Hi I have just removed the anti-dust tape from the ends of the conservatory poly carbonate roof as the TAPE was thick with dirt, moss and other growth which accumulates every year of the five years age of the conservatory an absolute dirt trap the reason for removal also cleaning the bottom of the poly carbonate roofing to remove the dirt etc that had penetrated. I am now considering whether to replace or not as it seems the tape is just a dirt trap and courses much work annually to keep clean as after only a couple of months you can see the build up of dirt again. Has anybody a solution to this as I can't see others having this problem? Would leaving the anti-dust tape off cause bigger problems but would this attract insects to enter? The Poly carbonate is 35mm 6 honeycombed. Thank you for your advice.

Al, it was funny I posted my reply to blaze of glory around the same time you posted your post. I had not seen your post before I posted. Later I went back and saw your post and I decided to repost blaze of glory that maybe he had better not use that 20 20 20, but on the other hand he seems to really want to use it. I have been using 10 10 10 for years and it seems to not hurt anything, but it would be better not to use it. Then I noticed the red bagged one is also high in P which I am trying to avoid. However, the red bag one is the one they use on the Begonias from Antonelli Brothers Begonia when they are getting them to bloom and make big huge displays. But, over all I can see the point. Why trade flashy flowers for over all health of the soil? All the Antonelli Brothers Begonias were in pots, but mine is in the ground. Ideally I think I will try to get Foliage-Pro 9-3-6, this seems like the best choice for my needs. The miracid is 30-10-10. All my plants like acid products expect for the clematis. But, even the clematis likes acid types of food in my garden, since San Francisco soil and water is so super alkaline. I looked over at my neighbors lemon tree and the leaves are just bright yellow. I want to give them advice, but I don't speak Chinese and they don't speak English. My lemon trees are green, so I am sure I am doing something right. But, no no more balanced fertilizer for me and no more bone meal and now more fertilizer with high P. I don't want to give up health for blooms.

i read that the plant starts working on tuber once the temps (nite?) drop below 62F. but i would not keep them out when temps (day or nite) go below 38-40F. they start sufferin a bit. it might be better for the tuber to bring them in then. no water and just let them dry up and drop the stems by themselves: so they can extract max nutrients from the leaves. last year i brought them in almost mid-november. but normally it would be earlier. i also give them a diff ratio ferts 1:2:1 to help set the tuber when temps drop to 45-55F (that's what they do with caladiums, so i figured it should work for begonias too). also once the temps drop into 40s make sure to keep them rather dry, hardly any water at all and under roof - so no raining on them. but they'll need to be in somewhat cooler place indoors to dry-up. may be not higher then 60-65F? mine dried up ok at around that (i don't have a cooler spot), they still had many good leaves too, but i wanted to force them into dormancy. and they might take even 6 weeks to totally decline while looking ratty. i leave the tubers in pots until feb - them i dig them up, clean, etc, change soil and put them very shallow, but still right under surface - so i can watch for eyes or until time that i decide to start them. this way even small tubers will not dry up totally. but if you're keeping your pots with tubers in a very cool space (low 40?) then the soil can't be even be slightly moist - they'll rot. so you need to water very carefully at the end, when it's still outside. so by the time you bring them in - they'be been kept dry for sev weeks. This post was edited by petrushka on Sat, Oct 4, 14 at 21:02

We lived in the SF Bay Area when I was growing up. (Gorgeous Garter Snakes there! A colorful kind too which are only in SF, they're endangered! We used to see them all the time when I was little, they're so pretty!) Anyway, my mom was tending her artichokes, and later that night, A HUGE black scorpion fell out of her hair!!!! We freaked, she was hysterical, my dad smooshed it, and it didn't sting anyone thank goodness! In the Santa Cruz Mountains where we had a cabin there were these awful, huge, gross, yellow spotted banana slugs that would hang out in the garden, I think they stung too. They are UC Santa Cruz's Mascot. Stepping on a snail barefoot. There are tons of them in the Bay Area, along with Black Widows. The Black Widows get huge too! They are so scary looking, all shiny & black with the red violin on their back! We did have Praying Mantis' though, they were so cool looking, and were great to keep on the Rose Bushes to eat all the aphids. I moved to Washington two years ago, and I have never had such a Garden Enemy as the slugs we have here. They are horrible! It is amazing how much defoliation can occur in one night from these things! They are all different colors, black, brown, spotted, they are hairy, and some look like they have armour on. I hate them! During the growing season I do, "Slug Patrol," every night. I fill a large baggie almost every night with them. It's fun to pour salt in the baggie and watch them melt. They are disgusting!!!!!! I hate them! Here is a link that might be useful: San Francisco Garter Snake