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'Massive' plan to revamp troubled Lawrence Heights
The troubled Lawrence Heights public housing project is about to get a makeover bigger in scope than the massive Regent Park redevelopment underway downtown.
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The troubled Lawrence Heights public housing project is about to get a makeover bigger in scope than the massive Regent Park redevelopment underway downtown.
A "preferred option'' for redeveloping Lawrence Heights – sometimes dubbed The Jungle – calls for creating a pedestrian-friendly community with nearly 10,000 units of mixed-income housing, new parks, retail and schools.
To be unveiled Thursday, the plan is part of a larger project to remake the neighbourhood around Lawrence Ave. W. and Allen Rd. – including revamping two subway stations, tearing down and rebuilding the Lawrence Square shopping plaza to make way for an extended road and new housing, and possibly covering a section of the expressway.
In total, the swath targeted for the Lawrence-Allen Revitalization covers 138 hectares, stretching from Bathurst to Dufferin Sts. and Lawrence Ave. W. to Highway 401.
The housing part of the plan mirrors the Regent Park revitalization, but fewer tenants would be affected. About 7,500 tenants lived in Regent Park before that revamp began, compared with 3,500 now at Lawrence Heights.
At 26 hectares, Lawrence Heights itself is similar to the 28 hectares of Toronto Community Housing property at Regent Park. Add to that the four hectares occupied by the plaza.
The plan comes after 18 months of consultation with the community, which has seen its share of gun crimes and drug problems. Rather than continued concentration of social housing, and the social ills that accompany it, the city hopes to go to a mixed-housing model in the revitalization.
No dollar figures for the proposal were available Wednesday, but given the scope of the project it will be in the range of hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars.
"It is massive,'' Howard Moscoe, the local city councillor, said in an interview Wednesday, calling the proposal a "unique opportunity to rebuild a section of the city that's in bad need of rebuilding.''
Three city planners are working full-time on the proposal, and the city has also hired a consulting firm.
The first shovels could be in the ground by late 2011, but completing the project could take up to 25 years.
Newly appointed Toronto Community Housing CEO Keiko Nakamura will join Mayor David Miller, Moscoe, and other officials to make the announcement Thursday at Lawrence Heights.
Among the specifics to be unveiled:
Extending Marlee Ave., which runs parallel to Allen, north beyond Lawrence Ave., where it currently ends at Lawrence Square. This would be made possible by tearing down and redoing the plaza.
Possibly "capping'' or covering part of the Allen at Lawrence. This idea is being explored to increase pedestrian accessibility and "tie both sides of the Lawrence Heights community back together,'' according to Moscoe. Results of preliminary studies will be revealed.
A redesign of the Yorkdale and Lawrence West subway stations is also getting serious thought.
"We want the new development to be subway-oriented,'' Moscoe said.
Rebuilding old public schools, in addition to creating new Catholic schools, of which there are currently none in Lawrence Heights. A large percentage of students at Our Lady of the Assumption school near Bathurst and Lawrence come from Lawrence Heights and must be bused in.
Moscoe said the plan is to get input on the proposal from residents and others in workshops slated over the next week or so.
The proposals will be further refined, culminating in a secondary plan that would go to North York community council sometime in June.
A developer would be chosen at some point.
Like the Regent Park makeover, buildings will be torn down and residents will have to be relocated until the new subsidized units are rebuilt on site.
Currently, there are 1,200 such units in Lawrence Heights, and all must be replaced.
Also like Regent Park, money from sales of condominium units and other forms of market housing will be used to finance the huge redevelopment.
Originally, Toronto Community Housing wanted 9,500 units of mixed housing on the Lawrence Heights "footprint," but the city shaved that to 7,500, saying the larger number would make it too dense.
Toronto Community Housing has also redeveloped its Don Mount Court housing project in the city's east end into mixed housing.
"With the Lawrence Heights revitalization, Toronto Community Housing is doing more than simply replacing housing," the housing agency said in an email Wednesday.
"Our vision is to reshape the Lawrence Heights community to improve the lives and living conditions of all residents."
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According to Coos County authorities, Deputies and Coquille Tribal Police responded to the home on Penny Road in Coos Bay to investigate a possible burglary with someone still in the residence.
Officials say it's a way for city leaders to communicate with the public about work being done to the city's infrastructure and how to pay for it.
The annual pancake feed drew more than 600 people, twice as many as the year before.
Deputies and a Gold Beach Police officer successfully conducted a water rescue of another occupant aboard the boat.
According to Coos County authorities, Deputies and Coquille Tribal Police responded to the home on Penny Road in Coos Bay to investigate a possible burglary with someone still in the residence.
Officials say it's a way for city leaders to communicate with the public about work being done to the city's infrastructure and how to pay for it.
The annual pancake feed drew more than 600 people, twice as many as the year before.
Deputies and a Gold Beach Police officer successfully conducted a water rescue of another occupant aboard the boat.
The man suspected of robbing a Roseburg bank on Friday was apprehended at a Grants Pass motel after police recognized a car reported stolen out of Coos County.
Warmer weather means that more people are passing through Charleston to get to the beaches.
In the third day of Kenneth Moore's retrial, the jury reached its decision.
The Special District Election comes around every other year, and it's your chance to vote for candidates that govern local districts, such as fire, hospital, and water districts.
It's put on by SOLVE -- a statewide organization focusing on improving Oregon's environment through stewardship.
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On Good Friday, April 3rd, you're invited to journey across downtown Nashville on foot on a spiritual and political pilgrimage through the Stations of the Cross and ask where Jesus is being condemned and crucified today. The Stations of the Cross originated as a way to help Jesus' followers retrace his steps to the cross. They often take the form of a spiritual pilgrimage through his suffering and crucifixion, enabling participants to contemplate and enter into the tension of Jesus' final hours.
Likewise, we'll journey through our city on a pilgrimage to contemplate what the stations mean for us today and for poor, un-housed, black, and brown bodies in our communities. We'll visit symbolic places where Jesus and others continue to be betrayed, condemned, helped, consoled, and crucified like the Criminal Justice Center, the State Capitol, Legislative Plaza, the Courthouse, and downtown churches. We'll meet at the park on Church Street directly in front of the Downtown Public Library (615 Church St.) at 4:00 p.m. You can park at the library (make sure to have your ticket validated).
