New purchases & changes & fav. fertilizer & solutions to pests
strawchicago z5
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (45)
Related Discussions
Organic Fertilizers and Pest Control
Comments (33)Hi reptile girl: Let me say that I understand your feelings of being critizied and your question ignored. I read your original post then everyone thereafter, then back to yours. I'm hoping I can help you feel less attacked and perhaps give you a better understanding of how this site works. I also had an experience of feeling attacked and I barked back, then several people jumped on me etc. This is what I hear in your original posting: you are very proud of the hard work you have put into your garden of choice, SYG. You continue to give info about your efforts to provide the best growing mixture and fertilizers that have worked for you. You were not looking for any additional information about soil structure, how you should change the way you garden, etc. you are a happy camper with what you have accomplished and should be. The one question that you asked was what organic fertilizer could you add to your garden to insure the best possible crops. Instead you got bombarded with advice, corrections, suggestions, critisims etc. These are my thoughts that I hope help you; first it is helpful to understand that the people who hang out on the Garden Web are extremely knowledgable gardening people either through university or years of experience or both. These people can help you with virtually any question or problem that you may have. Also just by reading in several different areas you will learn so much more than you can imagine. Now all these experts are great resources but just like a professor, they are quite willing to share their ideas, thoughts, tried experiments and so on. And just as professors in the same subject area, they do not all agree with each others view point or practices. Often many of the postings are the experts discussing between themselves the positive & negatives of what has been written. One thing can be said about this site, there are many generous people who are willing to share their views and that's great. What you probably should do in the future is ask your question, that's it. By putting down so much info, everyone got on board with their ideas, stuff went back and forth and you ultimately felt attacked. They really are not attacking, they are very eager to share their knowledge to be a benefit to you. If you visit again and have a concern or question, I'd suggest giving only pertainent info that would help the other readers to give you exactly what your looking for, no more, no less. Those of us who reply to a post should probably take an extra minute to understand exactly what info is needed and offer only that unless the poster comes back to ask for more info. Efforts to help all who post are truly generous with their time and talent but I can see the flip side, so much response with so much advice and/or critiques can be overwhelming to the newbies. I hate to see & read the sniping back and forth that escalates to a point where some really nasty things are said. I think that before we offer so much advice, we may need to realize that not everyone wants or needs all of the knowledge that we are so eager to share and are then offended "after all we've done" when the writer says "enough." I hope reptile girl that you can see this site in a new positive way. My one big piece of advice comes from a Russian grandma that lived next door years ago. She had several potted rose bushes that produced gorgeous roses and all she did was throw left over vegetables, fruit skins, virtually anything into a pot, covered it with water and left it heat for many hours. What was left she poured on the roses. It sure worked. Last year I had quite a science experiment in my frig. plus stuff to go out to the compost pile. I gathered it all together and decided to put some of the scraps into my blender w/some water and spin for awhile. When I was done I had two big bowls of gunk that I poured on my two Deodor cedars. Within days those trees were sprouting all kinds of new growth on all the branches and both trees became substantially fuller and taller. I thought it was hilarious. Maybe I should repeat that routine and try it diluted much more in several other areas of the garden. I may be on to something. Good luck with your crops, it is fun and rewarding when you can actually feed yourself from your own garden, plus I'm sure the nutrition levels are so much greater than the average found in stores....See MoreWhat's your fav Hippi photo??
Comments (39)Urgs, I just saw how huge the image was, sorry for that! @lily: I have no idea. Haweha commented my pictures on the german forum and wrote that he too had no idea who the ancestors could have been, the broad stakes are a trade of an big flowering cultivar. So perhaps they crossed a trumpet shaped specie with dutch cultivar? You might be able to find who crossed it. @Alana: Yes, I received seeds from Amputo x Sydney and Sydney x Amputo. I had so many flowers, there where 2 stakes with 3 blooms and 2 from one bulb with 4 each! I used this one for my crosses (even though it might just be a stronger clone from tissue cultivation), but I should have pollinated the other ones just to check what workes. I think I'll try to save pollen and try as much as possible. Ok, any suggestions ... finally: Amputo seems to be a Tetraploid regardless of it's fragrant looks. So it's a perfect candidate for a cross with a big-flowerig dutch hybrid. You should be able to preserve some of the colour scemes of the other parent. White flowers are often connected to a genetic defect where the plant's gene that transcribes pigments can't be read. So the other parent should be able to bring in some colours. What I'd like to try would be Grandeur, if anyone has pollen of these ... perhaps I should ask in another thread. ;)...See MoreWhat is your fav place to get citrus???
Comments (46)Hello Everyone, After reading through it, I couldnÂt resist posting on this thread. I agree with Toni and otherÂs good opinion of Brite LeafÂs trees. I have 4  2 in pots and 2 in the ground. They are 2-3 year olds now, and all want to be big. The lime is doing the best, fruiting for the first time this year, with plenty of fruit, if they all hold. Last I checked Brite LeafÂs site was working, but they hadnÂt restocked yet. They also have many new varieties, including some more expensive versions on flying dragon rootstock. I want to add an endorsement for Stan McKenzie at McKenzie-farms in Scranton, SC. He does cold hardy citrus on trifoliate rootstock. I have 4 from him also with 2 in the ground and 2 in pots. My observation is they will stay smaller. He has some great varieties, and I may not be done buying from him yet. At 17 trees, most would say IÂm at my limit, but Toni has introduced me to Harris, so who knows Sorry I canÂt share pics, but I also bought a BuddhaÂs hand this year. WeÂll have to start a subgroup within citrus forum for folks with young BH trees. I bought mine from Four Winds, the first tree IÂve gotten from them, because I wanted a dwarf and found no other online source for one. My other trees stay out over the winter, but of course the BH canÂt do that. I couldnÂt imagine getting a mature BH tree in the house every winter. I have limited sunny space and may need some of it for other plants, so it has to be a dwarf. I bought a 2-year old because thatÂs all they had in the BH, and paid more for it than I ever have for a tree. ItÂs been doing well since I got it in May and has plenty of new growth. It came with 2 tiny fruit, but they didnÂt hold on. Maybe the adjustment going from one coast to the other was too much for the tree to hang onto fruit this year. IÂll be curious how all of your BH trees do in the coming years. Any growing tips would be appreciated. IÂve been a citrus hobbiest for less than 3 years and still have much to learn. Marj...See Moreapply fertilizer to new plantings in the fall?
