HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: louiset@informix.com (Louise Twiggs)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Mushroom growing kits/spawn sources
Date: 1 Oct 92 10:14:10 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

In article <1992Oct1.030253.17035@athena.cs.uga.edu> karen@athena.cs.uga.edu (Karen Snetselaar) writes:
>In article <1992Sep30.104339.2813@informix.com> louiset@informix.com (Louise Twiggs) writes:
>>
>

[my original posting deleted for brevity]


>Some mushroom fungi are very picky, not only as to the substrate they
>are growing on, but also in the moisture and temperature conditions
>they tolerate.  On the other hand, some (Oyster mushroom for example)
>are much more tolerant.  
>
>I'm no expert on shiitake, but I've grown it a couple of ways.  One is
>on compressed sawdust logs.  This came as a kit, pre-inoculated with
>the spawn.  By the way, I hope your kit provided spawn (this is mycelium)
>rather than spores.  It would be quite difficult to grow shiitake from
>spores.  The other way I've seen shiitake grown is with pieces of wooden
>dowel that are permeated with the spawn.  Holes are drilled in the logs
>(various hardwoods work, as you've noted) and then the plugs are hammered 
>in.  We left the logs out under a tree, and I think they produced mushrooms
>for at least a couple of years.  Never any great quantities.  There are
>long treatises on shiitake growing (many of them in Japanese of course)
>and the experts have lots of tricks--moisture and temperature changes,
>special ways to "bump" the logs to make them produce, etc. 
>
>A bag of sawdust might be the easiest substrate if you want to experiment.
>If you can't get sterile sawdust, maybe you could pack it into a plastic
>bag, let it heat up, then, punch holes in bag for aeration and inoculate.
>Just a suggestion....
>
>Good luck-
>Karen


Thanks for the reply Karen (sorry for sending this to the net, but mail 
bounces me),  I'll try the sawdust trick - it's worth a go.  I'm not
sure whether the kit supplied spawn or spores -I'll check - but it's
probably just my ignorance in calling the mycelium spores and not spawn.

I get really excited by fungi - I think they are really fascinating.  I
am keen to find out lots more.  I would love to have the confidence to
pick wild fungi to eat, but as yet am not sure whether I could trust
my identification of them.

Louise
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: frosty@med.unc.edu (Steve Loechel)
Subject: Re: Compost question
Organization: UNC-CH School of Medicine
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 13:22:26 GMT

In article <1992Sep24.224512.810@calmasd.prime.com> jhb@calmasd.prime.com (Jim Bishop) writes:
>And a compost question of mine: does anyone else have the huge grubs
>that are the size of your thumb in the compost pile?  (Maybe these are
>what you are talking about above.)  I think they come from the one
>inch square green metalic looking beetles we get in the late summer. 
>The beetles don't seem to harm much of anything, but they are somewhat
>annoying since they don't care where they are going and will fly right
>into you at full speed.  I don't think I've ever seen them anywhere
>but Southern California.  
>I've tried covering my compost pile with plastic to keep them out, but
>they always get in somehow.  I used to throw the beetles on the
>sidewalk and the cat would play with them for awhile.  They must not
>taste very good, because the cat doesn't have much interest in them
>anymore.  Now, I just chop them in half or ignore them when I find
>them.  However, it doesn't seem right to be digging them into a flower
>bed when I'm adding compost.

These beetles sound like they are closely related to the Green june
beetles that are found in the eastern US. They are in the scarab beetle
family along with june bugs and Japanese beetles, and like their
relatives, the grubs damage plants by eating their roots. The adult Green
june beetles don't do any damage to plants, but you're right about it
hurting when they fly into you full speed. I have to avoid the area around
my compost heap during the week or two of their peak activity. These
beetles must have either very poor eyesight or no brain to speak of,
because they just blunder about in the air until they go clunk! against a
tree or a gardener or a wall. Come to think of it, all those head-on
collisions probably don't do much for their brainpower either. It's a
wonder they manage to breed, but breed they certainly do. Too bad there's
not a market for fat white thumb-size grubs, because I get bumper crops.
One thing you can do with them is to set up a feeding station for birds.
The Carolina wrens at my house are always very grateful for my grub
offerings. The Green june beetle larvae do their grub thing for two years
before pupating; that's probably why you didn't see any effect when you
covered your compost pile.

--Frosty
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: lp@well.sf.ca.us (Lily Pond)
Subject: Lawn Clippings, cont.
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 21:10:09 GMT


Well, this is new sod - it's putting up more than an inch a week. If I left
it on there, I'd easily be sloshing through it.

Additionally, here in the Bay Area, I was told that it could be a moisture
barrier.

