HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: kathleen@casbs.Stanford.EDU (Kathleen Much)
Subject: Re: Does Chlorine Kill?
Organization: Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 22:37:51 GMT

In article <1992Oct8.170331.7426@iscsvax.uni.edu> klier@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>Yes, Cl- and Br- are both problems for plants in moderately high
>concentrations.   How high plants can tolerate depends very much
>on the species of plants involved.  On the other hand, Cl- is 
>a required nutrient in small amounts.

I put a small amount of Clorox (~1 tsp) in the vases with my cut
flowers to keep the stems from turning slimy and disgusting. I have
been putting the dead flowers in my compost heap and pouring the water
down the drain, but I wondered if that small amount of chlorine would
damage the compost if I were to pour the water onto my heap, or my
plants if I poured it into a flower bed or pot. In our California
drought, any extra water would help.

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Kathleen Much, Editor		|E-mail: kathleen@casbs.stanford.EDU
CASBS, 202 Junipero Serra Blvd.	|Phone: (415) 321-2052
Stanford, CA  94305		|Fax: (415) 321-1192
From: asente@adobe.com (A Usenet Pal)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: questions: lilies, containers, etc.
Date: 16 Oct 92 20:43:25 GMT
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated

Lilies grow really nicely in pots.  Before we bought our house we planted
all sorts of things in pots (so we could take them with us when we moved) and
the lilies always did great, bloomed, multiplied, etc.  Now that we have moved
to gopher central we just might leave them in the pots...

__   -paul asente
\/     asente@adobe.com   ...decwrl!adobe!asente   moo-bear@cs.stanford.edu

I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is:  I
only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that
differentiate me from a doormat.		-Rebecca West, 1913
From: exumfss@exu.ericsson.se (Mike Stringfellow)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Seeds
Keywords: Magnolia
Date: 16 Oct 92 13:59:42 GMT
Reply-To: exumfss@exu.ericsson.se
Organization: Ericsson Network Systems
X-Disclaimer: This article was posted by a user at Ericsson.
              The opinions expressed are strictly those of the
              user and not necessarily those of Ericsson.


     I gathered several Dogwood and Magnolia tree seeds, but have no idea
how to care for them tell germination time. Actually I dont have any idea
how to best germinate them either. Any kind help would be appreciated.
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: moody@e4.ius.cs.cmu.edu (James Moody)
Subject: Wildflower seed sources?
Reply-To: moody@cs.cmu.edu
Organization: CMU Vision and Autonomous Systems Center
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 19:45:31 GMT

Thanks to all who replied to my groundcover querey last week.  Now,
does anyone have handy a name and phone number for a wildflower farm?
I seem to remember one in Vermont, and I could swear that we got a 
catalog earlier this year from some place in Texas, but I'll be darned
if I can track them down.  I still had Burpee catalogs from last year,
though.

Thanks.

-- 
James E. Moody Jr.	The Robotics Institute		(412) 268-2847
			Carnegie Mellon (University)	      CMU-BUGS
			Schenley Park
moody@cs.cmu.edu	Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: pharvey@quack.sac.ca.us (Paul Harvey)
Subject: Re: Paw Paws and Cerimoyas
Organization: The Duck Pond public unix: +1 408 249 9630, log in as 'guest'.
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 1992 04:23:38 GMT

In article <1bmdkbINN4ln@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> 
br105@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jeffrey A. Del Col) writes:
>Has anyone tried grafting cherimoyas to paw paw rootstock?

I don't know. They are in the same family but different genus and it is
very rare that two different genus are graft compatible.

>Paw paws are very good. 

Yes, they are.

>They grow wild in W. Viriginia.  Very
>handsome trees with delicious fruit.  They are very cold tolerant.
>Perhaps a paw paw/cherimoya cross would be viable and hardy?

Perhaps, but the chances of getting one would be slim again because of
the different genus, but who knows. You could be a star! USDA claims to
have a cross of the N. American passionfruit (maypop) and the tropical
passionfruit that has the yield and flavor of the tropical with the
hardiness of the maypop. Some may know the maypop as an agressive weed.

>Does anyone know a source of paw paw seedlings other than Gurney's?

Northwoods Nursery, 28696 S. Cramer Rd, Molalla, OR, 97038, (503)
651-3737, Sunflower and Mary Foos Johnson cultivars
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: re: Dischidia
Date: 15 Oct 92 12:43:11 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

From:	IN%"mrh@centerline.COM" 15-OCT-1992 09:19:26.13
Subj:	RE: Strange plant!  Good book!

