2016 Was An Interesting Year...
8 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (25)
Related Discussions
Pantone's "Color of The Year" 2016
Comments (142)I was married in '73 and the colors were pink and green because they'd always been my favorites. No sense of whatever was in fashion. I loved the cranberry and pink years in clothing. I'd say the first time I was aware of popular colors in decor was in the mauve decade, and I didn't like that color, so dodged a bullet there. I liked, and still do I suppose, the hunter green and burgundy decade. I can look back at those photos and not flinch. I like looking back at what were clearly the favorite colors of my mother and grandmother, and seeing the pattern there--something more familial and outside of fashion....See More2016 Logan Labs Results, year 2
Comments (9)I'm glad it improved visually! Probably what happened was that your grass absorbed the majority of the nutrients before (or as or after) they hit the soil, leaving the soil in roughly the same place. The Pennington Fast Acting was the right response, but could you tell me how many pounds per thousand square feet that worked out to be? I'd need to include it, but you can use the numbers below to adjust the calcium levels and simply add (or defer) the amount required. We've been through a lot of the basics, so I'll skip those and only note changes where they're either interesting, significant, or otherwise amusing. pH 5.1: This actually isn't significantly different than 2015 and we really do want this to rise a lot yet. OM 2.1%: Rising 0.2 is within sampling differences, but I'm pleased to see it. Continue to mulch mow, mow all your fall leaves, and so on! Phosphorus 91: No significant difference. Again, we use starter to raise this and my recommendations are below. Calcium 40.8%: No significant change. This is one case where I do a split recommendation as I'd also like to lift your magnesium and I'm willing to accept a slow, but easier, change. We'll mostly be using the Pennington you're used to, but also pick up some good old, very cheap, dolomitic limestone (usually in a bag that costs $5 for 40 pounds, marked "Dolomitic Limestone" and available anywhere). There's some variance in magnesium levels, but that's not terribly significant here as I'm only nudging things. Magnesium 5.1%: Lower than I like. I chose dolomitic to make the application easier and the release slower--next year or the year after, when calcium comes up, we'll make a final adjustment more quickly and at a more accurately calculated rate. Right now, the dolomitic is fine and won't overshoot. Potassium 3.9%: Perfect! None required. Minor Elements: Iron and boron again. Iron: Like last year, keep going with the Milorganite when you can. It'll improve your lawn color. Boron <0.2: Deficient. While grasses aren't particularly sensitive to that, it should be improved--and really will subtly improve lawn quality. We use Milorganite as a carrier and 20 Mule Team Borax as the boron source. You can purchase 20 Mules at the grocery store in the laundry section. In a wheelbarrow or the like, dump the Milo. Spraying very, very lightly with water (I use a spray bottle like the kind people use to damp their clothes when they iron) will help the boron stick. Add the recommended amount of 20 Mule Team Borax and stir, spraying occasionally to get the stuff to stick to the Milo. Then apply over the recommended area. So if going for bag rate Milorganite (1 bag per 2,500 square feet), you'd add 12.5 tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax. Recommendations: Now-ish to June 1: Apply 5 tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax per thousand square feet. June 1: Feed with starter at the bag rate. June 15: Apply 7 pounds of Pennington Fast Lime per thousand square feet (adjust for what you added previously). Apply around 15 pounds of dolomitic limestone per thousand square feet--anything from around 12 to around 18 pounds is fine. July 1: Feed with starter at the bag rate. September 1: Feed with starter at the bag rate. October 1: Feed with starter at the bag rate. October 15: Apply 9 pounds of Pennington Fast Lime per thousand square feet (adjust for what you added previously if you still need to here)....See More2016 a really bad year for tomatoes for me
