Insomnia Thread...

[The Hollyberry Lady]

When you bring your potted plants inside for the winter Cam, scoop out the top inch or two of soil from the pot, where the season's gnats and their eggs will be, and throw it in the
garbage.


Then replace the top soil with fresh gnat-free soil and you likely won't even need the cinnamon at all. No point in bringing a bunch of gnats and their eggs indoors each Fall. If you suspect other bugs are all through the soil though, re-pot the plant into fresh soil, before you bring it in.


Yes Cam, generally bug infestations are less of a problem outside because there's usually lots of beneficial insects around, that take care of the bad guys. Indoors though, you don't have that advantage.



Trina...


if your mom showers her pepper plants with hard blasts of water from the hose or tap (especially the undersides of leaves), as a preventative measure before the aphids attack, she'll never see them. Nor spidermites either. The problem is they usually infest a plant before people even know it. Folks should just assume that bugs WILL try to attack the plants and to be ready to combat them before they arrive and start multiplying. Shower them weekly at least.


A lot of people wait until there's a huge infestation before taking any measures to keep them away. I use preventative measures though to keep pests from ever bothering to take up residence on my plants. They know water is-a-comin'!


The pepper Goddess...that's too funny!


: )

[MissStress]

Excellent! I will let her know

[The Hollyberry Lady]

All of my indoor pepper plants I show you guys, get showered 1-2 times per week. That's why they look so good because I keep the bugs away. If I didn't shower them like I do, they'd be covered in both spidermites and aphids!


It's a bit of work to keep things fresh and showered, but it's important to me, so I do it. I can't stand bugs on my plants...unless they're ladybugs or spiders.


Spiders are something you should never kill...indoors or out. They are the ultimate beneficial insect and they eat a lot of bugs that infest & take down plants. My mom actually collects them for me if she sees them around her place, so I can release them on my plants.


Yup Trina, if your mom gets into the habit of showering her pepper plants 1-2 times per week, she'll have a whole new experience with them...a very rewarding and pleasant one.


Good Luck!


: )

[MissStress]

Yeah.. love the beneficial bugs but have a hard time with the BIG spiders. I'll usually get someone to capture them and release them somewhere far far away.
There's this great place on the island I am moving to.. or at least there used to be. Was called "Nature's Alternative Insectory" and they sold all sorts of predator bugs like mite eating mites, lady bugs etc.. I hope they are still around!

[The Hollyberry Lady]

Yeah there's places you can order them from too...like predator mites that eat the nasty plant eating ones.


So you're moving at the end of the month are you, Trina? Bet you're so excited.


I'm moving too, but likely not until Aug/Sept time...I'll see.


So are you having a turkey for Easter? I think my mom and I might just go out for dinner this year. She's moving in a week or so, and we just wanna keep it low key. So much to do when you're moving.


: )

[MissStress]

Very excited.. been in the frozen tundra waaay too long!
We're having Turkey tomorrow night with the MIL and ham Saturday night @ my parents. Our mothers don't get along so we get to have two dinners!

[Willow87]

Thanks Sherry for the advice. Most of the time I just bring them in because a surprise freeze will happen and I wont have time to prepare, and most of the times when I bring them in, I'm short on cash LOL

[The Hollyberry Lady]

Too funny Trina, about having two dinners because the mother-in-laws don't get along!


Works out well for you guys though. Two dinners...yummy!


Well I'm sick today...for the first time in three years!


Weird too because I've never been sick in the spring, ever in my life. I have a sore throat, dry cough, itchy eyes, and a body-ache kind of feeling. It just sucks and I'm never sick. I don't get it at all because I wasn't around anyone who was sick. I sure hope I feel better by tomorrow or I'll be cancelling my trip to Toronto with the pals.


Hoping a good night's rest will do the trick.


So how's everyone's Easter weekend going?


Cam, you could save up over the summer for a decent bag of sterile soil to bring your plants inside in the Fall. I guess it just depends on what's important to you and if you want a house full of gnats or not.


I guess I just hate stuff like that, being a woman and all especially, but I know some of you guys are less concerned about the things I am, and you don't mind a few gnats flying around. I see one, and go into a complete panic...grabbing the cinnamon and soapy spray bottle and rushing to rescue my plants!


Note: A lot of people say gnats are harmless but they actually eat plant roots and can kill
seedlings.