You'll need to wear shoes comfortable for walking and everyone is encouraged to wear black as a sign of mourning. We'll be at Downtown Presbyterian Church (154 5th Ave N.) around 6:00 p.m. for those who can't come at the beginning and we plan to conclude around 7:30 p.m. on the steps of the State Capitol (600 Charlotte Ave).


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Pachira troubles
So I bought a 12" pachira from a big chain store (first mistake) and it proceeded to try to die. Its leaves started yellowing and dropping off. I checked MANY different forums for advice. I repotted it into a nice small pot with some potting soil mixed with a healthy dose of sand for drainage. I have the pot sitting on top of a dish of rocks with water.
When I re-potted the plant, I decided to check for root rot. What I found was the plant was essentially root-less. The supplier blatently took a cutting, got it to begin to root, then using a rubber band to hold the sticks together, put it in a pot and glued a bunch of rocks to it.
I figure that the health problems I am seeing are a result of the lack of roots. The plant is still declining, but at a much slower pace. Do you think the plant has a chance of survival? Can you recommend any tricks?
Thanks in advance.
Hi there Crazytbone!
I'm no expert on this but I do have one and have had success and decline with this plant. It takes time to learn. :) Here is some advice but this is only from my experience and things I've read on this site.
First off, yes, big stores like to glue rocks on top of the soil which is bad news. I bought one plant with rocks glued on before I knew the harm; now no matter how good an arrangement might look...if rocks are glued on I don't buy it. You are right to think that this is the cause for the plants decline, not you. :)
Secondly, sand is bad in soil. It not only compacts when wet but does not let the roots breathe. I've only heard that its ok to use bigger grains of sand but I have yet to see such sand, so I stay away from it now. I would just buy some organic soil, try to stay away from Miracle Grow. I've had bad expereinces with it and I know others have as well. Good soils to use are the 5-1-1 and gritty mix that Al has kindly provided instructions on how to make. I'll get you the link.
Also, I don't think that its nesseccary to have the tray of rocks at the bottom. I've never had to add humidity to this plant before, though your conditions might be different than mine. Just make sure its not going to be sitting in water if you take the rocks away...
I know one problem that I and others have had with this plant is watering too much. Once the leaves turn yellow, I take that as a sign that the plant has been watered too much (I read that somewhere on this site).
I'd repot it in a soil that doesn't have sand but one that has good drainage. Also try to not water for a week or 2 once you've replanted (only so you don't over water) Oh! And since there are some roots you can use fertilizer with a higer amount of in it to aid in strong roots. I didn't know what the numbers on the ferilizer stand for so here is an explination incase you don't know either.
Taken from the FAQ's:
"What do they stand for and what do they do?"
"N" stands for Nitrogen.
Nitrogen is the first number. Nitrogen promotes plant growth above the ground. With plenty of nitrogen a plant will grow quickly and have rich green foliage.
"P" stands for Phosphorus.
Phosphorus is the second number. Phosphorus is beneficial for healthy growth. It helps a plant grow strong roots, it helps with flower production, and it helps make plants stronger to resist diseases.
"K" stands for Potassium.
Potassium is the third number. Potassium is neccesary for growing strong plants. It helps makes them stronger to resist disease, it helps to make them less susceptible to damage from the cold, and it helps protect them from excessive moisture loss during dry spells.
*Heres the link for more info
I hope I've helped you! :) I know there are other, more knowledgable people out there who can chim in and help you.
Keep us updated! :)
Here is a link that might be useful: Girtty Mix is what your looking for, read through the post and you'll see the recepie for it :)
Wow, thank you for all that information. It is a little bit overwhelming. I'm becoming a casual houseplant keeper (somewhat obsessed). I have a windowsill full of probably 50 plants ranging from jade to pineapple to pomegranate seedlings.
I just want to clarify, do you think that fertilizer is a good idea? I'm a little afraid to fertilize because I don't want to burn the roots.
Also, looking at the thread about the different soils is quite intimidating. Being a full time teacher who is also in grad school and in a band, I am short on both time and dollars. Do you think that I could fabricate my own style of gritty mix using stuff I can find? I do have a bag of all purpose potting soil.
Thanks again! I refuse to let this tree die.
Hey, Crazytbone!
Ashley provides some great information on this plant!
First up, I also recommend a gritty mix entirely devoid of sand - and with as little peat-moss (bagged potting soil) as possible. I'm sure we can figure out a decent mix with the ingredients you have available. Do you have Perlite?
Essentially what you have is a rooted cutting - and you should treat it as such...which means a gritty, fast-draining mix, set in a warm location (eastern windows have worked well for me). You are going to re-root your plant, which will make it much, much healthier in the end.
After a re-potting, you don't want to put the plant back into the sun immediately. The plant won't be running at full speed, and the sun may burn leaves while the water may simply collect around the roots - so give it a week or so to recuperate, then introduce it to the sun again.
One to two weeks after re-potting/rootwork, it should be perfectly safe to fertilize. Start by fertilizing at one-quarter strength when you water. As the season progresses, increase the fertilizer regimen.
No worries!
Most importantly, you need to create drainage.
You do this by adding gritty ingredients that don't hold much moisture.
A bag of Perlite, mixed half and half with potting soil will be so much better than straight potting soil.
And if you can add some Pumice, even better.
If you're serious about refusing to let this tree die, then get rid of that bagged potting soil completely.
It's root-rot in a bag, basically.
I'm going to link you to a long Thread on Pachira, which covers a gamut of topics related to soils, watering,
pruning, and invigorating. You'll have to scan through the Thread, as many posts won't apply to your situation;
however, I think you can glean a lot of solid information from the experience presented.
Let us know what you try and how it goes!
Here is a link that might be useful: Pachira - Money Tree Thread
Hey Crazytbone! I know its a lot but better a lot of information than bits and pieces that might not make sense.
I'm very busy myself, graduated with my BA and now attempting my MA; so I too don't have much time or money so I've made due with what I have now. You're in a band?! Cool, what kind of music?
