HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: pharvey@mipos3.intel.com (Paul Harvey)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Gypsum, Sulfur, pH, and clay
Date: 13 Apr 92 22:27:16 GMT

In article <1453300022@igc.org>, ecologycntr@igc.org (Ecology Center Fund) writes:
> Has anyone here had any luck using sand to loosen clay soil?  
> In my experience it tends to make the soil set and harden, not unlike
> concrete.  Might be different with different clays?

In article <1992Apr8.093551.3648@iscsvax.uni.edu> klier@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>My experience with midwestern clays and the stuff that passes for soil in 
>Southern California is that a small amount of sand worked into clay produces
>a substance that probably wouldn't fragment under heavy artillery fire.
>Adding _significant_ amounts of sand to clay (>50% sand) does help-- but
>organic matter is the real key to getting clay to behave.  Lots and lots 
>and LOTS of organic matter.   If you use lots of organic matter, you
>can drop the sand percentage 'WAY down and not get bricks.

I'm not saying anything is wrong here, but let me add a few more words.

Bricks are made by adding sand, or peebles, or straw to clay. The clay binds
these materials together into a type of concrete, so the resulting conglomerate
is stronger than any of the materials alone. Pure clay by itself is brittle.
If you add equal parts of sand and clay, you will not get bricks, but that's 
hardly an ideal garden loam either. The definition of loam that might make sense 
here is: a soil mix of varying particle size. (Clay is very small, sand is
very big)

The standard "fix" for clay soil is ground fir bark in large amounts, like 25-
50% of the top 2 - 5 ft. Why ground fir bark? Because it works. Ground
fir bark is a slow to decompose organic material that does not consume a
lot of nitrogen in its decomposition process, (has to do with ideal C/N
ratios). If you are a master compost maker, (which I am not), you might
be able to acheive this type of material from your compost heap. There are
probably other reasons why ground fir bark seems to work so well, some
known, others not. The ussual generic organic matter or humus or compost 
or manure is very good in soils in amounts of 10 - 25% of the top 1-2 ft. 
When you go above 25%, all sorts of bad strange things start to happen. 
Above 25%, you are growing your plants in a modified compost pile. The 
composting process is using up all available nitrogen, and you are creating 
a high organic matter environment that is good for bugs, but not for plants. 
For example, high organic matter will produce a pill-bug epidemic, these bugs 
are good in moderate amounts, they till the soil for you and aid in the 
decompostion process. But it large numbers, pill-bugs start eating seedlings, 
roots and stems.
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Japanese Beetles
Date: 15 Apr 92 20:34:35 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

djd@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (david.j.daulton) writes:
> A few years ago a neighbor was kind enough to put up a Japanese
> beetle trap, and my yard was pretty much spared.  But last year
> he did not, and my roses and hibiscus were covered with the
> iridescent devils.  So I put up a trap, which filled numerous
> times--but to no avail.  They were all over the place--lured to
> my yard by the trap.
> ...
> Then I had an idea.  How about putting up a trap, but filling
> it with milky spore, and making a hole for the beasts to escape...

I doubt you're going to get much better control than by the older
methods of using milky spore directly on the lawn.  The pheromone
traps don't make much of a dent in the population unless a whole
community uses them.  Maybe you can persuade a manufacturer to give
you a neighborhood association discount????

When used singly, the traps are better suited for monitoring population
levels than control.

Kay Klier  Biology Dept  UNI
From: westendorf@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: daffodils, where are they?
Date: 6 Apr 92 15:59:24 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

   Last fall, my daughters and I planted alot of daffodils.  None of them came
up.  Does anyone have any ideas why?  Could they have been bad daffodils?
We live in Iowa, and the daffodils and tulips have been up for awhile.
We planted them the proper depth.  My daffodils from past years are up.
Do some daffodils come up alot later?
Thanks
-Mary
From: hugh@ear.mit.edu (Hugh Secker-Walker)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Cultivation of new blueberry bushes for dense growth
Date: 6 Apr 92 21:30:50 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

My wife and I are growing a hedge, primarily for privacy, but also as a
barrier to keep a toddler in.  We chose blueberry for its basic
shapeability, its autumn leaf color (like burning bush), and its winter
color (younger growth is red); we do not expect significant crops for
ourselves, perhaps a few more birds will feel welcome.  We need to get the
new plants to fill out as quickly as possible.  What literature I've seen
focuses on the blueberry crop which is not important to us, yet; we want a
dense hedge quickly.

