HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: lyle@qcc-hal.UUCP (Lyle Opseth)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Christmas Cactus: Winter care?
Keywords: How do I care for cactus in Winter months?
Date: 29 Dec 92 18:47:44 GMT
Organization: QCC Communications Corp, Saskatoon SK Canada

bbrett@morgan.ucs.mun.ca (Betsy Brett) writes:


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

Christmas cacti seem to go dormant after flowering.  Continue watering them
and giving them some sun.  They need not be watered as heavily as when they
were flowering but the roots should not be allowed to dry out completely.
They can be kept cool but this isn't mandatory.
Coolness and shortness of days are what causes buds to set in the fall.
They should not be fertilized after flowering, only when setting buds,
flowering, and growing in the summer.  At these times, a weak fertilizer
low in nitrogen may be given but no more than once every two weeks
(according to the experts).  I don't fertilize mine until the soil is at
least a year old.

Sometimes mine will put on a second showing a couple of months after flowering
when I will water a little more and may again fertilize.
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: goose@sequent.com (Virginia Rios)
Subject: spring fever
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems Inc.
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 92 04:53:06 GMT

I just got my first gardening catalog in the mail today....
The compost piles (I have 3 of them) are all doing great....
one of which is ready to be tilled into the ground, and the
raised beds are pretty much empty...they need to be filled
with the stuff that I saw in the catalog...
	    
	    IS IT SPRING YET?!

I'm tired of the cold, windy, dark, grey rainy days.  No more snow
no more sleet or ice...

	   IS IT SPRING YET?!

ARRRRGGGGHHH!!!!!!
-- 
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#
* Virginia (goose)                                                *
# Jack....10yr old QH  Gussie the goose, Oreo & Charlie the ducks #
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Burmuda Grass
Date: 23 Dec 92 09:46:58 -0600
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Dec20.231254.1061@calmasd.prime.com>, jhb@calmasd.prime.com (Jim Bishop) writes:
> In article <1992Dec18.190325.9512@iscsvax.uni.edu>, klier@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>> To me, quack is _Agropyron repens_ (nasty stuff!)
>> witchgrass is _Panicum capillare_ (nuisance).  We've got both here
>> in the midwest.  
>> Bermuda is _Cynodon dactylon_ and looks like crab grass.  
> 
> Now I'm getting confused.  I have Bermuda grass.  This summer it was
> loaded with what I called crab grass.  The two didn't look anything
> alike.  The Bermuda is very fine textured.  The crab grass sorta
> reminded me of Saint Augustine (as least the blade shape), and
> it is very invasive.

Oops, sorry, didn't mean to mislead you.  Vegetatively, Bermuda does
look more like St. Augustine.  The inflorescence looks more like
crabgrass (but you're not supposed to let them go to seed! 8-)  )
> 
> We used to have a bermuda lawn when I was a kid in Kansas.  It seemed
> like it was only green a couple months a year, so mowing was no big
> chore.  In high school in Houston, we had Saint Augustine.  It used to
> grow so fast during the summer monsoon season that we had to mow the
> lawn twice a week sometimes.  Also the weight of the grass in the
> grass catcher used to turn over the mower if you didn't empty it before
> the bag was full.

Sounds familiar... but Dorothy's lawn was in central FL, and grew
all year round!  

Kay
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Spider Mites?
Summary: Help in the battle of bugs.
Keywords: spider mite
From: preacher@lopez.marquette.MI.US (Preacher,Southside)
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 17:22:54 EST
Organization: Great White North/UPLink


Lend me your ear and knowledge you may have on this small 
problem I have encountered. 
 
I enjoy gardening so much, a small hothouse was created 
inside my house.  Actually it is one of the closets in the 
house which was simply turned into a hothouse by placing a 
number of fluorescent lights, some shelving and of course 
dirt and plants. 
 
I have a number of what some books say are brazilian 
butterfly plants, some begonias, a few succulents, an 
hibiscus, onions, tomatoes, african violet, bush beans, a 
ming aralia, and a few ivy. 
 
These are what have survived from the infestation which I 
have recently suffered. 
 
I lost a number of marigolds, and three bell pepper plants.  
As to what these critters were, are, since at this time I am 
not sure if the problem is over yet or not. 
 
This assault began shortly after bringing the bell peppers 
in from outside last fall.  They were the only plant which 
was not started and spent its entire life inside this hot 
house. 
 
