HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: karpen@nrlfs1.nrl.navy.mil (Judy Karpen)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Need alternative to chemical pesticides
Date: 31 Dec 92 17:27:47 GMT
Followup-To: rec.gardens
Distribution: usa
Organization: NRL

"Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom" (or something like that :^>).
Patrol your garden regularly, and try to catch problems early. If you have
a huge garden, this will be difficult. For a small one, though, it's
essential. Handpicking works well for alot of the larger  bugs/caterpillars
(even aphids, if you don't mind aphid gunk all over your hands). I handpick
asparagus 
beetles/larvae/eggs, Japanese beetles, harlequin beetles (NASTY things),
bean beetles, cabbageworms, hornworms, tarnished plant bugs, & just about
everything I can bear to touch (NOT slugs --- they get the beer pans). 
If squashing bugs is too gross or harmful to your plants, you can dump them

in a jar of soapy water, they'll die soon enough. I do Japanese beetles &
hornworms this way. 

Part of controlling aphids is controlling the ants which carry 
them onto the plants and tend them (Q: is this true for all aphids or just
some varieties?). I haven't found the ideal solution, but cayenne barriers
or sprays and similar techniques can help discourage ants. 

There's a parasitic wasp (braconid?) that preys on hornworms and the like.
If you see a hornworm with tiny white cocoons on it, leave it alone ---
it's a nursery for more predatory wasps! In my experience one usually sees
a 
few hornworms at most, not a major plague, and they (and their damage) are
fairly easy to spot and remove. Oops, I just reread your post and you did
say "fruitworms". Not sure what one does about them, besides BT.

Judy Karpen                "pushing back the frontiers of science"
karpen@nrlfs1.nrl.navy.mil
From: ceb@dbrus.Unify.Com (Caroline E. Bryan)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Potted vegetables, ideas needed.
Date: 23 Dec 92 17:25:14 GMT
Organization: /usr/lib/news/organization

In article <1992Dec21.153256.5860@almserv.uucp> s5uagm@fnma.COM writes:
>In article fWMPekm@quack.sac.ca.us, pharvey@quack.sac.ca.us (Paul Harvey) writes:
>>In article <BzFHG7.1D9@dale.cts.com> npm@dale.cts.com (Nancy Milligan) writes:
>>>Does anyone know if it's feasible to grow potatos in a pot?  That might
>>>be kind of fun.
>>
>>Yes. They grow quite well in pots and fine potting soil. The trick to
>>growing potatoes is ...
>
>	Why go to all this trouble to grow a crop of something which is 
>readily available, stores well, and cost so little at the green grocer?

For the same reason one grows tomatos:  the taste and texture of the freshly
harvested home-grown article is so incredibly much more marvelous than what
is available commercially.  I grew potatoes in the ground one year, harvested
them in October, stored them on an unused pantry shelf, and they were marvel-
ous until February, when they started tasting like store-bought potatoes.

Not to mention that they were cheaper than store-bought, and the activity of
gardening is good for you (fresh air, exercise, etc.).


Carrie		ceb@rechenau.unify.com	x6244		--------------------+
| "Other sports exist only to keep you occupied until baseball season comes |
| around again."					- Dave Barry	    |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
From: jhb@calmasd.prime.com (Jim Bishop)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: aloe plant in blossom
Date: 24 Dec 92 20:26:58 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: -

In article <1992Dec18.200734.25109@imagen.com>, jjwt@imagen.com (Julia Tien) writes:
> I have an aloe plant that is budding out.  It's a fair-sized plant,
> about 2' tall.  I'm not at all familiar with the life cycle of 
> succulents--do aloe plants flower once and then die or do they 
> repeatedly flower?  

Aloes do not die after blooming.  You may even get several bloom
stalks from the same plant.  

>Is it worth collecting any seeds and starting
> new plants, or are new plants usually grown from offsets?

It depends on the variety.  Some are easiest from offsets.  Some don't
offset, so you need to start from seed.

> 
> (And please don't ask how I got it to flower--that was its own idea.
> The plant is in a pot, outside in 30-40 degree weather here in 
> California; why it would flower in the winter and not summer is 
> beyond me.)

Different varieties of aloe bloom at different times.  Sounds like you
have a basic aloe vera.  They are winter bloomers.

