The truth about the longevity of Echinacea please (!)
katyajini
2 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (17)
katyajini
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Dwarf apple tree bark shedding help please
Comments (1)Dave: There is a condition known as sunscald which occurs in northern latitudes when the low-angle rays of the sun strike the trunk while ambient temperatures are way below freezing. This causes thermal shock on the trunk, and can result in bark splitting. Many growers in northern locations paint their trunks with white latex for that reason. It is debatable whether you are far enough north for this condition to occur, but in northern Nebraska it may be possible. Truth be told, there there may be other factors at work here, and it is not always possible to pin them down. Stuff just happens to trees, and if it does not seriously affect the health and productivity of the tree, you can be grateful for that. If these are full-dwarf trees and they have made it to 14 years without serious issues, that is pretty good in itself. Dwarfs will not compete with standard or even semi-dwarf trees for longevity. My semi-dwarf trees that are older than 15 years have lots of bark scaling on some of the upper limbs, but they continue to soldier on and produce, and I don't plan to remove them. It sounds as if you attention to spraying is very good, but I don't think there is any chemical spray that could have prevented bark splitting, and assume that the white worm was just taking advantage of a place to hide. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA...See MorePerennial Lovers- how do you feel about annuals?
Comments (71)Here's Western-y poetics for ya..... Snakeweed, Shindagger, Horsecrippler, Dogweed, Cowblinder, Rattlesnake Master, Flameflower, Scullcap, Starvation Cactus, Antelope Horns, Mosquito Grass (or Skeeter Grass if you're a real hick), Barometer Bush, Rabbitbush, Winterfat, Mormon Tea, Indian Blanket, Mexican Hats, Scrambled Eggs, Texas Yellow Star, Locoweed, Bitterweed, Scorpion Flower, Devil's Claw, Navajo Tea, Prince's Plume, Leadplant, Indian Tobacco, Desert Spoon, Beargrass, Soap Tree Yucca, Buckwheat, Firewheel, Deergrass. Beargrass and of course Sitting Bull Falls Cardinal Flower. Its not really poetry but its a bit of brief story telling. I'm not in the horticulture or nursery business so unless I need to specify or pin a species down for some reason I use the vernacular, some people frown on this. I do look them up when necessary. Semi-arid, wide skies & flat windy landscapes sounds like it would be perfect for many of the natives around here. What kind of soil, I'm interpreting that you are saying there is a lot of natural peat? BTW, wantanamara is in a primo-de-la-primo spot for native plants-- the Texas Hill Country-- the place is famous for their natives. They've got the Lady Bird Johnson Native Plant Demonstration Gardens and everything. Lady Bird did more for stirring up interest in natives than anyone else I know of. Our highway wildflower plantings, among other things, show her influence. Each year I collect gobs of seeds stored in several ziploc bulk sized baggies with various SW & prairie natives to keep my populations in check since I have more limited space than some lucky people I could mention. If I lived on an acreage, I'd just let them fall. I'd be glad to to send them later in the year for fall sowing, I try to pass them along to anyone really interested in naturalizing natives. Most are easy, low growing & long blooming making them good for naturalizing with reliable color. This post was edited by TexasRanger10 on Thu, May 8, 14 at 18:20...See MorePlease help us determine the health of our new succulents!
Comments (17)It looks like they just took plants out of their original pots and plop them on top of peat that didn't have even perlite added. The rocks, I assume, were from the top dressing. And I am glad that you can see for yourself how wet it was inside the containers. Shake off - tease off (helping yourself with a chopstick) all the soil from the roots. You can have plants sitting on some newspaper/paper towels for a while. It will help to suck-up extra moisture, and they will nor die. If you get bag of perlite and maybe some grit (grains should be approx. size of aquarium gravel), or pumice, or scoria - you can make great mix yourself. If only perlite available, sift it using kitchen sieve and use only what remains in it; mix 50/50 or 60/40% perlite/soil. Grit is very good for drainage, if you can get it I would use 40% of each grit & grit and rest of soil. And they needs to be in planter with drainage. If you really want to use decorative containers, you need to take plants out as I mentioned before, for watering and draining. I would keep saucer underneath and keep checking if any water accumulates - if so, empty it. Otherwise just return them :) Use containers with drainage and a saucer. The rootless plant may grow roots. Just set it on top of the mix and in a while - if healthy - it will start growing roots. Here are some Haworthias in similar container as yours except it is thinner and I have drilled drainage holes into it. Plants have been potted into it almost 4yrs ago:Grit on top is bigger than grit in the mix (you can use the pebbles you already have). Mix in this container is made of grit, perlite and turface and very little bark....See MoreQuestion about condensing gas water heaters