I think the bugs in question were/are spider mites, but not 
being sure, as this is my first time with a problem such as 
this. 
 
I can say what was observed though.  The first time I 
noticed there was a problem was when small reddish or rust 
colored bugs were crawling all over the pepper plants.  They 
seemed to like to hang around the flowers, more than 
anyplace else on the plant. 
 
I took tweezers in hand and began plucking the suckers of 
life, from the plants.  This seemed to work quite well for 
some time, but was getting old fast.  Also, I began to 
notice small clear, then green, followed by white and then I 
would guess the bug.  On the bottom of the leaves.  I began 
plucking these off the plant also. 
 
This was a loosing battle, and I could see that it was only 
a matter of time before the plants were lost.  At this point 
I noticed the marigolds were becoming covered with a web of 
some sort.  This happened almost over night. 
 
I know i should have just chucked the pepper plants and cut 
my losses but hindsight is twenty twenty. 
 
I tossed the pepper plants and the marigolds and hoped I was 
not too late.  Alas I was and soon the critters began 
showing up on the hibiscus, ming aralia. 
 
At this point I broke down and bought some spray containing 
pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide.  This seemed to stop them 
dead in their tracks.  But not before the ming aralia 
suffered greatly. 
 
The question I have are,
 
1.  Were these critters actually spider mites?
2.  Is this the most effective way to battle them, short of 
    not allowing them in the house again?

--
 
Some people too big,    |   preacher@lopez.marquette.mi.us 
Some people too small,  |----* the only sane one on lopez *----
Some people just right but they talk too much.  --  My Grandfather
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: dmiller@theory.lcs.mit.edu (Dick and Jill Miller)
Subject: Re: Cutworms
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 15:13:50 GMT

>From: dipirro@star.dec.com (Steve DiPirro)

>Subject: Organic controls for cutworms?
>
>Last year, for the first time in many years of growing potatoes,
>many were damaged by what I believe to be cutworms in the soil.
>These 1/2-3/4", orange-ish, segmented, hard-shelled worms/larvae
>with pinchers for mouths would burrow into my potatoes, do some
>damage themselves and weaken the potato to allow moisture and rot
>to set in. I had most of 60 plants worth of potatoes ruined.
>
>I can only use organic controls for such things. So I do not
>want to use diazinon in the soil, although I've heard this works
>for cutworms. If I'm not dealing with cutworms, then I'd like
>to know that too. If I am, I'm interested in any organic controls
>for these beasts in the soil. Thanks. 
>
>Steve DiPirro        dipirro@star.dec.com

Doesn't sound like cutworms.  My cutworms are grey and softbodied and more 
like caterpillars than grubs.

--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: Ecology Center <ecologycntr@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Date: 24 Dec 92 18:36 PST
Subject: Re: Michigan Bulb Company
Nf-ID: #R:1992Dec24.010837.23747@porthos.c:-1116120091:cdp:1453300107:000:231
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!ecologycntr    Dec 24 18:36:00 1992


Maybe It would be a good idea for all of us who've had similar experiences
w/ Michigan Bulb to drop them a line saying we've seen George's letter, that
we agree with it, and we're each telling 100 of our closest friends?

;)
chris

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: s5uagm@fnma.COM (Andrew Miller)
Subject: Re: Potted vegetables, ideas needed.
Reply-To: s5uagm@fnma.COM
Organization: Fannie Mae
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 19:52:47 GMT

In article 5860@almserv.uucp, I wrote:
>...
>	If it was a a 100 liter tub of _T_omatoes, I could understand, but 
>_P_otatoes? 
>
 
Mea Culpa.
	
	I guess I have been deprived of fresh potatoes!

	Container gardening implies a tight space limitation.  This is a limit
I'm painfully aware of.  When planning my 10x10 plot, I have to be very picky
deciding what to plant even when square foot gardering.  

The criteria I use are:

	1) Will it produce well without full sun?
		( The plot is small AND shady.  :( 
	2) Is it unavailable durring the growing season from local growers.
		( The farmers market. )
	3) Is it expensive compared to the growing effort/space.
		( Zukes need too much space. )
	4) Is there no substitute for home grown.
		( Fresh tomamoes and herbs are a must. )

Potatoes don't make the list.  ( My Irish grandfathers are turning over in their 
graves. )   Besides the tomatoes, the "must" list includes herbs, fennel, snow 
peas, specialty peppers, and leeks.  The balance goes to flowers for cutting.  
The tomatoes get the sunnier spots, everything else fills in.