I've been using a small amount of Al's gritty mix, and will try to make my own this spring. The marterial is hard to find for me, so don't worry about trying to make the same mix right now. We can help you find out what will work for you.
As for the fertilizer, Josh is right, wait a bit and then fertilize. I've never used fert before so this is my first year using it. :)
I hope that we've helped you. My Pachira is looking not so great right now. I trimmed some of the branches off in Feb (should have trimmed lower) and I already have visable new growth. Most of my leaves got burnt from the sun one day, yikes! I've since moved it into the shade, but at least the new growth will get plenty of light. :) I at least know that though some leaves have died off, new growth will fill in the empty places haha
If you have any more questions, please ask! Keep us updated :)
Greenman, you said "If you're serious about refusing to let this tree die, then get rid of that bagged potting soil completely.
It's root-rot in a bag, basically."
Ok, I'm serious. What do I have to get for an appropriate soil? I feel like I remember reading a recipe that called for 1 part perilite, 1 part crushed granite, and something else I can't remember. I'm trying to find a source for these components in very small amounts. I only need to fill a pot the size of a 1lb deli container.
My band plays all kinds of music. We blend instruments and styles from all over the world to make something new.
Thank you both for your advice. I really want this tree to survive.
I picked up some perlite. I found a recipe for Al's gritty mix, but I cannot find all the ingredients (particularly Turface, and crushed granite is hard to come by as well). Is it possible to make something similar with the perlite? I only need a very small volume, so I'm considering spending 10 minutes collecting some very small stones from outside. I read that Turface is similar to crushed pottery, so I was thinking about crushing some large pottery fragments that I have. Would grabbing some barky pieces of mulch from outside my apartment substitute for the pine bark?
Its tough being poor. :)
Thanks again for the help.
Here is a link that might be useful: This is the recipe for Al's gritty mix that I found.
Hey, man!
Small gravel will work in place of the crushed granite, indeed.
The Pine Bark shouldn't be too large. 1/8 - 1/4 inch pieces are optimum.
Try a mix of 1 part Perlite, 1 part potting soil, 1 part small stones, and 2 parts bark.
If this holds too much water, add bark and Perlite until you're satisfied.
ok. She's in the quasi gritty mix. It ended up being more like 1:1:1:1, and maybe the stones were a little bit big...
This is what my mix ended up looking like.
Here's my poor tree. As you can see, there's not too many leaves left. There's only 3 hands left. The two lower ones are looking a little bit yellow. The top one is new growth that started before I bought the tree. I hope she pulls through.
Lookin good crazy!
Once you can tell that the plant is getting stronger and the roots have developed more you will be able to cut back the stem to promote new growth. I've done this with mine, started out with 3 main branches....after cutting them back (on the woody area) with almost no leaves left, I now have areas of new growth which will create more branches than before. For a fuller affect. Even though yours looks sparse now, once you trim you will get lots of new growth. :)
We can discuss trimming and pruning more later on when you get to that stage.
I'll post the photo of my Pachiras new growth soon.
The soil looks good, I think with the kind of care you have for this plant ...it'll pull through :)
Great news!
Keep it moist for the time being (water every 2 - 5 days depending on temperature/sun).
When your Pachira has regrown a good root-mass, then you can water it less often - but
don't deprive it of moisture right now.
Secondly, it looks like there's a drip-tray connected to your container.
Water copiously, but make sure to dump that excess water after 15 minutes.
Fertilize at 1/4 strength the recommended dose, just to start out.
Any balanced fertilizer should work - cut the dose to play it safe.
I personally use Foliage Pro 9-3-6, at 1/4 and 1/2 strength.
I also added a capful of vinegar to a gallon of water, and treated my Pachira three times over the winter.
With the vinegar and fertilizer, I've seen faster, larger, and healthier growth than ever before.
Well, the drip tray used to be attached to the bottom of the pot by two spikes. I tried to snap off the spikes, but managed to punch two small holes in the drip tray. So it's not really a drip tray so much as it is a pot stand.
I have miracle grow all purpose plant food which is labeled 24-8-16. This seems to be 3x stronger than yours. I dilute it quite a bit. I use this with all my window plants (I have 61!) and they seem to like it.
I watered my pachira by immersing the pot in water + fertilizer. I did not let the water run over the edge of the pot. I let the water soak up from the bottom. I let it sit in the water for ~45 seconds before removing it. It seemed pretty saturated.
What is the vinegar for? How much should I use?
I just made some gritty mix for my jades (you can check out my jade adventure in the cactus and succulent forum). It's about 2.5 parts stone, 1 part bark, and 1 part floor dry. Do you think I should put my pachira in this mix, perhaps with some extra soil added? Or should I just leave well enough alone?
Hey, Crazy!
I'd leave it alone for now. Let it recuperate.
Did you mention that the floor dry turned partially to clay? (Or am I conflating Threads?)
You can certainly use the same mix for a Jade or a Pachira, with the caveat that you'll
need to make sure that the Pachira is adequately watered - especially while colonizing
the new media with roots.
Hi everyone! It's been a good long while since I've been here, but I'm baaaaack :)
Here's an update on my little money tree. It has not died. I think it's doing fairly well. It has gone through periods of growth and illness. It's had a couple accidents (I got a new kitten), and it's pulled through.
How do you think it's doing? The brown tips of some leaves give me some concern, but its location right next to a heater might be the cause. I guess my question is, now that the new growing year is approaching, what should I do? I'd like to repot into something more attractive than the pink plastic pot.
Bottom line: I want to grow the healthiest tree possible, and the advice I've found here has been excellent.
Thanks in advance,
Welcome back!
Brown tips usually indicate root-death....usually from overwatering (though not always).
The pale leaves make me think that there might be a nutrient deficiency in the plant,
but that could also be due to excess watering - or even excess fertilizer salts already in
the potting media.
I'm really glad that it's still kicking!
Not necessarily the end...they're pretty tough plants ;-)
And if you consider the horrible potting soil and poor light conditions these plants are subjected
to around the world, you can see that yours is well above the average (in terms of good treatment)!
Try this: stick a skewer or chop-stick into the soil and only water when the stick comes out clean/dry.