Jim
From: robert@atmos.washington.edu (Robert Pincus)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Composting Worms Available for free
Date: 31 Dec 1992 17:29:53 GMT
Organization: Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington
Distribution: pnw
Reply-To: robert@atmos.washington.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: eos2.atmos.washington.edu

I have been using a worm composting system for three or four years. I'll second
the enthusiastic worm bin reviews already posted. Try it, you'll like it.

One of the benefits is - more worms! I would be happy to give a starter worm
batch to anyone willing to pick them up (at least until I run out). They are
a bit sluggish at this time of year, but I'll have zillions starting in March
or April.

Happy composting.

---
Robert Pincus
Geophysics Program AK-50
University of Washington
Seattle WA 98195

robert@geophys.washington.edu

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: bhaskar@brtph181.bnr.ca (Shaji Bhaskar)
Subject: Source for Holy Basil
Organization: BNR Inc. RTP, NC
Distribution: na
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1993 04:32:02 GMT


Some time ago, someone had posted the address of a mail-order source
for this plant.

Can someone email me this information or post it?  Thanks a bunch.

-Shaji.
-- 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Shaji Bhaskar     BNR, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709     (bhaskar@bnr.ca) 
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: bbrett@morgan.ucs.mun.ca (Betsy Brett)
Subject: Christmas Cactus: Winter care?
Summary: How do I care for Ccactus in winter?
Keywords: How do I care for cactus in Winter months?
Organization: Memorial University of Newfoundland
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 03:45:22 GMT


I was just wondering what the details are on winter care of Christmas
cactus, particularly temperature?  Thanks.

-Betsy Brett
bbrett@morgan.ucs.mun.ca

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: kelly@cco.caltech.edu (Kelly F.)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Worms and Home Composting in Winter
Date: 31 Dec 1992 05:45:05 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: sandman.caltech.edu

In article <1htjioINN4pu@access.usask.ca> goldie@herald.usask.ca (Hugh Goldie) writes:
>I recently saw part of a Canadian news program from Winnipeg, about indoor
>composting with red worms.  I would be very thankful if someone could e-mail
>or post some details about this, particularly where to get worms and how to
>get started.  It is -37 degrees centigrade in Saskabush right now and my
>outdoor compost heap is probably working rather slowly... :-).

Organic Gardening magazine had an article on this topic in the January 92
issue, by Mary Appelhof who wrote the book "Worms Eat My Garbage". The
issue has plans for a *very* nice wormbin that fits well on a porch and
doubles as a bench. It also included the following sources:

Worms Eat My Garbage (book) for $10.50 (includ shipping) from:
Flower Press
10332 Shaver Road
Kalamazoo, MI 49002

Mary Appelhof also sells vermicomposting supplies including redworms
and her latest worm composting system (a plastic rectangular container
designed for indoor use, called 'The Worms Eat My Garbage Worm-a-way'
made of recycled plastic manufactured by We recycle Corp. of
Milton, Ont. Its manufacture provides employment for developmentally
disabled individuals.)
Write to:
Flowerfield Enterprises
10332 Shaver Road
Kalamazoo, MI 49002
(616) 327-0108

Also listed were:

Cape Cod Worm Farm
30 Center Ave.
Buzzards Bay, MA 02532

Carter Fishworm Farm
Plains, GA 31780

Early Bird Ecology
RR1
Smithville, ONT
Canada L0R 2A0
(Not sure what they sell, but i would guess worms, and the plastic bin,
perhaps the book.)

Gardener's Supply
128 Intervale Rd
Burlington, VT 05401
Free catalog, they sell the plastic bin, book and worms, and all three as
a deal i believe.

Redworms c/o Ron Clausen
2111 N. Century Blvd
McDavid, FL 32568

Snooks Worm Farm
Box 14 
Harold, FL 32563

May I also add:
Rainbow Worm Farm
24700 County Road No. 95
Davis, CA 95616
(916) 758-9906
I paid 21.00 (plus tax so it came to 22.31) for about two pounds
of bedrun redworms, and they are very nice people. You *won't* get a
'flyer{ from them saying 'raising earthworms are so easy, even your
wife could do it' as i got some certain farms located in places like
georgia...:-) 

I've had bins (1'x 2'x 3' in size, 2 of them, made out of scrap wood
with drainage holes,) outside for almost two years now, and i *love*
them. I've had no problems with rats or flies or anything, they smell
like dirt, not rotting stuff, and its just magic how my foodstuffs are
turned into wonderful rich compost. I followed the directions in Mary's
book, its a great book, and so is the OG article, and if your library
has it, its free.