Question:
	How do other gardeners, with tight space limitations, decide what to grow
and what to accept as "having to come from the grocer"?
	
	Would you really trade an extra vine of red beefsteaks for a bowl of
purple mashed potatoes? ( If so I _promise_ I'll try the potatoes. ) 


			- Andrew -

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: clarke@acheron.uucp (Ed Clarke/10240000)
Subject: Re: what to do about ground hogs
Organization: Ciliophora Associates
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 93 21:18:05 GMT

From article <1992Dec31.202338.20247@rchland.ibm.com>, by james@rchland.vnet.ibm.com (James White):
> My solution?  Well, let's just put it this way.  My wife has 28 notches
> on her .22 and a mean disposition toward wood chucks (or as she likes to
> call them Ground Chucks).

A .22 is looked upon with great disfavor by the local police. In fact you
can't use any rifle or shotgun within Westchester county, NY ( about 40
miles north of NYC ).  Crossman makes a pump-up pellet gun that works just
as well as the illegal firearm.  Go for a head shot.

Standard cautions apply - make SURE there's something SOLID to act as a back
stop in case you miss.  Practice a LOT before you even think of shooting at
the woodchuck.  A pellet rifle is as dangerous as a normal firearm and in
fact is against the Geneva Convention.
-- 
               |
Ed Clarke      |  I prefer not to kill animals.  I'm a humanist; I'd
acheron!clarke |  rather kill a MAN than a snake.
               |                 - Edward Abbey (Desert Solitaire)
From: Bob.Batson@mtask.omahug.org (Bob Batson)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Internship Available at Callaway Gardens
Date: 01 Jan 93 12:53:15 CST
Reply-To: bob.batson@mtask.omahug.org
Organization: Multitasking Systems, Kansas City
Followup-To: rec.gardens

                Internship Opportunity at Callaway Gardens

  Callaway Gardens, site of Victory Garden South, where segments of the
PBS-TV series "The Victory Garden" are taped, is seeking an junior-level
horticulture/agriculture/biology student to serve as an intern for
March-August 1993. Duties will include assisting in all phases of
horticultural activities for Victory Garden South and other vegetable
plots, preparing for taping sessions, attending bi-weekly intern classes,
and completing a special project. Compensation will include an hourly wage
plus housing. For an application form (deadline: February 1, 1993) and
additional information, write to Dr. William E. Barrick, Executive Vice
President & Director of Gardens, Callaway Gardens, P.O. Box 2000, Pine
Mountain, GA 31822.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reprinted with permission from the December 1992 _HortIdeas_. Copyright
1992 by Greg and Pat Williams. HortIdeas is $15 (2nd class mail within the
USA) for one year (12 issues). For more information or a subscription,
write: HortIdeas, 460 Black Lick Road, Gravel Switch, KY 40328, USA. 


Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: wvhorn@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (William VanHorne)
Subject: Re: Preparing Clay Soil for Planting
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 12:55:12 GMT

In article <1992Dec29.184101.19659@gvl.unisys.com> garyp@rmtc.paramax.com (Gary Palangian [RMTC/ISP]) writes:
>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.
>

Well, doesn't this sound familiar!  Here I sit, in central Ohio, an area with
perhaps the finest growing soil in the world, on a lot that the builder 
stripped all the topsoil from, leaving me with a fine base of clay and rocks.
Isn't it nice to know I can go to my local garden store and buy my topsoil
back in big plastic bags.

>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.  
>

If your clay is anything like my clay, you can do it in a weekend with a back-
hoe and dynamite.

Seriously, Gary, tilling that stuff is going to be very difficult in the fall,
and next to impossible in the spring, unless you warm the "soil" by covering
it with clear (not black) plastic sheets several weeks prior to digging.  
After trying several times to improve my clay, I found that the easiest way
to improve it is to remove it.  For your trees, dig it out and replace the clay
with a good topsoil/compost mix.

For your planned garden, try loosening the top 6" or so with a fork, and then
building raised beds with good soil.  This will be much easier on your back
and psyche.  Nothing kills the urge to garden like having to hack your way
through several feet of clay and rocks.