I tried to post this, but our server is down for the moment.  Feel free
to post it if you'd like.
       OK, Mike!
klier@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>Dischidia rafflesiana has both ordinary leaves and pitcher-leaves,
>formed by a leaf with an invaginated lower epidermis.  An adventitious
>root grows into the pitcher from the adjacent stem or petiole.  Debris
>gets carried into the pitcher (mostly by ants), and water collects inside,
>so those roots are growing into what is basically a small compost pile
>maintained by the ants.  Sorry, Mike, but I don't know what the ants get
>out of it besides free housing.   Don't know which ants are involved either,
>other than the plant is tropical Australasian.

Ah, memories....  I remember growing this one at Cornell, when I worked in
the Bailey Hortorium greenhouse for Russ Mott and Dr. Harold Moore.
We used to squirt each other with the leaves, and I remember them telling
me that it was an ant plant.  (Also Codonanthe in the Gesneriaceae, though
it has no obvious structures for this: I gather that the ants live in the
root system.)

If it's still growing there, you could probably beg a piece.  It was
growing as a vine on an upright osmunda log.

   Yep, probably will try.  Only person I know at Bailey is an isozyme
   jock, but he's also a good all-around botanist.  (Hi, Jeff!) 
                                         Kay
Mike Huben
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: dmiller@theory.lcs.mit.edu (Dick and Jill Miller)
Subject: Re: Composting maple leaves
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 13:01:00 GMT

 Mary Ryan < mryan@stsci.edu > asks:

> I will soon have a large quantity of maple leaves on the ground.  I would
> like to compost them in my garden, since the soil here in Maryland is
> mostly clay.  A friend told me the leaves must be shredded or they will
> just mat down into layers, and not decompose.
> 
> Any suggestions on how to compost the leaves?

I compost oak leaves and they are even harder than maple.  That said, I 
have few problems.  The number one problem is that they do mat down and 
then the rain can't get in and they don't rot because they are too dry.  To 
remedy this I water them with a hose as I pile them into the compost bin.

I also add lime or ashes because oak leaves are acid, but I've done it 
without and don't see a lot of difference.

You can mix in other things such as dirt and weeds and kitchen waste but I 
have successfully turned emormous amounts of aok leaves into great stuff in 
one or two years. (I'm pretty lazy about this sort of stuff and don't 
usually turn the pile.) If I find a bunch of unrotted leaves when I'm 
spreading the complst around, I just use that for the start of next year's 
pile.

IMHO there are enough mold spores, bacteria, etc. on the leaves to rot them 
if they only have enough moisture.  So I keep the hose running on the pile 
while I go around raking the leaves onto a tarp and dumping the tarpful of 
leaves onto the pile.  It works.

--Jill

--
A. Richard & Jill A. Miller            | Miller Microcomputer Services |
InterNet: dmiller@im.lcs.mit.edu       | 61 Lake Shore Road            |
Voice: 508/653-6136, 9am-9pm EasternTZ | Natick, MA 01760-2099, USA    |
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Magnetically Treated Water
Date: 10 Oct 92 13:07:57 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

> If you'd like to grow brilliant blossoms; vibrant foliage; plus, green lawns;
> luscious fruit, put magnets on your pipes.  Magnetic fields separate water
> molecules, reducing surface tension and suspending minerals allowing water 
> to flow freely.  The water penetrates more effectively, and reaches roots 
> more quickly; evaporation is minimized.
> 
> I read this in a suppliment to my local newspaper and just wondered if any
> of you in netland had any experience with this.

  Cough!  Splutter!  Choke!!! (oh. 'scuze me).

  Uh, I have some nice lakefront property for sale, on beautiful Lake
  Agassiz.  I'd be really interested in talking with the person who
  wrote the newspaper story... I think we could make a _nice_ deal...
    
                                                    Kay
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: london@calypso.uucp (Larry London)
Subject: Re: FAQ HELP NEEDED! Catalog specialties
Organization: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 14:47:57 GMT
From: hughes@dogwood.botany.uga.edu (Wayne Hughes)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: BIOLOGICAL ALCHEMY
Date: 7 Oct 92 05:16:15 GMT
Organization: Botany Department - U of Georgia, Athens

In article <1992Oct7.045225.18643@fs7.ece.cmu.edu> snyder@henry.ece.cmu.edu (John Snyder) writes:
>In article <1992Oct6.175510.1579@cnsvax.uwec.edu> mcelwre@cnsvax.uwec.edu writes:
>>                            BIOLOGICAL TRANSMUTATIONS

     McElwre repetition and John's excellent (but useless, since
     McElrwe ignores counterarguments) rebuttal deleted...

