HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: emily@azariah.tamu.edu (Emily Glass)
Subject: Re: African Violets
Organization: Texas A&M University, Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 16:41:06 GMT

>>I have one of those self-watering pots (it has a reservoir in the bottom 
>>for watering).
>
>These things and things like them concentrate salt because the water is
>evaporated and any salt in the water you keep adding gets concentrated in the
>soil. Salt is deadly to almost all plants. Use distilled or rain water or
>flush the plant by applying water to the top such that it runs out the
>bottom every month or so. It all depends on how salty your water is, if it
>tastes salty, forget it. Humans need salt, for plants it is poison. Also,
>the fertilizer is salty. If you notice the plant degrading after 6 months or
>a year, suspect salt. To flush the salt, place the whole thing in a bucket
>of distilled water or rain water.


The water in College Station/Bryan Tx is *extremely* salty (I learned
the hard way with my plants when I first moved here), so I use only
bottled water or rain water.  But is fertilizer really salty?  If so, are
all brands?  How do you tell which ones have salt?  I have taken great
care not to water my plants with salty water, and, now, I may be introducing
salt via my fertilzer???  

(I had an african violet once, and it did extremely poor. I followed the directions about watering it from the bottom, and keeping it humid, by 
placing it on a tray with pebbles and water.  I have good luck with other
plants.)
From: mmw@druhi.ATT.COM (Wright-Watso)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: horseradish
Keywords: horseradish
Date: 18 Aug 92 17:59:22 GMT

I had a horseradish that I planted severl years ago, that was 
huge and beautiful, but just in the wrong spot.  I dug it up 
and had no fear that I would be without horseradish...  I was 
right, I have had about 30 new plants appear in the same spot. 
Some of the new plants came up a few feet over where I do want 
the plant, so I leave those.  The rest I have been pulling, but 
I think in the end I will end up needing something like Roundup 
to get rid of them.  For now I'm letting some of them grow so 
I can harvest the roots. 

So, I can't tell you where to find a plant, this late in the 
growing season.  But I can tell you that you only need one.

			Michelle W-W
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: vsummers@polaris.cv.nrao.edu (Vince Summers)
Subject: Re: African Violets
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory
	<1992Aug13.164106.9746@tamsun.tamu.edu>
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 21:22:28 GMT

     This was poor advice you received.  Generally water from the top and
NEVER set them in water.
     Rot is your #1 enemy.

Vince Summers
vsummers@polaris.cv.nrao.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: gwb@cbnews.cb.att.com (gregory.blum)
Subject: Sudden Death of Snapdragons
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 22:09:56 GMT

Snapdragons have always been among my favorites of the annuals (well, at
least they're annuals HERE, despite what some lucky people have been saying
about their warmer climes), so I've always grown rather a large number
of them, and always quite successfully (some neighbors have even commented
"spectacularly"..... not to brag..... well, only a little).

Until now.

This year, I put them out mid-May as usual.  Gave them full sun, as usual.
Gave them reasonable water during the few dry spells that we've had.
Gave them a rather small amount of Ortho time release fertilizer (not really
as usual, but I've just started in a new house and didn't have adequate
compost reserves built up at the current location).  And everything looked
great, until about two weeks ago.  Then, rather oddly, overnight (quite
literally), big healthy beds of snapdragons would more or less instantly
die.  One day masses of green plants and bright flowers..... the next day
every plant would have wilted lifeless leaves just laying there, and very
limp, dead looking flowers.  This hit one bed, then a couple of days later
a second bed, then a week later the third bed until I have none left (well,
there's actually one stalwart little plant holding out amidst the general
slaughter, but that actually makes the whole thing seem even more strange).

Any ideas what happened???  It's pretty obviously too late for these plants,
but I would like to keep the carnage from occurring again next year.

