Well there are several issues here. First it is soil temp that germinates pepper seeds, not moisture. And they will usually germinate within 3-5 days given the proper soil temp. As long a pepper seeds have minimal moisture - well wrung out soil mix - they will germinate if given 80+ degree soil temps. So are you using a heat mat? If not that is your primary problem. And once they do germinate then the water amount given can and should be cut back substantially as they prefer to dry out between waterings. If I keep the soil damp (not wet), I get that grey fungus stuff or mold. Then that is a sure sign that the soil is too wet. "Damp" means very different things to different people so what is damp to you may mean wet to others. Any soil-less seed starting mix will contain peat, that isn't the problem. Soil-less mix means it contains no dirt, no ground soil. Do you wet it well with warm water and then wring it out well in your fist before filling the container and planting? If I put on a fan for circulation, it dries out too fast. Then either the fan is too close to the plants or on too high a speed or, most likely, only the surface of the soil is drying out and that is normal and is NOT a sign that the seed or plant needs water. A small fan set on low to just lightly stir the air around the plants normally causes no drying. I germinate hundreds if not thousands of seeds each year and I can swear to you that any seed will prefer and even germinate in too-dry conditions better than it will in too-wet conditions. It just takes longer. And any seedling will tolerate and even thrive in too-dry conditions MUCH better than it will in too-wet conditions. So my best guess is that if you can convince yourself to dry out your whole methodology a great deal more than you are now and provide the proper amount of bottom heat and air circulation you'll have much better success and no damp off. Just keep reminding yourself that 95% of the time germination issues are grower method caused problems, not the seed or the plants fault. It is a lesson we have all had to learn the hard way. :) Dave

Linda, I microwave them because we have raccoons and other beasties in the night that might be attracted to the eggs if I didn't wash them and sterilize them. I like the iron phosphate tip. I will get some tomorrow. I have begun adding more hostas to the gardens now and saw my first slug in ages just last week, so I want to stay ahead of them! I never saw any that hatched in the crowns-ugh! You are right though about the look of the shells and I suspect the idea may get old very quickly now that my hosta numbers have increased. Thanks for the advice! Cynthia

Hi all, research led me here after I noticed what looked like a ton of odd-looking eggs on the backs of my dahlia plant leaves. Master gardener hotline identified them as "membracid nymphs". I was told that "while they do feed on plant juices, they are not usually harmful to the plant" as per the in-house entomologist. I was told I could "scrape them off the leaves"--sorry, but hard pass. I sprayed with horticultural oil, but am unsure whether or not this slowed them down--they are just everywhere, and some of my dahlias are 6 ft tall. This is my first year dealing with these things on dahlias, and am nervous about them spreading to my other plants (vegetables, clematis, berries, figs, & roses). I only use organic pest management (horticulture oils/deadbug brew/BT). I realize this is an older thread, but I have several questions: 1) what brand of neem oil is everyone using? I've used Dyna-Gro with no success on roses before (gave even my healthiest roses blackspot) 2) Since onions would need to get pulled out by around this time of the year anyway in the Midwest before they start to rot, will onions really help? What types of onions? How many onions did you find useful per host plant? Has anyone tried garlic? 3) Since my dahlias are tall, will the nymphs be deterred from other plants that are lower to the ground (peppermint/onions), unless the deterrents can also get as tall as the plants (i.e., tall onion varieties)? Am grateful for your insight! Thank you!

What you have heard is often discussed here and it simply isn't accurate, sorry. It is just another of the old wives tales associated with gardening. It 'might' have some benefit for your plants 6 mos. to a year from now if your soil is calcium deficient (which is rare) but not this year. But it can't hurt anything either so if you want to use them after all that work just pull the mulch back from the base of the plants by about 6 inches all around, lightly work the dust into the soil with your fingers, and then replace the mulch. Better yet, save all your shell dust till the fall and till it into the soil after the garden is done for the year. That way it can decompose over the winter for next year. Dave