>Finally, if this biological elemental transmutation were true,
>biochemical companies could "grow" the elements we needed.
>There would be TREMENDOUS economic incentive to apply such
>processes (if they actually occurred), and such ideas would
>not languish in an obscure book, waiting to be "rediscovered".
>
>
  But JOHN!!  Detroit and Henry Kissinger would get *very* upset
  if cars could run on TRANSMUTED WATER!!   It's all a PLOT you know.
  (The PLANS have been hidden away in a SECRET GOV'T building.)
  
  Trust me,
  Wayne
From: vinod@watson.ibm.com (Vinod Narayanan)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Novice questions on Bulbs
Keywords: bulbs, novice
Date: 12 Oct 92 17:00:31 GMT
Reply-To: vinod@vnet.ibm.com
Followup-To: rec.gardens
Organization: IBM
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM

Having recently moved into a house, I am just getting started
on outdoor gardening. I am planning to plant some bulbs for
next spring(tulips and daffodils), and have couple of questions..

1. What is the right time to plant them? (What temperatures?)
Here, daytime temperatures are still around 60-65 and night
temps about 40.

2. I have turned over the ground to about eight inches and 
dug in some composted manure. What other soil preparation do
I need to do? After planting, should I mulch with something or
leave the ground bare?

Thanks in advance for net.wisdom!

--vinod                                        (914)-892-4107
vinod@vnet.ibm.com                  
  We don't have time to think; we have programs to write!
From: jhb@calmasd.prime.com (Jim Bishop)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Herbal repellants?
Date: 16 Oct 92 21:51:57 GMT
Organization: -

In article <1992Oct15.005213.1690675@locus.com>, 
jpaul@locus.com (James Hensley) writes:
> In article <ejmdwbu@Unify.Com> ceb@dbrus.Unify.Com (Caroline E. Bryan) writes:
>>In article <1992Oct13.111433.973@telerama.pgh.pa.us> kristen@telerama.pgh.pa.us (Kristen McQuillin) writes:
>>
>>Can you recommend something to repel spiders?
>>
> Now why would you want to do something likle that?  Spiders are one of
> nature's most fascinating, and (imho), beuatiful creatures that exist.
> There are only a few species that are harmful, and they're not common.
> Consider the fantastic symmetry of nature's architects' webs.  They are
> one of the only things that build rather than destroy.  They eradicate
> harmful pests.  I love spiders.  Have you ever seen a dew-covered spider
> web in the morning?  An absolutely gorgeous sight.
> 
> Give our 8-legged friends a break.
> 

People who visit my yard often notice all the spiders and complain
(perhaps whine or gross out would be a better description).  In
mid-summer when they're just starting to put up weds everywhere they
can be real annoying.  However, if I keep breaking the webs they
build in front of doors or in the middle of paths, they'll eventually
move to a more out of the way location.

Also, lots of spiders don't have webs.  I love the crab spiders that
sit on the rudbeckias and coreopsis and elsewhere.  They camouflage
themselves to match the flowers and catch flies and bumble bees.  When
they are young they eat the bud worms.  

Then there are the ones with the green bodies and long elegant legs. 
This time of year they are nursing a huge ball that looks like a
bumpy meteorite.  Some of the balls are covered with thousands of
baby spiders.  

And then of course there are the web builders.  I'm always amazed how
they can hook one side of their web to the house and the other to a
tree 15 ft away and the whole thing will be 20 feet off the ground. 
How did they do that?  They have beautiful elegant bodies that develop
colorful zig-zag and psychedelic patterns as they age.  And watching
them catch a fly is as good a show as any sci-fi movie.

Of course, it will rain one day soon and they'll all be gone until
next year.

Jim
From: jhb@calmasd.prime.com (Jim Bishop)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Cosmos Sensation reached 9 feet!
Date: 9 Oct 92 06:17:50 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: -

In article <1992Oct7.192817.4600@HQ.Ileaf.COM>, bcking@HQ.Ileaf.COM (Christine King) writes:
>>Try cleome if you want some more unusual comments.
> 
> Right.  I tried cleome this year, in addition to my old favorite
> cosmos.  And I've come up with some >unusual< comments, like:
> 
>   "Are those seed pods, those ugly long spikey things below the
> pretty flowers?"
>   "Yikes! These have thorns!"
>   "What smells so bad?"
> 
> And next year I'm afraid it's going to be, "Will I ever see the end of
> these volunteer cleome?"

