Topics

61

Chit Chat / Remember Petey the abandoned kitty?

« on: April 07, 2010, 02:22:53 PM »

Here he is one years old and begging for a "snack"

62

Koi Feeding, Nutrition and Diet / How cold hardy are koi?

« on: April 03, 2010, 02:45:46 PM »

My Dad lives on the west side of Florida by the Tampa area.  This winter we had an extended cold snap.  Not just one but many.  He went away for about a week and returned to find a few koi dead, but the fancy goldfish and talapia still alive.  I figure the fancy goldfish are cold hardy and probably the talapia, but what about the koi?  I was thinking about buying him a heater, but even if I fork out the money to buy him one, he won't pay for the electric bill...He's only got 2 koi left  . 

63

Terrestrial Gardening / Got my first Orchid for Christmas

« on: January 10, 2010, 07:41:40 AM »

I have always wanted one, but was reluctant to pay the high prices for one seeing as they had a reputation for being hard to grow...sort of like lotus (which I have killed a few, but managed to have a couple bloom with the help of advice here and more affordable "member prices"  )

Have to admit though that I am a little "intimidated" by this new plant.  I have a tendancey to not do well with plants that don't require much water like hens and chicks and jade plants.  Still haven't been able to get either one to survive for me down here in Florida. 

Anyone have any advice about growing orchids?

I love plants as gifts...when they survive I remember them as "this person gave me this for my birthday/christmas"  Its a treat that lasts for many years 

64

Chit Chat / Petey pooped and pee-ed in his food bowl & their food bowls!

« on: October 05, 2009, 02:28:52 PM »

Came back from our Washington State vacation to find that Petey had pooped and pissed in all the food bistros (large cat food bowls where food falls down when the food at base is eaten up) including his own.     All the food should have been eaten up, but from the looks of what was left because he solied it all, they (the other cats and him) probably hadn't eaten for days because of him.  It has to be him because this is his first time in the house without us around, the other cats have been left alone before and behaved.

This time the place was a wreck.....

I thought cats don't poop where they eat- let alone in what they eat   

65

Chit Chat / brown caterpillar with long orange spikes (pics)

« on: August 22, 2009, 07:38:57 AM »

Anybody know what kind of caterpillar is brown with large orange spikes?  There is a large group going to town on my dutchman's pipe vine that is trying to establish itself this season.  Never seen this kind of caterpillar before. 

66

Chit Chat / What is a "paved (camp) site"?

« on: August 16, 2009, 06:25:47 AM »

I am planning a hiking/camping trip to Washington and have noticed that a couple of the national park camping sites are listed as "paved site" in the AAA camping guidebook.  This doesn't make sense to me.  How can you sleep on concrete in your tent, even with padding?  Also, how would you even be able to put up your tent if there is no ground to stick the tent pegs into to support the tent?  Can anyone clarify this?

67

Chit Chat / Are all the airlines charging for your check-in bag?

« on: August 08, 2009, 02:52:05 PM »

I am planning on visiting my best friend in WAshington to do some hiking and camping while out there.  We thought we got a reasonable deal on the air tickets.  Then we got saddled when we saw how much it would cost to rent a car from the airport for a week, more than the flight tickets!  Then today DH is grumbling about Continental Airlines is charging for per check-in bag.  I thought that passengers were allowed one check-in bag on domestic flights free of charge and they were only going to charge if more than that per person.  Also, then he says you have to declare how many bags in advance and prepay online, otherwise if you just show up with your bag(s) they charge another $5 per bag.  What is this?!? 

Does this sound familiar?  Anyone else experience this?  ARe we expected to not have any luggage?- geesh....

68

Pond Chat / Somebody was asking about why the skeletonized pads...(pics added)

« on: August 06, 2009, 07:29:45 PM »

Somebody asked about why their water lily pads were coming up skeletonized even though they started out normal and then were devoured by "something" before they even reached the surface.  I have recently discovered the same thing and I found the culprits...its tadpoles (probably toads).  I have had plenty of tadpoles in my container ponds last year in with the lilies (Blink) and lotus and did not have any problems until this year.  They seem to only target certain lilies though, namely my newly acquired nightbloomer pads- Mrs Hitchcock and Jennifer Rebecca.  I guess they like the taste of these best?  Once in a while a whole hoard of them will attack another type but they still are relentless with my nightbloomers to the point that I am trying to save the pads let alone wondering why they haven't bloomed yet.  I have noticed that these 2 lilies seem to open their pads underwater before surfacing, which gives the monsters plenty of time to devour it before it reaches the surface, vs other lilies uncurl once they reach the surface and stand a better chance.  I will post pics later when I get a chance. 