In preparation, we dug lots of compost and peat moss into our
slightly-clayey coastal-Massachusetts soil.  In June '91 we planted
bareroot plants (18-inch twigs) of two cultivars of Vaccinium corymbosum,
V. 'Coville' and V. 'Elliot', about 28 inches apart.  The twigs leafed and
flowered (which we pinched out), and a little new growth appeared by late
summer.  We mulched with two inches of pine needles.

Now the buds are swelling and we anticipate a full season of growth.
We'll keep the pH down around 5.0 and pinch out the flowers to promote
growth.  We would appreciate any insight, suggestions or references for
our immediate goal of growing a dense barrier.  Our main questions concern
fertilization and pruning, namely, when and how much?  The following list
covers the gamut of our questions:

1) fertilization: We use liquid seaweed, Milorganite, bonemeal, and
Greensand for the lawn and roses.  Do blueberries have a particular
appetite, and when?  Should we till compost or peat into the mulch?
2) pruning: When should we prune?  What should we take off?
3) diseases and pests: What should we watch for?  Preventative measures?
4) spraying: We'd rather not spray more than insecticidal soap
(and there'll be no berries to protect) but what should we consider?

Thanks in advance.

Hugh
--
Hugh Secker-Walker                    INTERNET:  hugh@ear-ache.mit.edu
MIT, Research Lab of Electronics      UUCP:      mit-eddie!mit-athena!hugh
From: deeds@oracle.SCG.HAC.COM (Deanna Deeds)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: SNAILS.....shudder
Date: 6 Apr 92 20:07:22 GMT
Reply-To: deeds@hac2arpa.hac.com

In article <1992Apr6.044705.24132@cbfsb.cb.att.com> djd@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (david.j.daulton) writes:
>Yes, ducks and geese eat snails.  Also hedgehogs.   The horticulturalist at
>a local municipal garden told me he knows of nothing else that eats snails,

>70 acres of woodland) but does not know what creature to thank.  Personally,

Skunks?
From: pharvey@mipos3.intel.com (Paul Harvey)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: potting soil mix I have good luck with
Date: 30 Mar 92 19:59:20 GMT

[My original post got bounced by our mailer, so I'm trying again, I 
apologize if you get doubles]

In article <1992Mar27.021209.26859@morrow.stanford.edu> GC.SUL@forsythe.stanford.edu (Sulliva
n) writes:
>42% Fir bark, shredded fine, 20% Peat, 20% Sand, 18% red Lava rock
>The drawback to the mix is somewhat obvious- needs daily watering in
>hot weather, and has very little or no nutrients.  I used a 9-month
>slow release Osmocote fertilizer (don't remember the formulation)
>This worked really well and I was often complimented on how heathy
>my plants looked (but not "pushed"). Everything I sold was hardened off.
>...I paid about $33 for a cubic yard.  Quite a lot savings over buying
>the mix in the large bags.

Good recipe! 

Another standard soilless mix is 1/3 ground bark, 1/3 milled peat, 1/3 sand, isn't 
this one of the Davis formulas? Both of these mixes are probably a little acid for 
most plants, so you could correct the pH with dolomitic limestone. Of course most of 
these formulas were figured out by the Brit's a long time ago. Your formula is a 
little low on peat and if you up'ed the peat to 1/3 you could water less. But potting 
and seeding soil has to be very well drained, so this is always a problem. I have 
found the polymer gels to help here, although they are pricey. You could substitute 
vermiculite for the sand, it is free draining, but also holds some water, but that 
would up your price. Sand is ussually used as the draining medium in mixes because of 
it's low cost. Another mix is 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 peat, 1/3 perlite.

I'm glad to see you use slow-release fertilizer, this is the way to go. Most nurseries
use soluble and as you say this "pushes" the plants and makes them look nice, but
harder to transplant and weaker in the long term. Another option is an organic
fertilizer which is also slow release and provides micro-nutrients, here's a formula
by volume: 4 parts seed meal, 1 part ground phosphate rock, 1 part ground kelp,
1 part dolomitic limestone.
From: fr@compu.com (Fred Rump from home)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Allysium
Keywords: borders, Allysium
Date: 6 Apr 92 21:40:53 GMT
Organization: CompuData Inc.

sasdjl@norma.unx.sas.com (Jeff Lopes) writes:

>I have been germinating seeds indoors in my sunroom for the past two
>weeks with great success.  I planted both purple and white varieties
>of Allysium for lots of borders around the yard.  They sprouted fine,
>maybe too fine, in fact their little stems are so fine that I don't

It's a little late now to make helpful suggestions. I did my white allysiums 
in Jiffy cubes, those little compressed things that expand when wet.