The other advantage of raised beds is that you can provide good drainage for
your plants' roots.  Clay doesn't drain at all, and any plant that requires
good drainage around its roots (like roses) has a very tough time in clay.

Good luck.

---Bill VanHorne

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: karpen@nrlfs1.nrl.navy.mil (Judy Karpen)
Subject: Re: raised garden beds?
Followup-To: rec.gardens
Organization: NRL
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 17:38:28 GMT

Don't know anything about concrete blocks; I'd imagine you'd have to mortar
them together for it to be sturdy enough?  My beds are edged with
pressure-treated wood (which I'm still uneasy about, but it's too late
now): one with very heavy square timbers (standard size, 2 stacked on each
side with vertical spikes
through them), one with smaller ones (came with predrilled holes & wooden
spikes), and others with assorted leftover decking & similar boards (these
are not as high as the first 2 beds, obviously). They've held up well for
years now.

In my experience one of the most important aspects is to make sure you can
get to the entire bed easily --- that means, if you have access to the bed
only from 1 side, don't make it too wide. Remember, you don't want to have
to walk/stand/kneel on the bed unless absolutely necessary, and you'll want
to weed, dig, etc. without having to reach way over (and possibly harm your
back). 

Good luck!  

Judy Karpen                "pushing back the frontiers of science"
karpen@nrlfs1.nrl.navy.mil
From: montana@mizar.usc.edu (Robert Montana)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Rose sources - Dainty Bess
Date: 2 Jan 1993 13:34:20 -0800
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Distribution: na
NNTP-Posting-Host: mizar.usc.edu

...or was it Golden Wings.  Somebody requested source for one of
these varieties a couple of weeks ago.  I just received a 1993 
availability list from Vintage Gardens.  They offer both varieties.

Vintage Gardens
3003 Pleasant Hill Road
Sebastopol, CA  95472
(707) 829-5342

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: james@rchland.vnet.ibm.com (James White)
Subject: Re: what to do about ground hogs
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 20:23:38 GMT
Distribution: usa
Reply-To: JamesWhite@vnet.ibm.com
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM Rochester

Oh how I dislike the ground hogs.  Hogs is a good name for them since
they eat and eat and eat.  They just love to graze off all my young 
plants.
 
My solution?  Well, let's just put it this way.  My wife has 28 notches
on her .22 and a mean disposition toward wood chucks (or as she likes to
call them Ground Chucks).

My problem is under control now.

-- 

James White 
From: woodley@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Judy Woodley)
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 20:11:30 GMT
Subject: Re: topiary and other garden decorations
Organization: the HP Corporate notes server
Newsgroups: rec.gardens

If you are at all interested in statuary that is unusual, I have a catalog
at home that specializes in gargoyles, Greek and Roman statuary, etc.  Prices
range from the simple to the sublime....

Email me and I'll look for the phone number/address.
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: ramirez@julia.math.ucla.edu (Alice Ramirez)
Subject: Hollywood finches and contintental drift
Organization: UCLA Mathematics Department
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 92 03:08:25 GMT

   Jane@suave.swdc.stratus.come writes "Since the house finch "called
the Hollywood finch" came from the west coast, 	 would.....,since we are still
a part of North America, last time I checked."

Oh, be still my frustrated geologist's heart!!!

Most of North America is on the North American Plate.  The West Coast of Cal
is  on the Pacific Plate, which means that we are actually not on this
continent at all, we merely seem so because we are butted up against
you people. I am never quite sure if we are the eastern most, or the 
westernmost part of Asia. In any case, we are not really, not geologically
part of the rest of you people.  We speak the same language, we vote in
the same elections, but we are faking it.  Behind your backs, we speak
Chinese, Tagalog, Japanese, etc. etc.  Even the Native-born, 
caucsasian and non-caucasian English and Spanish speakers.

  We are a part of Asia.