69

Pond Chat / Duckweed/Frogbit can you eat it?

« on: August 01, 2009, 03:01:16 PM »

Okay, so this is perhaps one of the weirdest questions I have asked, but my DH wanted to know as he came across a small bucket of duckweed/frogbit that I was growing out for fun and to see if my little goldfish would eat it.  DH says "it looks like something you can eat, like on SURVIOVORMAN episodes"...Anyone know?

70

Chit Chat / Need help with broken key and stuck key :(

« on: July 31, 2009, 10:11:57 AM »

I have 2 problems involving broken key in keylock and a stuck key in keylock:

1) We have a wedding display cabinet which has been converted to "husband's military model" display cabinet.  But I still keep all the wedding memorabilia in the bottom drawer of the display cabinet.  Well, he broke off the key in the display portion.  This same key opens the bottom drawer.  No spare key, and I cannot access the bottom drawer.  Didn't even tell me he broke it...

2) I have a mobile cabinet with the key hanging off the side so that I couldn't misplace it.  Its stuck in the keylock.  If I try to force it out it will probably break and all the drawers will be locked open or locked close (which is worse).  Spare key is bent, and I seem to recall that something about the lock assembly or key is such that it cannot be copied. If I can get it out of the lock somehow, I think I will just leave all the drawers open and deal with the drawers opening themselves when the unit is moved around.

lessons learned: never leave key in the keylock, as after 10yrs or so it probably rusts or something and gets stuck in the keylock.

Any advice for my 2 problems above?
Do I call a locksmith, never did that before, don't even know what it will cost to do that... 

71

Pond Chat / purple pickerel tuber question

« on: July 26, 2009, 06:24:01 PM »

I recently repotted my purple pickeral tuber and found a gigantic tuber behind it.  I separated the growing part of the plant from the large tuber tail that didn't have any other growing points along it.  The tuber was very firm though no white roots seemed to be attached to it.  Not knowing what to do I tossed it into a large bucket that I use to quarantine or float plants until I get a chance to pot them up.  It sank to the bottom of the murky water in the bucket.  It is probably too deep for it (being about 2 feet deep), but I really do not know what to do with it.  Assuming it hasn't turned to mush by now being at the bottom of a very deep bucket, can it just be planted and expected to grow? The part that had a growing tip/plant has already been planted and is doing fine, just want to know what to do with the huge tail end of the tuber.

72

Hybridizing How To's... / Is it the same DNA or not?

« on: July 26, 2009, 04:35:40 AM »

Okay, so I understand that if you grow a new lily from seed that it is not the same plant or same DNA because the genome mixed with another plant during the pollination process that produced the seeds.

What about other means of propagation like for example in tropical lilies; you can get little side corms (which I still cannot figure out how they got there i.e. did it grow out of the main tuber, or did the main tuber put out a small plantlet, and then this plantlet grew a little tuber and went dormant underground) which produce a plant OR viviparous propagation.  I figure the vivip method is still the same plant, as it grew out of a leaf with the same DNA.  The side corm method though, I don't know...mostly because I don't understand how it got there to begin with.

Oh, and then there is the main tuber putting out little plantlets direct.  Those I figure are also the same plant, same DNA.

Any thoughts on this out there?

73

Aquatic and Terrestrial Plant Exchange / Has anyone traded on Daves Garden website?

« on: July 25, 2009, 01:29:14 PM »

Just curious as to if anyone has traded on Daves Garden website and how it went.  I noticed that a lot of the "wants" or "have to trades" are pretty dated...

74

Pond Chat / How many pads can you remove?

« on: July 25, 2009, 07:35:51 AM »

According to Sean's tutorial for tropical plants in Dixie cups you can leave something like 3 or so pads and its sufficient for the tropical lily to still grow and bloom, allowing you to fit many tropicals in a small pond or space.

How many pads can you leave on a hardy to produce the same effect?  I don't have a lot of space as my ponds are container ponds or 100 gal stock tanks, so I find it hard to keep hardies as they take up a lot of pot space on the bottom of the small container ponds/ stock tanks due to  they grow horizontally in the pot (needs bigger pot than a dixie cup).  This one hardy in particular that I have has an enormous spread and huge pads to rival a tropical lily, and I would like to remove a lot of pads on it down to 3 if it won't kill it or prevent it from blooming.  Does anyone know if I can do this?

