Weather XVIII test
always_beezee
9 years ago
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kentuck_
8 years agobreenthumb
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Container Soils - Water Movement and Retention XVIII
Comments (229)When it comes to root health, pots with gas permeable walls carry the day. Terra cotta clay pots are better than plastic or vitrified clay pots and fabric pots are better than terra cotta clay. The reason is greater gas exchange through container walls and the fact that an increase in gas exchange comes with an increase in evaporative water loss, which can be a lifesaver when using water retentive media. There will still be a PWT in these pots, and for any given medium it will the same ht in a pot with rigid sides as in the fabric or air pots at container capacity. Container capacity is a measure of how much water the grow medium in a pot or container holds at the moment it has stopped draining after having been watered to the point of complete saturation. The ht of the PWT and how long it affects root function is usually key/critical in determining what opportunity a plant will have to realize as much of its genetic potential as possible (within the limiting effects of other cultural influences). The factor that most affects the ht of a PWT is the size of the particles from which the medium is made. So, reducing the duration of PWTs limitations increases the opportunity for plants to realize a greater measure of their genetic potential. But wait! There's a more important consideration. If you place your fabric containers directly on the ground/soil, from the perspective of hydrology it changes the fabric container to a raised bed; this, because water is free to move through the fabric between the grow medium and the earth, with the earth acting as a giant wick. This means, because of the increase in the force of adhesion in the mineral soil beneath the pot (due to a mineral soils much larger o/a surface area on a per volume basis), water in the soil will be pulled downward with enough source to overcome the capillarity holding it perched in the container. As long as you don't place the fabric container on coarse sand, peastone, or other large particles, the earth will likely pull all perched water from most media one is likely to use in a container. I've mentioned this and the fact that healing in your pots situating them directly on top of soil turns them into raised beds. the only caveat being it's essential that there is a 'soil bridge' so there is continuity of the soil column between the soil (earth) and the grow medium in the container, through the drain hole(s), so water doesn't have to jump an air gap to exit the container. This applies more to pots with rigid walls and is not a factor when discussing fabric containers. Al...See MoreBlackberry Plant Cold Weather Protection
Comments (11)I've got Triple Crown planted 2012, made it through 2012 and 2013 winters covered with multiple layers of burlap (old coffee bean bags). I was worried about 2013-2014 since we had some very bitter cold without snowcover, but I uncovered the canes a few weeks ago, and just this week took a peek at some I was tip-rooting (trying to move them to another row since I planted 5 in same row with raspberries and now the raspberries are spreading so want the row to themselves). Roots look good, I'm leaving them covered through heavy rains and cool temps right now, but canes are starting to get leaf buds. I did cut the canes to separate from the mother plants, leaving some buds on each section. Got a handful of berries off those 5 original plants last summer, hoping for more this year, and will keep tip-rooting to fill out the new row (not sure when/if I should move the original plants). I want 1 row of Killarney and 1 of Encore (not spreading as much, that's in a second row with a fallbearing variety I got off Freecycle). Plus 1 of TC and maybe 1 of the fallbearing (which is spreading to the south, marked them coming up through the mulch so just plan on mounding dirt on top of them, only a couple need to be moved, the rest are coming up pretty much in a straight line). I probably have to find a new spot, but DH pulled out a lot of the wild black raspberries when he dug out the multiflora rose from the back field. Saw post about Niwot - did you have to call Nourse to order? My fallbearing raspberries (could be Autumn Britten, woman couldn't remember) flowered but weren't pollinated last year even though I uncovered them when I saw blossoms. Had covered with sheer curtains to try to keep the SWD out - saw a few on the Encore, was trying to pick the TC ASAP to keep ahead of them. Think there would be a problem with Niwot and SWD?...See MoreHelp ASAP water testing