We float on the same piece of land with Japan, the Philippines, 
some of China...all those places.  So think again.  We are only faking
it.  And deep in our strange little hearts we know it.  Which is why
we are so weird...in YOUR eyes.  In our eyes, it is you people who are 
weird.  We are perfect!!!!  (tee hee!!!)
From: ehwd@sherman.pas.rochester.edu (Eric Howard)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Early Start Ideas
Date: 23 Dec 92 22:03:45 GMT
Organization: University of Rochester

>   Just another strand in the thread.  I have always wanted to try 
>growing a vegetable garden in a cool summer area (Duluth, Caribou)
>and also wanted to try a region with long summer days (Fairbanks).
>In general, (very very general) Northern gardeners get higher yields 
>during the bearing season because the days are longer and the
>cooler temperatures reduce the respiration of the plant so more
>carbohydrates can go to the fruits.    Admittedly this only
>holds for warm season plants down to mean temperatures around 68 degrees
>and for cool season plants down to 55 degrees.  The 68 degree isotherm
>runs pretty close to the U.S. border in summer and I must confess I have
>never tried a garden in a region
>with mean summer temperatures colder
>than the 70 degree mean in State College PA (Central PA).   Here
>in DC I usually see a little heat stress on tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, and
>squash and sweet corn (reduced yields during hot weather).   In Tallahassee Florida,
>it was a lot worse especially when the sun started getting weaker after July 15.
>The DC mean summer temperature is 78 degrees (mean high 88 mean low 69 ..okay 78.5)
>The Tallahsssee mean is 82 degrees with shorter days/longer nights.   On the
>other hand winter gardening was not too difficult down there and spring
>gardening was more pleasant than here in DC

I found it quite difficult to get decent yeilds from a "second season" (the
third season was out of the question, as I was in the North over the summer break)
in Florida, due to the heat, but that may have been more from a lack of trying
/perserverence than anything else. I always did better with the early 
season crop. 

I was also definately a northern gardener. I only really had 2 years
of gardening in Florida before I came back up north. You really can't grow
peas in parts of Florida, no matter what you do w/ them. 

eric howard
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Cats
Date: 23 Dec 92 09:43:17 -0600
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Dec19.203540.16966@witt.almanac.bc.ca>, rudy@witt.almanac.bc.ca (Rudy Witt) writes:
> Hi!
> 
> I have a problem with my neighbours cats.  They seem to think that my yard
> is a toilet.
> 
> Is there a humane way to discourage the cats from coming onto my property.
> I live on half an acre.  Mostly grass.

Might see if you can find some Melaleuca extract, made from a relative
of Eucalyptus.  It's used as a wound dressing, but cats and dogs hate the
odor (sort of Vick's Vapo-Rub).  My vet's assistant is using it to 
keep cats out of the CHristmas tree -- just a cotton ball soaked in
Melaleuca.

Kay Klier  Biology Dept  UNI

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: rlwilliams@gallua.gallaudet.edu
Subject: <None>
Organization: Gallaudet University
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 14:58:16 GMT

Hi,
	for the first time I'm thinking of starting some seeds indoors...
probably tomatoes and peppers. I have tried the window sill rout in the 
past but that has usually led to really leggy plants plus many of them 
didn't survive the transplant (the peppers' stem wilted right where it 
meets the ground and they plopped right over and died). Sooo, this
year I am thinking of getting one of those kits with a light and a shelf
for starting plants indoors. I got about 10 (!) gardening and seed catalogs 
this week so I'm ready to start looking.
	I wonder if you have any advice for me. Do these things work?
Any particular brands better than others? Any special feature I should make 
sure I get?   Thanks

skip
rlwilliams@gallau.bitnet
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: reynold@binah.cc.brandeis.edu ("Susan Reynold (w/out the s)")
Subject: Re: Birds in the garden
Reply-To: reynold@binah.cc.brandeis.edu
Organization: Brandeis University
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 16:04:10 GMT

In article <8765.29164@stratus.SWDC.Stratus.COM>, jane@soave.swdc.stratus.com (Jane Beckman) writes:
>
>Released birds muck up ecosystems.  Likewise fish.  So many
>folks "set free" their goldfish, guppies, etc.  It plays merry
>hell with the ecosystem.  Just ask anyone in Florida about
>introduced species!
>
>--
>  Jilara   [jane@swdc.stratus.com]

My parents (in Miami) have iguana's visit their back yard.  Some of
these guys are two feet long! They even crawl along the phone wires.
I haven't heard of them being a real problem (besides frightening 
people to death) but I'm sure they're eating or doing something that
is not in the best interest of something native to the area.

The story is that they came from Cuba.  But Haiti seems a likely 
source too.

Susan
Xref: sparky rec.gardens:8630 rec.birds:2090