This technique I learned from Tapla (Al), and it serves well those of us who grow in course, gritty mixes
that might look dry up top when they still retain moisture deeper in the pot.
So, what's the word on fertilizer?
Crazybone..Your Pachira is lacking a mineral..IMO, Iron.
Check out the veins. They're darker green which usually indicate an iron deficiency.
A dose of Iron Sulfate or Chelate should fix the pale leaf/deep green vein problem.
In a March 2010 thread you said you used an All Purpose 24-8-16 fertilizer. This fertilizer certainly contains adequate Nitrogen, so that isn't the issue.
At first glance, I thought there was an N problem..After further inspection I noted the pronounced green veins, which is the reason I feel it's an Iron defiency.
About the brown tips. If you go back to May 12, 2010, to the right of your Pachira is a Spider Plant. It too has brown tips. Some in evidence, others that were clipped.
This isn't necessarily the reason, not a sure cure, but one way to prevent brown tips is by letting water sit out 24-hours prior watering. Spiders/Chlorophytums can't tolerate chlorine. Give it a try, can't hurt, right?
Also, when you clip tips, don't cut into the green part of a leaf. Instead, leave about 1/8 inch of brown on the leaf to prevent further spreading.
Over and under-watering causes leaves to yellow, but your Pachira leaves are more pale than yellow. However, soil should dry between waterings.
My Pachira's are in home-made succulent mix and underpotted, so soil dries fast. Although my two are treated like succulents, I mist leaves daily. Misted and hauled to the kitchen sink sprayer.
Howdy Josh.... Toni
Iron deficiency.....iiiinteresting. Well, over the past year I got married, completed grad school, and got a 3rd job. I tried to make my life easier by using one of those time release fertilizers. I'm starting to think that this was a poor choice. I'm going to pick up some new fertilizer tonight.
Al - there are two kinds of Fe deficiencies (3 actually). There is an actual physical deficiency of FE, where Fe is actually not present in the soil in quantities sufficient to satisfy the plant's needs. This probably can't happen if you are using MG 24-8-16 with any regularity because if its Fe content.
The second type of deficiency is pH related. As you water heavy soils in sips, carbonates from your tap water accumulate in the soil, driving pH upward and making Fe unavailable because the high pH causes Fe to precipitate out of solution into an insoluble form. Heavy soils also inhibit the uptake of Fe (I can explain this if you like).
If you are using the MG, acidifying your irrigation water so the Fe that is already there becomes available makes much more sense than adding MORE solubles to the soil unnecessarily. Adding Fe that isn't necessary, that is already present in soils but unavailable can contribute to the unavailability of other elements - particularly Mn, but P as well. It's almost never a good thing to start adding this & that to try to 'cure' a deficiency perceived by someone over the Internet. Even experienced professionals are often wrong about diagnosing nutritional deficiencies.
You might want to start a dialog about how to approach fertilizing in general before you jump to cure a 'Fe' deficiency that may well turn out to be a Mg deficiency or a deficiency of one of a number of other possible nutrients.
Btw - adding a gob of Fe CAN turn your plants green, but 'green' doesn't necessarily equate to best health or best growth. You can't cure a deficiency of one nutrient by supplying an excess of another, so you're far better to approach fertilizing from the perspective of balance and the right proportions of each nutrient in the soils at all times so you prevent ALL deficiencies, than you are trying to cure each ill as it occurs by adding this and that.
The 'root' cause (no pun intended) of the burned leaf tips originates in the relationship formed by your soil choice and watering habits - at the roots. Misting isn't going to improve that relationship or change it. Your plant isn't able to move enough water to the leaves to replace that lost by transpiration, so the plant starts shedding the cells/tissue it cannot support .... until the volume of foliage is reduced to something it CAN support. The 'cure' for necrotic leaf tips and margins rests in your ability to improve root function/metabolism. Raising the constant (relative) humidity in the air surrounding the plant can be helpful in slowing transpiration, but again, the real issue causing burned foliage is poor root function .... which can be improved almost immediately if you want to take a few simple steps.
Let me know if you'd like some additional direction.
I would love to start a dialogue about fertilizing. Currently I am not using MG fertilizer. This summer, I put a gob of these 8 month time release fertilizer balls in many of my plants. Apart from this, I am not using any fertilizer at all.
The soil in this case is a jerry-rigged-quasi-gritty mix. It is equal parts soil, perlite, bark (pulled from the mulch outside my old apartment), and pebbles (collected by children at recess. I'm a teacher, btw) Since then, I've created some actual gritty mix which my jades, avocado, and bird's nest sanseveria's seem to love.
As far as root function is concerned, last time I checked, the phrase 'root function' was very appropriate, because the tree did not have 'roots'; it had 'root'. One tiny root. I'm assuming that this situation has improved because the tree is not dead, but I do not know how much better it has become.
I would LOVE any direction as to how to make this plant become as robust as possible.
Thanks again!
- Al (the other Al)
Al/Crazybone...First, Congrats..Does your wife like plants? :)
I've seen what lack of Iron does to leaves, especially with Azaleas and Gardenias.
It's advised certain plants get three doeses of iron per year.
I learned the hard way several years back when, my favorite and oldest Gardenia acquired Chlorosis. Thought my plant was going to end up in plant heaven.
I researched via plant books, found Gardenias needed additional iron. I bought a bottle, and from then on used as directed. Actually, I usually add iron twice a year, but most of my fertilizers contain iron anyway..don't want to overdo.
When you purchase fertilizer, check the ingredients. Choose one that contains minerals. MG or other brands. There's a good number of fertilizers around.
One other thing..have you ever added Epsom Salts? Toni
OK - Since you've seen first hand the benefits of a well-aerated and fast draining soil, I don't need to go there. ;o) Fertilizing in a fast soil is a snap, so what do you think about repotting?
I JUST left this advice on another forum, so I'll copy paste it:
What I think we need to do is get you on track in the watering fertilizing areas for the moment. First, I think we/you should get your soil flushed thoroughly.
Here's what I would do. Move the tree to where you can flush the pot thoroughly - in the tub or shower is great. Saturate the soil with room temperature water and wait 10 minutes. Then, flush the soil with a volume of water at least equal to the volume of the container it's in 5-10 times - the more the better. This removes accumulating solubles (salt build-up) from the soil. After it stops draining, remove the tree from the pot & set it on newspaper over night. The paper will 'pull' excess water from the soil. Return it to the same pot next day.