Well, I didn't say that *I* grow them.  Just that would get you
comments.  I do find them interesting though.

Jim
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: GC.SUL@forsythe.stanford.edu (Sullivan)
Subject: Books I use constantly
Organization: Stanford University, California, USA
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 01:14:14 GMT

Books I use constantly:

GROWING CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS  Marjorie G. Schmidt University of
California Press, Berkeley, Ca.  1980

SEED PROPAGATION OF NATIVE CALIFORNIA PLANTS Dara E. Emery
Santa Barbard Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, CA 1988

AN ILLUSTRATED MANUAL OF CALIFORNIA SHRUBS Howard E. McMinn
University of California Press, Berkeley, CA 1939

HOW TO IDENTIFY PLANTS H.D. Harrington L.W. Durrell
The Swallow Press, Inc, Chicago 1957 Very good little drawings and
explanations of all those strange terms such as: Imbricate,
Scorpiod, Caulescent, Cericeous, etc.  All those strange terms you
need to know if you every try to key out natives.

I am waiting with baited breath for the new Jepson Manual from the
Jepson herbarium.  Will update the old Jepson, probably Munz, and
McMinn, on California natives and new nomenclature.  Was supposed to
be out in December and I looked forward to poaring through it this
winter, but the herbarium said April now.

My biggest complaint about Sunset
Western Garden Guide is that is tends to list plant hybrids or
cultivars rather that straight species.  also, I feel they should
briefly state the origin of the plant so you know if it is native or
exotic.

However, when I was running Hummingbird Gardens Nursery and trying
to track down all the plants I could that attracted Hummingbirds, I
found Sunset to be helpful and also Hortus.

Karen
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: C11815@maccvm.corp.mot.com (Josette Giacobbi)
Subject: Re: green tomatos again
Organization: Motorola
Date: 7 Oct 1992 15:09:28 CDT

Fred wrote:
I know there was some discussion here about green tomatos, but, of course, I
was not interested then.

I pulled all my plants out today as frost is around the corner and have lots
of green tomatos.

What's the best way of turning them into nice juicy red things? Any
suggestions?
--------------------------
Fred:  Since you are in New Jersey, where my parents live, you probably
have a cellar (basement). What she does is set up a little table down
there and covers it with newspapers, puts the green tomatoes on the
newspaper, don't let them touch each other, cover again with newspaper.
Every so ofter she goes down there and looks under the paper and takes
out the ripe tomatoes.       Josette
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: pharvey@quack.sac.ca.us (Paul Harvey)
Subject: Re: Intensive Urban Garden
Organization: The Duck Pond public unix: +1 408 249 9630, log in as 'guest'.
	<1992Oct5.142303.7323@iscsvax.uni.edu> <24504@sybase.sybase.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 1992 04:09:45 GMT

In article <24504@sybase.sybase.com> 
karenp@sybase.com (Karen Paulsell) writes:
>During the 70's, a group called "Ecology Action" did a lot of
>research, and there was a book called "How to Grow More Vegetables
>Than You Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine" or
>something like that, by John Jeavons. I think the book is still
>available. I don't know if the group is still around, they used
>to be on El Camino Real in Palo Alto or Menlo Park, CA.

I think they're still around, certainly Jeavon's book is a classic, but
I can't seem to locate my copy right now to get the ISBN, maybe someone
else can get that.
From: bworrall@placer.Corp.Sun.COM (Bob Worrall)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Landscape Design Kits
Date: 8 Oct 1992 17:01:08 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Distribution: ca
Reply-To: bworrall@placer.Corp.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: placer.corp.sun.com

SOMEWHERE I heard about or saw landscape design kits that 
include templates for trees, shrubs, sprinklers, etc... Can anyone
recommend a source for such materials here in the SF Bay Area ?
Where do landscape architects get their drafting materials ?

