Truth or Myth: A Rusty Nail Can Stimulate Fruit Production.
gadgetvictim
9 years ago
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Silica
6 years agoponcirusguy6b452xx
6 years agoRelated Discussions
NPK and tomatoes
Comments (24)Thanks for the response, Sey. I would love to see some reports, any reports, from universities or any qualified source that actually have a specific answer as to how much, in grams, a given tomato plant uptakes for each of the six elemental macronutrients over its life time. My overall goal is to develop a recipe for a potting mix and supplied specific quantities and forms of nutrient fertilizers that consistently result in good, consistent, repeatable yields of tomatoes in the smallest container possible at the lowest cost possible. I have read so many posts by people that get great yields from their container tomato growing efforts, but they all have thrown the issue of cost out the window. When you spend tons of money for Pro Mix Bx potting mix, liquid and granule brand name ferts, mychorrizae fungus, all in 15 to 25 gallon containers for a single plant, of course you are going to get a good yield, generally speaking. There is neither efficient use of science nor great challenge in that. From an economic stand point, that makes no sense to me. I mean, I wouldn't buy a Ferrari for basic transportation to take the kids to school, nor do I need a Gucci watch to tell time. But, if one combines good, objective quantitative and empirically established science with the practicality of sound, common sense economics, I intuit that success is not only quite possible, but quite probable. For container tomato growing, unlike growing in soil, the control of the chemical and physical grow media environment is completely in the hands of the grower The grow media is what the grower makes it. Things like the different migration and leaching properties (or the lack thereof) for each of the nutrients needs to be taken into consideration for determining the grow media potting soil recipe (e.g., quality of air retention, water retention and pass through capacities, electrical properties of the mix to hold onto nutrients [cation exchange capacity], etc.). Another controllable variable is whether to use a Self Watering Container (SWC) approach or a container approach where water is required to drain through the grow media; each of which requires different grow media properties and therefore different mix recipes. The choice of container type also influences the type of fertilizer properties and application since nutrient is allowed to wash through on one container but not in the SWC. Also for consideration are the physical and chemical forms of the nutrient fertilizers; periodic feeding with liquid ferts that contain immediately available macronutrients in dissolved ionic forms, or slow release dry ferts that are either compacted or coated chemicals that retard release over time, and/or macronutrients that are in a chemical form that requires that microbes pass the nutrient through their gut in order to transform the nutrient into the right ionic form that the plant can then uptake. Optimal plant growth and yield are achieved when the plant gets all the nutrients it needs when it needs it. That implies the "right" balance of the "right" grow media and the "right" balance of the "right" nutrients. This balance is, in part, an unstable equilibrium in that an imbalance causes the plant to not perform its best. Too much of one nutrient can crowd out the other nutrient and cause a plant nutrient deficiency in the nutrient that was crowded out. Not putting enough of one or more nutrients will produce a deficiency or deficiencies itself, obviously. There is plenty of sufficient information out there on grow media physics and chemistry. That is not a problem at all. Where there is a great deficiency and gaping insufficiency of information is on the issue of detailed actual uptake of macro nutrients on a per gram per plant basis. And that, my friends, is the all important answer to fertilization, period. It's just not out there; and it should be. I do not buy the response that there are just "too many variables" to deal with. Science deals with much, much more complicated issues than this, every day, all the time, always has, and at a very detailed level. I strongly suspect that the answer is in existence; that there are those that do, in fact, know how much, to the gram, a given cultivar, on the average, under certain specific known circumstances and conditions, uptakes of each macronutrient. Scientifically, it is not a difficult question; it is a simple scientific question, comparatively speaking. I think the answer is not out there "at our level" because we, the tomato growing enthusiasts, haven't asked the precise question yet. We haven't asked each other that question. We, as a group, have all tacitly accepted the approach of "trial and error" much too readily when it comes to fertilizing our plants. When most all people in this forum and all the other forums post how they fertilize their plants, their posts are much, much too general and lack the all important detail with specificity. For example, whenever someone says "I use Tomato-tone when I plant the seedling, then I periodically feed with fish emulsion". That is a near useless post. He/she should indicate exactly how many tablespoons or fluid ounces or cups of Tomato-Tone "per plant" at planting time in exactly how much grow media (if in a container), and exactly how many teaspoons or tablespoons (not capfuls) of what specific brand of fish emulsion and exactly how often it is fed to "each plant"; on a per plant basis. As a result of this information deficit, we have and are spending too much money on growing tomatoes and, in many cases (if not all cases) missing the mark and therefore not getting the results that we should be getting....See MoreChinese Products - You should be worried!