Comments (50)Funny, most vegans I meet are secretive and don't like talking about it. Probably result of shocked reactions (guilty as charged) and related bullying. I can see why a financial analyst might try to use NPV for this but it adds assumptions other than regular investor meeting or beating market. Comparing a tankless gas heater to a large tank heat pump water heater with different fuels and performance details is not that simple. Who cares about negative NPV with tankless lag and cold water sandwiches or HPWH making an important area less comfortable. Is positive NPV more important than possibly poisoning your family with cheap gas tank combustion exhaust? Sure money is more valuable in the future including appliance cost and replacement labor. Hassle of emergency replacement is part of reason cheapo heaters exist. Better planning includes durability, especially when health is at risk. A 6 year life for a gas tank is more unsafe than 6 year life for electric tank. I'm guessing Bry's bean counting didn't include infrastructure or monthly utility fees either. I've heard some gas fees are as high as $30 a month/$360 per year even with no gas usage. Some have low infrastructure costs, but it's not uncommon for deeply buried gas supply lines, trenching and backfill to run in the thousands for our area, mainly for challenging lots. Our HVAC contractor charges a per appliance drop charge fee for gas supply pipe in the house, roughly half the cost of the cheapest water heater. Don't forget venting! It's not just about energy efficiency, paybacks and investment. This decision involves health and life-safety. Bry's water heaters and wonderdog's most economical suggestion are atmospherically vented gas heaters. These are dangerous appliances because they backdraft combustion exhaust regularly: Picture from above link 3 problems with atmospherically vented appliances. They are most dangerous inside a home. Garage installations are certainly more acceptable but they are still unsafe. Most attached garage-to-home interfaces are not airtight. Prevailing wind, stack effect, bath fans, dryers and most notably kitchen vent hoods suck garage air into the home. Having an open flame pilot light, inside the garage which is sometimes exposed to flammable fumes is not safe either. I have a friend that was tragically effected by this exact situation. If the garage is well ventilated to the outdoors, has no living space above, does not face prevailing winds has an airtight connection to house and is not exposed to flammable liquids or fumes that makes them more acceptable but all of that is such a stretch it's safer to say never. In case others like wonderjack have missed it, my next recommendation after a HPWH is a big, electric-resistance tank (or two smaller ones) which can be very affordable and high performance. Using electric tanks with switches, timers, Time-of-Use metering or Automated Demand Response are ways to use energy more appropriately while increasing the safety of a home. I realize good situations for gas exist but for the most part, it's not the cheapest way to heat anymore. It doesn't make sense for most new, code-built homes or those considering upgrading infrastructure for existing appliance replacement....See Morekatyajini
2 years agokatyajini
2 years agokatyajini
2 years agokatyajini
2 years agokatyajini
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agokatyajini
2 years agopennlake
2 years ago
Related Stories
WORKING WITH PROS10 Things Decorators Want You to Know About What They Do
They do more than pick pretty colors. Here's what decorators can do for you — and how you can help them
Full StoryGREEN BUILDING6 Green-Roof Myths, Busted
Leaky, costly, a pain to maintain ... nope, nope and nope. Get the truth about living roofs and see examples from simple to elaborate
Full StoryKITCHEN COUNTERTOPSQuartz vs. Granite: The Battle of the Countertops
Read about the pros and cons — and see great examples — of these popular kitchen countertop materials
Full StoryFURNITUREHow to Buy a Quality Sofa That Will Last
Learn about foam versus feathers, seat depth, springs, fabric and more for a couch that will work for years to come
Full StoryKITCHEN CABINETSKitchen Cabinet Color: Should You Paint or Stain?
Learn about durability, looks, cost and more for wooden cabinet finishes to make the right choice for your kitchen
Full StoryFURNITUREHow to Choose the Right Sofa Cushion
Shopping for a sofa? Here’s what to know about the basic cushion options — and the all-important test you must do for yourself
Full StoryGARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIESGardening for the Bees, and Why It’s a Good Thing
When you discover how hard bees work for our food supply, you may never garden without them in mind again
Full StoryTHE HARDWORKING HOMEWhere to Put the Laundry Room
The Hardworking Home: We weigh the pros and cons of washing your clothes in the basement, kitchen, bathroom and more
Full StoryWHITE KITCHENSWhite Cabinets Remain at the Top of Kitchen Wish Lists
Find out the most popular countertop, flooring, cabinet, backsplash and paint picks among homeowners who are renovating
Full StoryMOST POPULAROrganizing? Don’t Forget the Essential First Step
Simplify the process of getting your home in order by taking it one step at a time. Here’s how to get on the right path
Full StorySponsored
perennialfan275