I tried hard to get as few seeds as possible into each peat pot. Things have 
worked out well and I've planted them outside already. Now with the purple 
allesium I used a tray and simply spread the tiny seeds around as evenly as 
possible. I now have the same situation as described above. Lots of the little 
buggers in each tray cube. But I will plant them when they get a little 
bigger and simply cut some of the extras away. I always hate that. It makes me 
feel like a killer of babies. 

On another subject, I'm not having as much success with my impatience seeds. 
Only about 1/2 to 2/3 came up. Maybe they're only lots of stragglers among 
them? They sure make me feel impatient to see them all. 

Fred 



-- 
W. Fred Rump 	office:	   fred@COMPU.COM     Of what is oatmeal made? 
26 Warren St.   home: fred@icdi10.compu.com   48% of Americans said wheat 
Beverly, NJ. 08010                            (Harper's)
609-386-6846    bang:uunet!cdin-1!icdi10!fr   
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: jab3@cec2.wustl.edu (John Alonzo Breen)
Subject: I think I killed my boxwoods :-(
Summary: Did I do something wrong?
Organization: Washington University, St. Louis Mo.
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 14:34:57 GMT

Last fall, I dug up some scraggly old bushes in front of my house and
replaced them with five boxwoods (Wintergreen Boxwood, according to
the nurseries, but I haven't been able to find a listing in any books
on this variety).  I chose boxwoods because I wanted evergreens, and I
prefer the broad leaves to the needles.

Anyway, I followed the nursery's instructions to the letter when
planting them and watering them afterwards (this is my first time
planting bushes).  When we had a sudden sub-zero cold snap in
November, all the leaves turned pale.  When we had a sudden warming
trend in February, all but one started putting out a few green leaves.
But with the constant warm/cold cycles we've had the past month, I
think I've only got one left (it's the only one showing new growth).

Now the questions:

1.  How long should I wait before I pronounce them dead?

2.  Should I have covered them up when we had sudden cold snaps?  I
assumed they didn't need it, since they're evergreens.

3.  Should I pull off the dead leaves, or leave them alone?

4.  Is this an unusual number of bushes to lose on a first attempt?

Thanks.
--
John A. Breen                   |
jab3@cec1.wustl.edu             | This space unintentionally left blank
johnb@hobbes.mdc.com            |
Tel: (314)234-4341              |
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: gordonb@mcil.comm.mot.com (Gordon Berkley)
Subject: Spittle Bugs
Organization: Motorola Communications Israel Ltd., Tel Aviv
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 10:51:03 GMT

I got 'em and I don't want 'em!  The only question is: how do I get RID
of them?  They are in my grass, my ornamentals and in my herbs.  As a result,
I have to be careful as to pesticides (on the edible leafs).

Suggestions anyone?

-- 
[  Gordon D. Berkley    INTERNET: gordonb@mcil.comm.mot.com   POST: cgb001   ]
[  PHONE: +972 (3) 565-8727      FAX: +972 (3) 565-8754      (UTC-2)         ]
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: ants in compost heap
Date: 17 Apr 92 10:36:04 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Apr13.132234.873@mwk.uucp>, locsin@mwk.uucp writes:
> I saw someone post a similar problem to this newsgroup before but never
> got to see a response. Anyway I would appreciate any help or advice on 
> how to get rid of ants in a compost heap. I don't want to use chemicals
> because this compost is meant for a vegetable garden - as a matter of fact 
> it's sitting on a corner of the vegetable plot. The ants ( like most ants
> here in Houston ) are fire ants. This means that I really don't have the option
> of leaving them alone since I would like to encourage my children to
> take an active part in tending the garden.

You might want to consider one of the fire ant baits with abamectin, an
antibiotic from a _Streptomyces_ species.  Animal owners are familar
with ivermectin, a common wormer, that is closely related.  

Abamectin is not without problems, since it's a fairly broad-spectrum
antibiotic, and hits a number of invertebrates, including some beneficials.
In bait form, it's pretty selective I hear.
> 
> Also, once I get rid of these ants how do I discourage them from building
> their nests among my vegetables.

I think fireants are sort of the moral equivalent of the 1000 lb gorilla--
anyplace they want...