Comments (34)Dragon, there are several statements in your post that I take issue with. First Ding Xinoping has simply toned down the anti capitalist rhetoric and suggested a few token human rights changes.Unions are not permitted, news is rigidly censored, anyone complaining about working conditions gets a quick trip to a reeducation work camp. Chairman Mao is still regarded as a God like figure in China, his philosophy is widley taught, required in all universities. If you go over a list of the governing body you will find that Maoist hold a large percetage of the high decision making positions and their agenda for Communist world domination has not changed, only toned down a bit. Next Chinese made electronic devices are not purchased because other nations are too lazy to produce them, they are purchased because of Chinese ultra cheap labor and a devalued currency system that allows production for a fraction of the cost else where. Copy right and patent laws are ignored, there is no pollution control, safety and working conditions rival 19th century sweat shops. To, put it simply no way can free independent labor in any western country compete with an endless supply of labor working under forced conditions for slave wages and an unrealistic devalued currency system. China has an endless supply of manpower and it is being used to build up the nations treasury. Huge amounts of foreign bonds and holding are being amassed. Human sweat, horibble working conditions, low wages and a devalued currency are being used to produce super cheap products, to dump on the world market and bring in cash for communist expansion.Tell 1800 workers from a South Carolina furniture plant who lost jobs when their company moved plant to China, that they were lazy and did not want to work. The company owner admitted plant was moved to China because even though their workers were effecient, loyal, the plant could not compete with cheap Chinese products being imported by competitors. Despite concessions by the union, maximum efficency from the work force, tax abatement from the local and state governments the company had to move to China or go broke. 1800 workers, many with years of loyal service were out of a job. Not because they were lazy, or put out an inferior product, or demand exhorbitant wages, but because they could not compete with products made jn plants where skilled craftsman are paid $60 per month.. The other statement I take issue with is one about illegal alien workers in the US. A great myth is being circulated about these people only taking jobs not wanted by any one else. Nothing is further from the truth. While some do work in low paying cleaning and agricltural jobs, many others are hired in skilled good paying crafts such as painting, roofing , carpentry and plumbing. They are hired in these jobs for one reason, greed. They can be paid less, paid in cash off the books, not carried on workman's compensation insurance policies. no retirement money need be contributed. OSHA and EPA safety regulations can be ignored, plus they are worked overtime and paid at the regular rate,or not at all. These workers can't complain to any one because they are illegal and fear deportation. I don't claim to have all the answers, however, we better wake up and do something, All is not sweetness and light where China s concerned, the Chinese have simply toned down their anti capitalist rhetoric, achieving Mao,s goal of communizing the world is still on the agenda. Just easier to do it economically than by force. I also agree no country is perfect, but some are much higher on the scale than others....See MoreTo all my valued employees...
Comments (13)As a former business owner, I agree with this. DH & I were providing good, above-average for the area jobs for 3-4 full-time employees & one part-time. Sometimes we didn't get a paycheck ourselves, but we always paid our employees on time. We always had to make sure to set money aside to pay our business taxes. We could have used some of that money to give raises or bonuses to our employees, buy new equipment, etc. We could have also used it to pay down our debt, because we did incur some in starting two businesses. We didn't really have any time off. We worked whatever hours we needed, which was frequently 70-80 per week for each of us. Finally, we decided it was just too hard & we sold one business & closed the other. DH's boss is an excellent example. He took a small company started by his father & has grown it into a pretty large regional business, with offices in several states. He has so far avoided laying off employees or cutting wages, though there is a wage freeze in place. He & the rest of the management team there manage their business carefully & they were at least in a pretty good position to deal with the downturn. He does not like layoffs & has always tried to avoid them. Thankfully, he understands that the loss of an employee is also a loss of knowledge & that may not be easily replaced when things start to turn around. Recession is a natural part of the business cycle & we will come out of this. It makes me angry, though, to hear the talk of tax "refunds" to people who don't even pay taxes. DH & I have lived pretty carefully too. Our required expenses like mortgage, etc. are kept so that we can live off of just DH's salary (or any equivalent of the two of us together making that amount). We have no car payments & only a small amt. of debt besides our mortgage. We lived in a small, fixer-upper house for many years. During the years that we had our business, there was no fixing up going on. We finally, at age 40, built a nicer house. The main reason for that was a move for DH's job. When we started dating in 1992, he was making $8.50/hr & I was making $6/hr. We've worked very hard at our jobs, gained experience, & worked our way up to better paying jobs. Do we own some nice things & splurge on a nice dinner out sometimes? Yes. But we've WORKED for that. As the letter above says, there is a back story. That is the case with most people I know. They didn't start out wealthy, they lived within their means & worked hard to get what they have. I remember once I was talking to a visitor in the office about my commute. I said that I just turn on my iPod & it isn't too bad. A co-worker overheard me & commented that "Not all of us have an iPod." I decided to be nice & not say anything to her, but I wanted to mention that the total price of that iPod, which was over a year old at the time, was probably about equal to one payment on her new SUV. People see what they want to see. They are jealous when I can afford an iPod, but don't think about the fact that I drive a 2000 car that was bought used in 2005 while they are making monthly payments on a new vehicle. The people who own businesses & provide jobs should be rewarded, as should those of us who have lived within a budget & saved for our future. I get so tired of hearing about what people "deserve". So many people think that they "deserve" to sit home, watch tv & have kids they don't take care of while the rest of us pay for it. Why should those of us who really work have to pay for the others who won't? I'm not talking about people who actually have unfortunate circumstances due to things they can't control, I'm talking about the ones like in the letter - the ones sitting home waiting for their next welfare check....See MoreCooking: Myths or Musts?
Comments (118)When I was a kid, we couldn't jump if a cake was in the oven. Probably angel food cake. My trick to flatten out cookies that are rising too much (usually chocolate chip), is to open the oven 2/3 way throught the cooking time, raise and end of the pan, and bang it down on the rack. Cookies instantly flatten out. So, I have a hunch, at least with a cake like angel food cake, a direct hit like the cake pan jarring, might deflate it. Shouting...not so much. Half myth, half must....See MoreS GB
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