75

Pond Chat / nightbloomer with mottled pads?

« on: July 24, 2009, 12:53:43 PM »

Does anyone know if there is a nightbloomer tropical lily with mottled pads?  Trying to id a lost/ swaped tag compliements a la racoon last winter... no blooms yet to help with the id

76

Pond Chat / Do the pads of purple indian godess look the same as red indian godess?

« on: July 18, 2009, 01:26:44 PM »

Do the pads of purple indian godess look the same as red indian godess?

Also, are the pads of purple indian godess similar to albert greenburg?

I am asking because I am getting nothing but pads from what I think is the purple indian godess and albert greenberg...but I am not sure that I have the tags right because that dang racoon tipped over my pots last winter so I am not sure on these two lilies until they bloom...if they ever get around to making blooms instead of being a pad factory.  I got both for postage from a generous member last year, but since they have not bloomed yet, I do not yet know how to tell them apart by looking at the pads. 

77

Pond Chat / Kat - question about yerba mansa

« on: July 18, 2009, 06:02:25 AM »

Kat - Do you have a pic of what yerba mansa should look like potted up? How far down into the water can it be placed and what does the bloom look like?

78

Pond Chat / Do you prefer planting or watching them grow?

« on: July 17, 2009, 02:21:30 PM »

I've come to the realization that I really like planting i.e. potting up lilies, and other aquatic plants.  Though not so much lotus, as it requires one to be SO CAREFUL not to break the growing tips that it makes me nervous.... But, I also like to watch them grow and take off.  I was explaining to DH that it is amazing how fast aquatic plants can grow in a matter of one month from a tiny plantlet or tuber to a blooming size lily.  My land plants take much longer than that.

I guess only other people that garden would get the same kick out of that.  Perhaps to others it would be like saying "yeah, I like to watch two turtles racing..." 

Every time we drive by some retention pond, or other body of water, I usually make some comment like "How come there aren't any lilies in there?".  DH will look at me and say, "No, you can't go play in their pond..."

79

Pond Chat / Oh well, I tried...

« on: July 15, 2009, 09:51:29 PM »

So I was in the kitchen going about dinner after coming in from "ponding", and I nonchalantly say to no one in particular (although the only one in the room with me is DH), " I wish I had a bigger pond..." , followed by (pout, pout - no emoticon for that)... There is 2 seconds of silence and then DH says, although it sounds more like a complaint " We won't have any backyard left-" 

Rats!  Oh well, I tried. 

At least he's stopped saying that the backyard "looks like a redneck garden".  I had said that "Well, I like it that way" - hehe, and what about it made it look like a redneck garden anyway?  Guess he doesn't like the look of the large buckets everywhere, as he would prefer that they were submerged so that he doesn't have to look at them (you'd still have to mow around them either way).  Then he stated the  saving grace- "at least they (the buckets) are all the same color!"   

80

Chit Chat / Facebook vs Twitter vs IM (instant messaging)

« on: July 12, 2009, 04:46:00 AM »

Okay, I know what instant messaging is - you are logged into your email account and you stay logged in so when your friend or co-workers are also logged in they can send you an instant email that pops up on your screen while you are trying to do something else.

Facebook is something like a personal website that you can post your life on and send emails from to other people also plugged into the system as users.  Also has IM capability. (Not sure how my space works, but I imagine its the same)

Twitter? - I have no clue, and with all the new ways to commuicate with people my head is swimming!  I envision it as something like texting on a cellphone or blackberry.  Only I see it as some kind of screen that is constantly scrolling down telling you what your friend is doing at every second (like Facebook status updates). 

Anyone know what the difference is?  Why would anyone want to use it? 

81

Pond Chat / Love Osmocote...what to do with pond tabs?

« on: July 12, 2009, 04:37:11 AM »

Okay, so last year I got a bottle of pond tabs, killed a few plants by overfertilizing with them and switched to the infamous OSMOCOTE    So, what should I do with the pond tabs?  I'd like to use them up but am afraid to kill my plants....

82

Pond Chat / Friend or Foe?

« on: July 10, 2009, 06:00:25 AM »

Is this the good kinda snail or the bad kind?