Bob




Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: abl9y@faraday.clas.Virginia.EDU (Andrew B. Lederman)
Subject: Tigers claw (Erythrina variegata) HELP!
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 20:01:10 GMT

I have been trying to grow a red and a white Tigers Claw (Erythina Variegata)
and ran into some trouble.  They are about 2.5 ft. tall and have suddenly started dropping their lower leaves.  Upper leaves have developed dead spots.  Is is 
under/over fertilized?  Could the pot be too small?  ANy suggestions would be 
appreciated.

Thanks,  

Andrew

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: nrlfs1.nrl.navy.mil (Judy Karpen)
Subject: Re: Composting maple leaves
Organization: NRL
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 23:20:54 GMT

In article <1992Oct15.141957.1@stsci.edu>, mryan@stsci.edu writes:
> 
> I will soon have a large quantity of maple leaves on the ground.  I would
> like to compost them in my garden, since the soil here in Maryland is
> mostly clay.  A friend told me the leaves must be shredded or they will
> just mat down into layers, and not decompose.
> 
> Any suggestions on how to compost the leaves?
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Mary Ryan			mryan@stsci.edu
> Space Telescope Science Institute
> Baltimore, Maryland
> 
> 
Hey Mary, I bought one of those leaf shredder things last year but don't
have any leaves --- and I leave (oops, live) pretty close to B'more (in
Laurel), so maybe we can make a deal? 

Actually, in past years I've begged friends for leaves and stuck some
in the compostbin  and put the rest all over my raised beds to mulch/rot
as they wished. Somehow they mostly disappeared by spring, no matter 
what (except for parts of the compost pile that stayed too dry, like the
corners of my bin). Last year's batch was mostly maple, but didn't seem
any worse than previous batches. If you have a lawn mower, I've heard
you can run it over the leaves a few times to shred them before dumping
into the compost (or see my offer above!  :*) ).     Cheers, Judy

Judy Karpen
karpen@nrlfs1.nrl.navy.mil
 
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: mparks@cbnewsk.cb.att.com (michelle.lim)
Subject: Ficus tree in shock
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 21:49:27 GMT
Keywords: Shock, ficus


I recently bought a  four-foot ficus for my home.  I repotted it
after letting it sit in the garage for about 2 days waiting for the
weekend.  It's been shedding leaves since then - about 3 weeks ago.
It's starting to look a little ragged and yellow too.

Any experience, advice?  My husband says it's in shock.  How long
will it last and what should I do to help it get over the shock?

It's fall, so the temperature in the garage was not that cold.


Michelle
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: fishhook cactus spines
Date: 7 Oct 92 20:15:49 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

hsbrown@lemmy.Princeton.EDU (Scott Brown) writes:
> My father has a large fishhook cactus in California.
> When viewed from above, the thorns do not point straight
> out, but rather, appear to be pointing in a counter-clockwise
> direction (or was it clockwise; I don't rember).
> 
> I was wondering if this thorn-orientation trait is
> determined by genetic or environmental factors.  For
> example, do
> all of these cacti living in the northern hemisphere
> have thorns pointing in one direction and those in
> the southern hemisphere point in the other direction?

Plant leaves (and branches) are spiralled, and the spiral is genetically
controlled.  There are a _very_ few species with both right-hand-thread
and left-hand-thread individuals, but most are all right or all left.

If you count down a stem from one leaf to the one _directly_ below it,
you'll always wind up with one of the Fibonacci series of numbers.
There's an interesting branch of plant morphology called phyllotaxy
that works on understanding _what's_ going on here...

A $0.05 explanation of this is in the old Time-Life Science Library
volume on mathematics; the explanations you're likely to get from
a plant morphologist are a bit less easy to read ;-)

Or, if you prefer to have your morphology in tuneful form, Flanders
and Swann (British humorists) wrote a song called (if I remember
correctly) _The Romance of the Bindweed and the Honeysuckle_.  It
was on (again, dim memory) their album, _At the Drop of Another Hat_.
The song was inspired by an exhibit on handedness in twining plants,
and describes the tragic outcome of a romance between a clockwise
honeysuckle and an anti-clockwise bindweed...

Hm.  Have to see if I can locate the words....

Kay
From: mryan@stsci.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Composting maple leaves
Date: 15 Oct 92 19:19:57 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute

I will soon have a large quantity of maple leaves on the ground.  I would
like to compost them in my garden, since the soil here in Maryland is
mostly clay.  A friend told me the leaves must be shredded or they will
just mat down into layers, and not decompose.

Any suggestions on how to compost the leaves?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mary Ryan			mryan@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute
Baltimore, Maryland
Newsgroups: rec.gardens