27-07-2002 07:44									#211
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Download the wedding video.

	28-07-2002 09:06									#212
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Hydey - to get this thread back On Topic and out of the mitts of trolls like Sneak - I've got a couple of questions:

1. I've got a couple of Dipalandra on the back verandah - the things that climb and flower. Should they be potted up? Or are they happy being pot-bound as some climbers seem to be?

2. When I prune the azaleas out the front - how much? Taking off the deceased blooms? Or further back than that? And, if so, should I take it back to a Y-intersection?

	28-07-2002 09:59									#213
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1. No they are very happy as they are, if you try repotting you cause more harm than good.

2. slow growing plants, so just trim for shape and to prevent them getting too spindly

I was hoping this thread would die

	28-07-2002 12:23									#214
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quote: Originally posted by Hydey 1. No they are very happy as they are, if you try repotting you cause more harm than good. 2. slow growing plants, so just trim for shape and to prevent them getting too spindly

Thanks for that.

quote: I was hoping this thread would die

No you weren't. You know you're doing a public service and a lot of us really appreciate your help. You can call this thread another of your public services - posting that pic of your lovely wife being your first one. A flower amongst the thorns that infest this place is most welcome.

Next question. That dang lemon tree in the pot. I'm going to drill a lot more holes - carefully, I might add - in the bottom of the pot. You reckon it's worth giving that tree another try? Or ditching it and starting again?

	28-07-2002 12:26									#215
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It shall never die

it will be the constant thread of apolyton

my question

what is a good houseplant for a guy who knows nothing about plants, rarely opens his windows, and has little window space??

Jon Miller

	28-07-2002 15:49									#216
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quote: Originally posted by Jon Miller It shall never die it will be the constant thread of apolyton my question what is a good houseplant for a guy who knows nothing about plants, rarely opens his windows, and has little window space?? Jon Miller

A plastic one

	28-07-2002 15:51									#217
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Finbar: forget drilling holes, trash the pot and repot the lemon try in a larger pot, with good quality mix and some citrus food.

	28-07-2002 17:17									#218
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Okay, but what about drainage? Even in a bigger pot? Most pots only have that one little hole in the centre of the base.

	29-07-2002 03:34									#219
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If you get a crappy pot with only a drainage hole in the centre of the base, drill some more around the outside so it drains properly.

or buy a desent pot.

	29-07-2002 06:17									#220
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Hydey...thanks for nothing. I fixed my plant all by myself.
You're the crappiest advice columnist I've seen in a long time.
You'd probably be a big hit over here.
"Hydey's Garden: Or, I can't be Assed to help you!"

	29-07-2002 06:28									#221
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quote: Originally posted by Hydey If you get a crappy pot with only a drainage hole in the centre of the base, drill some more around the outside so it drains properly. or buy a desent pot.

Mmmm. I've never ever seen a pot with more than one drainage hole. Anyway, the bottom line seems to be to the size of the pot. Bugger. That pot the tree's in is, in fact, bigger than the suggested minimum size for citrus. That's the last time I take any notice of instructions other than Hydey's.

Thanks Hydey!

	29-07-2002 06:30									#222
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quote: Originally posted by SuperSneak Hydey...thanks for nothing. I fixed my plant all by myself. You're the crappiest advice columnist I've seen in a long time. You'd probably be a big hit over here. "Hydey's Garden: Or, I can't be Assed to help you!"

You haven't noticed the pattern to Hydey's responses? If you can't write a sentence without feeling the urge to hit the Return key, he's not interested in helping you.

That aside, for the benefit of others, exactly how did you fix your plant problem?

	29-07-2002 06:38									#223
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Well, the plant just seems to need "ideal" conditions. Like I said, any extreme, be it light, heat, cold, water, etc., makes it look like it is on death's door. It's a "flowering peace lily" but it is pretty finicky.
Now that we are back home and have a fan circulating, it seems happy.
So if you have a wimpy plant, get it in semi-shade, don't overwater, don't let it get too hot or cold, and keep some air flowing.
Jeez...I can't believe I'm developing a relationship with the thing...but sometimes it just gets personal, you know?

