This is my grandmothers recipe for dill pickles. She did it this way for 50 years, and learned it from her mother. I have added comments for my own benefit to the original instructions. I scale this recipe as needed. If I have just 3-4 cucumbers in the morning, I can just one quart. Smaller amounts take shorter times. I grow my own cucumbers, garlic and dill. As the other poster noted, use wide-mouth quart jars if possible. My grandma called it pickling salt, but it is canning salt at the grocery store. Once you jump in and do a practice jar or two you will get the hang of this in nothing flat. Just like falling out of bed in the morning. * Exported from MasterCook * Garlic Dill Pickles Recipe By : Hazel Berens Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :1:00 Categories : Canning Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 24 pickling cucumbers -- * see note 12 cups water 6 cups white vinegar 1 cup pickling salt -- rounded 12 heads fresh dill 12 cloves garlic -- cut in half This recipe will make 6-8 quarts, depending upon size of cucumbers. If more than 6 quarts, increase amount of dill and garlic required. Wash cucumbers and remove 1/16-inch from blossom end. Place in a 5-gallon bucket with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Soak in ice water for at least 4 hours but no more than 8 hours. Refresh ice as required. Fill enamel canner with water and bring to a gentle boil; this will take at least an hour. Boil canning jars in canner. Process lids in simmering water for at least 10 minutes. Do not boil lids, as this will compromise the rubber seal. All we want to do is soften the seal. Combine water, vinegar and pickling salt in a large stock pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. This will take 20-30 minutes. Make sure pot is covered so that solution does not evaporate. When mixture has come to a boil, remove a jar from the boiling water, making sure all water has drained from the jar. Place 2 half-cloves of garlic and 1 head of dill in the jar. Add 3-4 cucumbers, leaving 1-inch headspace. Top with an additional 2 half-cloves of garlic and another head of dill. Using a canning funnel, fill the jar with hot vinegar mixture, leaving ½-inch headspace. If necessary, wipe jar top and threads clean. Place hot lid on jar and screw on ring a little more than finger tight. Place jar on rack to cool. You should hear the "tink" of the seal within a couple minutes. Repeat with remaining ingredients. After jars have cooled, test seals. Write date of canning on lid using Sharpie. Store in cool, dark place for at least 6-8 weeks. Refrigerate after opening. Pickles will keep for up to 2 years if stored in a cool dry place. This recipe will give a much crisper pickle than those processed with a hot water bath for 15-30 minutes. [Scale recipe as needed. 1/6 cup canning salt = 8 tsp] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : *about 4 inches long

Wow! now you have a destination/retreat right in your own garden. I am so impressed. You will have to have a few of your skceptical neighbors and friends over for some 5'oclock edamame and ? I bet they will be just amazed. great accomplishment!

The larger the number of rooms that that you install mini splits in the higher the cost in comparison to a central system. Remember that you need returns for a central system. The choices are to have one in each room, install grates in between the rooms, install jump ducts or under cut the doors. Mini-splits have advantages in some situations. They are inherently zoned, so you don't have to cool the whole house for the dogs or you. Depending on your lifestyle, this might or might not save you money. What is installed in the USA is almost all variable-speed (inverter) equipment so it throttles well to control humidity under low load conditions. If you are on the costal plain, that is more important. It is humid down there. Typically, if a system fails you have lots of other areas to stay comfortable in. That also means that a modest generator will run parts of your system.) For me, a duct system that is outside of the house envelope is a drawback. First, ducts always leak even when new and they never improve themselves. That means everywhere you have a leak it equals a power vent either drawing in outside air into a return or blowing air outside. Keep in mind that also induces pressure differentials in your house so air is sucked in or blown out to balance that. Take a look at the Mitsubishi, Toshiba and Sanyo web sites and see what the mini split kingdom looks like. Keep in mind that in addition to the sterotypal high-wall indoor units, small ducted units (that handle more than one room) ceiling cassettes, horizontal ceiling units are available. You should see them on the web sites. They do cost more and are a little less efficient. Check out the different brands for how their controls thermostats) work if you decide to seriously consider mini splits. You obviously need more quotes given the difference between the two you already have.

26-30*C doesn't sound extremely hot to me. I am in much colder climate, our summer temps are in high 20*C, we had number of days already this summer with as hot as 33*C. All my succulents are outside, most get whole day sun (sunrise to sundown). As long as your plants are acclimatized, I do not see a reason they should be outdoors for 3hrs only - that is really not enough sunlight. I am not familiar with husk (is that rice husk?) but am aware that many ppl in your location use it. How does it drain? Do you have a photo of just husk? If plants are still wet after about a week, it seems to be quite water retaining. How much perlite did you use? - quite a bit is visible; I would use minimum 50% of total volume and mix it well. We always say that potting mix should be dry, but it should not be excessively dry for days. It isn't that easy to get it right, perhaps a "skewer test" will help: insert bamboo skewer or bamboo/wood stick, chopsticks deep into pot (at least 3/4 down). When you take it out and it feels cold-damp and may have some particles sticking to it, mix is still wet enough. If it comes out dry and clean - time to water. After doing it few times, one should get pretty good idea how fast is mix drying up. Or just keep using this simple 'helper'...:) Plants should be watered when needed, not on a schedule. Make sure every container has drainage hole. They also shouldn't be sitting in a saucer full of excess water (not seeing that in your photo - just pointing out what should be done). Air circulation should be good. Do not cramp too many plants too close to each other. Not quite sure why you think your frilly echeveria is sick? Can't see in the photo. All of them will have better color in better (more hours of) sunlight. Btw; what kind of soil were they in from the store? It is best to get rid of all of the existing soil - but depends on what it was. Here, most are in peat and that needs to be taken all off.