Thanks....
Greg Blum
From: lienhard@daydreamer.metaphor.com (Steve Lienhard)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Huge green bugs eating my tomatoe
Date: 14 Aug 92 15:14:46 GMT
Organization: Metaphor Computer Systems, Mountain View, CA

>The premise being put forth is that, if we all spray BT on our tomatos, then the
>orchid is history.  Given this line of reasoning, if we all skipped growing
>tomatos for a summer or two, then the moth and the orchid are doomed.  Do you
>really belive that?  I certainly don't.

Neither do I.

>I'm all in favor of people doing pretty much as they please in their gardens, as
>long as they don't damage the environment.  Trying to convince people not to use
>botanical or biological controls for insect pests, based on a questionable premise
>of species endangerment, doesn't seem to me to fit into that philosophy.

I agree.

But I'm sure I will be reminded of the Western Prarie White Fringed
Orchid if I came across one of these 'pests' again.  And with such a vision
in mind, I would find it difficult to kill it if I thought I could rescue the
tomatoes some other way.  Hopelessly romantic?  Perhaps.  Illogical?  Maybe.
Being human, we have the capacity to admire nature's beauty.  With a little
understanding, that admiration can transcend the superficial, and a huge green
worm on steroids that's devouring our prized tomatoes may itself become
something worth preserving.
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: HF.CLN@forsythe.stanford.edu (Cynthia Ng)
Subject: Plum tree with broken branches
Organization: Stanford University, California, USA
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 22:31:23 GMT

I have a plum tree (it came with the house so I don't know how old
it is) that bears very sweet fruit.  However, the main limb and one
branch are cracked from the weight of the fruit.  The growth of the
tree has been stunted and distorted because it is growing under a
larger tree (I have trimmed back the other tree).  Anyway, the plum
doesn't have that many branches to begin with and I'm afraid if I
cut off the broken branches that the tree will die.  Any
suggestions?  Thanks.


Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: pharvey@quack.sac.ca.us (Paul Harvey)
Subject: Re: HELP ME! California Redwood
Organization: The Duck Pond public unix: +1 408 249 9630, log in as 'guest'.
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 21:29:24 GMT

In article <1453300073@igc.apc.org> 
Ecology Center Fund <ecologycntr@igc.apc.org> writes:
>Coast Redwood : up to 300 ft tall (tallest known specimen), thinner than

350 to possibly 400ft, they cut the big ones down too fast to measure
them. When the West was first settled by Europeans, the stories of these
huge redwood and doug fir forests were down played because they didn't
want to scare the farmers away, after all, one must clear the virgin
forest to make fields and pasture. Imagine having just bought 160 acres
of old growth 300 ft redwood or doug fir and having to clear it with
hand tools, there was not much of a market for the wood at that time.
This height is beyond the capillary height or the height that
water will rise to in a thin capillary tubing, thus these trees
disproved the theory that trees lift water by capillary action alone. So
does anyone know how a 350+ft tree lifts all that heavy water up there?
I know the current theory, maybe I'll tell later.

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: amz@cis.ohio-state.edu (Arnold M Zwicky)
Subject: the salt treatment
Followup-To: rec.gardens
Summary: DIE MONSTER DIE!
Originator: amz@iguana.cis.ohio-state.edu
Organization: osu, outil, stanford, lsa,...
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 02:41:35 GMT

this is a progress report in our war against campsis radicans,
the trumpet creeper vine.  when last i wrote, we were getting
an average of 2.5 shoots per day, and fighting them with round-up
where possible, by digging them up otherwise.

the only practical advice i got on rec.gardens was to use the salt
treatment, which is possible only where one does not want *anything*
to grow, for a long time.  we had one such place, a gravel path behind
the house.

i waited for the day when i expected the shoots to appear there again.
they were a day late, but *two* of them appeared at once, thick and
already nearly three inches tall overnight.

as per instruction, i liberally sprinkled salt (kosher salt, as it
happens; i trust this is not irreligious) around those evil sprouts.
it was a bright clear dry day, and i didn't even add water.  but
fifteen minutes later there were just two black shriveled sticks.
i am not a cruel man, but i got extraordinary pleasure out of
this.  (of course i had long ago passed the DIE MONSTER DIE stage
in my relationship with campsis radicans.)