Kay Klier     Biology Dept  UNI
From: mordes@b17d.ingr.com (Tony Mordeszewski)
Subject: Re: Request habanero chili plant
Organization: Intergraph
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 18:47:36 GMT

In article <7690039@hplred.HP.COM> piety@hplred.HP.COM (Bob Piety) writes:
>You might try the Redwood City Seed Company, Redwood City, Ca. (Call
>info-- area code 415).  They carry many exotic hot perrper varieties.
>
>Bob          piety@hpl.hp.com      (415)857-4759
>                                   Palo Alto, California
Roswell has them 505-622-7701
Shepherds also Conn. 203-482-3638
 	       Calif. 408-335-6910

Tell Shepherds you only want one pack of seeds mailed and for 2.00 attn Ginny
she will send them to you. I needed a pack of Poblanos. 

Tony M.
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: bulbs
Date: 7 Apr 92 20:24:40 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <00958B18.A20C9FA0@Msu.oscs.montana.edu>, oopcv@Msu.oscs.montana.edu writes:
> Quick question:  I have a box of miscellaneous bulbs in my shed, left behind by
> the previous owner.  I planted about half of them last fall, and they are doing
> fine (well, they were until it turned cold again :( ).  Can I plant the rest of
> them this fall?  I know the bulbs are spring bloomers, but I don't know the
> varieties.

Toss 'em in the ground ASAP, and if they haven't frozen this winter, or 
respired themselves to death, they may survive.  But they won't bloom this
year, or next (well maybe, but poorly), and maybe even not the following year.

If you let them sit in the shed till next fall, they will almost certainly
be dead.

Kay Klier   Biology Dept  UNI
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: I think I killed my boxwoods :-(
Date: 9 Apr 92 19:03:55 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

jab3@cec2.wustl.edu (John Alonzo Breen) writes about his morbund Buxus
(boxwood):
> 
> 1.  How long should I wait before I pronounce them dead?
Don't pronounce them until you've checked them out.  Take your 
fingernail and scrape a little bark off the twigs and look for a
green area under the bark.  If you don't find the green layer, 
move toward the base of the plant and scrape another spot.  If
you get to the very base without finding green, chances are 
your plants are defunct.

> 
> 2.  Should I have covered them up when we had sudden cold snaps?  I
> assumed they didn't need it, since they're evergreens.
I'm about 300 miles north of you, and box won't grow for spit up
here.  Mainly because of our cold, dry winter winds and sunburn.
People who do get it to grow are growing in protected areas or 
wrapping the plants with burlap most of the winter.

> 
> 3.  Should I pull off the dead leaves, or leave them alone?
Doesn't matter.

You've got the Missouri Botanical Garden right in St Louis, one of
the nicer ones I've ever visited.  They used to have a horticultural
help-line number that you could call and ask all sorts of questions
(in fact, I've got Dingwall's book, "The Garden Answers", written
from the questions he got on the phone in the first few years).  I
sure hope that service is still available.  Check the phone book under
Missouri Botanical Garden.

Kay Klier  Biology Dept  UNI
> 

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: oopcv@Msu.oscs.montana.edu
Subject: bulbs
Reply-To: oopcv@Msu.oscs.montana.edu
Organization: Montana State University
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 16:55:44 GMT

Quick question:  I have a box of miscellaneous bulbs in my shed, left behind by
the previous owner.  I planted about half of them last fall, and they are doing
fine (well, they were until it turned cold again :( ).  Can I plant the rest of
them this fall?  I know the bulbs are spring bloomers, but I don't know the
varieties.

Thanks,
Cheryl
From: clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: bonsai in Canada
Keywords: bonsai
Date: 14 Apr 92 12:53:08 GMT
Organization: Elegant Communications Inc., Ottawa, Canada

In article <shanker.703201549@yorku.ca> shanker@nexus.yorku.ca (Stuart Shanker) writes:
>Does anyone know of any bonsai dealers in Canada who print catalogues?
>I have been in touch with two of the American dealers that Kevin
>Harris discussed, and unfortunately, there are just too many problems
>in importing bonsai into Canada at this time.

