I put the goldfish down, I got him into a 10 gallon tank so I could really get a good look at him. This formerly white/pink fish was brownish/orange all over. You could see every capillary around his scales. His eyes were totally covered over with who-knows-what. I just felt so bad for him, I though the best thing for him was to let him go. I don't like doing that at all! I've been testing my water every day or two. With the drop version of the tests, the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are all at zero. The pH is 8.2. How long do you think it might be before the fish start to actually feel better? They are still hiding out in the shady part of the tank. I put some plastic over the end of a large diameter white tube so I could get a peek at them. Of the ones I can see (dang green water!), it looks like their fins are not clamped down but they are still just hanging out in the corner. I feel like we have turned a corner, water quality-wise. I'm just wondering how long it will be before my fish are happy again. Go figure, but standing outside worrying about my pond and fish hasn't made it all better yet. :)

I have been growing palms a long time and I have seen professional grower's techniques and methods, some who have been doing this for a living for over 30 years. We all find that for almost all palms, the smaller the pot (to some extent) the faster and better the palms will grow. This is mostly likely due to the improved drainage and speed at which the water and nutrients pass by the root hairs (most palm roots dislike sitting in wet, sloggy or inactve soils unless they are ultratropical palms that normally live that way). But there is something more to it than that. It's as if the palms do better as soon as their roots hit a surface, like the sides or bottom of the pot (sides, more likely). Otherwise one could just add more pumice or large materials to the soil to make the soild drain faster in larger pots. I have tried this but it does little to speed things up. Palms definitely like to 'feel' the limitations of their growing situation for some reason- I am sure someone with a better understanding of palm biology and soil science can explain this, but that is why professional palm growers never grow their palms in larger pots (no, it's not to save space or soil). Planting a palm in a larger pot I think would sure cut down on the repotting times and efforts, but the fact is simply palms grow faster the more their roots are confined (there is a point of course at which this confinement is problematic and the growth rate declines... but it is amazing how extremely pot bound a palm has to be for this point to be reached). I know growers who never pot up a palm until it has split the pot. I know other growers who pot up palms unscrupulously too early just so it looks like you're getting a bigger plant because it's in a bigger pot, too, but fortunately I know fewer of those types than the other. I have purchased many a palm from these people and noticed that the newly repotted palm goes through a long period of 'sulking' where it does not grow and its rootball remains in the original size and shape it was in the previous much smaller pot for some time. It does appear this 'shock' of the roots no longer being confined markedly slows the palm's growth down. Dr. Hodel, a PhD in biology, specializing in palms, has done numerous experiments on planting and growing palms, and has found that this is indeed the case for many species of palm (all common ones of course... hard to do research on rarer species due to the cost restraints... and the rarer species comparatively slower growth rates). His conclusions have included digging narrow holes barely any larger than the size of the pot when planting palms in the ground to decrease this sulking time. He also has found that back filling these holes with the same soil that was dug out of them works as well if not better than putting in 'ideal' or ammended soils in the hole (a somewhat unrelated topic, but interesting to me, as well). Anyway, though it may seem counterintuitive, it does indeed seem that the smaller the pot, the faster a palm will grow (I think at some point in a palm's maturity, this may no longer be the case as the large palm's nutritional needs exceed this need for root confinement). But it never ceases to amaze me when I go to Home Depot and see these monstrous, healthy Queen palms, some over 20' tall, growing in pots literally the same diameter as their emerging trunks, and the split pots with the roots making their way out the bottom holes and splits.

