Clueless ham question(s)
9 years ago
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- 9 years ago
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Clueless Newbie with beginners luck- now what?!
Comments (1)Your 8" pots will be far too small for mature plants. Consider them as an intermediate step for 'potting on' - meaning transferring seedlings to the next-size-up of pots. However, they might just do for the chives. Even one little bulblet will eventually propagate itself into a nice little clump, which (in the right growing conditions) will fill an 8" pot in no time flat. They do not 'meld together', as you say, although a heap of seedlings in one pot will give that impression. You can choose between transplanting one bulblet at a time, or transplanting the whole lot into a larger pot. Probably more aesthetically-pleasing to do the bulk move! In the right conditions, a mature basil can be the height of a child (say, about 10yo), and roughly the same width as its height. You'll have a hard time accommodating that in an 8" pot! When transplanting, select only the healthist-looking seedlings, and discard the rest, then put one seedling per pot. Of course, you don't HAVE to discard the weaklings - they can always go outside in the garden, where they'll probably do better than the ones inside. You're bound to lose a few, of course. Basil is an annual, and you can expect it to die come next cold season. Basil starts flowering from a very young age. You can try to remove the flowers to encourage more leaf growth, but when you discover a way to prevent it flowering more and more, please let me know! You can start re-potting your basil right now - they are a fast-growing, greedy plant and need space, full sunlight and heat to grow (that does NOT mean the filtered sunlight of a glass window, nor the reflected heat from glass which can easily burn the leaves). Don't start pinching back until you have, say, 10 pairs of leaves, and then just remove the top pair or two. Parsley doesn't like being transplanted, but you'll have to give it a go, as the current pots are miles too small. Don't pinch back parsley - let it do its own thing. Next time, put 2-3 seeds per pot (in which the mature plant will fit - ie 'sow in situ'), then discard the weaker two. Still, give it a go, remembering that parsley has a long tap-root that is easily damaged, and doesn't like being fiddled with. Parsley grows from the centre (think of an erupting volcano), so harvest the bottom, outside leaves, and leave the centre baby leaves to grow to replace the oldies. Remember, parsley is a biennial. In its second year the leaves become coarser in flavour, and the plant will go to seed. Let it happen. Treat Italian parsley in the same way, but remember that it will grow to a considerable (and, to a newbie, substantial) size that might just squeeze into your oven without too much scrunching when mature. Chives and parsley can both do well in partial sun, but basil needs full sun, and lots of it. All your plants will be much happier outside than in, and you can expect them not to grow to optimum size or quality in pots. When dividing seedlings, tap the starter-pot firmly but gently around the sides and bottom, and tip out the contents onto a table, laying the pot-shape on its side. Then carefully break away the surrounding potting mix to expose the roots of the plant. Carefully remove each seedling, being careful not to damage the roots - if they are pot-pound, you might have to do a bit of 'teasing' to disentangle them. Have ready-prepared another pot, with fresh potting mix, use a dibble-stick or your finger to create a hole deep enough to accommodate the entire root system, insert the seedling, then using your fingers only, gently tamp in the soil around it, making sure NOT to bury the plant any deeper than it originally was. (In other words, don't bury the seedling any deeper than 'the dirty line'.) Water in carefully, and Robert's the other son of your grandfather. In future, I suggest that you learn about your plants BEFORE you start them - mature size, growing conditions etc. But yes, you've experienced the delightful thrill of seeing something small and brown actually turn into a plant - and there's no better reward than that....See MoreAnother induction cooktop question(s)
Comments (2)The window itself isn't a problem if your local code allows it. The window might make your hood higher than optimal however, and it can be dangerous reaching across hot pots to adjust the window. With induction you won't set your sleeve on fire, though. Moving the ducting for your hood might well be a bigger deal than moving the gas. The best way to know is to talk to your plumber and HVAC guy and get estimates from them. A range is usually the less expensive route. Plus, if you don't already have induction capable pans you'll need to budget a bit more for cookware (though sometimes they give a few pans away with the cooktop). Most people here report back after changing from gas to induction that they'd never go back. A few miss their gas or actually do change back. Most of the reasons are in the realm of it being too weird cooking without fire or otherwise missing the flame, or having trouble adjusting to setting the temperature by number rather than sight (flame height). Have you tried getting advice on your layout in the Kitchens forum? If you did, and didn't get much response, try again....See MoreHelp a (Clueless) Guy Decorate his Small 1930s Living Room
Comments (81)unfortunately the room is too narrow to have the sofa facing the fireplace. I'm pretty much stuck with that being there. Great thoughts about the coffee table, I keep trying to love the trunk but its just not happening. Oh well it was only $20 so maybe its Scouts new toy box. Interesting point about the rug - admittedly I'm not too polished on the rules of design so I end up having to learn along the way. I think I'll try a bigger rug. Also I'm going to hold off on the TV. Maybe once I finish the kitchen reno and use the room more otherwise I'm fine with just going to the basement which I'm also decorating slowly but surely. Its becoming my favorite room in the house and has another massive fireplace which makes it so warm and cozy. I'll post some pics and get everyone kind help AFTER I vacuum the couch (yellow dog & brown microfiber - UGH!!).......See MoreBosch speed ovens - clueless or not a speed oven
Comments (4)Hi Robert, yes, a little. I had a technician come out. it's fine, it's just not a full speed oven. So, you have to work a few things out by trial and error. For example, I do a baked potato on a beef setting now and it works just fine. he explained to me to go by density. so I write it down in a book that I keep near the oven for reference. that part is disappointing for me for sure, but I don't use the speed functions that often to be frank. It looks good, matches the oven, the microwave part of it works really well, and when I need the few things done speed wise, it's a bit trial and error, but we get there!...See More- 9 years ago
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