meanwhile, my more ordinary attempts to prevent the beast from
photosynthesizing have been bearing unfruit.  two weeks ago the
shoots/day ratio was down under 2, and this week it is under 1.  the
last four shoots were puny thin little things, not at all like the
nightmare eruptions we were getting all summer.  we're beginning to
hope that we have won here (as with the thistles and the evil
polygonum); of course there is the possibility that it's going
into an autumn resting phase, gathering itself up to smite us
in the spring.

a number of people wrote to me to say that they had no useful
suggestions but *did* have rampant trumpet vine, and HELP!  i think it
can be conquered, by daily vigilance.  use glyphosphate on new shoots
where you can (it's not very useful on the vines once they've spread),
and otherwise dig the shoots out, three or four inches below ground
level if possible.

and kids, if this handsome plant knocks at your door, don't let it in.
look at me: i fell hard for this Bad Boy, and look where it's gotten
me.

arnold (a sadder but wiser gardener)

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: Jack.Honeycutt@f52.n105.z1.therose.pdx.com (Jack Honeycutt)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Pond Building
Date: 21 Aug 92 23:47:44 GMT
Article-I.D.: therose.714521394.F00001

Hello Joseph!

21 Aug 92, Joseph G. Deck writes to All:

 JGD> Pardise water gardens has a 45 mil @
 JGD> 8 x 10 $100.
 JGD> up to
 JGD> 40 x 40 $1500

Do not forget the cost of truck or rail shipping.  A massive piece of  40' X 40'
will be in the 100's of dollars...

 JGD> custom sizes are available

 JGD> Lilypons water gardens has a 30 mil @

 JGD> 11 x 16 $299.
 JGD> 16 x 22 $595.

 JGD> custom sizes at $1.79  per square foot

!!!  When you can get EPDM in your own state and mabye in your own town (no
shipping) for less than half of that price?

As I as sure you have found out, Paradise and Lilypons are two great places to
shop for water plants.  I have found the plants from Lilypons to be a bit bigger
then other water garden vendors.

Van Ness prices were a bit high I thought, and I was not pleased with William
Tricker.  Have you had any experence with them?

Jack
From: Martin_Hart@mindlink.bc.ca (Martin Hart)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: van Bourgondien & Sons
Date: 12 Aug 92 23:15:32 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

If I were you I would stop talking to them and talk to the Visa people. They
will credit your account and get onto the company giving you grief.It's one of
the advantages of paying by credit card.


Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: pharvey@mipos3.intel.com (Paul Harvey)
Subject: Re: Habanero Peppers
Organization: Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA USA
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 20:52:55 GMT

In article <1992Aug20.195057.926@leland.Stanford.EDU> 
tsovar@leland.Stanford.EDU (Thomas Sovar) writes:
<are full of flowers and bees are attracted to them.
<My problem is so far only one flower has set, which I
<only noticed 15 minutes ago.  All the rest have dried
<up and fallen off.
<I live in Palo Alto, CA, which is in the Bay Area.  

It's probably the cool nights which they don't like, they are from the Caribbean
where night temps seldom go below 70 oF. You might try covering them at night
to hold up temps or placing gallon jugs of water around them for the same
purpose. You might also try tomato set hormone which is available at most
garden centers.
From: vsummers@polaris.cv.nrao.edu (Vince Summers)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Gray Grass (grey for Englishmen)
Date: 13 Aug 92 13:13:22 GMT
Distribution: rec.gardens
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory


     My lawn is doing fine, and is mostly a fescue, but a little 
circular patch has some grayish dots on the blades about half-way
up on the blades.  It doesn't appear at this time to be hurting
the blades, so I desisted from trimming or treating.  Is this 
fungus, eggs, what??
     Thanks for the hearing ear...

