I wish I had more time to stick around, but we wanted to get up to Cougar Mountan before it got to busy. Thanks to Jim for the wonderful bamboo, its beautiful *G* I sat the bag up to fill with water and saw a little 1/2" new culm coming up, so tomorrow I'll plant the two clumps. Thnks to Teresa for the ferns, and Shilpa for the day lillies. As my trees and bamboo grows up taller, and I get more shade I'll have lots of sun loving plants to trade as time goes by. Kendal *we made it up to the falls in good time, and got out just as a rush of people with their kids started up*

Better nutrients than gasoline... but I know what you mean. If you don't want to bother with a pump, to avoid drinking the spent solution all you needs is a 'trap' to connect to your dangling siphon hose if everything is in the one tub. An easy one can be made with glue and two top halves of 500 ml clear plastic water bottles, and it is just as quick as cracking open a drain valve. I think I follow that you are making the suggestion that I could just prepare the original concentration of nutrients by weighing or pouring standardized nutrient solution concentrations. That was worth a chuckle since I couldn't have imagined it any other way ... but now it is sounding like people use the EC to add without weighing like cooks tossing spices into a broth and testing it until it meets their spec ... that possibility completely went over my head, but I bet it is a common reason to buy an EC meter. I'm pretty sure something as generic as EC can be managed much more accurately with a good multimeter than the typical HM EC meters I removed from my shopping list. Like you said, EC isn't providing any details about individual ions, all that all you need to do is mix up the right solution once with the scales and graduated cylinders and measure it even using the resistence scale if you are lazy, since ppms are fudged anyway. The only technical issue is to get a standard sized 'cell', I might use a tic-tac case, and firmly attach two flat electrodes facing each other submersed on the bottom, and run two insulated wires out (preferably set in some insulating epoxy, both for electrode tab and especially to keep the wire leads to them dry. So check the 1/resistance and then check it at half strength or whatever your action threshhold is. (same calibration for temperature fwiw) That's the range. Enough on this since you said it's been discussed. I'll post what I did as soon as I'm in business assuming it has convenient application. BTW the open top tic-tac cell like this could be put directly into the rez as a probe to measure since the plastic ought to act as an insulation shield from spurrious readings. Maybe it was a pH measurement that was more complicated because for that you'll likely need a hydrogen selective electrode and interface, neither that a multimeter comes with... Back to the fun stuff, I was actually thinking of changing 1/3 of the rez every 5 days during heavy demand instead of everything every two weeks and play it by ear as to when a complete change was needed like if yield loss or gunking up. 1/3 every 5 days vs. 100% every 15 seems much better to me as a compromise between dilution and accumulating unused trace nutrients. By the 15th day, only 29.6% of the original spent nute solution wilnot be changed out. That sounds a whole lot better IMO than carrying all the spent nutes till the 15th day. I'm in northeast FL but so far I don't know anyone nearby doing this. There is a hydro store or two in driving range and one of these days I hope to at least get to one and check it out. But I seriously doubt that they would be so helpful as your pictures from the other thread, which really got me thinking more creatively from the canned stuff all over the web.

Hi, I've been lurking and learning on GW for quite a while now, and finally decided I'd better post something. Harry shared the wonderful Black Jungle beans with us and they are producing delicious beans here in Northern California. Typically, we don't get limas until August/September, and this year the BJ's were first. We've had a very cool summer. We are also starting to get Gigandes (the lima, not the runner bean), Speckled Calicos, Dreer's Improved, and Illinois Giants, but haven't yet eaten Dr. Martin's or any of the bush limas, which we got in later (German Red Bush, Fordhook, Dixie Butterpea and Jackson Wonder). Does anyone here grow the Gigandes lima? It is the largest seeded lima that we've grown, and yet it seems to cook more quickly than other limas. As soon as it hits the water, the seed coat splits, and the beans I cooked tonight (from yellowing pods) were done in 15 minutes! This is the first year here for both BJs and Gigandes. Also, I wanted to mention that the German Red Bush lima is different from Dixie Speckled Butterpea. I got the German Red Bush seed from a place in Pennsylvania (http://www.landisvalleymuseum.org/2011seeds.pdf). This is our second year growing the GRs. Hope we'll get some beans to harvest soon. Glad you got to enjoy some, Harry! Jana Here is a link that might be useful: Landis Valley

I love it!!! You did a remarkable job! Your fabric choices are perfect for that panel. You can see how the 9 patches lead the eye. 9 patches don't get enough credit. I am going to try to use them more. I really like how you made it longer - very nice border design. Good solution- I think I just may steal it! Your talented nephew will certainly see & appreciate the creativity in this quilt. He will love it - I'm sure.