Comments (10)Yes, this has been a disappointing year for tomatoes (and eggplant, and peas, and cucumber) for me. Normally I get one or two plants that struggle and the rest do fine, with plenty to harvest. This year, the majority of my tomato plants have given no fruit. One stopped growing and then slowly died. I suspect it was in part due to the pillbugs that also took out two of my eggplant seedlings. Another two tomato plants have grown, but look terrible (one wilts every day, the other has leaves that have turned so their bottom surface is up) and have not set one lousy tomato. The lone semi-determinate I am growing (the same plant that last year gave me nearly a bushel of fruit) has not grown all that much and has given me maybe a handful of fruit. Same disappointing yields from my two other reliable repeat indeterminate cherrys. I've gotten the most fruit (which still isn't anything to write home about) from a new-to-me cherry variety, but it's been slowly succumbing to blight and maybe stinkbugs. One of my container plants got something that caused the branches to turn slimy brown and die. The other limped along and might have set fruit but for the heat and possibly stinkbugs. Some might be due to the weather; we're going on 85 days with no rain, which even for here is pretty unusual. We set all sorts of new high temperature records for June and July, and I expect that August will also be one for the record books. The rest, I just don't know. There are too many variables involved. The only thing ideal for growing tomatoes here is the sunlight. Everything else (the soil, the water, the weather, the pests) is a constant challenge. I think next year I will not grow from seed, and try to buy seedlings (hybrids, maybe) that have some disease-resistance. That and try not to put tomatoes in the same location, but it's hard to do when all I have are two 4x8 raised beds and a half-dozen sufficiently large containers. Very frustrating, and if I had the time and energy I might even cry a little....See MoreSecret Santa Seed Swap 2016 (9th year)
Comments (413)To my gardening friends, I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and and an even better New Year. I know I am a bit late in expressing my gratitude, but it's being an emotional roller coaster for me. Much as happened to lower my sprite, but my friends here have help tremendously to make this a great Christmas season for me. I would like to thank the following people who have so graciously shared a part of their garden with me. To Heavenlyfarm, thank you for Miss Jekyll Blue and Clematis seeds. And yes I was surprised. Your thoughtfulness was appreciated. To VA (no alias in card). Thank you for so many seeds. Some of my favorites includes Foxglove mix, Spinach, Bee Balm and Celosa Pink. I will be busier than a bed trying to plant so many seeds. Thanks again. To CH, thanks you for Bonanza Harmony Marigold, Asclepius incarnate (swamp Milkweed and Cassia Alana. You've helped to make this gardener feel so special....See MoreRelated Professionals
Frisco Furniture & Accessories · Marietta Furniture & Accessories · Washington Furniture & Accessories · Culver City Furniture & Accessories · Terryville Home Builders · Buena Park Home Builders · Casa de Oro-Mount Helix Home Builders · Conroe Home Builders · Fargo Home Builders · Vista Park Home Builders · Parker Professional Organizers · Cockeysville Professional Organizers · Fort Hunt Professional Organizers · San Diego Professional Organizers · Towson Professional Organizers
Related Stories
KITCHEN DESIGNIdeas From the Year’s Top 10 Kitchens of the Week
Get inspired by the found objects, reclaimed hardware, efficient storage and work zones in our top kitchens of 2016
Full Story
LANDSCAPE DESIGNStep This Way: Ideas From the Year’s Most Popular Garden Paths
Houzz users’ favorite path photos from 2016 suggest new possibilities for that trip through your yard
Full Story
COLORColor of the Year: Off-White Is On Trend for 2016
See why four paint brands have chosen a shade of white as their hot hue for the new year
Full Story
DECORATING GUIDES10 Popular Design Trends to Carry Into the New Year
A designer shares the looks that are likely to stay in style in 2016 and beyond
Full Story
REMODELING GUIDESWhat’s on Your Design Wish List This Year?
Use winter days to begin planning your 2016 projects. Here’s a bit of inspiration to get you started
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: Try California Wild Grape for Interest All Year
Sure, it’s stunning in fall. But the spring buds, summer grapes and gnarled winter vines are gorgeous too
Full Story
COLORMeet Greenery, Pantone’s 2017 Color of the Year
See how to give your home a fresh start for the new year with this fun, nature-inspired hue
Full Story
COLORPantone Unearths Emerald as Its 2013 Color of the Year
Whether you dig a natural version or go for one with polish, Pantone is predicting you'll treasure emerald green at home over the next year
Full Story
PATIOSLondon Courtyard Blooms With Year-Round Color
A once shady and dull outdoor space is transformed into a garden filled with beauty and scent in every season
Full Story
DECLUTTERINGYour Clutter-Clearing Plan for the New Year
Tackle these tasks month by month for a decluttering strategy that will really pay off
Full Story
User