It's kind of funny but I've actually had boyfriends that were totally jealous of my plants and the time I spend on them. One accused me of loving my plants more than them!


I'm taking some pics and trying to load them so I can post, but thought I'd pop in and say 'hi'. for a minute.


Happy Good Friday, gang.


: )

[Willow87]

Hi Sherry I'm sorry to hear you are sick. The humidity here has been horrible, its good for the plants but I dont like it lol. A friend of my brother invited my family for Easter dinner, I dont know if we will go. I may just have to save up for one of those very big bags of soil. I hate gnats but I have dealt with them for years that it doesnt really bother me too much. But this past winter they were horrible, the worst I've seen in years. I usually spray my plants before I bring them indoors but last year I rushed bringing them in at one time, when usually I bring a few in over a period of weeks

[The Hollyberry Lady]

It'll be worth your while to get a good bag of sterile mix, Cam. You won't have to bring a bunch of gnats each Fall and deal with them.


Yeah I'm sick and I might have to sign off abruptly soon. I get tired and need to rest. I just hope I feel better by tomorrow.


Still taking some shots because the first ones came out blurry. I gotta load them too and photobucket takes forever, it seems. I'm supposed to have high-speed wireless internet but it seems more like slow-speed to me.


: )

[Willow87]

I guess it would be a good investment. I bought some really good soil from a local nursery but it was so expensive, but it had everything in it, coconut coir, peat, perlite, compost, grounded bark and some other stuff. It was probably by far the best potting soil I have used. You definitely need to get plenty of rest, you dont want to be ill during Easter. I went outside to trim my yard and my allergies are bothering me again.

[MissStress]

Monster-In-Law is here now.. I am taking a sanity break. Make the nails on chalkboard stop!

Hope you feel better soon Sherry!!

[Willow87]

Hopefully you will have a nice dinner to make up for it Trina

[The Hollyberry Lady]

I do need to get some rest but I just hate being sick and don't want to act like I am.


I know the feeling Trina, about those in-laws that are hard to deal with. Good you're able to get away for awhile though.


Have you met, JaNan? She's super nice, and she likes to gab here in the insomnia thread with us too. I think she's around but maybe she's away from her computer. Don't be shy JaNan...pop in and say 'hello'.


Yeah, there are some super expensive soils out there Cam, but you don't have to feel like you gotta put out a fortune to get something that's decent. I buy bales of Sunshine mix for 30 bucks. A bale is like 112 litres or something, so it'll do you for awhile. I buy the #1 and #4...I think.


So yeah, I was gonna go take one more shot that I just couldn't get right before. Brb...


: )

[Willow87]

I've never heard of Sunshine mix. I guess i could go searching for good potting soil, though I still have a while

[Jananas Bananas]

I'm here! I have been posting in some other threads. Now it is time to feed the animals and me and hubby. Be back in a few!

Hey Sherry and Cameron! Nice to meet you Trina!

~JaNan

[The Hollyberry Lady]

I'm certain the States has Sunshine mix too Cam, so just give your local greenhouse a call and inquire.


Good to 'see' you JaNan. Thanks for popping in and being social.


So I seem to be feeling a bit better but not 100%. I've been eating and drinking all day to try to shake this cold or whatever it is. I ate an orange and apple earlier, and now I'm having strawberry yogurt with bananas cut into it. At least my appetite is good.


Hoping I can still go to Toronto tomorrow but I'm not gonna push myself if I feel cruddy in the morning again. This morning was just the worst for me. I woke up coughing uncontrollably and my throat was really sore. It's still sore but not nearly as bad as it was, thankfully.


Sorry to rave on about it but it's just really weird that I'm sick at all. Very unusual for me. I hope it's another three years before I'm sick again.


So I was about to take the perfect unblurry shot and...my camera died!


I'm gonna try again...


: )

[The Hollyberry Lady]

I charged the camera for 10 minutes but I just can't get the shot right. I'll have to try again in the daytime.


Hope you guys have a good night if I drop off suddenly...


: )

[Willow87]

Hi Sherry I will check out the local nurseries to see if they have it. I hate that you are sick. I'm feeling kind of nauseous, I've felt this way for a while.

[tbaleno]

Sherry,
your symptoms almost sound like you have been inhaling mold spores. Any mold around? Has it been damp and maybe a neighbor has mold in their apartment?