Wait to water until a wood dowel stuck deep into the soil comes out clean & dry. When it needs it's first watering after the flush, fertilize with a 1/2 recommended strength of MG 24-8-16 or 12-4-8, or Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 (my favorite - I hope you get it!)
I'll have you add a wick to the pot for now, if you will. The wick will help excess water drain & allow you to water properly. You'll need to arrange for the pot to be ABOVE a collection saucer when you water, with the wick dangling below the bot 2-3", but NOT touching the effluent that collects in the saucer. When you water - use enough water so at least 10-15% of the total volume of water you apply exits the drain or drips off the wick. This keeps solubles from accumulating in the soil. You can learn more about why how water behaves in container soils here. If you absorb the information in this thread, it will stay with you and help you with your container gardening from now on. (It sounds like you already have?)
Any questions you have before you flush the soil and fertilize are welcome. If you're still interested - I'll help you get set up so you can water properly until you can repot. Repotting is different from potting up, in that repotting includes bare-rooting, a soil change, and root pruning.
Once you decide on what fertilizer you're going to use (any 3:1:2 ratio can be made to work well) I'll help you decide how to make sure your pH is on target, and we can decide whether or not it's appropriate to make some provisions for supplying the Ca & Mg most soluble fertilizers lack. Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 includes it.
So Al, you're recommending a soil flush? What about a total re-potting? I hate the pot it's in. I'd like to put it in gritty mix, but I'm afraid of shocking the plant and harming it more.
I didn't change my forum name. When I'm at work, I can't log in. The firewall rejects me saying that the site is trying to circumvent the filter. I figured out a way to post anonymously, but I'm pretty sure it's a bug. Oh well, I jerry-rig everything, why not my internets.
- Al
Hey, Crazy!
I'm really glad Al is here to explain the fertilization schedule fully.
He's about the best resource we have here at these Fora. My advice will mirror his.
I think you should get the plant some nutrients pronto, and use a skewer to make sure
that the potting mix is drying appropriately before watering again. Also, I would
advise you to wait just a little longer before re-potting - wait until prime growing season.
I've never seen a re-potting hurt a Pachira *if* it's being potted into a better mix.
I've certainly seen Pachira languish and expire after going into a bagged soil, though.
Howdy, Toni! ;-)
Yes - flush the soil and fertilize the next time the plant needs watering. Stuff a wick into the drain hole to help drain excess water from the soil - you know how to use the wick - right? If not, please don't be hesitant about asking.
Please do, do a complete repot in June. I think you could hardly make a better choice than the gritty mix. Once you settle on your choice of fertilizers, we'll figure out the best plan, but it's really hard to beat the FP 9-3-6. Right now the plan is to keep the tree healthy until you can repot it. You MIGHT even be able to defoliate the plant in late July & have a nice fresh flush of growth with no blemishes going into winter - it depends on how well it does. With the gritty mix and a frequent low dose of fertilizer as you flush the soil regularly, you should be able to keep the foliage unspoiled all winter long. A healthy environment for the roots, and a low level of solubles in the soil maximizes the plant's ability to take up water. Sludgy soils impair root function and contribute to accumulating salts levels - primary causes for blemished foliage because these diminish a plant's ability to take up water.
Thanks, Josh. I didn't realize you pretty much had things under control. ;o)
No, I have no idea about how to use a wick. The container is a broken pot-attached-to-its-own-saucer that I ripped the saucer off of to make sure water fully drains. I'm torn between going to look for FP at the fancy pants plant store, or just getting MG from Stop and Shop. I got my MG orchid food there.
I'm so glad that both you and Josh are so active on these forums. You both are very knowledgeable and have been extremely helpful to me the last time I was active here, which was about a year ago.
Thank you both.
Due to lack of time and energy, I decided to just go with the MG 24-8-16. I checked the label, and it does include many minerals, including iron.
I mixed up and liberally applied some fertilizer with a little white vinegar. I'm on vacation now, so I won't be watering again for over a week.
CTB - we were talking about wicks upthread a little. You can read about ways to deal with water retentive soils at the link below. There is an explanation of why it's distinctly to our advantage to eliminate excess water in our containers & how to do it. It talks briefly about using a wick + other tips. It's probably worth the time it takes to read. If you want a more in depth discussion, just ask & I'll lay out the physics. The link I left in a post above also talks about wicks.
I might have missed how you made the soil you're growing in. Did you add dolomitic lime when you made it? Gypsum? Josh is right about the Mg not containing Ca, but it doesn't contain Mg either. Once we find out about how you made the soil and how long your plant has been in it, we can figure out what you need to do about the Ca/Mg. How long your plant has been in the soil (if you used dolomitic lime) is important because the Mg fraction of the lime is as much as 125X more soluble than the Ca fraction and after a couple of years, even if you did start with dolomite in your soil, you might need to supplement the Mg but not the Ca. There are a lot of 'it depends' associated with the best course insofar as nutrient supplementation goes.
Here is a link that might be useful: Dealing with heavy (water-retentive) soils
Since starting the fertilizer again, new growth has been aggressively developing. I see little to no improvement in the existing leaves however.
This plant has been in its container for about 1 year. The soil is makeshift gritty mix. It is composed of 1 part mulch from the front of my old apartment building, 1 part perlite, 1 part pebbles collected by my students, and one part regular bagged potting mix. It drains freely, so water retention is not an issue (although there are likely many other issues). At the time, I was desperate to save my tree, and without $$ or free time, I jerry-rigged some soil.
I'm thinking it might be time for a re-potting into some gritty mix. I am somewhat confused about some of the other additives you mentioned earlier. I guess I'll ask the $10,000 question again: what mix would you recommend?
Crazy Al, I just read through this great thread and have learned so much from this. Anyway I'm not nearly as knowledgeable as Josh, Al, or Ashley so I can't really add to what they said. I just wanted to say your plant is looking great! Next time you replant you might want to consider adding compost. I do to all my plants and they seem to be doing great. If the others say otherwise than do as they say!
