Comfrey - Believe the Hype
balkep
8 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (6)
oliverisaac
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Actinovate organic fungicide-true or hype?
Comments (26)Actinovate? Oh what a beautiful mistress... Like many others I have used this product in awe. Because of my will to learn and my interest in Organics. I chose this evening and some in the past to do a bit of research on this product. My queries were from the idea of brewing this bacteria. I read through a lot of articles, threads, PDFs, research studies, etc. And I'm no microbiologist or scientist for that matter. Just a bright young man. Would you like to know what I found out? YES? Good! So this Microbe is found in soil and deep sea sand. First lets clarify that soil is different from dirt. Soil contains organic life of a varying degree where as dirt does not, only minerals. So there's the first kicker. So that means healthy soils, most likely have this bacteria in you soil. That is assuming there are plenty of beneficial micro-organisms in there. Streptomycin is the family this strain in. There are a lot of articles for where this stuff is found and I found a few showing the parent strains showing up in animal waste. Which leads me to believe that this bacteria is much like the ones in your stomach. Breaking food down so you can digest. And may be found in either common or uncommon livestock. Now what does S. Lydicus feed off of? I did the research and found that it converts all sorts of rotting compounds into other non harmful, bio-available compounds your soil or plants could use. Which makes it beneficial to you soil. It feeds off of sugars, yeasts and humates. Which are the aggregate breakdowns of organic material such as food and animal waste. Which is why in bagged soil you may find germinated spores from months prior living. It is important in compost, as well as in soil to maintain an active microbial colony. So give the sucker what it wants. I will let you read through the full studies to find out how to brew the strain. But I will let you know despite all the nay-Sayers it is possible. So is this a miracle product? Yes Do all gardens need this product? No BUT it could't hurt. soil must be maintained, as best as it can by nature. But we can help it along in the areas it has trouble with. If you have an issue with molds or root diseases they can be abated and even cured. But only with outstanding bio-remediation and diversification in your soil will one achieve a healthy garden. THANKS Dawn. REF:Characterization of Streptomyces lydicus WYEC108 as a Potential Biocontrol Agent against Fungal Root and Seed Rots [http://aem.asm.org/content/61/8/3119.full.pdf] Microbe Organics [http://microbeorganics.com/]...See Moreover-hyped plants - the awful truths
Comments (64)As long as I keep deadheading my buttefly bushes, they keep blooming right up until about frost. I quit deadheading them when it got hot, and a bunch went to seed. I may try a late deadheading now and see if I get some late blooms. As for the pruning, Claire. The best time to prune hardwoods is January or early February... if that's too cold for you, wait for at least 30 days after the leaves fall, but my experience with these water oaks is they don't finish dropping their leaves until January, although I don't think cutting a few limbs sooner than that would kill them. The absolute WORST time would be from mid-July until about early to mid-September, as that's when they're under the most stress from heat and often from summer drought, as we had this past August. Of course August IS when you prune Gardenias, but then they're evergreens. As for HOW to prune higher limbs on trees, there's the REAL trick. You can START with one of those electric pole chainsaws (which I have), but they'll only let you reach limbs up to 10 or 12 feet, and please remember to do it properly (you might want to read up on proper pruning technique first), the main thing being to go several inches out PAST your main cut and do an UNDERCUT about 1/3 up from the bottom before going back to where you'll do the main cut... this way, when the limb starts to break from the cut, you won't have a problem with 1, the limb pinching the saw, and 2, the bark stripping back to the tree and causing a wound on the trunk. After you make that initial cut, which should be close to a foot out from the tree for any decent sized limb, then you go back to just past the "branch collar" and make the final cut. So there are 3 cuts in all: 1 partial, and 2 total. HOWEVER, if you get higher than the electric pole saw will go, then you have to choose between climbing a tree with a chain saw or using one with a ladder (neither of which I was willing to hazard), or getting something that requires considerably MORE "elbow grease" but will do the job up to 30 feet or so -- even higher if you add more rope -- a "high-limb chain saw." This is a chain saw blade that, unlike normal chain saw blades is sharpened BOTH directions, and rather than being attached to an electrical or gasoline engine, each end of the saw blade is attached to a long length of rope with a handle at the end and a sandbag also at one end... You have to toss the sandbag over the limb you want to cut until you get it where you want it, then work the saw blade up there until you get it in the approximate place and saw it by hand, by working the rope back and forth... Luckily, this blade cuts VERY WELL, so it's a fairly easy job to cut -- however, as there's NO WAY to do an undercut at such heights, blade pinch can be a real problem, so I usually have to do a high limb in several short sections to avoid that, and I do the last section a few feet from the trunk so I don't risk too much bark stripping, and then just let the last couple of feet of limb naturally rot off. It's not ideal, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than hiring someone to do it. I'm on my second saw now. I bought the smaller, 24" saw, originally, and did a great many limbs with it a couple years back... A friend borrowed it a few months ago (I had him help me cut one small limb section so he'd know how it worked), and he promptly tried to cut an entire big limb at once and got the blade stuck... I finally decided to tell him when he gets it out he can keep it and ordered the longer, 4-foot-blade model, for which I have a good many limbs planned this winter. I'm including the link to it below, if you're interested. I think it's a bit overpriced, but since there's really no competition, it's still worth it to me, and I think really to anyone who has the muscles and/or determination to use it. EVen if you have to take a large limb down in 4 or 5 pieces, it's better than not being able to take it down at all, or having to pay hundreds of dollars to hire someone else to take it and a few others out. The link is for the 4-foot-blade version; the other one is $10 less, but having owned both, I think it's worth paying the extra $10 to have twice as much blade you can draw back and forth across that limb... makes for less cutting time. Happy Pruning! Jeff Here is a link that might be useful: GM-CS-48 High Limb Chain Saws, Big Limb Model...See MoreSteam washer & dryer - hype or not?