Comments (9)How many fish do you have in your pond? What kind of fish - koi, goldfish, other? How large is the pond? Do you have any shade? Plants? How often do you feed? Is the temperature you mentioned, 94, water temperature or air temperature? The air temperatures here reached 97 yesterday, but my water temperature was 80 degrees, which is acceptable. I'm not too concerned about the Ph. Mine tends to run about 80, the fish are accustomed to it. Sudden Ph changes can be stressful, but if it stays consistent, I wouldn't worry about that too much unless it goes above 85. Then you may want to consider Ph Down to slowly bring the Ph to a more acceptable level. Your more pressing problem is the nitrites, which are toxic to fish. This is caused by the ammonia excreted from the fish waste, even from their gills. Your nitrites are not extremely high at this point, but you may need to add an ammonia binder to detoxify it while you work on bringing the levels down. Nitrates are not harmful to fish, but at high levels can lead to other problems, such as methane gas production, which is not good. I would stop feeding the fish for a few days, do a partial water change, and clean out any debris that may be decaying in the pond. If you're overstocked, as many of us are, you may need to look into increasing your bio filtration or rehoming a few of the fish. I'm not an advocate of adding bottled bio bacteria, since it is a naturally occurring bacteria, but you may want to do this to help bring your bacteria concentration up to help deal with the load. If you have a UV, turn it off until the bacteria has settled, a few days should be more than enough time. Also, if the fish have been spawning, that will also bring the nitrite levels up. Keep the aerator going....See Morecold tolerant plantings get tested
Comments (12)You guys (both male and female) must be really young with really strong backs! When we moved here from Miami - I was determined to have some tropicals. And I can remember running out in the late afternoon when it was 45 trying to cover things when we were supposed to have a hard freeze. Lots of fun (rolling eyes). After about 5 years - I stopped trying to fight mother nature. I still do buy tropicals - but only small fairly inexpensive ones for a butterfly/hummingbird garden that I'm prepared to lose every year (and pull out and throw away). Plant only after 3/15 (recommended date here - almost no chance of hard freeze here after then in zone 9A) - and when the plants die - they die - they die (sometime our first hard freeze is in February - sometimes - this this year - it's in December). IMO - if you're new to the area - especially if you're in zones 9A or 9B - I'd see what normal weather patterns are like where you live. Not only what the low temps are during the winter - but how long they last (some plants are ok with an hour of light freeze - many others need 3-4+ hours to get hurt). And how often you get them. And you have to remember not to prune many of those cold damaged plants until your last probable freeze date (like I have some hibiscus that have been damaged - they look like garbage - but I won't know until spring pruning whether I have to prune off a foot of deadwood - or take them down to the ground (if the latter - I'll dig them up and toss them - don't want to wait until August for flowers). BTW - in the years we lived in Miami - and our folks lived in Lighthouse Point (east Broward) - we never saw a freeze (hurricanes yes - freezes no). But there are a lot of plants there that don't even like weather in the 40's. Still - I only remember a couple of days down there when the lows were in the 40's. Robyn...See Morekentuck_
8 years agoalways_beezee
8 years agoalways_beezee
8 years agokentuck_
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoluvtosharedivs
8 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
8 years agokentuck_
7 years agoalways_beezee
7 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agokentuck_
7 years agokentuck_
7 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
7 years agokentuck_
7 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
7 years agokentuck_
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agokentuck_
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
7 years agoalways_beezee
7 years agokentuck_
7 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
7 years agokentuck_
7 years agokentuck_
7 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agokentuck_
7 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
7 years agokentuck_
6 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agokentuck_
6 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
6 years agokentuck_
6 years agokentuck_
6 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
6 years agokentuck_
6 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
6 years agokentuck_
6 years agoalways_beezee
6 years agokentuck_
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agokentuck_
6 years agokentuck_
6 years agokentuck_
6 years agokentuck_
6 years agoluvtosharedivs
6 years agoluvtosharedivs
6 years agoalways_beezee
6 years agokentuck_
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoluvtosharedivs
6 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
6 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
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