I'm currently aiming for as close to 1 watt/gallon as possible. This helps with the lower dissolved oxygen that occurs at higher temperatures (now reaching 90 F). In the picture, I have: 3 Mortgage Lifters and one Black Krim (tomatoes) in a 14-gallon tote getting about 13 watts 2 eggplants getting 6.6 watts in a 14-gallon container basil getting about 2 watts five cucumber plants and an eggplant getting about 13 watts One enormous sungold cherry tomato getting about 5 watts Two sorrel plants and a dwarf basil plant getting about one watt combined in a NFT-type container. Everything is doing well, with the only problems being related to pH. Here is a link that might be useful: Current plant growth

Many HOA's have different rules. What are the rules you have to avoid breaking exactly? As mentioned, the word "respectable" is relative. Some HOA's do not allow fences. Some will not allow hedges. Some will not even allow you to do your own landscaping and charge you a fee to pay professionals to tend the entire community, which means you can't have any plants no matter how "respectable". Some do not allow anything to be stored outside on the porch. If you are allowed to build a structure to keep on the porch or something, you can build a box and put the same color siding on it to match the house. This would make it look nice and insulate the reservoir(s) from the heat of the sun. I did this last year for one set-up, but this year converted it for vermiculture. You could do this with the system grizzman pictured or you could put DWC or waterfarms in it. You could hide an ebb and flow table away in it, too. I'm afraid I don't have a pic of the hydro system, but I can probably get around to taking a pic of the vermiculture system so you see what I'm talking about. For a small system, the materials wouldn't be too awfully expensive. Strongly opinionated editorial next, so don't read if you wish to stay on the topic: Like grizzman, I don't believe in HOA's. I'd like to add to that. As a prior service American soldier and someone (like most of us, surely) with family members that died for our freedom it makes me sick that people voluntarily give up any of that freedom to live in an HOA community and even pay extra for it. What makes me most sick is when I see American soldiers doing so. It is nothing less than a slap in the face to all those that have died so your freedom wouldn't be taken just so you could voluntarily give it up. Anyone that values freedom should boycott these things so they disappear and show you understand what many people died for you to have.