Comments (6)In my opinion, steam is nothing more than a gimmick. Let's take a look at Kenmore's claim that "By using a hot steam spray from above and cooler water below, fabrics get the cleaning benefits of a super hot wash, without the energy usage or potential damage to fabrics." Can someone explain the physics involved, because it makes no sense to me. If your clothes are soaked and submerged in cold water, how is a little bit of surface steam going to do anything to affect the garment's temperature or improve cleaning? You have a huge thermal mass of cold water that will quickly suck any heat out of any steam that is generated. The cold water itself that is contained in the garments will encounter the steam and quickly neutralize any temperature benefit. If the steam actually did do something and heat the surface of the fabric to the point where it will have the same effect as a "hot" wash, then the potential of damage to fabrics is there as well. This sounds like a bogus claim. What am I missing?...See MoreSo what is the hype?
Comments (12)We have a DE filter because we were told that it filters the best. Our pool is crystal clear with this filter. We could've gotten (and almost did) a cartridge filter, but my dad, who has owned pools all of his life, strongly urged us to get a D.E. as well as the PB's we spoke to. We chose the Colorlogic lights because we just liked to have the option of having a color show. I would say these are one of the best things we chose for our pool. It is very relaxing to sit outside in the evening with a glass of wine and watch one of the slow color wash shows. We usually get a reaction from guests over our house who comment on how the pool is changing colors. I don't know about the fiber optics, because we only looked into Sam lights or Colorlogics and chose the LED's based on the life and the energy efficiency of the lights, not to mention the wider array of color shows. As for the SWG, believe it or not we were pretty set on getting this feature for our pool until a few salesmen we spoke to didn't hype it up to all it's made out to be. We were very surprised considering they could've made an extra buck in commission by selling this feature to us when we were pretty set on getting it anyway. One told us it was the easiest way to maintain his pool, then two others told us they are okay, but as there are positives to it, there are negatives as well. One salesperson said he flat out hated his, as did a neighbor of ours. It was just one of those things we were torn on so we went with the knowledge that something like a SWG could EASILY be added later on to our pool if we decide. As of right now, we don't have any problems with our traditionally chlorinated pool...we are balanced, eyes aren't burning and bathing suits are not fading. Everything you asked about is all personal preference. I don't think there is an industry standard of what is best or what is not when it comes to lights or chlorinating methods. The filter on the other hand, I don't know if it has been proven that D.E. filters best or if again it is just personal preference. We just went with it based on what we were told and my father's experience. All in all we are happy with all of our choices so far....See Moreveggiefunncz7a
7 years agooliverisaac
7 years agoHome
6 years agooliverisaac
6 years ago
Related Stories
GREEN DECORATING8 Questions to Help You See Through Green Hype
With the ecofriendly bandwagon picking up some dubious passengers, here's how to tell truly green products and services from the imposters
Full StoryMissoni for Target Collection Debuts to a Shopping Frenzy
Get a look at the colorful collection that led eager shoppers to line up early and crash site
Full StoryHOME TECHEmerging Virtual-Reality Home Systems Might Blow Your Mind
Get near-total immersion in home entertainment with virtual-reality gadgets worthy of a sci-fi flick, coming soon
Full StoryLIFE10 Reasons to Be Happy You’re a Renter
Homeownership has many benefits, but there are upsides to not owning a home too
Full StoryTHE HARDWORKING HOMECES 2015: Inching Toward a Smarter Home
Companies are betting big on connected devices in 2015. Here’s a look at what’s to come
Full StorySELLING YOUR HOUSE7 Must-Dos on the Day You Show Your House
Don’t risk losing buyers because of little things you overlook. Check these off your list before you open the front door
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESFrom the Pros: 8 Reasons Kitchen Renovations Go Over Budget
We asked kitchen designers to tell us the most common budget-busters they see
Full StoryMOST POPULARWhat to Do After a Hurricane or Flood
How you treat your home after a natural disaster can make all the difference in its future livability — and your own personal safety
Full StorySponsored
stardrifting