83

Pond Chat / For Joyce - mosquito granules?

« on: July 10, 2009, 05:26:07 AM »

Joyce,

  Where did you say you got your mosquito granules from?  I want to mix some in my soil per your receipe for the BT so I don't have to bother spraying the water lily pads.  I have mosquito dunks floating in the water, but still get some caterpillars, so maybe it floating in the water is not getting into the plant systemically.  I found the dunks at Lowes and Home Depot, but have not seen it in  granular form anywhere. 

84

Pond Chat / Nightbloomers for non sunny days?

« on: July 08, 2009, 03:07:57 PM »

So here's a thought.  Rather than be bummed when its overcast because the day lilies will not open when its cloudy, maybe we should all own nightbloomers which bloom in the evening.  Afterall they bloom at a time when there is not as much sunshine right?  Correct me if I'm wrong, as I only recently acquired a couple nightbloomers and they have not bloomed just yet, so I do not know how they behave in various amounts of sunlight.

85

Pond Chat / "Grand Slam" home run winner...its first bloom (lotus)

« on: July 03, 2009, 09:54:18 PM »

 The Grand Slam lotus has finally produced its first bloom!  And there are two more buds along the way  - got Grand Slam from Frank (Matherfish) earlier in the season.

 Hope you like the pics!
This is 1st Bloom, Day3


PS: In case you were wondering the seedpod on the right belongs to the Green Maiden that flowered in the pot next door...

86

Pond Chat / too late in season to repot a lotus?

« on: June 27, 2009, 06:33:29 AM »

Was wondering if it was too late in the season to repot a lotus?  My Red Scarf hasn't bloomed since I got it last year and the leaves are kinda sparce.  Last year I overfertilized it with pond tabs.  I now know about Osmocote.  Is it too late to repot at this point due to the temperatures here in central Florida?

87

Pond Chat / Does Green Smoke look like Southern Charm or are they very different?

« on: June 24, 2009, 08:40:42 PM »

I am confused as the pics on Victoria Adventures appear as if the green smoke definitely looks green in the middle and blue or purple on the edges, and the southern charm looks more of a total blue or purple bloom (no green). 

Timgod- I saw a photo you recently posted of a 2nd day bloom on Southern Charm, but it looked like what the Green Smoke pics look like on VA.  Is that unusual or the norm for this bloom?  BTW I did not see either listed on your website for sale...

88

Pond Chat / How do you keep your tags/labels from fading in the sun?

« on: June 24, 2009, 07:26:35 PM »

I am constantly having to rewrite in black permanent marker the name of the plants on the plastic tags because the sun keeps fading it away.  I am pretty sure its the sun because only one tag did not fade and that was because there were so many lily pads covering the surface of the water in the container pond that I don't think the sun got down to the pot the lily was in. 

Is everyone using permanent marker?  Has anyone tried pencil instead and does it stay on for longer? 

89

Chit Chat / Update on Petey the abandoned kitten

« on: June 19, 2009, 07:35:58 AM »

Went to the first vet appt about a couple weeks ago and had his first in 3 series of "Distemper" shots.  DH once asked why that was necessary and was it for "anger management somehow"..
Although, I dare say that this little guy needs something like that...he is a "biter and swatter" and is constantly squirming!  We have nicknamed him the "TROLL"

This week he will go for his second distemper shot, and test for feline AIDS and feline Leukemia.  I am praying that he is negative for both, as I would like him to be a permanent member of the family and not have to worry about my other cats contracting these feline diseases from a stray/abandoned outside cat.  Vet says testing for this cannot be done until kitten is about 10 weeks old. 

He definitely has an aggressive attitude...hisses at the one friendly female (of the 2 resident females) that would be his only source of feline companionship, as the other "Queen of the Liar" is not so friendly towards other cats.  Not a very smart move on his part...

Being as we still have no children, only "furbabies" DH was taken to dressing up the kitten..   Says, "you have to start them when they are young, so they get use to it"...I had gotten stuff at Petco on clearance as a novelty, but none of my other cats would have anything to do with clothes. 

So, here is a pic of him when he is not being a TROLL- for the whole 10 minutes a day that that lasts...

90

Pond Chat / Dragonfly exoskeletons?

« on: June 19, 2009, 07:18:48 AM »

I thought this would be a neat picture.  There are two exoskeletons of some insect hanging off the lotus pads.