Peat makes an excellent preservative. The modern horticultural practice of using a sterile medium like peat is in order to create a hydroponic environment, that can force-feed plants into rapid production. I've found a few nurseries who grow in-pot organically, and they avoid peat. I don't see large chunks of pine bark in their soil medium, either. Some use rainwater to irrigate, most are wholesale and at least one is open to the public. Transplanting and establishment ease have been outstanding with these trees grown organically with a comost-based medium. Some use pots that are designed to eliminate circling roots. This is a far superior product, that establishes and plants easier, than any tree grown in peat, or in a plastic pot. It's really a leap were speaking of, for a root to make the transition from an extremely acidic, sterile medium to a nearly neutral, live mineal soil. It ain't natural, and creates unnecessary stress on the plant when it needs it least-- during root establishment. But we grow potted plants in peat, anyways. Modern horticularal practices do not serve the grower so well, Most of the potted trees and plants you'll find in a retail nursery, have been force fed to grow lots of pretty foliage, in a poor soil medium, with underdeveloped and potbound roots. I know peat is good at preserving cave people and tubulars. But as a potting medium, it's used becasuse it is thought to be cheap, and that's the bottom line. There are conflicts of interest between the grower and the hulticulturalist who pushes peat as a pot medium. A lot of the carp they teach in hort school (and ag school, and other fields), has a bias towards perceived economic benefits, and can ignore for years, better, sounder science. M This post was edited by Mackel-in-DFW on Fri, Apr 25, 14 at 23:01

I'm covering my ears. I can't hear you. Don't want to know anything about Pipevines!!! Arghhhh!!! There was a Pipevine Swallowtail explosion at the ranch back in late February. All those little darlings that were overwintering came out in full force. There have been so many caterpillars it is unreal. Every time I drive out there I now see chrysalids on the barbed wire strands, the fence posts, tree limbs, the windmill, the deer blinds - everywhere!!! And to think those will soon emerge and the cycle continues. Yep, have seen lots of butterfly porn out there too :o) I know they are using a native aristolochia erecta as a food source ...but everytime I find the plant it is being eaten to the ground by caterpillars. Am wondering if there is some other larval host plant they use...doesn't seem like there'd be enough to feed them all. Have been on a quest to grow aristolochia fimbriata and transplant it there. The caterpillars I raised love that stuff. ~ Cat

LOL @ Missouri Bound! (In a kind way). There are tens of thousands of acers of farmland all around us being harvested right now. We've recently had several 20-30 mph winds so "dirty" doesn't begin to describe my screens and outer frames. It blew fast and furious all day today, too. If I ever live where I only have to worry about "dusty" screens, I'll keep the Pledge hint in my mental file! I like to "spring clean" the windows later in the year, after the bulk of the harvesting is finished, but by then we're getting freezing temps and even higher winds. There is a woman who said she'd help me (hired) do them for the past two years, and then she couldn't come. Now the poor soul has shingles, so rather than risk another year of filth upon filth, I decided to start with the dirtiest and hardest to reach window and then work my way around the house as best as I could. I'll do what I can and the rest can wait. The windows are by Marvin. They are nice (no more 1/2" thick layers of winter ice on the insides of my windows! ) I unlock and tilt-in the bottom sash, then pull the top sash down, unlatch it, and tilt it in. I clean both sides of the top sash, raise it back into the locked position, and then clean the bottom sash, front and back. Lock it back in and it's all finished. The only improvement I can think of would be if they were to have half-screens that would slide up and down without having to be removed. These are full-coverage screens (which does help prevent bird strikes). When the sills between the window sash and screen gets too caked up with blown-in dirt, I have to remove the entire screen to brush out the sill. When I lived on base the windows there had half screens. When dirt/bugs got trapped between the screen and window, I could raise the screen a few inches, dust out the stuff, wipe it with rag spritzed with Windex, and shut the screen. Shades - The x-ray tech and the PT tech both did that "wrench the hip out of joint" trick on me. I think they like to hear us holler! "Scolded" does not begin to describe my reaction! LOL Steph - You have your priorities in the right place! As long as the puppies can see out, does anything else really matter? Murray's Mom - I spoke too soon. My TV signal did come in on "Video 2" with a clear, sharp image. I hooked something into the wrong slot so now it comes in on "Video 3" and everything looks greenish. I'll call my techie neighbor tomorrow and she'll set it straight. Have I mentioned I have great neighbors? The DVD hook-ups are correct, and since I mostly watch a large library of DVDs, that's what really matters to me.

Robbi, nice to hear from you! You have been a busy lady...your quilt is just lovely! Love what you made for your Mom as well. Welcome back...don't be a stranger. v.