	29-07-2002 06:44									#224
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In your case I suspect plastic plants and flowers are the answer.

	29-07-2002 06:45									#225
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Nuh...can't graze on those.

	29-07-2002 06:46									#226
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I've had a couple of those Peace Lillies in pots. We've got full-length windows in our sitting room overlooking the back verandah which faces north. The pot sits by the window so it gets a lot of light but no direct sun. They've thrived. In fact, I've divided them quite a few times. Overwatering's been the only real peril.

	29-07-2002 06:51									#227
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You guys are taking completely the wrong approach to gardening.

What you should do is chuck a bunch of plants out there and see which survive, be it in the ground or pots. If they die they obviously weren't suited to local conditions. If they thrive, get more of them if you like them.

	29-07-2002 06:51									#228
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The room we keep all of our plants in is Southern exposure, so it can get really warm...near hothouse warm. Everything does really well in this room, but the peace lily is a wimp...as long as I have the fan circulating, it appears to be fine. I'd have thought a lily would like the heat...and the tag says it is happy up to 85F...but it isn't. It's a nice looking plant, though...and a gift from my mother I think...so I don't have the heart to chuck it.
Here's a question...on the side of our house is a patch of soil that gets directly blasted by the sun each day, with no shade. The earth is very hard and "crumbly". We've planted some desert flowers, but nothing comes up...and suggestions on how to reclaim this soil so as to plant some tough flowers that will thrive? I think the water isn't penetrating due to the compact nature of the topsoil. Plus it is a slight downhill...

	29-07-2002 07:12									#229
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quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse You guys are taking completely the wrong approach to gardening. What you should do is chuck a bunch of plants out there and see which survive, be it in the ground or pots. If they die they obviously weren't suited to local conditions. If they thrive, get more of them if you like them.

The Peter Cundall of the Molonglo River Valley!

	29-07-2002 07:17									#230
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quote: Originally posted by finbar 2. When I prune the azaleas out the front - how much? Taking off the deceased blooms? Or further back than that? And, if so, should I take it back to a Y-intersection?

*aside - Aha! That's what they were - azaleas. *

Now that somebody has mentioned azaleas - at the great risk of embarassing myself further - I have two (potted) rather dead azaleas.
Unlike the fern these did actually come with instructions (don't overwater, keep out of direct sunlight, etc) which were followed to the letter. Said plants thrived over summer only to promptly wither & die as autumn turned into winter.
As stated these are very dead, although I have kept up watering the dead sticks (and probably looking like a right wally in doing so ).
Any ideas as to what I did wrong? Or, to put it another way, should I give it another try?

(And before "somebody" makes the suggestion that I kept them out of direct sunlight by sticking them in the linen cupboard for 3 months - No I didn't finbar )

	29-07-2002 07:23									#231
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quote: Originally posted by SuperSneak The room we keep all of our plants in is Southern exposure, so it can get really warm...near hothouse warm. Everything does really well in this room, but the peace lily is a wimp...as long as I have the fan circulating, it appears to be fine. I'd have thought a lily would like the heat...and the tag says it is happy up to 85F...but it isn't. It's a nice looking plant, though...and a gift from my mother I think...so I don't have the heart to chuck it.

What effect is the fan having? Circulating the air? Or cooling? I wouldn't have thought either would have any effect on the plant. Mine survives that sort of temperature and more where it is. And, in winter, it does just as well with temps down to 6 or 7 C.

How old is it? Those things can often crowd themselves out of the pot. You can easily lift and divide them. I've done it a couple of times.

quote: Here's a question...on the side of our house is a patch of soil that gets directly blasted by the sun each day, with no shade. The earth is very hard and "crumbly". We've planted some desert flowers, but nothing comes up...and suggestions on how to reclaim this soil so as to plant some tough flowers that will thrive? I think the water isn't penetrating due to the compact nature of the topsoil. Plus it is a slight downhill...

