Clippings by gerris2 - My Clippings

	Clippings by gerris2
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	coffee grounds acidity balancing additive suggestions? posted by: Gardeniera on 07.19.2011 at 11:15 am in Vermicomposting Forum I want to add my coffee grounds to my vermicomposter on a regular basis. I understand that this may cause the bedding to become too acidic. Does someone have a alkaline additive to prevent this from happening? And in what ratio? ie I might try adding ground cardboard (cause I here it is alkaline) in a 1:1 ratio by weight. NOTES: <none> clipped on: 10.22.2011 at 08:57 am last updated on: 10.22.2011 at 08:57 am

	Innoculating the Bedding posted by: equinoxequinox on 06.12.2010 at 07:00 pm in Vermicomposting Forum Credit to jim08204 for the idea of this post. Innoculating the Bedding to give the wee beasties a head start on the bedding and the food. Does putting a % of vermicompost back on top do this? Does putting lachaet on top do this? Does precomposting do this? Can Bokashi be used as precomposting? Can the bedding be pre innoculated in the same way as bokashi dry material added between layers of food? NOTES: <none> clipped on: 10.22.2011 at 08:55 am last updated on: 10.22.2011 at 08:55 am

	My new FT Vermicomposter posted by: Worms4Tracy on 09.27.2011 at 03:04 am in Vermicomposting Forum I started with two pounds of worms and a little VermiHut back in April. Since then, my worm population has exploded and it's getting difficult to 1) feed them from my own household's scraps and 2) maintain both the VermiHut (now using all five trays) and the Rubbermaid 45-gallon tub. I am at the point where I need to start selling worms and harvesting large amounts of compost, so something had to give. Andrew suggested a FT composter and gave some links in my previous post, and I found one that I thought would work really well: http://vermicomposters.ning.com/profiles/blogs/my-flow-through I copied this design and built it today. Props to the original designer, and thank you Andrew for the great suggestion! I got a 50 gallon Rubbermaid garbage can with a snap-on lid and wheels, and put in lengths of PVC pipe about 3 inches apart, with 1 1/2" screws protruding about 1 1/4" from the pipe. I don't get the daily paper, but we have a surplus of brown paper grocery sacks, so I cut those open and put down two layers on top of the pipe, and several inches up the sides. With the overlap, some parts may have had three layers. I poured the contents of three FULL trays from the VermiHut into the bottom, which totaled about 6-8 inches of almost-ready-to-harvest compost, plus a plethora of EF and their cocoons. On top of that I put about 3-4 inches of bedding: the rest of my coconut coir and a bunch of shredded brown paper bags, cardboard, and junk mail. All of this was damp. On top of that I put a bunch of food: coffee grounds, veggie peelings and scraps, leftover cooked plain pinto beans, several changes of brown paper from the bottom of the bird cage. All of this had been frozen and then defrosted. Tomorrow I plan to put a tray in the bottom, shred up a ton more cardboard, and collect a bunch of aged horse manure from a local horse stable that said I can come and take as much as I want. This whole project took about one and a half hours from start to finish once I got the new bin and the PVC pipe home from the hardware store. Total cost: $66. Tools included a wood saw, a screwdriver, and a power drill with a 7/8" boring bit and a smaller drill bit, all of which I had at home. My 5 yo helped me put the pipes and screws in. She told me that one of her secret powers is the ability to speak worm and so kept going back and forth between me and the VermiHut to tell the worms how awesome their new home was. :-) She also helped transfer the worms from the VermiHut to the new FT by the very-very-very small handful and insisted on telling each handful that they were about to move into their new home. I think that to contain my current worm population and allow for their rapid growth, I will need at least three more 50-gallon FT containers. But I am determined that worm sales must pay for them, so I am going to work on that before I head back to the hardware store. Here are some pics from the project: By crocpunter at 2011-09-26 My PVC pipe cut to size, drilled with staggered holes on both sides, and fitted with T-joints (for use as a handle). The glue is drying. By crocpunter at 2011-09-26 This is the bin. It was just wide enough to fit five bars, spaced a little less than 3" apart. I drilled five holes in the front and five in the back about 8" above the ground. I drilled starter holes at the corners of where I wanted my door to be, and then used a wood saw to cut out the shape of the door. By crocpunter at 2011-09-26 This is what the inside looks like with the holes drilled in front and back, and the door cut out. By crocpunter at 2011-09-26 This is my 5 yo inside the bin (laying on its side) fitting the pipes and screws together. By crocpunter at 2011-09-26 This is the inside of the bin after the PVC and screws have been installed. Yes, those are my toes at the bottom peeking through the door. By crocpunter at 2011-09-26 This is the final completed product. It has a lid that fits tightly. NOTES: <none> clipped on: 10.22.2011 at 08:49 am last updated on: 10.22.2011 at 08:50 am

