Shooter: Potassium permanganate is a strong oxidant that will damage the leaves of any fruit tree. Do not use it as a fungicide. If you want some help with a fungus on your fruit trees, tell us what fruit trees you have, describe the symptoms of the fungus, and tell us where you live. Someone may be able to help you, but the more information you provide on your problem, the more likely that help will be useful to you. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

I have oodles of giant water lettuce and i have a bit of azolla and salvinia. I would like to get my hands on some bog bean or perhaps some NAMED louisiana, Japanese or siberian irises i dont have or Have a look at my wants list i gave plenty of wants! But i must admit i have to be picky as i only have so much space left in my yard, lol. I will definately come to as close to a pound of plants as i can to make the shipping last. If you have something interesting and hard to find for me maybe i will send two pounds.... that will have to be disgussed,lol. i also have an over abundance of green water celery! If i can find enough people that want some Iris Pseudacorus( yellow water iris) i would be happy to dig up one of my huge clumps and split it up. I have many other plants to offer for trade, just take a look at my list. I also could thin out my pink Obediant plant( water or land plant), i have a perennial ground cover that is a land plant that has leaves like pennywort and flowers like purple Bugle weed and it makes a nice ground cover, oh did i mention its varigated? lol. I also have a few babies of that plant that genus is trollius and it has varigeated leaves, i dont know why but i have a feeling like it has popcorn somewhere in its name. These plants, as you can tell , i have lost the name tag of,lol. my dad likes to plant plants without their name tags( that came with them) as hes sometimes forgetful. Its nice that he helps but goodness, it shure would be nice to know what plants i have,lol. I also noticed that i could thin out a plant or two of my green elephants ear(babies). all the plants that i send have great root systems and are healthy and normally of good size. I expect this in return. I take extra care in packing the plants and i always inform people when i plan on shipping. I work sometimes 40 to 75 hour weeks. I go in when i am called in. this leaves me little time to do things, however i always keep contact with the people im trading with and i am usually on time with shipping when i say i will be shipping. Depending on the plant, Most plants i ship are washed off and free of soil. All my pond plants are treated with potassium permanganate. Potassium permanganate ( KMno4)is a treatment that is commonly used to help fight fish diseases, bacteria and pests that may be harmful to your fish, plants or environment. All my fish are healthy and no new plant or fish has been introduced to my pond for over 4 months. All plants or fish that have been added to my pond have been in extensive quarantine or treatment and the plants are disease free! Rest asured, his will be a SAFE trade! (please note: im not trading fish im just letting you know that i am quite aware and careful of what goes in and out of my pond.) Lets make a trade! large trades preferred, but not necessary! ;) thanks! missy