Hey, T.J. and Al. No compost! ;-)
Not in a container, at least. Compost is wonderful for the garden, but it impedes drainage
in a container and deprives the roots of the oxygen that they require for healthy growth.
Al, the Pachira is looking much improved, indeed!
Not only are we heading into prime Pachira season, but the tree was lacking in nutrients, I believe.
I would re-pot in May - that seems to be a real good time for these plants. Also, the old leaves will
never improve. Once the new growth comes in, scrap the old leaves...or try to propagate them.
Tapla's classic Gritty Mix of Bark, Turface, and grit (granite) is great for these plants.
Sometimes, sourcing the individual ingredients can take some time, although it is quite worth the effort.
If you let us know what you have available - bark, perlite, pumice, et cetera - I'm sure we could all
work together to arrive at a soil-mix that retains the right amount of moisture without staying overly wet.
My Pachira is in a mix of bark, pumice, and perlite.
Looks like I'm going to have a lot of replanting this spring...I have compost in most of my pots! Anyway if you haven't seen the Pachira thread made by Josh that covers replanting and propagation I would highly suggest looking over it. Josh has provided many pictures step by step also!
GardenWeb doesn't want me to post the link as a link so here it is. Just copy and paste it into your browser.
Thanks for the kind words. I've learned a LOT from Josh and Al over the past year from reading these forums.
Josh -
I made my gritty mix for some other plants last year using pine bark, rice stone, and NAPA floor-dry. There is only one source for Turface around here (that I could find anyway), and it closes before I get out of work. My jades, sanseveria, and cacti seem to love my gritty mix. I was simply going to use my gritty mix but Al asked if I used any dolomitic lime or gypsum. I do not know what these things are or why I would add them.
Is pumice similar to Turface? And why wait for May for the repot? Wouldn't I want the plant to be as adjusted and strong as possible for summer?
I'll also definitely have a look at propogating. Those ugly leaves are probably destined to become new little clones mwahahahahaha
It is very early to re-pot...
but if it's life or death, it may be required. Are all trunks still firm?
Most likely, too much moisture retention in the soil, too large a volume of soil,
too little light. Maybe low nutrients, too - actual deficiency or impaired roots.
Can you post a pic of the soil and the pot?
Thanks for your reply Josh. All trunks are still firm. The shoot that lost the big leaves is still green inside. The pot is the original, placed in a larger pot (just for looks). The soil is your basic potting soil.
Given that some of the leaves have turned brown on the ends, and the shoots were still green, the woman at the nursery thought that perhaps it wasn't getting enough water and nutrients. I have been extremely cautious with regard to over-watering, and until now, the tree has been fine. Once a month I was giving it a little Miracle Grow. My thought was that perhaps the roots were not getting enough nutrients, and I was going to re-pot to take a look, maybe score the roots and re-pot in a soil that would help retain moisture (an organic cactus mix was recommended).
The plant is away from the window, receives some indirect light, and I have a plant light on it for ~6 hours per day.
Thanks again!
Hey, no problem.
Alright, quite a few things need to change to get this tree vital again.
Different soil and different light exposure is essential to the plant's health.
Move it as close to a sunny window as possible. Direct light.
Then hunt down some ingredients for a proper mix. If you're inclined to do this,
all the ingredients needed are mentioned in this Thread.
The mix it's in will hold way too much moisture. Does the decorative pot have drainage?
If it were my tree, I would re-pot it, but I would not do any root-pruning or "scoring."
That said, I won't advise you to do this because I don't want any feeling of guilt
if your trees die. It is up to you, however.
To determine when your soil is actually dry, stick a wooden kabob skewer or dowel
all the way to the bottom of the container. Check it every few days; if damp, don't water.
Well, I may have done more harm than good. I did re-pot it, and at the base of one of the braids, it was completely rotted. I cleaned that up as much as I could and put it in a new soil mixture. I did notice that much of the old soil was bone dry (perhaps in the area of the rotting braid). In a week, it's gone through some changes; mostly dying leaves. Yes, the decorative pot has drainage. Thanks for the advice on watering.
For direct light, I would need to move the tree to a different floor of the house. I thought, after two years and no problems, that it was getting enough light.
I will keep you posted. I am sad that I may have ultimately killed my great tree, but not sure how long it would have lasted the way it was going.


text:
An automatic playing apparatus which reads tone information from a ROM piece by piece to play a demonstration. The tone information stored in the ROM includes note data for generation of a musical tone as well as data for changing the parameters of music corresponding to the note data. When a demonstration is played, the note data and the data for changing the music parameters stored in the ROM are read out piece by piece, and the associated musical tones are generated accordingly. In this way, the musical piece being automatically played changes with each repetition, so that listeners hear a different version of the piece each time it is re-played.
1. An apparatus for automatically playing musical pieces, comprising:
automatic means for replaying a musical piece more than two times;
automatic means for varying said musical piece each time it is replayed so that a player's intervention is not required to cause a variation in each relay;
said automatic means for varying said musical piece each time it is replayed including a plurality of storage means for storing tone information, said tone information including note information for reproducing a musical tone and parameter information for varying said musical tone each time it is reproduced;
said parameter information including a plurality of differing parameters;
each storage means of said plurality of storage means having differing parameter information so that each automatic playback of a musical piece varies from other automatic playbacks thereof; and
control means for sequentially reading out said tone information from said plurality of storage means and subjecting said read-out tone information to a tone-ON process to thereby automatically play a musical piece in a different form each time it is replayed.
2. An automatic playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said parameter information is a quantize number.
3. An automatic playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said parameter information is envelope data.
4. An automatic playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said parameter information is timbre information.
5. An automatic playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said parameter information is rhythm information.
6. An automatic playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said tone information is sequentially read out in a predetermined order from beginning to end, and after a final piece of tone information is read out to generate a musical tone, reading of said tone information is repeated from the beginning.
7. An automatic playing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising counting means for counting the number of times said tone information is read out.
