the whales, what a wild story :D they're saying the orcas have always been there, they just had no idea they had about 200 in each pod. that sounds like a lot, but I'm not ever going out past the islands anyway! lol the dolphins,well,that's sad, I hope no more beach themselves, I think it's 5 adults and 2 calves so far. I looked this article up.. """2.13 Why do whales and dolphins beach themselves? If a single whale or dolphin strands, it usually is a very sick (and exhausted) animal. Such an animal often has some infections (pneumonia is almost always one of them) and a lot of parasites (worms in the nasal passages are very common). Sometimes these animals can be rehabilitated, but often they are so sick they won't make it. Some species of whales and dolphins occassionally strand in groups. A stranding of 2 or more animals is usually called a mass stranding. There are a number of theories that try to explain the occurrence of mass strandings. No theory can adequately explain all of them. In some cases it will be a combination of causes. The most common explanations are: - deep water animals (the species that most often are the victim of mass strandings) can not "see" a sloping sandy beach properly with its sonar. They detect the beach only when they are almost stranded already and they will panic and run aground. source: W.H. Dudok van Heel (1962): Sound and Cetacea. Neth. J. Sea Res. 1: 407-507 - whales and dolphins may be navigating by the earth's magnetic field. When the magnetic field is disturbed (this occurs at certain locations) the animals get lost and may run into a beach. source: M. Klinowska (1985): Cetacean live stranding sites relate to geomagnetic topography. Aquatic Mammals 11(1): 27-32 - in some highly social species, it may be that when the the group leader is sick and washes ashore, the other members try to stay close and eventually strand with the group leader. source: F.D. Robson (?) The way of the whale: why they strand. (unpublished manuscript) - when under severe stress or in panic, the animals may fall back to the behavior of their early ancestors and run to shore to find safety. source: F.G. Wood (1979) The cetacean stranding phenomena: a hypothesis. In: J.B. Geraci & D.J. St. Aubin: Biology of marine mammals: Insights through strandings. Marine Mammal Commission report no: MMC-77/13: pp. 129-188"""""

I use plastic cups for most things, they are taller than cell packs so more room for roots without taking up additional room under my lights. I also find them easier to wash and reuse than the cell packs. I germinate most things in 3oz plastic cups and use that size for the initial transplanting too. Depending on the type, I will start 3-6 seeds per cup and then when they begin growing true leaves divide them into individual containers. Lettuce I usually transplant out quite small (2weeks), so they stay in the 3 oz. or if they are staying in the pots longer, I use 4" cow manure pots and then plant the entire pot. Broccoli & Cauliflower, move into 9 or 12 oz cups and get transplanted out at 4-5 weeks, Tomatoes get transplanted twice, 9 oz cups, and then 16 oz and get transplanted out at 6-7 weeks. Peppers and Eggplant also 9oz then 16 oz and get transplanted out at 10-12 weeks. Peas I soak in water for a few hours, then use the 3oz cups, but plant them out as soon as they start to sprout - less than a week. Beans I also soak for a few hours, germinate in 3oz cups and as soon as they sprout move them to 4" cow manure pots and plant them out at about 2-3 weeks. I also use the cow manure pots for melons and sometimes cukes. My experience is the cow manure pots work much better than peat pots for things you dont want to stress when transplanting out. They do actually dissolve in the soil quickly, so no removal is needed except the top edge of the pot if it is above the soil line. You cant treat everything the same and you really cant avoid transplanting if you are starting early. Putting a tiny little tomato transplants in a 16oz cup would make it impossible to keep it the moisture level right. Plus, Tomatoes like being transplanted it stimulates root growth. This is only my 4th year growing from seed under lights so I am still learning, most of what I have learned has come from the GW forums.

I do have lights but no aquarium or heat mats, ingenious idea. The only thing I don't like about it is that you have to harden the plants off starting them like that. I start most of mine outside when the last frost is over except set a lot out in February when I read the winter sowing technique. Unless you are growing very large, deep-rooted plants, I don't see why you can't cut the tube in half other than your aquarium light might not be adjustable. Plus if you are planting in the tube, you have to dig a pretty deep hole. I do use my bulb planter for some that end up in plastic cups. I explained how I start most of my seeds on the lavender thread. I had figured most of it out before I found the winter sowing forum, but have learned a lot from that, too. I've been reluctant to only put 2 seeds in a slot, some are so tiny you can't and the failures take up a lot of room. I do prick some out and put them in 6 packs, but that is only for plants I want to control the spacing. With your tubes, you can do that.

I, too, have had great success with Munstead Wood. Probably, the most success I have had with any Austin Rose. Not a lick of Black Spot even though a Blackspot ridden Sharifa Asma is just a couple feet away. I planted my Munstead Wood last year, but this year, I decided that I needed to move it. I did my best, but figured I wouldn't get any bloom this year, as the plant recoved from the move. Well, Munstead Wood has defied my expectations. She recovered from the move, and has gone on to give me some very nice blooms this year. And that's with no fertilization. I expect that I'll continue to get periodic blooming this year until frost, ... but I can't wait till next year.