Posted on 08/30/2013 1:16:25 PM PDT by greeneyes
I wonder, could it be that it was grafted onto peach rootstock? And that maybe branches are growing from the rootstock instead of the grafted tree?
She posts on Facebook sometimes. I think she just got so busy she had to cull which forums she was on. I’ve had to do that sometimes.
I may or may not be doing this the "Panameno" way, but it seems the results are about half-and-half. That is, the 'tonic', as I call it, undoubtedly kills a good proportion of ants that chomp on my plants; equally, some considerable proportion simply get the hell out of Dodge.
A biologist friend explained part of this to me. Coffee grounds, particularly, are painful for ants to walk over. I asked him why and he retreated to (what sounded to me like) scientific gobbledegook. However, as they say, experimental proof is ALL...and ants -- at least the little buggers around here -- really DO NOT like walking over coffee grounds. I've spent dozens of hours just watching (ok, ok, I'm weird...sigh).
Cinnamon and hot peppers (I use the dried flakes) are detested by ants for apparently other reasons, including scent and the way that these 2 ingredients change the 'natural' water in the soil. Further than that, I cannot say. Not sure exactly what repellent/toxic effect the garlic and black pepper have, sorry.
I use what amounts to a 'tea'; all ingredients into a pot, then heat over low for 10-12 minutes. Then apply freely.
However, the plants, particularly sweet peppers (or pimentones as they're called here) 1) seem to have FAR fewer ants messing with them after application, 2) love the nutrients in coffee grounds (controlled experiment -- limited -- with 12 pepper plants treated and 12 untreated in the same bed for 4 weeks), and 3) are overall benefiting.
I have found it helpful to treat the soil with the 'tonic', then, a day or two later depending on rain, to sprinkle -- generously -- coffee grounds in the same place(s) that were treated.
I have NOT used orange peel at all, but I sort of suspect that ants might actually be attracted by orange peel due to their content of natural sugars. Frankly, I should consider lemon peel to be a more effective idea -- just a guess.
The major ant pest to pepper plants here (probably tomatoes, too, but I don't grow them) are the leaf-cutters, which can denude a plant's leaves 70, 80, 90% overnight. The 'tonic' appears to work quite well in repelling (at least -- I don't count corpses (g!)) these.
Hope this is of some use (and my poor, formerly healthy, salvia plant seems about to give up the ghost; we'll see), and all the best luck with your gardening!
Thank you very much for your consideration and your detailed reply! I’m a horticultural imbecile and look at all things related to gardening with the wonder and amazement of somebody who just got out of 30 years in solitary. Here I am in the country not knowing my head from my elbow lol! Anyway, the “tea” solution and then separate coffee grounds now seem doable. (Better than crawling around in the dirt with the spice shakers!) Now I gotta research ants and coffee grounds. (I’m weird, too.) :)
I have no experience with sweet potatoes. None. Nada. Zip. I’ll be waiting on your report to let me know all the answers.LOL
Hubby is drying zuke chips on the dehydrator. We figure they can be reconstituted when it’s time for zucchini bread this winter.
ooh lala! Thanks for the link.
We have wondered that very thing. However, you would think that would have been disclosed in the catalog, and it wasn’t. It’s just a mystery. All I know is those were some of the best peaches I ever ate.
We don’t do long term storage, so don’t do the oxy-absorbers. Just sealed jars for use during the year; or vacuum seal for somewhat longer storage.
We just got an earlier start. You are doing great.
Please Keep me posted on how that works out, and what design you use. The videos of rocket stoves intrigue me, but I'd rather hear the ins & outs, ups & downs, and real world results from a trusted source.
Good plan!
It’s very rare that I’ve seen a catalog mention what the rootstock was. Some don’t even mention that it’s grafted.
Glad it grew good peaches :)
Will do.
Thank you very much, E! That does appear to be her and you have relieved my mind considerably!
And I’m very sorry about your salvia plant. :(
Someone on the thread knew and made contact with her son a while back and said she was OK, no other info was provided. I sent her a Christmas card last year and received one back. I say a prayer for her periodically, that she is healthy and happy.
In the picture at Mac and Ernies, the entryway to the new place is the entire old place!
Bundle them up, place them in a net bag, and hang them in your pantry ;)
You can also use a dehydrator. There are several types available.
I have a question about watering and you two should know and you may think it’s silly for me to ask.
I went out to water, remember I have containers and not plants in the ground. The two containers that have a watering hole on each side down close to the bottom, water the plants from the bottom up. When they were baby plants, it said to water them from the top until their roots grew more, so I did that as well as put water in the bottom because that space is not supposed to get dry. I don’t water from the top anymore. The soil at the top of those containers was not dry so I did nothing except make sure the bottom space was full of water.
The rest of the plants are in grow bags, and the planter in the garden has the walking onions and there are some flower seeds I dropped on the actual garden dirt, so those flowers are the only plants actually in ground dirt.
Now, how dry do you let the potting soil the plants are in get, before you water? I’ve been sticking a finger about half an inch into the soil and if that is dry, I water the plant and have no idea how much I’m putting in. That may be wrong and that’s why I’m asking. I don’t want to water log the plant.
I also have that sesame flower plant in a large pottery pot and yesterday, it’s leaves were drooping, so I put water in the pot and today the plant is looking normal. I don’t know how much water I put in there, I just used the hose and put some in there.
I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing when it comes to watering. The potting soil in the five tomato plants in 5 gal. grow bags, seemed dry to me when I put my finger 1/2 inch into the soil, so I watered them and that was using the hose and putting probably an inch of water in the top of the bag. I don’t know if that was enough or too much. Water does come out of the bags on the side and bottom so that water doesn’t stand in the bottom of those bags.
If you have developed your way of knowing about how to water, I’d like to know it. Even if you have a watering drip system, you are still limiting that water some how to know when it is enough.
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