This application is a continuation of a now-abandoned disclosure bearing Ser. No. 07/779,423, filed 10/17/91 by the same inventor now abandoned.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic playing apparatus for use in an electronic musical instrument, such as a synthesizer, an electronic piano or an electronic Organ.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electronic musical instrument generally has an automatic playing apparatus incorporated therein. When a player does not play the electronic musical instrument, therefore, a predetermined demonstration (hereafter referred to simply as "demo") is played by the automatic playing apparatus.
In order to play such a demo, demo data in a predetermined format, corresponding to a given piece of music, is previously stored in a read only memory (hereafter referred to as "ROM"), and then is read piece by piece to generate musical tones.
Demo data to be used in a conventional automatic playing apparatus has multiple pieces of note data consisting of the minimum information necessary for tone generation.
The piece of note data in demo data consists of, for example, a key number, a step time, a gate time, a TAG and a velocity.
The "key number" corresponds to a number given to each key on a keyboard, and is used to specify a tone pitch. The "step time" indicates the time length from a key-ON time for the previous note data to a key-ON time for the current note data, and is used to specify a tone-ON timing.
The "gate time" indicates the time length from a key-ON time to a key-OFF time. The "velocity" is data for specifying the key-operation speed or key-hitting strength, and serves to indicate the strength of a tone to be generated. The "TAG", data relating to a playing pattern, is used to alter the rhythm.
To play a demonstration, the demo data, or a group of note data including the above-described elements, is read out from the ROM and supplied to a tone preparing circuit (tone generator), so that a predetermined piece of music is automatically played.
When the demo data is read out from the beginning to the end to generate the associated musical tones, playing a demo of one music piece is then completed. When the demo of one music piece is ended, the demo data may be sequentially read again from the beginning to generate the musical tones, thereby ensuring repetitive playing of the same music.
Such conventional demo playing is however monotonous because a single piece of music is repetitively played with the same timbre and at the same tempo, causing listeners to be bored.
It should be understood that music creates a certain image in the mind of the listener. Of course, the same music may create different mental images in the minds of different listeners. However, the same piece of music, if re-played the same way over and over, will create the same image over and over for each listener if the effects of boredom are discounted.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an automatic playing apparatus which can alter the timbre and rhythm at a given timing to vary the image of music and remove the monotony of the music.
To achieve this object, according to the present invention, an automatic playing apparatus for playing a demonstration comprises storage means for storing tone information including note information and information for altering an image of music; and
control means for sequentially reading out the tone information from the storage means and subjecting the read tone information to a tone-ON process to thereby play the demonstration while changing the image of music based on the music image altering information.
According to the present invention, information for changing the music image is stored in advance as demo data in the storage means in addition to note information, and musical tones are generated, referring to this music-image altering information. It is therefore possible to play varied demonstrations without monotony.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of one embodiment of an electronic musical instrument where the present invention is applied;
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the format of demo data according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a main flowchart illustrating the operation of the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a demo playing process in FIG. 3; and
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the format of demo data for an ordinary automatic playing apparatus.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the general structure of an electronic musical instrument where an automatic playing apparatus according to the present invention is applied.
Referring to FIG. 1, a keyboard 1 includes multiple keys and a key scan circuit (neither shown) for detecting the depression status of each key. The key scan circuit detects the key code and touch data of a key newly depressed and the key code of a key newly released, and outputs them. The touch data is prepared by a well-known touch sensor (not shown).
A panel operation section 2 includes various switches, such as a mode switch, a melody select switch, and a rhythm select switch, and a display which displays predetermined information. (Those switches and the display are not shown. ) The various switches include a demonstration switch (hereafter referred to as "demo switch") directly concerning the feature of the present invention.
The demo switch is used to instruct the start/stop of playing a demo. In other words, the demo playing starts when the demo switch is turned on, and the demo playing is stopped with the demo switch turned off.
The set/reset status of each switch on the panel operation section 2 is to be detected by a built-in panel scan circuit (not shown), as in the case of the keyboard 1. The panel scan circuit checks the statuses of the individual switches on the panel operation section 2 to detect any panel switch which is set ON, and sends the detection result to a central processing unit (CPU) 3.
The CPU 3 controls individual sections of the electronic musical instrument in accordance with a control program which is stored in a program memory in a ROM 4.
Stored in the ROM 4 are demo data and other various fixed data in addition to the control program to operate the CPU 3.
A random access memory (hereafter referred to as "RAM") 5 stores the demo data temporarily, stores status information of the electronic musical instrument, or serves as a work area for the CPU 3.
An initial value according to a tempo is set to a timer 6, which interrupts the CPU 3 at an interval corresponding to the set value. Generally, the interruption to the CPU 3 is set to occur every 1/48 of one beat of a quarter note. With the interruption taken as a trigger, a tone-ON timing is calculated. The demonstration on the automatic playing apparatus embodying the present invention is also played according to this tone-ON timing.
A tone preparing circuit (tone generator) 7 generates a digital tone signal under the control of the CPU 3. The digital tone signal from the tone generator 7 is supplied to a D/A converter 8.
The D/A converter 8 converts the digital tone signal into an analog tone signal, which is then supplied to an amplifier 9.
The amplifier 9 amplifies the analog tone signal by a predetermined gain. The output of the amplifier 9 is supplied to an acoustic circuit 10.
The acoustic circuit 10 converts the analog tone signal as an electric signal into an acoustic signal. The acoustic circuit 10 is acoustic generating means typified by a loudspeaker or a headphone.
The keyboard 1, the panel operation section 2, the CPU 3, the ROM 4, the RAM 5, the timer 6 and the tone generator 7 are connected to one another by a system bus 11.
FIG. 2 illustrates the format of demo data to be stored in the ROM 4. The demo data to be used by the automatic playing apparatus of the present invention includes a quantize number, envelope data, and other parameters PARA1 to PARAm, besides note data which is included in conventional demo data.
