Meyermike is correct about slow release fertilizers releasing their nutrients according to the temperature. The warmer the temperature, the grater the nutrient release, and accordingly, the cooler the temperature the lower the release of nutrients. This is exactly what makes them so valuable to the grower. In fact slow release fertilizers are the #-1 method of fertilizing container trees, including citrus trees. In volume no other type of fertilizer comes close. This is because just about 100 percent of all commercial nurseries fertilizer their container production using a 6 9 month slow release fertilizer. The benefit of a slow release fertilizer reacting to the temperature, is that during the spring and summer season, when the temperatures are optimum for tree growth, a slow release fertilizer releases a higher level of nutrition, just at the time when the tree's growth demands it. Then during the cooler fall and winter months when a tree still requires some nutrition, but because of the cooler temperatures, the nutrition is supplied at a reduced level, again just what a tree requires. It certainly is not "feast or famine", rather it is nutrition supplied according to the tree's need. Further, many growers use both a slow release fertilizer, and a water soluble fertilizer as their fertilizer program. Osmocote Pro is a very popular slow release fertilizer. Osmocote Prod contains the three macro nutrients nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, plus all 12 of of trace elements. You can find it at most Home Depot Store.

I haven't been on the forums for a while so am a bit out of touch. I've been busy in the garden, but it is already 90F at 9am so am taking it in small doses today. I got carried away with purchasing and trading morning glory seeds this past winter and ended up like many of you with not enough fence lines to grow them on. I raise sheep and if they can get to a plant it is history! I made some trellises this year with refrigeration tubing rolled into a shape like a spring (about 6" in diameter) then inserted one end of the spring in the ground or pot and the other end in a section of copper pipe stood on end in the soil with the plants around it. The plants seem happy enough with this arrangement but it is actually a little short for most morning glories and they are overreaching the tops now looking for additional support from neighboring plants. Another idea that I tried this year is actually working better--I had a section of loose chain link fence that I could get anyone to take away for me so I used a bolt cutter to cut off the part where the wires are twisted together at the top and bottom freeing the wire to be twisted out of the fence fabric. They are perhaps 6-7' long. I tried various configurations in pots and ground using 3, 5, or 6 wires. I twisted the wire into the soil and wired the tops together making some teepee type trellises. The plants LOVE this wire and have almost no problem climbing the trellises. In some pots (smaller type vines), I pushed both ends of the wires into the soil and it makes a nice fat balloon shape that are very nice when covered with vines. My visitors have all been very interested and complimentary of these trellises/support systems You just can't get any cheaper than the salvaged fence trellises. I would bet that you could find pieces of this kind of fence at the local landfill or recycling center. Good luck, spiderwoman

I used the boiling method as well as non-toxic paint stripped and steel wool. The 1942 heat grates/vents came out nice. Primed them and painted them. Look great. Only issue is that my vents are at a slight angle pointing toward the ceiling (top of vent is 1.5" and bottom is 2.5"). Before the grates would stay closed because of the friction in hinge on the backside ... but not they are " floppy" and swing back/forth. When the heat is on, the forced air pushes them closed. Any idea on how to increase the friction in the simple hinge? I thought about bending the metal sides ... but it would ruin the new paint job and the old metal is very sturdy. Thanks for your thoughts. Jim

Linda wrote: > Mine are two feet apart and I find that's too close, considering that I don't prune. I don’t prune either – well, except the NECESSARY: yellowish / brownish lower leaves, and leaves to improve air circulation. I leave most of the suckers. I love the suckers, especially those from the bottom, which will provide food later when many low-medium leaves were removed for being brownish. In the first few years of growing tomatoes, after removing the brownish leaves, AND the suckers, I had leaves only from 5-6 ft. up. That little foliage was not able to feed the plant' fruits. I learned my lesson, and I didn't remove the lower suckers anymore. You can see bellow that while I removed the brownish leaves from 5-6-7 ft. high, the lower suckers have a nice foliage which will feed the fruits at 5-15 ft. high. This happens usually late in the season (August,) I experimented planting tomatoes 1, 2 and 3 ft. apart. The roots had similar sizes so I decided for 1 ft. apart. Well sey, you plant pretty close too. Much closer that what some recommend: 2-3 ft. apart. > Don't you get foliage disease? With the HUGE real estate - the frame bellow is 16 ft. wide x 12 ft. high - foliage disease was NEVER a problem. Fungicide – Copper – from DAY ONE also helped to avoid foliage disease. The frame is 12 ft. high, but the tomatoes grew 15+ ft. high. > I'm wondering if you have the luxury of covering all your plants when it rains!!!! I’m afraid I don’t understand why I SHOULD cover my plants when it rains. For the big frame above I don’t cover the plants. For another structure of frames that I have... ... I do cover the plants, mostly for cold early-spring days and for HEAVY rain / winds (thunderstorm) protection. Fabric mulch also helped avoiding diseases from splashing rain and to control the water intake. In the picture bellow you can also see I didn't remove the lower suckers. No problems whatsoever. NOTE: Pictures are from last year - 2014.