Comments (18)I think we all can agree that beating a dead horse is useless, but this one still has a little life in it! Bboy, I do know there are people that analyze their food intake for such parameters as calories, etc. yet in my 54 years of experience in eating, I have consistently been able to gauge proper amounts to eat using the "eyeball method". This really works! Now about these soil tests many are saying are necessary, the one key thing they will not tell you is the N status in the soil. And in nearly every case, whether in the managed landscape, or in a woods, the addition of N will yield a positive response. So, from that perspective, can we say the N was "needed"? Maybe, maybe not. Again, it depends on the goals for the given plant(s). And now, a little about tree roots. The fine absorptive roots are not permanent. They are used up, primarily during the summer, and new ones are regenerated, with the Fall season being one of the key times when this can happen. As such, Fall can indeed be a good time to add some N to the system to aid in this regeneration. The basic rule is that soil temps must be at or above around 50 degrees F for this growth to be taking place. Adequate soil moisture need be present as well. Thetman, your experience of applying hollytone to that one tree is interesting: This would seem to indicate there was either a nutrient deficiency in the soil, or a pH problem making one or more nutrients unavailable to the plant. However, as far as I know, the genus Thuja is not one having very narrow soil pH parameters, and in fact, our own T. occidentalis in my rgion has a strong affinity for higher pH soils, or at least, those soils having a good supply of calcium/magnesium, which goes a long way towards explaining why, of all parts of the state I live in, they are most numerous and vigorous here in the east, where we are underlain by dolomite, a form of limestone high in both of those minerals. And this makes me wonder if the GGs are that different that an acid-type fertilizer....Hollytone....would elicit such a strong response. But soil buffering capacity could account for this otherwise "wrong" fert. type still working! As you can see, there's quite a bit to this, and I could really bring in a lot more, but won't for now. That's one of the reasons why I say, if you want to fertilize, go ahead, but keep it on the mellow side. +oM...See Morestrawchicago z5
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agostrawchicago z5
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoslumgullion in southern OR
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agostrawchicago z5 thanked slumgullion in southern ORstrawchicago z5
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoslumgullion in southern OR
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agostrawchicago z5 thanked slumgullion in southern ORslumgullion in southern OR
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agostrawchicago z5 thanked slumgullion in southern ORstrawchicago z5
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agostrawchicago z5
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agostrawchicago z5
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agostrawchicago z5
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agostrawchicago z5
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoann beck 8a ruralish WA
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agostrawchicago z5 thanked ann beck 8a ruralish WAstrawchicago z5
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agostrawchicago z5
2 years agostrawchicago z5
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agostrawchicago z5
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agostrawchicago z5
2 years agoMarkay MD-Zone 7A (8A on new map)
2 years agostrawchicago z5 thanked Markay MD-Zone 7A (8A on new map)CeresMer Zone 7a NJ
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agostrawchicago z5
2 years agostrawchicago z5
2 years agoMarkay MD-Zone 7A (8A on new map)
2 years agostrawchicago z5 thanked Markay MD-Zone 7A (8A on new map)strawchicago z5
2 years ago
Related Stories
GARDENING GUIDES10 Solutions for Soggy Soil
If a too-wet garden is raining on your parade, try these water-loving plants and other ideas for handling all of that H2O
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGardening Solutions for Heavy Clay Soils
What’s a gardener to do with soil that’s easily compacted and has poor drainage? Find out here
Full StoryFARM YOUR YARD9 Ways to Change Up Your Vegetable Garden for the Coming Season
Try something new for edible plantings that are more productive than ever
Full StorySTORAGE12 Smart Storage Solutions to Reduce Clutter
Incorporate these nifty drawer inserts, pullouts and other innovative ideas to bring organization to your home
Full StoryWINTER GARDENING8 Tips for Keeping Your Houseplants Healthy in Winter
Reduce watering, stop fertilizing, move them into the light and more
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDES8 Sustainable, Organic Practices for Greener Lawn Care
Ditch the pesticides and fertilizers and adopt eco-friendly practices that will keep your lawn lush and healthy
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESCommon Myths That May Be Hurting Your Garden
Discover the truth about fertilizer, soil, staking and more to keep your plants healthy and happy
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESHow to Design a Garden That Lasts
Climates are changing. Wildlife is evolving. Can your garden keep up?
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNShow Us Your Best Kitchen Innovation
Did you take kitchen functionality up a notch this year? We want to see your best solutions for the hardest-working room in the house
Full StoryFEEL-GOOD HOME21 Ways to Waste Less at Home
Whether it's herbs rotting in the fridge or clothes that never get worn, most of us waste too much. Here are ways to make a change
Full Story
ann beck 8a ruralish WA