I haven't tried her bin, nor seen one in person, so i can't comment
on that.

Kelly
kelly@cco.caltech.edu

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: london@sunSITE.unc.edu (Larry London)
Subject: Re: propagating bamboo
Organization: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 19:20:23 GMT

In article <0ZigwB1w164w@jwt.UUCP> bbs-hrick@jwt.UUCP writes:
>There is a small stand of very large bamboo plants on a vacant lot
>in my neighborhood.  (I'm in the Orlando area.)  I'd like to get
>a specimen of this species in my garden.  Short of renting a
>steam-shovel, how can I do it?  They are growing in a very dense
>clump and it doesn't look like it would be practical to dig up
>part of the colony.

Use a sharp axe and a standard nursery spade to chop/dig sections
of bamboo rhizome for transplanting [use Transplantone to reduce
transplant shock, liquid seaweed, liquid fish emulsion and compost
to stimulate new growth]. It helps to add weight/length to the digging 
spade by braze-welding a section of steel black pipe (not galvanized pipe
which gives off toxic fumes when heated) between the top of the 
steel-strapped wood handle and the d-handle grip at the top. The extra
weight will enable the spade to more easily sever the root mass and the
added length will add leverage when prizing clumps out of the ground.
Sharpening the edge of the shovel blade helps tremendously; keep a file 
at hand for resharpening. Needless to say, safeguard your feet adequately;
laying a small plywood board on edge on the ground in front of the toe of
your boots and leaning the top of it back against your legs will provide
considerable protection. I had three of these versatile tools made up years
ago for a job I had transplanting many clumps of large bamboo; most of the
transplants lived. Liming the planting site might be a good idea as it may
like pH around 7. [Does anyone know pH preference of bamboo?]
A friend has offered me specimens of giant bamboo, the kind that grows
to 40 feet and 4 inch diameter. I hope to get a stand established this Spring.
This is an extremely versatile wood product: gates, fences, trellises,
greenhouses, cold frames/tunnels, radio antennas, cooking utensils, garden
ornaments, water conduits for pools, birdbaths, irrigation (see a book on
Japanese gardens).

Lawrence 
london@sunsite.unc.edu


Newsgroups: rec.gardens,rec.aquaria,sci.aquaria
From: aab@cichlid.com (Andy Burgess)
Subject: Re: pond underweater plants
Organization: Independent Software Contractor
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1993 19:17:01 GMT

In <ByvEIE.ALy@well.sf.ca.us> lp@well.sf.ca.us (Lily Pond) writes:

>Does anyone in the Berkeley area have more pond under water (oxygenating)
>plants than they need, or know of a source for cheap ones? They're so
>expensive at the aquarium stores, and my fish have been eating them too fast
>for them to really grow. Thanks.

Underwater oxygenating plants are a pondkeepers myth -- they add scant 
oxygen to the water and in darkness actually compete with fish for oxygen.
Water is oxygenated at the surface by absorbing atmospheric oxygen.
Circulation and agitation will increase the amount of oxygen in
water. Only grow plants if you like the way they look.

Andy
-- 
==============================================================================
Andrew A. Burgess            aab@cichlid.com              voice (408) 335 4779
==============================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: ramirez@julia.math.ucla.edu (Alice Ramirez)
Subject: Wormbin question
Organization: UCLA Mathematics Department
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 93 03:25:27 GMT

Ok, I really loved the idea of worm composting and when I remodeled my
kitchen resolved to have a wormbin instead of garbage disposall.
(If you want amusement, watch the look that comes onto a contractor's
face when you tell him you don't want a garbage disposall, you want a 
wormbin.)

So I got a plastic foam lidded box that a friend had available (shipping
crate from some mail order frozen steak company).  I burned airholes into
its sides with a heated screwdriver.  I filled it about five inches deep
with potting soil.  Bought about 150 redworms to put into it.  Tossed
in my kitchen scraps.  

About 3 weeks later, I decided to look more closely, to see how all this
rotting garbage was coming along.  And found bugs.  They seemed to be
crawling versions of those nasty little black flies.  I started thinking
about the possibility of attracting cockroaches.  The wormbin ended up 
outdoors, just outside my back door.  And then when I was out of town it
rained and flooded my wormbin and my worms drowned.  