I've also been told that it can be tricky to muilch without causing root
rot. How does one know about all these things!!
From: dietz@cs.rochester.edu (Paul Dietz)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Hyperaccumulators?
Date: 6 Oct 92 23:15:20 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Computer Science Department University of Rochester


I just was reading a bit about some plants that are
"hyperaccumulators": they concentrate normally toxic metals in their
tissue to an amazing extent (for example, plants that grow on soils
derived from ultramafic rocks that concentrate nickel in their leaves
to > 3% of their dry weight).  Are there any plants normally grown in
gardens that are hyperaccumulators?

	Paul F. Dietz
	dietz@cs.rochester.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: DRYING PARSLEY (and other herbs)
From: jat@cs.arizona.edu (Julie A. Turner)
Date: 3 Oct 92 03:21:13 GMT
Organization: U of Arizona CS Dept, Tucson
Keywords: microwave, herbs

In article <BvFK4w.M0J@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca> khare@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (Kathy Hare - DCS) writes:
>Could anyone tell me the proper way to dry parsley? I have a big bunch 
>of it I want to dry for use over the winter. 
> 
>Thanks Kathy

I know you asked for the "proper way" which I am sure this isn't, but
it is a very fast way.  I wash it and then dry it very very thoroughly 
(use stalks, stems and don't bother cutting it up, crush it as needed),
put it between two paper towels and microwave it on high for 2 to 3 minutes
or until it is completely dried.  It shouldn't be rubbery at all.

If it isn't dried thoroughly before you microwave, it will cook in that
spot. 

Isn't it terrible when a recipe calls for dried parsley flakes and
you only have fresh in the garden.

For those who don't like microwaving anything, all I can say is try it in 
a pinch, you'll love it!

_____________________
Julie A. Turner
Starving student at the
University of Arizona
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: fh11@sol.acs.unt.edu (Brozovic Douglas)
Subject: Re: Fruitflies
Organization: University of North Texas
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 23:22:56 GMT

reynold@binah.cc.brandeis.edu writes:

>In article <fh11.717783251@sol>, fh11@sol.acs.unt.edu (Brozovic Douglas) writes:
>>
>>Surely there are some veterans who have waged successful wars against these
>>little trouble makers?  :-)
>>
>People I know who work with fruitflys in the laboratory use a little 
>container of vinegar to attract them and then they fall in and drown.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Well, we tried this one as well, and after a week we managed only one 
confirmed kill!!!

Perhaps they are not fruitflies?!  :-(  

>Works for me.

>Susan
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: rcrane@yoda.eecs.wsu.edu (Robert Crane - OTHER)
Subject: Lighting for indoor plants
Originator: rcrane@yoda.eecs.wsu.edu
Organization: Washington State University
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 92 20:16:14 GMT

Has anybody seen those Show and Grow lightbulbs from GE?
What is the light sprectrum that they put out?  Do they
put out any ultraviolet light?
Is there any difference between the light spectrum output
of a halogen light versus a regular incadescent lightbulb?

What I need is a light that puts outs out 100-140 microwatts per 10
nanometer per lumen of blue spectra (440-495 nm)--what ever that means.
Any help would be appreciated.  I'm completely clueless about
good lights for growing indoor plants.
-- 
-bob crane
rcrane@yoda.eecs.wsu.edu
"Ah Limbo!"
From: jhb@calmasd.prime.com (Jim Bishop)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Flame: Why Kay Gardens
Date: 28 Sep 92 06:16:17 GMT
Organization: -

In article <23674@sybase.sybase.com>, karenp@sybase.com (Karen Paulsell) writes:
> 
> Actually, the raspberry vines went gonzo this year, and given the
> price of *organic* raspberries, if I did keep a balance sheet, I
> think the numbers would have improved vastly.

Agreed.  Raspberries are one of the plants that are cheaper (and
better) to grow than buy.  However, I did find out during last year's
water restrictions that no water for the whole summer will kill
raspberries.

> 
> I'm single, I work too hard, I don't cook all the time, a lot of
> my produce does go to waste, but it's great to have a few fresh
> veggies out there, not to have to stop at the store, there's almost
> always enough lettuce for a salad, some broc's or beans or snow peas
> or something to make me feel like I'm eating OK.
>

Gee, this above description could have been written by me.  Of course,
everything you mentioned we grow in the winter.  
 
> And I grow a *lot* of flowers. Before I had a garden, I almost never
> would pay money for flowers. Now, I always have them in the house,
> often take a big bunch to work, stick them next to the laser printer in
> the hall, people notice if there aren't flowers, these days.  

I used to bring flowers into work all the time.  Over the years I've
tapered off some.  Also I don't cut flowers for the house very often
in the summer.  My house is such an indoor-outdoor combination that
I'm always just a couple steps from the garden.  I have lots of lights
in the garden so I can enjoy it at night too and even an outdoor
fireplace so I can use the patio all year.  Other than cooking,
sleeping and reading the net, I'm usually in the yard.  (Actually now
that I think about it I do lots of my cooking outside too.)
 