The quantize number is information which causes a slight shift in the normal position and the normal length of a note which vary with a change in time. Changing the quantize number delicately alters the image of music. The envelope data is information for controlling the amplitude of a tone wave. Altering the envelope data provides a sustain sound or an attenuating sound. The parameters PARA1 to PARAm are data, such as timbre data and rhythm data, which can affect the image of the music, like the quantize number and the envelope data. In the claims that follow, the quantize number, envelope data, and parameters PARA1 to PARAm are collectively and generically referred to as "parameter information." As stated earlier, it is the variation in these parameters that causes a change in the mental image created by the music each time a musical piece is re-played so that the listeners do not become bored. It should be understood, however, that the change in parameters causes the sound, form, or over-all content of the music to actually change, i.e., the change in mental image is caused by physical changes in the sound waves produced by the acoustic generating means 10. Thus, the term "image" should be understood on two levels, i.e., the internal level where it refers to a mental image or impression, and the external level where it refers to the over-all sound produced by said acoustic generating means.
N sets of the thus structured demo data, from data 1 to data n, are stored for every music image in the ROM 4.
The operation of the automatic playing apparatus with the above-described structure will now be described referring to flowcharts in FIGS. 3 and 4.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the main routine of the electronic musical instrument to which the automatic playing apparatus of the present invention is applied.
When the apparatus is powered on, the CPU 3 executes an initializing process (step S11), and initializes data such as volume and timbre. When the keyboard 1 is operated immediately after the power is on, therefore, a musical tone is released with predetermined timbre and volume.
The CPU 3 then executes a panel scanning process (step S12). The statuses of the switches on the panel operation section 2 are scanned, and data indicating ON/OFF status of each switch is fetched into the CPU 3. The data from the panel operation section 2 is used to determine a process to be performed later according to each switch, for example, a process of altering the timbre.
The CPU 3 then executes a key scanning process (step S13). The key scan circuit scans the keyboard 1 and data indicating the depression/release status of each key on the keyboard 1 is latched in the CPU 3. This data is used in a tone-ON process and tone-OFF process, both to be performed later.
In accordance with the data acquired through the panel scanning process (step S12) and the key scanning process (step S13), the CPU 3 then executes various processes (step S14). In other words, various processes, such as the timbre altering process, tone-ON process and tone-OFF process, are performed in accordance with the statuses of the switches on the panel operation section 2 or the depression/release statuses of the keys on the keyboard 1. The details of these processes do not directly concern the subject matter of the present invention, and their explanation will not therefore be given.
The subroutine of a demo playing process is called (step S15).
FIG. 4 presents a flowchart showing the demo playing process.
In the demo playing process, it is first determined if demo playing should be started (step S31). In other words, based on the data acquired from the panel scanning process in step S12 of the main routine, it is determined whether the demo switch of the panel operation section 2 has been set ON. When the demo switch is not judged to have been set ON, it is determined if the demo is now being played (step S40). This judgment is made referring to a demo play flag (not shown) defined in the RAM 5. The demo play flag is to be set when the demo switch is rendered ON, and it is to be reset when the demo switch is set OFF.
When it is not judged in step S40 that the demo playing is in progress, the flow returns from the subroutine to step S12 in the main routine, and the same sequence of processes as described previously will be performed again.
When it is judged in step S40 that the demo playing is in progress, the flow advances to step S34. The processes following this step 34 will be explained later.
When it is judged in step S31 that the demo playing should start, the demo play flag is set and a loop counter is cleared (step S32). The loop counter counts the number of times the demo is played so that a player can check later how many times the demo has been played.
A sequence counter is then cleared (step S33). The sequence counter counts the status of reading demo data prepared for every music image (data 1 to data n in FIG. 2), i.e., the progression of the demo playing. When the sequence counter is initialized, the demo data stored in the ROM 4 is read out from the beginning, i.e., from the data 1.
It is then determined if the demo playing should be stopped (step S34). In other words, it is determined if the demo switch of the panel operation section 2 has been turned off. If the demo switch is judged to have been set OFF, the demo play flag is reset, and the flow returns from the subroutine to step S12 in the main routine to perform the same sequence of processes as described earlier. The demo playing will be stopped unfinished by the process in step S34.
If it is judged in step S34 that the demo should continue, the demo data indicated by the sequence counter is read out from the ROM 4 (step S35). A predetermined bias is added to the value of the sequence counter. As the ROM 4 is accessed using the resultant value, the PARA data (including the quantize number, the envelope data and the parameters PARA1 to PARAm) are referred to (step S36). Based on the PARA data, the tone-ON process is performed (step S37). The demo is to be played with the music image according to the PARA data which have been referred to.
Then, it is determined whether or not the value of the sequence counter has reached the final value (step S38). If the value of the sequence counter has not reached the final value, the value is incremented (step (S41). The flow then returns to step S34 to successively play a demo carrying a different image of music next.
If it is judged in step S38 that the sequence counter has reached the final value, the value of the loop counter is incremented (step S39), and the flow returns to step S33. The demo is therefore played again from the first demo data (data 1).
To further clarify the feature of the present invention, the demo playing on the automatic playing apparatus embodying the present invention will be explained, in comparison with demo playing on an ordinary automatic playing apparatus.
FIG. 5 shows an example of the format of general demo data to be stored in the ROM. The general demo data includes multiple pieces of note data each consisting of the minimum information required for tone generation.
One piece of note data in the demo data consists of, for example, the key number, the step time, the gate time, the TAG and the velocity as already described earlier.
At the time a demo is played, the note data stored in the ROM is read out piece by piece and sent to the tone preparing circuit (tone generator) to play a predetermined piece of music.
With the use of the above demo data having such note data, music can be played only with a single given image. Since the demo data does not include any data for altering the music image, the demo would be played over and over with the same pitch. This inevitably makes the demo sound monotonous.
As shown in FIG. 2, by way of contrast, the automatic playing apparatus of the present invention has the quantize number, the envelope data, the parameters PARA1 to PARAm, all for changing the image of the music piece, as well as multiple pieces of demo data (data 1 to data n) for the same piece of music, each data piece including the quantize number, the envelope data and the other parameters PARA 1 to PARAm, which are prepared to provide different music images. The automatic playing apparatus of the present invention reads those pieces of data one after another to play the demo. This ensures demo playing of a piece of music with n different images of music.
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide the automatic playing apparatus which can vary the timbre and the rhythm at a predetermined timing to change the image of music, so that the demonstration can be played without monotony.
This invention is clearly new and useful. Moreover, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in this art at the time it was made, in view of the prior art considered as a whole as required by law.
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing construction or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
Now that the invention has been described,
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