Bananas.org - View Single Post - Tips for growing bananas & anything else. Got any?

Patty in Wisc · 02-17-2009, 08:29 PM

"Works great on sun-dried pit fruit seeds. Bad idea for lettuce."
..I don't know anyone who would start lettuce seeds indoors...LOL

Originally Posted by Patty in Wisc
"3) To keep bugs out of potted plants outside, put pieces of pantyhose or fine window screen inside at drainage holes before filling w/ mix."
...All my pots sit on 2x4's or or are propped off ground & they drain just fine w/ pantyhose or screen at drain holes.
Some of my TALL tree pots are set underground to keep from falling over. With these 14) I wrap copper wire around the pot above ground to keep slugs & bugs from crawling up. They fry when they touch copper.
Around here, snails & slugs are the same thing. I won't buy slug bait...beer works fine. They are attracted to it & when they are laying at bottom of dish, they look drowned to me!

.."number 2 problem is over-application of coffee grounds -- they acidify the soil to the point of plant death."
I'm not talking Truckloads LOL. Just household use. I put my grounds & eggshells in my compost.

.."The color of the pot makes little or no difference. If you must shield the pot (a good idea), put it inside a larger clay pot that allows 1/2 inch or more of space between the two. I'm too cheap for that -- instead I just position a piece of tile or cardboard between the pot and the sunshine, leaving the rest of the plant exposed to the sun."
.. I tested this with a thermometer. Pots were at same temp inside. Brought out to sun, 4-5 hours later, the black pot soil was higher temp than white pot facing sun. Cardboard would work but looks ugly. Aluminum foil also helps deflect sun rays.

.. "don't use high-phosphorus products like Miracle-Gro."
The M.G. mix I used is N - .21%, phosphate - .07%, potash - .14%. So, not a whole lot of phosphate.
Since my whole point here is using what you have around the house & not buy baits or bug sprays etc, I should really make my own mix. I'd use peat, composted manure & a lot of perlite. Would be much cheaper than the MG mix I bought!

.. "if the ants don't put them back up sooner. A shot with a pyrethrum every two weeks will kill them and cut down the breeding dramatically."
.. I don't know what pyrethrum is. I won't buy it when my hose, or soap spray works fine for aphids & mites.
15) For ants I sprinkle boric acid around. It's cheap, available, & it works.

16) A wooden dowel (any unpainted stick) to measure moisture in soil. Expensive meters sometimes don't work. Shove your finger in pot to feel. In large pots, shove the dowel all the way down & pull it out to feel if it's wet. I leave the sticks in all my large pots. Smaller pots, I use wooden skewers. I learned this on a orchid forum where they use wood skewers in pots. Pull it out & press against the side of or above your lips. If you feel moisture don't water. Sounds crazy, but for some reason you can 'feel' the moisture better than feeling it with your hands.

02-17-2009, 08:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
Patty in Wisc tropical nut Patty in Wisc's Photo Gallery Zone: 5 Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 3,115 BananaBucks : 432,052 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,946 Times Was Thanked 2,510 Times in 1,203 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 69 Times	Re: Tips for growing bananas & anything else. Got any? "Works great on sun-dried pit fruit seeds. Bad idea for lettuce." ..I don't know anyone who would start lettuce seeds indoors...LOL Originally Posted by Patty in Wisc "3) To keep bugs out of potted plants outside, put pieces of pantyhose or fine window screen inside at drainage holes before filling w/ mix." ...All my pots sit on 2x4's or or are propped off ground & they drain just fine w/ pantyhose or screen at drain holes. Some of my TALL tree pots are set underground to keep from falling over. With these 14) I wrap copper wire around the pot above ground to keep slugs & bugs from crawling up. They fry when they touch copper. Around here, snails & slugs are the same thing. I won't buy slug bait...beer works fine. They are attracted to it & when they are laying at bottom of dish, they look drowned to me! .."number 2 problem is over-application of coffee grounds -- they acidify the soil to the point of plant death." I'm not talking Truckloads LOL. Just household use. I put my grounds & eggshells in my compost. .."The color of the pot makes little or no difference. If you must shield the pot (a good idea), put it inside a larger clay pot that allows 1/2 inch or more of space between the two. I'm too cheap for that -- instead I just position a piece of tile or cardboard between the pot and the sunshine, leaving the rest of the plant exposed to the sun." .. I tested this with a thermometer. Pots were at same temp inside. Brought out to sun, 4-5 hours later, the black pot soil was higher temp than white pot facing sun. Cardboard would work but looks ugly. Aluminum foil also helps deflect sun rays. .. "don't use high-phosphorus products like Miracle-Gro." The M.G. mix I used is N - .21%, phosphate - .07%, potash - .14%. So, not a whole lot of phosphate. Since my whole point here is using what you have around the house & not buy baits or bug sprays etc, I should really make my own mix. I'd use peat, composted manure & a lot of perlite. Would be much cheaper than the MG mix I bought! .. "if the ants don't put them back up sooner. A shot with a pyrethrum every two weeks will kill them and cut down the breeding dramatically." .. I don't know what pyrethrum is. I won't buy it when my hose, or soap spray works fine for aphids & mites. 15) For ants I sprinkle boric acid around. It's cheap, available, & it works. 16) A wooden dowel (any unpainted stick) to measure moisture in soil. Expensive meters sometimes don't work. Shove your finger in pot to feel. In large pots, shove the dowel all the way down & pull it out to feel if it's wet. I leave the sticks in all my large pots. Smaller pots, I use wooden skewers. I learned this on a orchid forum where they use wood skewers in pots. Pull it out & press against the side of or above your lips. If you feel moisture don't water. Sounds crazy, but for some reason you can 'feel' the moisture better than feeling it with your hands. __________________ Got a lite? Patty ____ Patty in Wisc has sadly passed away 9/05/11. We will miss you Patty.