I would like to try again, once everything dries out to moderate moisture.
Is there any way, keeping the wormbin indoors, to prevent unwanted bugs?
(The people who have posted about wormbinning seem all to come from 
cold climates, such as Canada, so maybe the bugs problem is strictly a
warm-climate problem).  If the problem is universal, or if anyone else
has dealt successfully with this problem, please post or at least
email me at ramirez@math.ucla.edu

I really love the idea of wormbins (even though worms make rather boring
pets. :-) ).  I would like to keep my worms indoors since it is a
flight of stairs to the outside and I am lazy.  Thanks in advance.
From: garyp@rmtc.paramax.com (Gary Palangian [RMTC/ISP])
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Preparing Clay Soil for Planting
Date: 29 Dec 92 18:41:01 GMT
Organization: Paramax Systems

Hey Now Everybody,

    Construction on my new house will be complete in a couple of
months.  My family has all kinds of grandiose plans for the
backyard landscape.  The house is in the Denver, CO area and
the soils are very heavy (a lot of clay).  To make matters
worse, the builder removed and discarded the top
18" of soil during construction.

I want to plant bare root trees in the Fall of '93.  I want to
do flowers and shrubs and vegetables and stuff in
Spring of '94.  I have read a lot of books that talk
about amending the soil with peat or manure.  They say
to add in up to 50% of organic material and till it
under anywhere from 6" to 24".  These books also make
it sound like you do this in a weekend.  

Well I would like to take advantage of the time I
have to amend the soil properly.  I figure the
extra time should allow me to 1) Do a better job,
and/or 2) Do a cheaper job.  So, can anybody help
with advice on preparing soil for planting
a year down the road?  

Thanks,


Gary
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: curtiss@burn.colorado.edu (Brian Curtiss)
Subject: Re: Pepper Seed Source
Organization: Center for Study of Earth from Space, U of Colorado, Boulder
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 23:22:43 GMT

The Seed Savers Exchange (a nonprofit, tax exempt, publicly 
supported organization) annually publishes a listing of seeds 
available through its members.  This listing includes 100's 
of pepper varieties.  Packets of seeds are available for $.50 
to a $1.  Membership is $25 per year and you are not required 
to list seeds in the directory.  For more information, write:

     Seed Savers Exchange
     Kent Whealy - Director
     Rural Route 3, Box 238
     Decorah, Iowa  52101

     Brian Curtiss (CO CU B)
     curtiss@cses.colorado.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens,alt.sustainable.agriculture
From: london@sunSITE.unc.edu (Larry London)
Subject: Re: Need alternative to chemical pesticides
Organization: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 04:59:52 GMT

In article <1992Dec28.220207.12425@aio.jsc.nasa.gov> 
kprender@jscprofs.nasa.gov writes:

From barb@meaddata.com Tue Dec 29 23:48:05 1992
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 92 11:45:02 EST
From: barb@meaddata.com (Barb Bruns)
Subject: Re: Need alternative to chemical pesticides

|> In article <1992Dec28.220207.12425@aio.jsc.nasa.gov> kprender@jscprofs.nasa.gov writes:
|> >I planted my first garden in Texas this year. The bugs down here are voracious.
|> >Anyone have any good tips on some non-toxic ways to get rid of garden pests? In
|> >particular, I have  tomato fruit worms, and aphids. I know about the lady-bug
|> >solution, but is there something besides, sevin dust or diaznon. Any tips are
|> >appreciated. Thanks 
|> >

Kelly, I don't know anything about fruit worms (Texan, or otherwise), but I
wonder if the aphids you saw might have been white flies.  I had white flies on
my tomato plants, which I originally thought were aphids.  I sprayed them with
a solution of Ivory liquid and water (1:10, I think), and left it on for about
1/2 an hour.  Then I sprayed the plants VERY thoroughly with plain water
(otherwise, the sun will wilt the leaves if they have any residue from the
Ivory solution).  Also, the plain water spray sort of BLASTS the bugs off the 
plants.

I did this early in the season (when there were only a few yellow tomato
flowers), and then about two weeks later when I saw the critters again.  I 
never saw them after that, and never got any insect damage.  

You can find this method in a lot of organic gardening books, in case you want
to be sure of the ratio of the solution.  Also there might be something in the
books on how to get rid of the fruit worms.  

Good luck!

