I am looking for a pair of garden gloves that don't let the dirt in. Most every pair I have ever had lets the dirt in at the tips of the fingers, and it destroys my manicure. If anyone has any suggestions, could you mention not only the brand but which ones are most protective, as each brand often has many styles and selections to choose from. I used some latex gloves yesterday, and today my hands are inflammed, red and itching. Guess i must be allergic to the gloves or else I got into some poison ivy or something. Anyway I am desperate for a pair of good, protective gloves that don't leak dirt and mud in.

I kept meaning to summarize my results but life was just too busy. I ended up getting some unexpected results; however the overall take-home for the experiment was that germination seemed to be pretty high regardless of the method (other than nicking). Update to my latest baobabery: To reiterate the setup-- 7 seeds nicked at the crest, soaked in boiling water 6 seeds not nicked, soaked in boiling water 6 seeds not nicked, soaked in epsom salt cold water 6 seeds not nicked, soaked in cold water All the seeds were placed between wet paper towels in plastic baggies and put near a light (my heat mat broke so this was my best source of heat). A nicked/boiled seed was the first to sprout (day 5); however the remaining nicked/boiled seeds were rotten by three weeks into the experiment. The germination rates were: Nicked/boiled: 1/7 Boiled: 5/6 Salt/Cold: 4/6 Cold: 4/6 So overall (not including the nicked seeds) I got 72% to germinate. I should note that by two months into the experiment the boiled (5) and the cold (4) seeds had finished their sprouting, however only 1 of the salt/cold seeds had germinated. I assumed the salt/cold seeds were dead at this point and tossed the baggie into a pile of trash. Earlier this week I was cleaning up stuff and noticed that 3 more of the seeds in the salt/cold bag had sprouted (4 months!) so I removed them and planted those as well. The bag hadn't been sealed to the paper towel was almost totally dry. Other things to note: When the seeds sprouted I found that the best method was to remove about half of the seed coat manually (without damaging the embryo). Total removal worked but was difficult and probably didn't help the little guy too much. In almost every case where I didn't remove the seed coat, the leaves got stuck in the coat and I had to chop them in half to free them otherwise they tore and began to rot. Chopping the leaves had no ill effect on the plants. After a few of the seeds got moldy from I tried peeling them (they had not germinated at this point) and shockingly two of them grew although one died after a few days so I didn't count that as a successful germination. Many more of the seeds sprouted than I had anticipated so I quickly ran out of space and small pots. Initially I was using these biodegradable pulp pots and shockingly all of these seedlings eventually wilted and (without intervention) died. The seedlings placed in plastic pots (even 3 oz plastic shot glasses w/o drainage holes) all thrived. i was able to save two of the wilted guys by replanting them but I ended up losing many of them. All in all I have 8 healthy plants at the end. I still have a ton of seeds left so if anyone wants to trade or just wants some let me know. I didn't count them, but my bag of seeds is about 9oz so there are several hundred and I have no space for a forest. Maybe I'll go Johnny-Appleseeding around the city :) I'll attach some photos in another...

Blossom end rot is a physiological disorder that is caused by a lack of calcium uptake from the soil and transfer to the fruits during dry weather. Research in Florida indicates that excessive magnesium, potassium, sodium, or ammonium salts, or a deficiency of soluble calcium salts, cause a decrease in calcium uptake thus favoring development of BER. Rapid early growth accentuates the problem because it tends to increase the calcium requirement per unit of time. Although a sudden lack of water is the principal cause of blossom end rot, excessive soil moisture early in the season may smother the root hairs and cause blossom end rot to occur during sudden hot weather. It may be more serious on the windward than on the leeward side of a field and more common on the first fruits to turn red. So you need not loose hope lilacs of may! Here are some Management Strategies Since blossom end rot is so closely related to adequacy of the water supply, an important control is to regulate the moisture supply in the soil. The land should allow good drainage during a wet period. If drought occurs, cultivation should be very shallow to reduce the water loss and irrigation should be used. Hoeing or cultivating should be performed no closer than one foot from the plants to reduce root pruning. Appropriate amounts of fertilizer high in superphosphate and low in nitrogen should be used (1-3-1 ratio) to aid in root health. In the greenhouse, transplants should not be grown too quickly nor should the plant be too old and subjected to severe hardening before transplanting. A steady growth rate as a seedling and as a field plant will discourage much of this trouble. If the irrigation of any kind is available, it should be used during periods of hot, drying winds. Start to irrigate at the beginning of the dry spell. Mulching, which serves to maintain an even level of soil moisture, should be practiced where feasible. Mulch with black plastic or grass clippings to reduce moisture loss and to control weeds. Tomatoes and peppers planted unusually early, while the soil is still cold, are likely to have the first fruits affected by blossom end rot. Consequently, a delay in planting until the soils warm up may help to reduce the problem. And I have to agree that if you are using a self watering container dolomite should be added the siol and the resivoir. The water sitting at the bottom of the resivoir will become stagnant and not favorable for proper ph levels. Soil PH tests are allways encouraged. The tomato varieties Jet Star, Burpe VF, Better Boy, Early Girl, Flora-Dade, Floramerica and Walter seem to have some tolerance to BER. Hope this helps! Corey

I like coconut oil to moisturize lips, skin, hair, stir fry veggies, make curries, and husband uses it to pop popcorn. From what I've read, the problematic fats are the ones which are partially hydrogenated (trans fats) and, according to medical research, cause all kinds of health issues. They were widely used in prepared foods, but the FDA banned them a few years ago and many companies have replaced them with other oils.