> Walking
> out in the yard, on a spring morning, and the whole dang place smells
> like freesias? 

Yes, the smell for freesias and roses and stock and all the other
spring things by themself are enough to make gardening all worthwhile. 
This year I've also added several varieties of jasmine, and
stephanotis and a brugmansia to extend the fragrances into the summer
and fall.

> Coming home after work, and the cactus has these 7"
> diameter, big fat flowers? How many dollars a pound is that?

I don't think I could put a dollar figure on the flowers I get from
the garden (and would be scared to put a dollar figure on the plants I
put in).  I probably get several hundred dollars of the birds of
paradise alone.

Jim
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: fease@dkas.enet.dec.com (Andrea Midtmoen Fease)
Subject: Hardy Kiwi Pruning Tips Needed
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Marlboro MA
Date: 29 SEP 92 09:35:49    

     I have two Hardy Kiwis that are about 5 years old now.  They have *never*
bloomed, and are getting *huge*.  I pruned them back this spring, just a random
clip-and-snip (ouch!), and they came back bigger than ever.  Lots of growth,
lots of greenery, but no flowers and hence no fruit.

     These came in a package of three, two females and a male.  I *think* the
male died, but I'm not sure (anyone know how to tell the difference?).  I would
think that even if he did, I should get flowers from the others??

     So ... do I prune this monster back this fall, or wait until spring?  And
how should I prune it back - it's getting huge and going over the fence into
my neighbor's yard!

     Thanks!

					- Andrea 
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: cksvih01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu
Subject: Cardinal Climber seeds
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 01:04:09 GMT
Organization: University of Louisville

I have two Cardinal Climber vines growing on my balcony.  They're doing
quite well in the limited sun they receive there, but I planted them late and
they only bloomed within the last couple of weeks.  The profuse flowers are red
and trumpet shaped and are quite pretty.  I was wondering, though, whether it's
necessary to do anything to enhance pollination.  The blooms look
like they were made to order for hummingbirds, but I haven't seen any of them 
hovering about lately.  I also can't recall seeing a bee in the vicinity since
the flowers appeared.  The seeds that I planted this year  (from Northrop King)
had a low germination rate - I had four plants appear out of fifteen that I 
planted, and my parents got only one plant from twenty seeds.  What's the best
way to collect and store the seeds for next season? 


_______________________________________________________________________________
C. Kurt Svihla                            |                                   |
cksvih01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu            | "Just another Piece of the Main." |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: elephant manure
Date: 6 Oct 92 21:02:33 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Oct6.160149.12846@walter.cray.com>, razor@.cray.com (Ray Martin) writes:
> 
> I have access to elephant manure, from the local zoo, and I was wondering
> if anyone has any information on it.  Such as how does it compare to
> steer manure.  I have heard people say that it is a very good manure,
> but nothing specific.  Any help will be appreciated.

It'll depend to a certain extent on the elephant's diet.  Probably about
equivalent to cow manure-- similar diets and all that.

Kay Klier  Biology Dept  UNI
From: arth@sudshead.EBay.Sun.COM
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: ants!
Date: 2 Oct 1992 18:21:30 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems
Distribution: world
Reply-To: arth@sudshead.EBay.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: sudshead.ebay.sun.com

Use wood ash from your fireplace to repel ants, lot cheaper than
cayenne pepper.

art 

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: che358w@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Eucalyptus Pods
Date: 29 Sep 92 12:19:25 +1000
Distribution: world
Organization: Computer Centre, Monash University, Australia

>
> Also, since I live in the Boston area, I intend to grow it indoors.
>
   Do you know how big gum trees grow ? As a previous respondent said they have
very large root systems adn a notoriously large tap root making them very
unsuitable for pots.
  Have you thought aboutold climate gums ? e.g snow gum (don't know its
latin name) which lives well above the snow line in the australian alps and is
small and twisted with beautifully coloured bark. I dont know if you could get
it in U.S.A but its an idea. I bet there are other species that will grow in the
cold too. Mountain ash grows lower  down mountains but that is a *huge* tree.
(and its not an ash).

Samantha Lane
From: Bob.Batson@mtask.omahug.org (Bob Batson)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Slug Resistant Flowers
Date: 01 Oct 92 19:11:30 CST
Reply-To: bob.batson@mtask.omahug.org
Organization: Multitasking Systems, Kansas City
Followup-To: rec.gardens

                         "Slug Resistant" Flowers

  Seattle-area Master Gardeners recommend the following flowers asa
somewhat resistant to slug feeding, based on their personal observations
(NOT on controlled experiments). We'd appreciate reader comments on this
list---what needs to be added to it, or removed from it, based on your own
observations?