	Compost Bin Question posted by: earthworm73 on 09.29.2011 at 06:28 pm in Soil Forum I have filled one of my compost bins full but I have a 5 gallon bucket of chicken litter left over. I want to start another pile but the only thing I have on hand is a big (unknown gallon amount 30 gals?) wooden planter box that could double as a compost bin. The problem is I have some soil in it and the bottom of the wooden box is still intact. I am worried that because the bottom is still intact and the compost won't have any direct contact with the soil the worms and what not will not be able to move in and do their good work. Is it possble to turn a manure based ingredients into compost without direct contact with the ground? NOTES: <none> clipped on: 10.22.2011 at 08:47 am last updated on: 10.22.2011 at 08:47 am

	RE: How to hand pollinate Morning Glories? (Follow-Up #1) posted by: ron_convolvulaceae on 07.25.2008 at 03:59 am in Vines Forum Hi Fran, Learning how to do simple hand pollination is a good idea in order to increase seed production and to enjoy doing your own crosses or to insure that a particular cultivar is self-pollinated to prevent unwanted crosses. The easiest way to insure that a Morning Glory is pollinated is to push the anthers (after the pollen has been released) with the fluffy looking pollen up against the stigma so that pollen adheres to the usually slightly sticky surface of the stigma...if the anthers are at the same height as the stigma or slightly higher than the stigma , the pollination is easily achieved...(but if the anthers are much below the stigma or much higher than the stigma then simply using some object to simply push the anthers onto the stigma will not work and you will have to try another method...) You can use a small artists brush to tranfer the pollen from the anther to the stigma within a flower,or between different flowers... The brush should be able to perform 2 functions well a) pick up the pollen b) release the pollen I have found that the cheap brushes which are made out of synthetic material do not pick up or release pollen very well...cotton swabs are excellent at picking up pollen,but are very reluctant to release it and you are likely to to damage to the surface of the stigma by abrading (or bruising ) it with a cotton swab in the process of trying to get the pollen to be released... The brushes that work the best are made out of natural hair and pick up the pollen and release it very well...a very good brush is usually about $5 to $10 but worth it...you can find high quality brushes that are excellent for pollen work at an artists or high quality craft supply store...a quick wipe will clean the brush of pollen... The other method that I use to hand pollinate is grasp the stamen about midway (or lower) with a pair of tweezers and with a quick sharp tug > yank it free...then re-position the stamen so that the anther is facing the stigma and use it like a paint brush to lightly paint the surface of the stigma(s...a very light brushing is usually sufficient and you should be able to see the pollen coming off of the anther and adhering to the surface of the stigma...one very full anther can pollinate several flowers...you don't need to completely cover the stigma with pollen...10 to 15 good pollen grains is usually very sufficient...more than that is usually a waste of good pollen... The pollen will sprout and produce a pollen tube which will penetrate the specialized pollen tube transmitting tissue and make it's way to the ovary and on to the the ovules and if all goes well,the fertilized ovule will ripen into a seed... Morning Glories can only accommodate up to about 25 pollen tubes in total,so if the 25th pollen tube for whatever reason does not fertilize the ovules,no further pollen tubes will be enabled and any additional pollen placed onto the stigma is realistically wasted... The pollen transfer is best done as soon as the anthers have released the pollen (i.e., dehisced )and this may be very early in the morning,although some flowers may not release the pollen until mid-morning or sometimes later in the day... Hand pollination is best done when it is not too hot and not too cold...not too dry and not too wet...pollen which has been rained on is worthless... Pollen can be stored in a cool,dry place,on a non-absorptive surface(like glass,plastic or waxed paper) after being dried in the sun for about an hour or so...pollen so prepared will remain viable for a couple of months...pollen can also be frozen,but will loose a certain amount of vigor... Flowers which have been hand pollinated can be protected by any further unwanted pollination by covering them in something to prevent other pollinators from accessing the inner flower e.g., like a small piece of muslin with a tie string to tighten below the flower base... Hand pollination is actually very easy and can be mastered with just a little practice... Check out the photo link posted and click onto the contents at the top of the photo page to view more from Dr.Yoneda's wonderful online asagao book... There it is...(!) Hope the suggestions are helpful... Talk to you... Ron Here is a link that might be useful: Pistil and Stamen Closeup in Morning Glory Beginners Guide NOTES: <none> clipped on: 09.11.2010 at 08:37 am last updated on: 09.11.2010 at 08:37 am