There's a bonsai dealer on Highway 7, near Kennedy.  South side.
May be closer to Warden.  Worth a look.  Maybe they have a catalogue.
-- 
Chris Lewis; clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca; Phone: Canada 613 832-0541
Psroff 3.0 info: psroff-request@ferret.ocunix.on.ca
Ferret list: ferret-request@ferret.ocunix.on.ca
From: link@prcrs.prc.com (John Link)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Japanese Beetle Grubs
Keywords: vegatable garden
Date: 6 Apr 92 17:30:52 GMT
Organization: PRC Realty Systems, McLean, VA

I just dug up my garden to allow it to dry before tilling and
planting.  I noticed many Japanese beetle grubs upon turning the soil
over.  A few questions:

1- Is there anything I can do now before tilling/planting?  I don't
'necessarily' want to put chemicals down if I can avoid it but could
be convinced otherwise.  Any suggestions?

2- Unless I hear differently from the net, I plan onputting
Spectricide down this fall.  I used this on my lawn and the grubs came
right out of the ground.  How long does Spectricide last (i.e. will is
be gone in time for spring?

Thanks in advance,
John S. Link
link@rsi.prc.com

-- 
link@rsi.prc.com (John S. Link - PRC Inc.)
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Drought-tolerant lawn grasses (was Zoysia)
Date: 16 Apr 92 17:55:30 -0500
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Apr16.195034.23199@raid.dell.com>, ruby@raid.dell.com (Ruby Pan-Ratzlaff) writes:
> Just to throw my 2 cents worth in.  The most drought tolerant grass I
> know is a recently developed strain called buffalo grass.  I think it
> was developed in Texas.  It may be a little pricey 'cause it's so new.
> It looks like bermuda grass, and does not tolerate shade well.  I read
> somewhere it's watering cycle is 21 to 45 days at a time (compared to 
> Zoysia's 7 to 10 days)!  It can live through temperatures from 30 degrees 
> below zero to 120 degrees!  Now, that's one hardy grass!  I don't know
> if it's available outside of Texas, though.

Actually, it's a different species of grass, native to the short grass
prairies of North America.  It is, like all short-grass-prairie grasses,
very drought tolerant.  It evolved in a dry-ish environment, so naturally
it tolerates drought quite nicely.  
In the last few years more people have become interested in using buffalo
grass (Buchloe dactyloides) as a lawn grass.  There are very few cultivars 
available, and it costs about $12-15/lb for seed, so that makes it
less attractive to many people.  Another problem is that it really doesn't
do all that well in areas with annual rainfalls over about 37" UNLESS
you're dealing with areas where the soil is exceedingly well-drained or
the area to be planted has reflected-heat problems.

Kay Klier  Biology Dept  UNI
From: kk@mcnc.org (Krzysztof A. Kozminski)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Where to find some things from the WISH LIST
Date: 10 Apr 92 03:49:40 GMT
Reply-To: kk@mcnc.org (Krzysztof A. Kozminski)
Organization: Center for Microelectronics, MCNC; RTP, NC

>Kay in Iowa seeks:
>-Any cycad except Zamia floridana

Endangered Species, PO Box 1830, Tustin, CA 92681-1830, (714)-544-9505.
Their catalog lists > 50 species of cycads.

A note on a recent topic in this group: they also have >100 varieties
of bamboo.

>Deb Whitney of Hampshire College seeks:
>-Gas plant with white flowers

Thompson & Morgan, PO Box 13008, Jackson, NJ 08527, (908)-363-2225,
in the 1991 catalog they had seeds for Dictaminus albus, white form.

>Christopher Gallagher, cgallagh@picasso.helios.nd.edu,
>of University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, seeks:
>-Habanero Chilis

I am sure I saw an ad for Habaneros in a recent issue of the Chile Pepper
magazine, but can't find it.  You might call them at (505)-266-8322 - they
will know.  Two sources for Habanero seeds that were mentioned to me some
time ago, which I haven't had a chance to try (got some Habaneros from
a friend):

	The Pepper Gal, Dorothy L. Van Vleck, PO Box 12534, Lake Park,
	FL 33403 (send SASE for seed list >200 pepper varieties)

	Roswell Seed Co., 115-117 South Main, P.O. Box 725, Roswell,
	NM 88201, (505) 622-7701

And finally not quite the wished thing, but maybe close...

>David C. Adams, St-Paul Park, MN.  (Suburb of ST. Paul--Minneapolis)
>-licorice herb (glycyrrhiza glabra)

J.L. Hudson, Seedsman, PO Box 1058, Redwood City, CA 94064 has seeds for
Glycyrrhiza echinata - perhaps will do as a substitute? (this one was
supposedly used for licorice falvooring in Russia an Geramny)

KK
-- 
"Limit congressmen to two terms.  One in office.  One in jail."