush. I would also get rid of the oxalis growing in the pot today, or at least before it seeds out. If it was my tree, I think I'd want to shorten it come spring, but that's just me - if you prefer a standard .......
My favoured dances! plus tango...
That is a great shot. How did you even notice that Mantis, they really are masters of disguise. (Went back to the property with my daughter & her 2 kids. You should see my 4 yr old granddaughter running after them. I didn't see any, she spotted them hiding everywhere.)
She was on top of the planting when I was about to water, so I went for the camera. After a couple of minutes annoying the creature with the too near proximity of me & the camera, it retreated deeper into the plant. I really had no idea how closely the little bugger resembles the burgundy-edged begonia leaves - too busy with the camera.
I'm not sure how I spot things like that. I just know that my eye is really tuned to nature & animals. I'm usually always the first to see animals at a distance, or pick things related to nature out of the landscape before anyone else sees them. My take is, it comes from having always been a keen hunter and lover/appreciator of the natural world. I also count my ability to love and appreciate nature as one of my greatest blessings - always have been captivated by what lives around us.
Hey Laura! Not sure if your cell is working, but I did text you yesterday. Hope you are well:-)))) Hugs!
By the way, where in the world does that bullfrog live? In the pool? I love bullfrogs! I also have a LOVE for frogs too as Al does. I now have 5 bull frogs all trying to claim their space in my small pond.lol
Rina...Dance away! Love that Latin music, since I am Latin! I once won a salsa contest on the beach in Puerto Rico and played in a band at a 5 start resort and a millionaires convention. Got lots of tips then.lol
Hey, everyone! Mike, Al, Laura, Jodi, Wes, Rina!
There are some great pics here. Al, love that Mantis that appears to be grooming the plant ;-)
I noticed this little garden helper on the edge of my Chocolate Habanero container yesterday....
Hi Everyone,
looks like this thread will roll over soon!
Way to go AL!!! : )
I also LOVE those frogs, they are so cute .... Thanks for the kind words from those cute little guys!!! I just love them...They keep the slugs away from my trees and the lizards keep a close watch as well. That is a great "protector" in my eyes!!! : )
Hi Rina... Thank you!! I do love all of the little critters that like to visit my yard. I aslo have butterflies and Hummingbirds too! I swear they act like they want me to make new sugar water everytime i come outside. I really think they know i will do that when they start swarming me and talking.. They are really precious.
Hey Mike,
My Bull frog lives in the pond most of the year, but in the summer when the water it to hot for him, he decides to take the large pool..lol I se him jump in when i come outside at night to check on the trees. He has finally decided that he likes me now, and wont jump off into the pool. My DH checks in the am to see if he is in the skimmers and he is gone. He is so strong that he can get into the corner and pull himself right out of the pool.
He is to funny. I just love these guys.. i named him my 'little Prince' hopefully he wont be kissing anyone, so he can stay as he is and keep eating the slugs from my Plumeria.
My cell has been acting up and i finally had to say goodbye to it... :( I really likes that one becauses i was so comfortable with it, but it was time for an upgrade. Now, i trying to figure out how to work this new cell..LOL I did receive your text, but i have been so busy at work, and when im done it is to late to respond. I will tomorrow. How are your frogs? I wonder where mine will stay this winter?
Hi Josh!! Love your cute little tree frog too! How cool is that? Does he stay around or is he only here and there? My Bullfrog comes out every evening around the same time and hangs around the same tree, LOL..I think he like the containers with Gritty Mix too! Must be the feel of the mix and the heat that is still around for him in the late evening...
Take good care all..
AL, Since you like frogs so much.. Here are a few more pics for you!!
Good night !!!
loving the Gritty Mix..lol
He just sits and stares at my trees for any tasty treats that may crawl his way.. it is just to funny!!!
Take care,
Neat pics - thanks for sharing them w/us!
A wife comes home late one night, arriving early from being out of town and quietly opens the door to her bedroom. From under the blanket she sees four legs instead of two. She reaches for a baseball bat and starts beating the blanket as hard as she can. Once she's done, she marches to the kitchen to fix a drink. As she enters, she sees her husband there, calmly reading a magazine.
"Hi, Darling", he says, "Your parents decided to fly in and surprise you when you got back, so I picked them up at the airport this afternoon and set them up in our room."
Lol - some one sent it to me, but I revised it just a little, to maximise the impact. ;-)
I fell asleep much earlier than usual that evening, so I ended up wide awake in the middle of the night. I didn't feel like reading, so I figured I'd see if there was anything I could contribute to GW. There wasn't, so I thought a joke or funny story might be the next best thing ..... and you know the rest. ;-)