	RE: What Is Loam? (Follow-Up #3) posted by: tapla on 05.11.2005 at 10:46 pm in Bonsai Forum What we in the US commonly refer to as loam, is considered by most to be inappropriate in bonsai soils. As the term "loam" relates to bonsai, it depends on what book you're reading and how old the book is, but you'll most commonly find it listed as a soil component in books by Japanese authors. They are not referring to our loam, but a soil, volcanic in origin, with fairly large particles that comes in colors. I've seen red and black loam listed as a soil component in books, but there are brown and yellow loams, too. During volcanic eruptions, powder-like dust and small particles are spewed out in huge quantities. As the deposits are washed by rain or moving water, the fines are carried away, and what is referred to as "loam" remains. Al NOTES: <none> clipped on: 12.02.2009 at 01:48 am last updated on: 12.02.2009 at 01:49 am

	What is a Real Japanese Morning Glory and related aspects posted by: ron_convolvulaceae on 09.14.2008 at 11:15 pm in Vines Forum I am posting the information in this thread due to the widespread misconceptions related to the topic of Japanese Morning Glories and to a lesser extent Morning Glories in general... This post is not intended as something to read quickly early in the morning over a quick cup of coffee before you rush out of the door...it is constructed for due consideration by those who have expressed an interest to learn more about the topic as certain important details are often elusive and / or misunderstood... Japanese Morning Glories and how to tell if a purported Japanese Morning Glory is the real McCoy or not... The 1st question that must be presented and addressed is the title of this thread and that is "What is a Real Japanese Morning Glory" The Japanese have been selectively breeding many different species(!) in the Morning Glory Family of Convolvulaceae for many centuries... The most common species associated with the term 'Japanese Morning Glory' is Ipomoea nil which originated in the tropics of the New World, most likely South America and this species seems to have reached Japan from China...it is not known exactly how Ipomoea nil first reached China...although it has been speculated that I.nil may have traveled the same routes as Ipomoea batatas did in reaching the South Pacific Islands during Pre-Columbian time periods... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Columbian. Ipomoea nil the legitimate binomial for a distinct species.although the misleading illegitimate epithet of imperialis can still be seen in usage...there is no legitimate species of Ipomoea 'imperialis'...the imperialis term is a non-scientific term used to refer to a japanese morning glory most usually the large flowered Ipomoea nil,but has also been used as a very fuzzy term to describe 'japanese' morning glories of uncertain parentage... So,what then is a Japanese Morning Glory ? A Japanese Morning Glory could potentially be any of the various species and cultivars associated with Japan,but there really is no ultra-specific entity that is A Real Japanese Morning Glory. I think it is more accurate to refer to the various species of Morning Glories (e.g., I.nil, Ipomoea purpurea) that originated in Japan as selections and perhaps culti-varieties as a Japanese Style of Morning Glory. The topic of trying to keep a particular cultivar or line of Morning Glories to remain true to the important characteristics of the parent stock is closely linked to the 'idea' of a real japanese morning glory and ideally it is certainly better to implement hand pollination with strict controls so that any seeds produced are most definitely from the selected parents... Strict hand pollination with various degrees of associated strict controls to prevent unwanted fertilizations is definitely often used in maintaining pre-existing lineage control and in the intentional creation of Morning Glories with new / novel characteristics...but,the largest distributors in Japan (i.e., Takii and Sakata) produce their crops in large open pollinated environments...and many (if not most) smaller growers in Japan also distribute seeds from open pollinated plants and reserve hand pollination with strict controls only for special plants... The seed packages that are directly from Japan are open pollinated...and if the rate of naturally occurring mutations is added in (usually about % to 25%) which can vary with the particular line,then all factors considered,there is a very good chance of getting a plant with characteristics that differ considerably from the description or the package pictorials...even if the seeds are from the packages directly from Japan. Japanese package pictorials are commonly exaggerated...just like they are anywhere else in the marketing world... My experience with some of the Japanese style of Morning Glories is that the relatively few growers in the USA who are relatively serious about trying to provide a high quality product are at least as likely to provide a real Japanese style of Morning Glory as you are likely to get from a sealed package of seeds directly from Japan...and sometimes the quality control of the seeds from the USA growers is better than what could be expected from a commercial packet directly from Japan. I