Soils that have a nutrient imbalance can contribute to plant disease problems and there is no real test for the pathogen that causes mildew problems. That pathogen can also travel through the air with the wind. A good, in depth look at your soil can tell you if you have a good, rich soil that will grow strong healthy plants that will be more disease resistant. Start with these simple soil tests; 1)Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.

I would say that people who live in hot climates probably can take advantage of the cooling ability of the clay pots. I remember the discussion regarding streptocarpus growing. When it is hot - and if you do not run the airconditioning till you shiver - the streps do go into decline and die. The ones in clay pots have cooler soil and cooler roots and they survive the summer OK. I can recall advice to put a strep pot into bigger clay pot and fill the space with wet sphagnum moss. Clay pot works a miniature swamp cooler and saves the cool loving plant in the heat of the summer. Jst want to remind -we are talking about porous clay pots, not glazed. In dry climates - hello from Colorado - the extra porosity of clay pots will create an undesirable effect of too much water loss and too much fertilizer sediments on the clay. With a very loose soil we use for violets we will be watering them twice a day in clay pots. I.

This is a natural and not at all uncommon occurrence for the north side of houses. They stay shady and moist, no matter what the siding material. That's perfect growing conditions for moss or algae. Some people pay really big bucks for bricks that have that growing on them as it gives a time worn appearance and is considered desirable by some. Others hate it, and are in a continual battle to scrub it off. With sand faced brick, I'd suggest that you grow to love it. Continual scrubbing of sand faced brick will just scrub the sand right off.

Im sure i have a few issues and i know white and black mold is one of them before i lose it completely has anybody experienced the following... the presence of some sort of fumgus on my pine furniture which keeps coming back no matter what scraping a layer of &@&$&:off of the wood appesrs to work momentarily then i scfually sed it spread along the wood in a brown black line moving merrily along my pine dressers also here is the kicker and no im mot f sny form of drug although i coild use a sedative!!! the furniture panel actial ”breathes” it swells uo and down i hace extrrminstors coming but im so overwhelmed it is everywherre in my home shen i see the appesrance if wjst looks like a face i know thr shite is there wreaking havic i aldo have somethjng coming from the plants outside it makes its way over to the framing and smudgess into my home the floor becomes sticky and shiny and it had even moved the panel curtains i know sounds nutss but ive filmed it and ive been living this helll for some time