Hello Korney, Lets go from the top. I know that compost has a low N-P-K. I don't use complst as a fertilizer. I use it as a soil conditioner, a Ph buffer, and to add organic matter to my garden beds. Compost adds lots of bacteria and fungi to the soil which is what I want to make my soil loose and fluffy. A huge portion of any good soil is microbial matter. It is precisely why I listed all the "stuff" (in addition to N-P-K) you get with a good organic fertilizer. You see, fertilizer does not, not in the history of mankind, make loamy soil - organic matter does. That is the reason I add compost to my beds. When I side dress my plants during mid season it does not take weeks or months for the fertilzer to start working. I typically see results within days. As long as you work the fertilizer lightyly into the soil and water it well the fertilizer begins to break down immediately and starts to feed the plants. I have never experienced what you are talking about. If you need to have results in minutes or hours then your plants are in a sorry state. Perhaps you could elaborate just a little more when you say that all the bacteria cannot coexist in a high phosphorous fertilizer. Perhaps you are saying that because MG is so high in phosphorous that one cannot combine their fertilizer blend with microbial life. Well, if that is the case then you need to switch to a different brand of fertilizer. Gee, lets see - what brand of chemical fertilizer can we go to that will also provide microbial life and feed my plants with all the N-P-K they need? Wow, none of them do. But every organic fertilizer can do that. Let me see, MG or E.B. Stone, let me see now. OK, I got it, I'll take E.B. Stone. But of course if I am living in MA I might have to use a different brand, but it is all good. I still get it all with the organic stuff. I think you just popped your argument in the foot because organic fertilzers do both. As far as cost difference goes well, I was simply alluding to the concept of "added value". Typically when two products are at parity and they cost the same we usually go with the product that has the most features. Looking at all the additional benefits organic fertilizers provide and since they cost about the same I would conclude that organic fertilizers provide more bang for the buck. It is hard for me to conclude that you could come to any other conclusion either. Just compare what you get with organic fertilizers vs MG. I was only using E.B. Stone as an example. I don't know if E.B. Stone is available in other parts of the country any more than if In-N-Out Berger is available where you live. That was not the point. I was simply comparing one brand of organic fertilizer with MG. Of course you can go to any nursery and compare ANY organic fertizer and see what is available. My contention was simply that "organic" fertilizers are better for soil, and hence the plants, than MG. You can pick any organic fertizer brand you wish, it doesn't matter to me. You said, "But even if it were available, you'd have to compare NPK because the further so-called advantages (mycco, bacteria, etc) wouldn't really be evident this year." Wouldn't be available "this year"?????? Your biology is just a little fuzzy here. I really don't know where to start with this one. Then all the people who put compost in their garden in February and March will not see any microbial benefit for a year. Is that what you are actually saying? Or are you saying that the bacteria that has been suspended and put into the fertizer box will remain dormant for a year before becoming active again? Either way you are not making a lot of sense. there are many species of bacteria that can be put to sleep, and there are many species that can't because they do not have a dormancy state. I imagine the kinds of bacteria you find in organic fertizers are the ones that have a dormancy. I would be pretty upset if I found out that dead bacteria were being put into the box - wouldn't you? I think everyone would. Lets just say that the bacteia in a box of organic fertilizer does not remain dormant for a year. I'll dismiss that one out of hand. Actually, I am lookig to feed the EXISTING microbial life in my soil, not using fertilzer to add huge amounts of organic matter - where did you get that idea. MG does nothing for the microbial life - mine does. Mine not only gives the plant it N-P-K but also feeds the existing microbial life the are currently in the soil. MG cannot do that becausse it does not have anything in it except for N-P-K and a few trace minerals. You really think that is a fair fight. It is kind of like putting a pit bull in with a miniature poodle. When I mentioned I paid $6.99 for a 4lb box of my fertilizer I was not talking about aggregate cost includig already purchased supplies of other fertilizers. I was simply refering to the cost of my 4lb box and MG. Since my fertiizer comes with so much added value I was simply making the point that organic fertilizers are a better value. But no matter how much MG she has on hand (and uses)she will never get any of the bacteria and other things like humic acid.Bacillius, Glomus, and so on. So, for the money MG is not even in the ballpark. It is hard to compare a Roles Royce with a Taurus. I am not