Vince Summers
vsummers @polaris.cv.nrao.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: frosty@med.unc.edu (Steve Loechel)
Subject: Re: How to find main mole tunnel?
Keywords: mole, tunnel
Organization: UNC-CH School of Medicine
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 18:33:13 GMT

In article <1992Aug14.180825.3529@tc.fluke.COM> ardyk@tc.fluke.COM (Ardy Kong) writes:
>How do you find the main mole tunnel?
>Do poison pellets, or gas bombs work well for
>getting rid of moles?
>
I've never been able to find a detailed description of mole lifestyles,
but based on observations of the moles on my land, I have the impression
that they spend most of their time in tunnels that are deep enough to
be invisible from the surface. Every once in a while they suddenly dig
a large network of tunnels just under the surface (very visible), use
them for a variable length of time, and then abandon them. I have a hard
time understanding this behavior, and it may be that different mole
species in other parts of the country behave differently. Does anyone
know more?

My current strategy for dealing with moles is to leave them alone when
they remain in areas where their tunnels don't cause a problem. When 
they move into an area where they are not allowed to be, I discourage
them by repeatedly stamping down their tunnels, or better yet by
inserting blackberry or raspberry canes into the tunnels. This technique
is still in the research and development stage. Some companies sell
magical ultrasound devices that are supposed to keep moles away, but 
I find it hard to believe that these have any effect. Anecdotal evidence
for the effectiveness of such devices is worthless, since moles often
abandon a network of tunnels on their own (or get whisked away by
a predator at night).

If you must get rid of a mole, this is best done by using any of a number
of mole "traps" that are available. They are not really traps--they are
grisly metal devices for spearing or crushing moles. Not a nice end for
such a nice animal, so use them only if necessary. Keep in mind that moles
are carnivores (love them grubs and earthworms!). Any damage they do to 
your plants is simply a consequence of their tunnelling. By the way, you locate
an active mole run by putting a footprint in the middle of a tunnel, and
seeing if it's been reopened the next day.

--Frosty
From: sjane@bmers248.bnr.ca (sjs)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Pond Building
Date: 18 Aug 92 13:01:59 GMT
Organization: Irrelevant, Ottawa, Canada

In article <714117573.F00001@therose.pdx.com> Jack.Honeycutt@f52.n105.z1.therose.pdx.com (Jack Honeycutt) writes:

>PVC is out and EPDM is in.
 
Argh.  What does EPDM stand for?  And why is it "in"?  I thought butyl
liners were the best because they stretch more easily, eliminating bumps
and wrinkles, and because they are strong enough to withstand pets and
racoons and whatnot.

(currently still pondless)sjs
--
It's not irrelevant; it's a hippopotamus.   sjane@BNR.CA
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Seed starting FAQ; FAQ report
Date: 17 Aug 92 15:16:00 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Aug17.150940.6090@iscsvax.uni.edu>, klier@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
> From:	IN%"ceci@lysator.liu.se" 13-AUG-1992 14:51:06.75
> 
> Subj:	FAQ Starting Seeds Indoors
> 
> STARTING PLANTS INDOORS FAQL			August 13, 1992
> 
> Written by Ceci Henningsson, ceci@lysator.liu.se. Sources are various
> Swedish gardening books and catalogues. Lists over seeds which are
> started indoors in other countries and climates would be nice.
> Contributions and criticism are both very welcome!

Dave-- your wish is our command! ;-)

Ceci's written a nice introduction to seed starting, for which many thanks!
Great job!

FAQL's are still at the hand-posting stage: there is no ftp spot yet, and
we're still revising everything anyhow!

Will try to get another couple posted this week... school starts next
Monday (Agh! Agh!)

Kay
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: pharvey@quack.sac.ca.us (Paul Harvey)
Subject: Re: Dawn Redwoods & Sequoias
Organization: The Duck Pond public unix: +1 408 249 9630, log in as 'guest'.
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 05:44:33 GMT

In article <1992Aug14.190121.21444@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> 
crussel@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Carol A Russell) writes:
>Does any one know of any mail order sources for these trees?