Barb
|> >Kelly Prendergast
|> >prendergast@sed.jsc.nasa.gov 
|> 
|> 

-- 
Barbara Bruns                Technical Communications & Education
Mead Data Central                               barb@meaddata.com
P.O. Box 933                              ...!uunet!meaddata!barb
Dayton, OH 45401
                        The opinions expressed here by me are not
                        necessarily those of Mead Data Central;
			nor would they much care about the things
			about which I have opinions.
From: dmiller@theory.lcs.mit.edu (Dick and Jill Miller)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: help my christmas cactus is dying
Date: 25 Dec 92 18:17:25 GMT
Article-I.D.: mintaka.1992Dec25.181725.24023
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT

>Subject: help my christmas catus is dying

>I have a problem with my Christmas catus. It seems to be dying from
>lack of water.  
>
>It started to bloom in late October and has gone downhill since. The 
>branches went limp. So I watered and watered, but it didn't seem to help. 
>So I stop watering thinking I may be drowning it. That didn't help either, 
>branches kept getting limper and boneier. So I moved it from it's nice 
>sunny location to a less sunny location. There are still two little 
>Christmas catuses in the sunny location and they are doing fine. Then I 
>tried repotting the catus with new soil (and adding some extra).
>
>Now the branches are really limp and boney, and have started to turn a 
>shade of dark purple. I think the end is near. I have started some cutting 
>from the plant in case it does die. The cutting are doing fine and are 
>filling out again. 
>
>This is a fairly old catus that my Dad had for years. It is about 15 inches
>is diameter in a six inch pot. 
>
>Do Christmas catuses just die after a certain age? Or have I managed to 
>kill it?
>
>-- 
>Shirley Burns
>
>shirley@Software.Mitel.COM

I have had this happen to my cactus(s) occasionally.  It always happens 
just after a plant stops blooming and is caused by the roots rotting off.  
I suspect overwatering, but have a hard time pinning down exactly WHEN the 
overwatering started.  I have saved some plants by taking cuttings and 
others that were not too far gone by repotting them.

It seems that no matter how careful I think I am about the watering, I 
always manage to 'do it' to one or another of my Christmas cactus.  Perhaps 
I should get some dampness probe tool to check the soil with.  I also now 
try to water so that at the end of blooming the branches are just a little 
limp rather than turgid.  That does help.

I would like to know more about the seasonal physiology of these suculents.  
I tried asking some questions on a phone-in garden show on our local radio 
station which is usually fairly good, but the answer I got was not very 
satifactory.  I wanted to know just when the cactuses need water and when 
they needed drought.

--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    | 
Xref: sparky rec.gardens:8661 alt.sustainable.agriculture:510
From: hank@netcom.com (Hank Roberts)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens,alt.sustainable.agriculture
Subject: Re: Need alternative to chemical pesticides
Date: 29 Dec 92 19:13:36 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest)


Today's (Tue, 12-29) NYTimes has a survey article worth reading: about
resistance developing, and  how to alternate among different poisons while
leaving some unsprayed area, so the vulnerable genes stay in the local
pest population. They give some references.

Summary: use any one toxin including BT, and resistance develops.
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: kprender@jscprofs.nasa.gov
Subject: Need alternative to chemical pesticides
Organization: NASA/JSC
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 22:02:07 GMT

I planted my first garden in Texas this year. The bugs down here are voracious.
Anyone have any good tips on some non-toxic ways to get rid of garden pests? In
particular, I have  tomato fruit worms, and aphids. I know about the lady-bug
solution, but is there something besides, sevin dust or diaznon. Any tips are
appreciated. Thanks 

Kelly Prendergast
prendergast@sed.jsc.nasa.gov 
Xref: sparky rec.motorcycles:42672 ba.motorcycles:1266
From: erika@znext.cts.com (erik astrup)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles,ba.motorcycles
Subject: Re: *BAD* Bike Purchase Attempt Experience in California!
Date: 28 Dec 92 16:02:23 GMT
Organization: pnet
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4

rich@grebyn.com (Richard Lawrence) writes:
: 
: Agreed. The CBR900RR is for weenies without the will to buy the fastest
: bike in existence, the ZX-11. 
: 
: :-). Sort of.
: 
	Hah! Sure straight away wrist twisting.....meet ya at Sears Pt
someday? What a sight to see a ZX-11 flounder through the carousel while
the 900RR vanishes into the distance. :)

	"Mine's bigger than yours!"

	

 ==============================================================================
  Erik Astrup                   DOD #683                            AFM #422

  1993 CBR 900RR  *  1990 CBR 600  *  1990 Concours *  1980 GL1100 Interstate

      "This one goes to eleven" - Nigel Tufnel, lead guitar, Spinal Tap
 ==============================================================================