ACHILLEA                                LOBELIA
AGERATUM (flossflower)                  MENTHA (mint)
ALYSSUM (madworts)                      NASTURTIUM
ARMERIA (thrifts)                       PAEONIA (peony)
ASTER (starflowers)                     PHLOX
ASTILBE (perennial spiraeas)            PORTULACA (purslanes)
CALENDULA                               POTENTILLA (cinquefoils)
CAMPANULA (bellflowers)                 RANUCULUS (buttercups)
COSMOS                                  RUDBECKIA (coneflowers)
DIANTHUS (pinks)                        SAXIFRAGIA (rock foils)
DICENTRA                                SEDUM (stonecrops)
ESCHSCHOLZIA (Calif. poppy)             THYMUS (thymes)
GALIUM (bedstraws)                      VERBENA (vervains)
HEMEROCALLIS (daylilies)                VINCA (periwinkles)
IBERIS (candytufts)                     VIOLA (violets)
KNIPHOFIA (tritomas)                    ZINNIA


  Reference: Anonymous, "Slug Resistant Flowers," _THE GARDEN GATE_,
August 1992, 6. (Lane County Extension Service, 950 W. 13th Ave., Eugene,
OR 97402.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reprinted with permission from the September 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. 


*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Bob Batson
bob.batson@mtask.omahug.org

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: yvonne@hydra.maths.unsw.EDU.AU (Yvonne Edwards)
Subject: Re: does pine-bark kill azaleas ??
Organization: UNSW, Sydney, Australia
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 00:51:50 GMT

In article <1992Sep30.125322.90237@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au> che358w@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au writes:
>   This weekend we covered our front yard with pine-bark. It looks great and
>we were feeling pretty pleased with ourselves when someone told us that pine-
>bark kills azaleas. Is this true ?

Hi Samantha,
I heard on my favourite radio garden talk-back show that pine-bark
placed around the base of a gumtree will kill it so perhaps the same
could be true for azaleas.

Yvonne

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Yvonne Edwards
      _--_|\        UNSW, Sydney, Australia                                    
     /      \                                   
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: anthony@lpi.liant.com (Anthony Beissner)
Subject: Re: mowed grass clippings
Organization: Liant Software Corp.,  Austin TX
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 15:00:32 GMT

In article <BvDIMM.Bq0@well.sf.ca.us> lp@well.sf.ca.us (Lily Pond) writes:
>
>
>I've been saving my mowed grass clippings for a month or so now and I now
>have filled an entire garbage can. What do I do with it?

1) Use it as mulch around your bushes, or in your garden.

2) Just leave it on the lawn when you mow.  Grass clippings have lots of
   nutrients that your lawn loves, and I've read in several places that
   lawn clippings do not contribute to thatch problems.  These experts confirm
   my own personal experience ;-).
-- 
===============================================================================
Just say no to .signature files.        |             anthony@rmc.liant.com
===============================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: jpaul@locus.com (James Hensley)
Subject: Lemon tree pest
Organization: Locus Computing Corporation, Los Angeles, California
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1992 21:39:18 GMT

Hi, it's the guy who planted the eureka lemon tree this spring.  It's
already bloomed and set lemons.  It's blooming again now.  I have a couple
of questions, though.  There is some new growth (branches) coming out of the 
bottom of the trunk.  Should I trim these?  There's also a bunch of ants all 
over the leaves, and they seem to congregate on the undersides of leaves that 
also have some other kind of bug on them.  The other bugs are whitish-grey, and 
don't move much.  I know ants herd aphids like this, but these don't look
like any aphids I've ever seen.  They are too flat and white.  How do I combat
these things?

James
-- 

jpaul@locus.com  | ..ucsd!lccsd!jpaul   :  all views expressed are mine.
Clouds filled with blood rain on the water
While Nightime's fingers clench the light shut...
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: susan@grizila.pillar.com (Susan Barrington)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Mulching - stopping bird scatter - a hint that seems to work
Keywords: Mulch, birds
Date: 5 Oct 92 19:02:18 GMT
Organization: Grizila Onenode Network


> Anyone out there having problems with birds searching for worms/grubs under 
> their mulch - and scattering it everywhere in the process?  I've had the 
> problem - and thought I'd pass on a hint that seems to work.  (No claim to 
> originality - I've pinched out of someone else's garden).

        We had terrible problems this spring with robins digging through
        my newly planted deeply mulched rose bed!  Mostly I would just
        go out and yell at them when I saw them digging away.  I
        wouldn't have minded so much if they would have filled the holes
        they left.
        This is a much better idea AND much more practical (besides, it
        just doesn't look good to the neighbors to be yelling at some
        poor robin <g>).  And maybe this will also keep the mulch from
        being blown across the driveway when "the wind comes sweeping
        down the plain".
        Susan

 ___________________________________________________________________________
|susan@grizila.pillar.com (Susan Barrington)
|Edmond, OK. 73034
|___________________________________________________________________________