Forest Farm, 990 Tetherow Road, Williams, Oregon, 97544-9599,
503-846-6963, Catalog $3, 176 pages
From: soley@trop32.enet.dec.com (Norm Soley)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Squirrel/Skunk repellent
Date: 19 Aug 92 04:08:34 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Digital Equipment of Canada

There's a small article about a new product that looks promising in a
gardening newsletter I picked up this weekend. The product is called
Scentfence, it's a small plastic disc that has been somehow impregnated
with fox urine, makes small mammals think there is a fox in the area and
bug off. They're a little expensive, a pack of nine costs C$22.55 and
you need to put one approximately every six feet to simulate a fox
marking territory, the article claims they last about a month. 

Unfortunately I don't have a manufacturers name or address, only the
name of a local store that carries them.

Anyone have any experience with these (they've only been on the market
about 6 months)?
-- 
    Norman Soley, Specialist, Digital Integrations Services,  ITC District
    Digital Equipment of Canada                   soley@trooa.enet.dec.com
    Opinions expressed are mine alone  and do not reflect those of Digital 
    Equipment Corporation or my cat Marge.
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: jern@visual1.jhuapl.edu (Bob Jernigan)
Subject: Peppers & Ferrets - Two questions
Reply-To: jern@visual1.jhuapl.edu (Bob Jernigan)
Organization: Johns Hopkins University
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 16:57:12 GMT

First the peppers, As a lover of peppers I've been intrigued by the range of
spicyness in a single variety.  My main experience is with jalepe~os, which
grow very well here in Maryland.  I've read the reports that rate the hotness
of jalepe~os at 15 on a scale of 150.  I would give them a range of 5-100, 100
being the limit, IMHO, of human tolerance.  My question is, does any know
what conditions vary the hotness?  From a single plant I've had peppers as
mild as bells and then some to hot to eat.  But not at the same time.  All peppers
from one picking rate about the same (not a controlled experiment).  I eat
the peppers raw and so there is no changing of the effect due to cooking.

Second question.  My son is a ferret fancier and I've heard that ferret manure
repels moles and gophers.  Is this so?  If so perhaps I could set him up in
a gopher repelling business.  (No moles or gophers in my garden so I can't
do my own tests.)

bob jernigan   email to jern@spaceaix.jhuapl.edu
From: jhb@calmasd.prime.com (Jim Bishop)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Public garden recommendations in Boston area
Date: 13 Aug 92 23:09:10 GMT
Organization: -

I'll be in Boston area (Lexington/Concord) with some free time on
8/15 and 8/16.  Can anyone recommend some gardens to tour?
E-mail responses preferred.

Thanks,

Jim
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: ceb@dbrus.Unify.Com (Caroline E. Bryan)
Subject: Re: Rembrandt tulips
Keywords: tulip, virus
Organization: /usr/lib/news/organization
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 92 16:43:53 GMT

In article <1524@lysator.liu.se> ceci@lysator.liu.se (Ceci Henningsson) writes:
> ... a very attractive tulip, which I am considering to plant this year. The
> name of the tulip is Rembrandt.... [in] a book about English gardens ...
> there was a picture of a tulip with exactly this kind of stripes.... the
> book said that the stripes came from a highly contagious virus and ... that
> it was extremely difficult to see to that normal tulips weren't infected
> with the stripe virus and that was the reason that they were no longer
> sold....
>Now, my question is, is this the same kind of tulip and will my other
>tulips become striped too, if I introduce Rembrandt into my garden?

It is the same virus.  I don't know how readily it moves from bulb to bulb;
I would assume (since "Rembrandt" tulips are very popular in this country
but we still have non-Rembrandt tulips everywhere as well) that how readily
the virus moves depends a great deal on whether you overcrowd your tulip
bulbs.  If you separate the Rembrandt tulips from your other tulips by other
plants (grape hyacinths, anemones, whatever), I don't think you'd need to
worry about your other tulips getting the virus.

The virus does not affect the plant's vigor; and as tulips generally poop out
on their own after some years, if by some mischance your other tulips start
showing the color breaks from the virus before they're totally gone you can
just replace them a year or two early.  The virus does NOT infect the soil.


Carrie		ceb@rechenau.unify.com	x6244
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