What's Growing In Your Garden? Horticultural Science

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by erich

Does anyone know where I could find an insect's view of common flowers?
I understand that they sense them outside the visible spectrum, in UV and IR.

I would love to find some pictures that represent their perceptions.

Erich

Your posts we welcome Erich...if you stay on topic.
I have a half-dozen Roma tomatoes seedlings up in cups inside, a dozen or so radishes planted in the bed, a dozen sunflowers planted in a bed, & 1 hill of watermellon planted (a hybrid from China no less!).
In view of what I have recently learned on the subject of Terra Preta, I am adding horticultural charcoal to my garden. Not a lot, as it is costing money & I rent so who knows when I'll have to hit the road again.
I am also composting my kitchen vegetable waste for amending the soil.
This concludes my gardening report.

[erich]

Dear Turtle:

So let me get this right..........trees and flowers are not topical to Horticultural Science?

Erich

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by erich

Dear Turtle:

So let me get this right..........trees and flowers are not topical to Horticultural Science?

Erich

I had in mind the bug's eye question, which I think is a good idea for a new thread. I recall your other posts as on topic.
Looking back, I think I posted a link for you on the UV/flowers question in a different thread as I don't see it here.
EDIT: Found the link & thread; not yours, but it wasn't the first or the last mistake of mine. Here we go thens.
Thread: http://hypography.com/forums/compute...run-gamut.html
Link:

Originally Posted by Turtle

My pleasure:
http://www.naturfotograf.com/UV_flowers_list.html
Enjoy.

Going back to your Honey Locust question, I have some knowledge on Black Locust thorns. To whit, they grow larger during stressful conditions; normally the thorns grow to about an inch, but new shoots for example growing after wind brakes out a major branch grow thorns to 3 inches or more. The tree doesn't know what hungry creature it may have to protect against, but it knows when times get tough it starts looking like food to more creatures more often.
Thanks for your reply Erich.
PS I have radishes sprouted in the bed already this morning! Yippee! Both they & the tomato seeds sprouted much sooner than the germination notation on the packages.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Turtle

In view of what I have recently learned on the subject of Terra Preta, I am adding horticultural charcoal to my garden. Not a lot, as it is costing money & I rent so who knows when I'll have to hit the road again.

Hard to decide if this belongs here, the terra preta thread , or global dimming; however as I have started to try some of these charcoal techniques in my garden, this is the spot.
First, it seems I need to grind my charcoal to a powdery consistancy. Something new to my mortar & pestle, which has only seen minerals, coffee, & herbs!
Second, I found a description of a simple solar furnace for making charcoal & I think I may have a go at it on a small scale.
Here is the link & some quotes that prompted the new direction:
http://www.bidstrup.com/carbon.htm

Originally Posted by bidstrup

Of course, this gives such a farmer a considerable advantage in economic terms over his competitors - while his competitors are spending large amounts of money on chemical fertilizer and other soil amendments, he is spending nothing - only the cost of carbonizing his farm waste, grinding the charcoal to a powder, and tilling it into his soil, and then only till the optimum level of carbonization is achieved.

Originally Posted by bidstrup

A tubular furnace, using an ordinary piece of large diameter iron pipe, heated by a solar energy reflector, would be the answer. Not dependent on its own output as a heat source, any solid organic material feedstock could be used - even wet leaves - and the product would take minutes to produce, rather than hours or even days as is needed for the usual methods. And virtually all the charcoal produced would be available as product, since none is consumed to provide the heat for the process. Push the raw, even wet feedstock in one end, and minutes later, finished charcoal comes out the other. What could be simpler or easier?...

[Racoon]

Originally Posted by Turtle

First, it seems I need to grind my charcoal to a powdery consistancy. Something new to my mortar & pestle, which has only seen minerals, coffee, & herbs!
Second, I found a description of a simple solar furnace for making charcoal & I think I may have a go at it on a small scale.
Here is the link & some quotes that prompted the new direction:
http://www.bidstrup.com/carbon.htm

S' good to know!
I will have to try that technique sometime. Make some Terra Preta!
and a little oven out of pipe...
Can any old charcoal be used? Like BBQ briquettes?

