@jlco, Fiona et al - The round yellowish to greenish orbs are not the same as the fruiting fungal bodies seen in Emma's post. What the OP and others showed in the images uploaded are evidence of the presence of usually subterranean female relatives of the Margarodes genus and closely related to armored scale insects found on plant parts above ground. Eggs are laid in late spring or summer. The first instars (crawlers) emerge from light pink eggs laid in a cluster and enclosed in a white waxy sac. You've probably seen these two, but thought them to be a form of fungi. No pictures of the eggs have been posted to this thread. As soon as crawlers emerge, they go looking for a root to feed on, and not long after the onset of feeding, they begin emitting a secretion that becomes their protective outer covering that gives them their common name - "ground pearls." If you use magnification, you can see their mouth parts sticking out of the small balls, which are a tough waxy coating. The nymphs develop over summer and fall, and by winter, completing the life cycle as they become adults, which overwinter in the cyst/ 'pearl'. Ground Pearls/ Margarodes Ground pearls ^^^ Al

Update: So far kindof good. I cut the plastic sheet and have it tightly fitted around the long sides and top, secured under the entire structure. But I learned that the strongest 3m double sided tape is no good for the non-condensing material. It makes a nice covered tent, but I'm having trouble figuring out the ends (want to put doors on both ends). I'm trying to stay away from staples or screws to hold the plastic down. We get a lot of wind here, and I don't want any holes to get stretched over time, nor do i want it to look too home-improvised. Does anyone have any recommendations on securing greenhouse plastic? The best solution i've found so far are pvc snap-on clamps. @judo it gets sun, but its east facing, in a narrow corridor. Once I get it fully wrapped, I'm going to build some benches ~3ft high to place the plants so they get as much light as possible.Definitely getting my dollars worth out of that mitre saw. In other news, I'm starting seeding this weekend in the garage chile chamber. Sprouting 72, with around 25 new varieties. Looking forward to 2014! Good luck to everyone's sprouts this year! -E

Kenny, I often set up an 8' fluorescent fixture during the spring. Really, I should always do it - still, I have to decide which flats should go under it and which are okay without that extra light. I tried to get my head around the whole foot candles, lumens, lux thing a few years ago. The bulb above my head didn't glow very bright . . . Just pulling numbers out of wikipedia this morning (and hoping they are correct ;o): Bright Sunlight ~ 100,000 lumens. 40 watt Fluorescent Lamps (including CFL's) ~ 2,000 lumens. The light must be kept very close to the plants, about 6" for good lighting. This can be a problem if your natural sunlight is coming in at too high of an angle - the fixture shades the plants! For small plants and a sun at a low angle, my 8' fixtures make some sense. The larger the plants, the less sense it makes to set them up. Commercial greenhouses commonly use high-pressure sodium vapor lamps of 400 watts. They aren't terribly expensive to purchase. And, then there are metal halide lights which are a newer way to go. 400 watt Sodium Vapor & Metal Halide ~ 36,000 lumens. Those kind of lights would be a better choice with large plants, especially. I hope this info helps a little. Steve

I replied in an earlier thread, but after hearing all your replies I was able to relate because not only did I experience firsthand your problems, but also caregivers constantly visited my senior center office looking for advice and services. So here we go: 1. The most difficult time in your life is the transition from being a child to becoming the parent. It's very difficult and heartbreaking. 2. As people get older they become less interested in activities they once enjoyed because they're just plain tired. As memory fades, they'll talk about the past. Don't fight it. My brother had Alzheimer's, and every time we visited he told us he had just come back from cutting firewood in the woods. Rather than correct him, we continued his conversation about this and he was quite pleased. Get a recorder, as mentioned above, and get as much family history as you can while the person still recalls more vividly past events. Be more accepting of their declining limits. If they just want to sit there and watch TV, let them. Try some simple chair exercises. One that helps keep legs strong is quite simple. Just sit in a chair and lift each leg. This builds the upper front thigh muscle and is one of the first exercises they have you do in physical therapy after a lengthy bedridden stay in a hospital. Also, most senior centers office similar programs just to keep people moving. Be nice to yourself. Take a break. Hire an older person who could more easily relate and also "babysit" for you so you can go out and have a few hours to yourself. If you don't, you will come to resent your caregiving. Also, there are people who would be willing to stay overnight to give you an entire weekend of freedom. Do it! And lastly, don't feel guilty if you're nice to yourself or occasionally lose patience. You're only human. Consider a day or two per week in an Adult Day Care program. Simply being among their peers can do wonders. I've seem an amazing difference in seniors who have participated in this. However, you may have to bring the person screaming and hollering at first, but very quickly they will begin to enjoy themselves. My last suggestion comes from a study I read years ago. Nursing home residents were asked what they would like to do. While activities directors thought they wanted loads of activities, when asked, the residents replied they really wanted to get out of the home for a few hours and take a short ride. We once had a program at our senior center where a local restaurant that offered a soup and sandwich type of lunch donated a number of gift certificates. We would choose an elder along with a volunteer, and they would go out to lunch. Most people really enjoyed this. However, you must keep the outing to no more than a few hours due to fatigue. Hope some of this helps, for I've been there, done that; and I have a special spot in my heart for the caregivers who look after others. It isn't easy.