Glass Mouse: Just thought I'd say hello and offer some suggestions. First of all, welcome to the Land of the Tallgrass Prairie; (Central) Illinois - Peoria - was my home for decades and I often miss the wide open prairie! Since you're a (relative) newcomer to central Illinois, I would highly recommend the reading of John Madson's book: "Where the Sky Began: Land of the Tallgrass Prairie". Not only will it introduce you top the prairie state, it will also introduce you to the soil and weather conditions that you have already encountered. I can't remember the name of the chapter on "soils", but it is an excellent survey of the wonderful prairie loam that you might be fortunate enough to garden in. The chapter entitled "The Great Weathers" will further introduce you to the heat and humidity of the prairie state along with the sometimes bitter windy chilling cold of Illinois winters. If you read between the lines, this wondrous book will convince you to plant your rootstock material in the fall. If you go to your local library, I'd suggest that you attempt to get one of the early editions of this book - i.e. the Sierra Club edition, for example. Why? Because in the back of the book there is an appendix listing many of the prairie sites in the midwest, including several in central Illinois. One of the sites listed is a prairie area just a few miles south of Victoria, IL - a small town located east of Galesburg. No specific directions are given by the author, but I easily found it and explored the area with some fellow gardeners some years back, who were interested in using some prairie plants in their garden. One such plant - the yellow coneflower - provides a nice touch of yellow in the late summer and early fall and will tolerate a bit of shade. This prairie are was or still is maintained by Knox College in Galesburg. There were very faded "No Trespassing" signs laying around the entrance and I readily ignored them. ;>) Just west of this prairie site is a old prairie cemetary which is - in part - also maintained by Knox College. Years ago, my daughter, Heather, and I "borrowed" a few tiger lilies - of course, we placed some dry 12 12 12 fertilizer and watered the mother plant very well in the course of our "borrowing". The current edition - printed by Iowa State University Press - I believe - doesn't list all of the prairie sites that were in the early editions. Thus the advantages of reading an early edition. The second highly recommended book is Eleanor Perenyi's "Green Thoughts: A Writer in the Garden". Read the chapter on "Failure" and "Pruning" and you'll understand why this book is a treasure and a joy to read!!! A third recommended book is "The Fragrant Year" by Helen van Pelt Wilson and Leonie Bell. Unfortunately, it is out of print, but this book can be found at your local library and/or through two excellent sources of new and used books: http://www.abe.com or http://www.alibris.com Either site will link you to hundreds of used and new booksellers. If you're actually living in central Illinois - i.e. Peoria, you should have "discovered" Hoerr's Nursery one of the best places to find a wide variety of plant materials, tools, landscaping materials, etc. An equally excellent source - especially for bulbs at this time of year - is Kelly's Seed and Hardware in downtown Peoria - near the Caterpillar Headquarters. If you haven't been there - as yet - you will need to plan a two day trip to the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis - in my mind and experience it is the best botanical garden in the midwest. Their website is: http://www.mobot.org One of the delights of exploring this garden by computer is their plantfinder section. Listed below are several direct links to this excellent source of information, etc. This link will link you to their alpha list of plants: http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Alpha.asp This link will give you an idea of what kind of information that you will find there. Specifically and by way of example, this link will take you to their information on: Paeonia lactiflora 'Duchesse de Nemours' http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=Q260 While I considered adding the above Peony to my garden, I finally opted for "Florence Nicholls", which I found at this company "A & D Nursery" http://www.adpeonies.com/ Once you link to this company, scroll down until you find "Florence" and then link to her photograph. Beautiful in my mind. The link below will take you to their information on Phlox paniculata 'Mount Fuji', which I have planted in my garden this fall. Two plants have been planted just in back of and in between "Chestine Gowdy" and "Philippe Rivoire" - both of which will be found at A & D Nursery. http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=E600 I highly recommend the use of their "search" section will is located to the right of the link to the alphabetical listing of plants. This service contains information on the over 3500 herbaceous perennials, shrubs, vines and trees which are currently growing or have been grown in the 23 demonstration gardens at the Missouri Botanical Garden's Kemper Center for Home Gardening. Additional information on each of these plants is available at the Center in a searchable database called the "PlantFinder". This additional information includes: Bloom time based on bloom data collected at the Garden. Special features of each plant, e.g., colorful fruit, winter interest, fragrant flowers. Uses for the plant, e.g., spreading ground cover, good hedge plant, attracts birds or butterflies. Through the "PlantFinder" you can print lists of plants that meet specific criteria such as herbaceous plants with yellow flowers that are under 3 feet tall and grow well in part shade. The main web page to this garden is http://www.mobot.org And if you wish to take a virtual tour, here's the link: http://www.mobot.org/hort/gardens/overview.shtml The largest Japanese Garden located in the continental US is at the Missouri Botanical Garden along with a Chinese Garden; two rose gardens, an English woodland garden, sculpture and fountains hither and yon and more surpises and other garden areas than you can possibly imagine. If you're interested in viewing, experiencing, etc. trees, shrubs and all kinds of flowering plants in bloom, during the fall, in the winter, etc., you'll also have to visit the equally wonderful "Morton Arboretum" in Lisle, Illinois. The Arboretum is over 1600 acres, has an absolutely wonderful horiticultural library, an excellent visitor center complete with restaurant, gift shop, and resource center. Lisle, Illinois is located west of Chicago. Here's their main web page: http://www.mortonarb.org/ Here's a map of the place: http://www.mortonarb.org/maps/wholemap_rollovers.html And here's the link to their visitor's center, etc. http://www.mortonarb.org/branching_out/branchingout_visitor_center.html If you're not too far from Springfield, IL - you should take in the Dana-Thomas House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1905 and the Rees Carillon at Washington Park, which is the site of the International Carillon Festival sometime in June - the only one of its kind in the world. Of course, you call also say hello to Honest Abe at his home in Springfield and at New Salem. Just west of Peoria is the Spooon River of the "Spoon River Anthology" fame - by Edgar Lee Masters. His home is located in Elmwood, IL - about 20+ miles west of Peoria. The town square is lovely and you'll find a wonderful statue designed by Loredo Taft, who also has some of his work at the Art Institute of Chicago - the Great Lakes Fountain is one such piece. Well, I do believe that this is more information than you thought possible - or possibly wanted, but I do hope that you will become to enjoy your stay in central Illinois. Welcome to the land of the tallgrass prairie - it is truly a wonderful place to garden and enjoy life!! Best wishes in your gardening endeavors. Bill William Harrison, Librarian

Estreya, I'm glad you asked that question because I have been wondering the same thing. I, too, was plagued with thrips earlier in the year, and things are better now. I don't know if it was because of some beneficial insects or because I sprayed with Ultrafine horticultural oil and baking soda at least three times. However, I read in a book on Roses that I have (Foolproof Guide to Growing Roses, by Field Roebuck) that the "best approach is to break the two-week life cycle by destroying the larvae in the soil, along with the adults on the plant. You can accomplish this to a great extent by drenching the soil with beneficial nematodes early in the year and then spraying the young growth and the flower buds with a neem oil extract." Then I read somewhere on this forum or the regular roses forum that j.song uses Spinosad; says it's safer, natural, and most effective against chewing and eating insects. He or she applies it with Ultrafine to control thrips. You can get Spinosad from Planet Natural. It's also called Monterey Garden Insect Spray. That company also sells beneficial nematodes $24.95, free shipping, apply in early spring. www.planetnatural.com, or www.hydro-gardens.com. I am planning on using the nematodes for sure next spring. Hope I don't forget. Marlene