OK, I have a few more things going in the Garden that I got a Fred Meyers. (Thats a regional store for Groceries and Home goods now owned by Kroger)

They didn't have a few of the herbs I was looking for, like Lemon Verbena, but I did pick up some Parsley.

A couple eggplants and bell peppers.
The brocolli is doing good. I will thin them out soon.
I basically tilled the soil, and because brocolli seeds are so tiny I said "screw it" and just sprinkled the packet all over. covered it it with some good topsoil, and watered those little babies in.
Easy!

The peppers and eggplants I got are starters.
Lazy!

Now I have to peel myself away from the computer and get some fresh air and dirt under my fingernails!

Happy Gardening Folks!!

[Chacmool]

I have *something* actually GROWING in my garden! If you can't understand my excitement - I'm the type of person capable of letting a cactus die. No green fingers at all. My mom often confiscates my droopy potplants so she can nurse them back to health at her house (where, of course, they flourish). She even went so far as to give me a plastic potplant. Sometimes I swear I can see some brown leaves forming on it...

Well, a few weeks ago a friend of mine gave me a cutting. I just randomly stuck it into the ground, expecting it to die anyway. Well, lo and behold, it's still alive, and even forming new leaves! I don't know what the plant is called (maybe my friend knows), but it carries small, edible fruit. If fruit start to appear on my plant, I'll let you know!

[Racoon]

Originally Posted by Chacmool

I have *something* actually GROWING in my garden! If you can't understand my excitement - I'm the type of person capable of letting a cactus die. No green fingers at all.

Well, a few weeks ago a friend of mine gave me a cutting. I just randomly stuck it into the ground, expecting it to die anyway. Well, lo and behold, it's still alive, and even forming new leaves!

Thats funny Chacmool. I used to have a brown thumb too. I killed a bunch of stuff.

Like anything it takes a little practice. And like any living thing, a little attention.
Usually its the watering and/or soil composition.
Please take a picture and let us know how that plant is growing.

I don't have a digital camera, or I'd be doing a lot more bragging.
But it came the expense of a compost pile full of dead plants!

First thing this morning I put the Peppers in! California Wonders and Anaheim Chiles.
And the Eggplants. Ichibans.

Turns out my Lemon Tree didn't die! Its growing suckers at the base. so I'm gonna' cut the deadened branches and hope for the best...

[Chacmool]

Originally Posted by Racoon

Like anything it takes a little practice. And like any living thing, a little attention.
Usually its the watering and/or soil composition.
Please take a picture and let us know how that plant is growing.

Maybe it's the lack of attention that's keeping my *still unidentified plant* alive. I just glance at it anxiously every once in a while, and it only gets rainwater. Well, my lack of interference seems to be paying off, because I spotted some new flower buds this morning!

Racoon, how long will it be before you can enjoy your very own roasted peppers and brinjals?

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Chacmool

Maybe it's the lack of attention that's keeping my *still unidentified plant* alive. I just glance at it anxiously every once in a while, and it only gets rainwater. Well, my lack of interference seems to be paying off, because I spotted some new flower buds this morning!

How's that plantlet Chacmool? Perhaps because we all thought about it, we off-set your indifference?
My radishes keep going strong despite cold overnight temps (down to 36°F 2 nights ago). I have the tomato seedlings outside in the Sun today getting toughened up. At least one of them is getting a specially prepared charcoal rich soil bed.
I find it takes about 10 minutes with my mortor & pestle to reduce a cup of the horticultural charcoal chunks to sizes less than 1 mm.
The Sunflower seedlings I have thinned to 1 per foot & they have handled the chill weather fine. Local gardners have recommend not to start planting 'til Monday or later.
This concludes my irregularly scheduled garden report.

Grow Something!

[Chacmool]

Originally Posted by Turtle

How's that plantlet Chacmool? Perhaps because we all thought about it, we off-set your indifference?

Thanks for enquiring, dear Turtle! The little plant is still LIVING and GROWING! I am so proud. And yes, I'm not indifferent at all anymore! I love my *still unidentified* little plant. I check it each morning for signs of bugs and any dying leaves. This morning I saw that one of the blossoms had opened! It is a beautiful little purple flower with six petals. I'm just concerned about the cold, and feel like wrapping my precious plantlet in a blanket at night.

I remain inspired by all you gardeners out there, and I might even try planting something else soon!