Any water you pour onto it is wasted. It's running straight across the surface and down the hill. Get onto the end of a pick and shovel. See what's underneath. Bring in some decent topsoil.

	29-07-2002 07:28									#232
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quote: Originally posted by ravagon *aside - Aha! That's what they were - azaleas. * Now that somebody has mentioned azaleas - at the great risk of embarassing myself further - I have two (potted) rather dead azaleas. Unlike the fern these did actually come with instructions (don't overwater, keep out of direct sunlight, etc) which were followed to the letter. Said plants thrived over summer only to promptly wither & die as autumn turned into winter. As stated these are very dead, although I have kept up watering the dead sticks (and probably looking like a right wally in doing so ). Any ideas as to what I did wrong? Or, to put it another way, should I give it another try? (And before "somebody" makes the suggestion that I kept them out of direct sunlight by sticking them in the linen cupboard for 3 months - No I didn't finbar )

The question is - where did you keep them? They do need sunlight. Just not constant, blasting sunlight. Sounds like they mightn't have got enough.

	29-07-2002 07:33									#233
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quote: Originally posted by finbar The question is - where did you keep them? They do need sunlight. Just not constant, blasting sunlight. Sounds like they mightn't have got enough.

They were in the living room. Lots of windows. Facing east. They were fine during summer. Maybe the less intense sunlight during winter did them in? It still seemed pretty bright to me though ...

I am not a plant of course, I hasten to add.

	29-07-2002 07:46									#234
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quote: Originally posted by ravagon They were in the living room.

Ah! There's your problem. They're not indoor plants. They'll survive for a while, but they belong outside.

	29-07-2002 14:49									#235
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Look finbar, if you want this idea of yours to work , you will have to leave the answers to me.

	29-07-2002 14:54									#236
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quote: Originally posted by SuperSneak Here's a question...on the side of our house is a patch of soil that gets directly blasted by the sun each day, with no shade. The earth is very hard and "crumbly". We've planted some desert flowers, but nothing comes up...and suggestions on how to reclaim this soil so as to plant some tough flowers that will thrive? I think the water isn't penetrating due to the compact nature of the topsoil. Plus it is a slight downhill...

Apply gypsom (clay breaker) to break up the soil , this will allow the water to penetrate. Most sun loving plants will love this, put sunflowers in . I like to eat the seeds.

when you do water try to give a deep watering once or twice a week rather than every day.

	29-07-2002 14:55									#237
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This thread is still going?
Excellent.

	29-07-2002 14:56									#238
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quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse You guys are taking completely the wrong approach to gardening. What you should do is chuck a bunch of plants out there and see which survive, be it in the ground or pots. If they die they obviously weren't suited to local conditions. If they thrive, get more of them if you like them.

Even better idea is too walk around the block and take note of what plants do well, and plant the ones you like the look of, you can even take cuttings from your neighbours, not the one with the big Rotty.

	29-07-2002 15:00									#239
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quote: Originally posted by ravagon *aside - Aha! That's what they were - azaleas. * Now that somebody has mentioned azaleas - at the great risk of embarassing myself further - I have two (potted) rather dead azaleas. Unlike the fern these did actually come with instructions (don't overwater, keep out of direct sunlight, etc) which were followed to the letter. Said plants thrived over summer only to promptly wither & die as autumn turned into winter. As stated these are very dead, although I have kept up watering the dead sticks (and probably looking like a right wally in doing so ). Any ideas as to what I did wrong? Or, to put it another way, should I give it another try? (And before "somebody" makes the suggestion that I kept them out of direct sunlight by sticking them in the linen cupboard for 3 months - No I didn't finbar )

Buy them when they are in flower and you can have them inside for a few weeks and then plant them outside in a semi shaded spot, I have mine facing east to get the morning sun and they are in flower most of the year, they are about 10 years old now and thriving on bugger all care.

	29-07-2002 15:02									#240
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quote: Originally posted by Skanky Burns This thread is still going? Excellent.

Everyday I hope to find it dead and buried but sadly it continues to annoy me.