saying anything derogatory about anyone who drives a Taurus - I drive a Taurus. You said, "you get 4 to 5 times as much NPK". This whole discussion was centered around the ADDITIONAL things you get with an organic fertilizer that you do not get with MG. My whole point was that we spend way too much time on N-P-K. Like I said N-P-K is all MG has to offer so they push N-P-K. You do realize that I too can buy an organic fertilizer with high N-P-K? Are you saying that all a fertilizer has to do to be a great fertilizer is have high N-P-K? Are you saing that MG will do as good a job (or better) at providing the energy the micorbial matter in the soil needs? You do know that the energy that all living things need come from breaking carbon bonds? As far as I can tell there is exactly zero carbon energy in MG. Absolutely zero. Look into it, you will see what I mean. I don't think high N-P-K and a few trace minerals is the definition of a good fertilizer? To finish this part of the discussion, does a gardener really want a high nitrogen fertilizer at this stage of the growing season? Nitrogen promotes plant growth, not flower development or fruit set or root development. Why would you want a high nitrogen content in your fertilizer at this time of the season? Now if our plants are still growing then yes we need nitrogen. Here in SoCal my tomato plants are alreay 5' tall and just loaded with flowers and I have counted over 45 set tomatoes on two plants. I cut back on nitrogen a long time ago because I don't want plants that are 10' tall that have no flowers and no fruit. I am using epsom salt (at 2T/gallon of water) to help promote lots of blossoms and fruit set. I am foliar feeding with fish emulsion and seaweed. I am making my own aerated compost tea. But I am not adding lots of nitrogen. But to each his own. Lets have a short chemistry lesson right here. It might be helpful. For most of the country clay soils are negatively charged. Petrolium based fertilizers are also negetively charged. By definition that means they repell each other. That means in places that get a fair amount of rain the chemical fertilizers are more quickly washed out of the soil. Fertilizers that are made from manure's, kelp, guano, bone/blood meals, fish emulsion, etc are positively charged. That means organic fertilizers are acutally attracted to and bond to the soil's particlaes. This is a good thing. Plants naturally produce a hydrogen ion that breaks this bond and allows the plant to take up the nutrients it needs - when it needs it. This neans that more fertilizer stays in the soil and available to the plant for a much longer period of time. This is why the MG puts gardeners on such a frequent fertilizing schedule. Their fertilizers simply do not stay in the soil for very long. It is feast or famine with MG - but not with organic fertilizers. This is true for any brand of organic fertilizers, not just E.B. Stone. Maybe cleo could do half of her garden next year with MG and half with an organic fertizer and then see how it goes. Korney, if you like MG and you get great results from it - more power to ya. It is all ok. People make the choices they make based on the information they have at the time the decision is made. If people want to think that fertilizer is fertilizer is fertilizer it's all good. I find it interesting how we use compost for its microbial benefits, we foliar feed with fish emulsion and seaweed for their bacterial benefits, we use epsom salt to help the blossoms and fruit set, etc, etc, etc, (these are all organic applications). When people typically have problems in their garden (excluding pests and diseases) it is usually because of two things: Improper watering (usually too often) and 2. problems with fertilizing. This is why this discussion was, and is, so importnat. There is so much more to gardening and growing good veggies than N-P-K. You gotta think microbes, microbes, microbes. - I am going to bed. Happy gardening all. Tom

Automatic pool cleaners are really intended for maintence and are not going to fix your pool by themselves. If it hasn't been opened in a year or more, I imagine that you have a pretty rough task at hand. Get as much of the debris that you can out of the pool yourself (try dipping it out with a leaf bag net). You will probably have to add water to the pool so that the filtration system can work. The water needs to flow in the skimmers. Then you are going to need to balance the water chemistry. Take a water sample to a local pool supply store. They should be able to test it and let you know what you need. Buy yourself a test kit so that you can test it at home. All pools look pretty bad at startup. (Even new pools usually turn green before we get them balanced right.) Hire a professional to open your pool for you if you are nervous about it. Then get an automatic cleaner to help keep it clean. Check the water chemistry every few days and adjust accordingly. Also, you may want to look at automatic chlorinators or salt-water chlorinators to help you keep the water chemistry balanced. Just a suggestion, try to get those leaves/ debris out of the pool this year before they reach the bottom. A little bit of skimming each time you are at the pool goes a long way! Good Luck! -Renee