have spoken directly to the 'staff botanists' of the large US distributors and they did not know very much at all about Morning Glories...e.g., did not know how to differentiate between completely different species or to make a serious determination as to what the company was actually offering...you cannot realistically expect that retailers who purchase in large quantities from wholesalers will know much more than their suppliers... I have been able to get some product batches of large distributors that were mis-identified corrected,but with difficulty...and I rarely waste my time with pursuing this anymore...frankly,it's like talking to a brickwall... Merchants who are active participants on the Forums where the details of various Morning Glories are openly discussed are realistically much more likely to know about Morning Glories than those Merchants who intentionally or unintentionally distance themselves from the Forums...seeds from these merchants are much more likely to match photos displayed than photos from merchants who are not MG enthusiasts. Merchants who are not active participants in the Morning Glory discussions are not likely to realistically know much about Morning Glories as a non-monetary interest or to realistically know what it is that they are offering...consider the motivation as a serious part of the source and of any information...people generally simply repeat what they are told and pass the buck if there is a problem...and enthusiasts who purchase just for the fun of it,but also do not really know about Morning Glories compound the potential difficulties encountered... The merchants that to the best of my ability to determine, who are knowledgeable about Morning Glories do not have 'ad extensions' that attack other merchants directly or indirectly...the ones who cast the first stones seem to consistently forget about the wise saying about people who live in glass houses...'stone throwing' is okay as long as the person is on the pitching side,but if they are getting some criticism back...then all of a sudden they don't care for the stone throwing and it's a terrible crime and so on and so forth... Merchants who are not particularly knowledgeable about their product often get 'huffy' if they are called on what it is that they offer and / or purport to know...deriding enthusiasts who have a sincere interest to enjoy a more accurate or indepth knowledge of what it is that they enjoy growing... The majority of Morning Glories are relatively open pollinated stable,but there is definitely an appreciable chance of cross fertilization... The Japanese Style of Morning Glories are in some cases the result of certain unintentional crossings and mutations,but some of the best are the result of intentional crossings by knowledgeable enthusiasts...and the same situation applies to Morning Glories being grown out anywhere else,including the USA... I strongly recommend to those persons interested enough in Morning Glories to: Learn how to properly identify the 4 most common species before you try to become a cultivar 'afficionado'... Learning how to tell the 4 most common species by using the very obvious and easy sepal Key and seedpod characteristics would contribute greatly to eliminating much of the confusion surrounding Morning Glories....a relatively tiny amount of accurate education would go a very long way on this matter... The 4 most commonly grown Morning Glory species are: Ipomoea nil,Ipomoea purpurea,Ipomoea tricolor and less commonly Ipomoea hederacea and each of these has significant differences in the sepals and seedpods... Ipomoea nil has elongated sepals that do not curve at the tips and the seedpods remain erect pointed upwards http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/55120/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/124448/ Ipomoea nil seedpods remain erect... http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/113380/ Ipomoea hederacea has sepals that are similar to Ipomoea nil but the sepal tips and/or upper sepal section will at some point curve backwards http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/125101/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/125102/ Ipomoea hederacea seedpods remain erect http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/125102/ Ipomoea purpurea sepals usually relatively short and wide at base... http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/146083/ Ipomoea purpurea seedpods always reflex to point towards the ground very shortly after fertilization http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/132998/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/31407/ Ipomoea tricolor sepals are short and remain flush up against the capsule...the plant has no hair anywhere on the plant...the seedpods remain erect on healthy tissue... http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/106781/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/139616/ I hope that the information contained in this thread will help to educate that population of people who are particularly interested to enjoy growing various Morning Glories and to enjoy learning about them in the process... Thank you for your interest... Ron NOTES: <none> clipped on: 03.18.2009 at 06:14 am last updated on: 03.18.2009 at 06:14 am