These instructions were kindly submitted by members, Thanks to all who contributed. INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING A HYPERTUFA TROUGH OR POTS This quantity will make 1 -12" x 14" x 6" rectangular container OR 2 - 12" x 12" pots Cover the bottom of a plastic bin or bowl with a large trash bag. Secure with a large rubber band. Place upside down on a 36" x 36" piece of plywood. OR - place a large plastic flower pot in the bottom of a plastic bag - roll the top of the bag down below the top edge of the pot. Have a smaller pot ready to place inside the larger one, leaving about an inch or more of clearance between them. Be sure to wear protective gloves and a mask. MIXING: Using a 2 quart measuring container: 2 containers PERLITE 1½ containers PEAT MOSS 2 containers (dry) PORTLAND CEMENT ½ container Coarse SAND 1 large handful FIBREMESH 1½ 2 containers WATER Mix Perlite and Peat Moss together well in a large container or wheelbarrow, breaking up any large lumps. Add the other dry ingredients and mix together thoroughly before adding any water. Gradually add up to 2 containers of water, mixing thoroughly from the bottom of the mixing container. The mixture should adhere to itself, but should not "ooze" water. Add the last half container very gradually until the mix is just workable. Do not use more than 2 containers of water. BUILDING THE TROUGH: Build the mix around the base of the container and gradually build up the sides and over the top. Keep the depth even all over (about 1½ inches) Use a thin "test" dowel to check the thickness (experience has shown that particular attention needs to be paid to the corners - use the measuring stick!!). Keep the base as flat and smooth as you can. Smooth the surface with wet fingers but do not overdo with the water. Once covered with the mix, place dowels upright in base to form drainage holes. Cover the entire construction with another trash bag to keep moist as it cures. After three to four days, remove the container from the mold and the dowels from the drainage holes. Make sure the drainage holes are clear. Use a wire brush to smooth the surface and the rim, and tools (sharp knife/chisel/saw) to carve away obvious blemishes. Treat with respect at this stage! Re-cover with plastic - allowing the hypertufa to "cure" slowly creates the strongest troughs. Keep wrapped in plastic for a month at room temperature. Allow to dry completely while exposed to the elements (hose it down if it doesn't rain for a few days) then use a blow torch gently to remove any fibremesh "whiskers." BUILDING A POT: After placing the large pot in a large plastic bag, press a 1 1/2" layer of the mix firmly into the bottom of the pot. Place the smaller pot inside and gradually add mix between the pots, pressing it firmly into place as you fill and working it into the space equally as you go. Fill to the brim and smooth with wet fingers. Place a large dowel in the base for drainage. Draw the plastic bag up over the pot(s) and tuck it down inside to enclose the pot(s) completely while the mix cures. Allow to cure for three days, then carefully remove the hypertufa pot from the molds. Brush with a wire brush to smooth the surface and the rim. Use tools (sharp knife/chisel/saw) to carve away obvious blemishes. Remember, treat it with respect - it can easily break at this stage! Continue to cure slowly under plastic for a month. Allow to air dry completely then use a blowtorch gently to remove any fibremesh "whiskers." WAYS TO "AGE" THE TROUGH PREMATURELY: 1. use boiled rice water brushed and poured over the trough 2. brush yogurt or buttermilk on it 3. use a mixture of manure and water poured over the trough 4. apply liquid fertilizer with a watering can. Moss and lichen will adhere to the surface more easily 5. blend moss or lichen from the garden with some buttermilk in your blender and brush over the surface 6. spray the outside with milk AFTER YOUR TROUGH HAS CURED: The slower and longer your trough is allowed to dry, the stronger it will be. Allow the trough to "weather" outdoors (hose it off if it doesn't rain fairly frequently) for several months, if possible, to leach out free lime; or temporarily block up the drainage holes and fill the trough with a wine-colored solution of Potassium Permanganate for 24 hrs to neutralize the lime (½ oz. of crystals to 3 gallons water). Afterwards lightly scrub the inside with a wire brush. Use the waiting time to assemble suitable plants. Variations on a theme: The formula for making troughs is inexact. If the ingredients are used in a ratio of 1 part cement to 6 parts non-cement, the troughs will be durable. A small amount of coarse sand and a handful of fibremesh are essential ingredients to bond and reinforce the cement. Vermiculite or Diatomaceous Earth may also be included or substituted. Concrete dye may be added to color the mixture. The exterior of the trough can be covered with Peat moss, Sand or Diatomaceous Earth before curing to modify the surface texture. "Feet" for the troughs can be made from any left over mix in small 2"-4" flower pots. Rocks can also be used to raise the troughs for display and to ensure good drainage.

OK, I'm going to discuss purchasing glyphosate here...but I'm discussing various formulations and this is NOT a place to have a discussion about glyphosate itself or any ecological or social issues related to herbicide use. I had to use more than usual of various herbicides this summer, it was probably the worst possible pattern for fueling massive weed growth on my 3 acres. Wet May, bone dry June, and wettest July ever. I'm 'down to my last 2.5 gallons' of Rodeo, even though at the rate I was going, that would usually have lasted me at least 2 years. Figured it was time to buy the 'spare to the heir' so to speak LOL. Called my local Lesco-John Deere-Site One. He said he only had the generic. Decided to investigate before driving up there. I'm posting fair use pictures found on the web, so I don't seem like I'm advertising any particular reseller. Here's a picture of Rodeo: And here's the generic the guy recommended: This is puzzling. Glyphosate is a colorless chemical. Most chemicals that could hypothetically be added as stabilizers, are colorless. (seeing EDTA decolorize a solution of potassium permanganate during a titration is actually an exercise in some introductory analytical chemistry lab courses) So, what's up with the generic? Does anyone else besides me question the quality of the formulation when it has such a muddy color? Now, I will say I have used a mix of name brand and generic over the years, and haven't seen a different in performance. And I expect there probably wouldn't be in this case. But since I'm going to be keeping this for a few years, possibly, I wonder about the shelf-life of something that seems to have so many by-products or contaminants already present. And btw, has any seen a switch to SiteOne promoting generics more than they used to? I know for sure that when I first bought Rodeo in the late 2000s, I bought it at a John Deere. Although that was a different branch.