I recently started an herb garden on my kitchen windowsill. The plants get full mid-late morning light.
When I purchased my plants, they came in two different containers: some were in square containers and were nice and damp. The rest were in round containers and were very dry.

When I planted everything I gave it a good watering, focusing on those plants from the round containers. And they looked better for awhile,while I kept a watering schedule of appr. every three days. But then the plants from the round containers started to droop. The leaves and stems closest to the base of the plant began to yellow and shrivel up. The rest of the stems are laying down limp, like spaghetti. The plants from the square containers all looked great.

I checked the soil and it was cool and slightly moist. I figured I was overwatering and started watering about every five days, but the plants have not gotten any better. So what do you think, are they getting too much water and are just so abused it is taking awhile for them to recover or are they dying of thirst? My outdoor herb garden was a huge success, so I don’t know what I’m doing wrong this time!

Technorati Tags: containers, dying of thirst, herb garden, plants, soil, spaghetti

I am starting seedlings for a garden this spring, I have never done this before so specifics are much appreciated.

So I sew the seeds (im using Jiffy starting flats w/ peatmoss) do they need the grow lights now? or just heat?

Or do I wait till they poke up out of the soil then start with the grow lights for 14 hrs?

Also the kit came with a cover, when do I use this (with lights?)
what I’m growing:

-Rosemary
-Yellow Summer Squash
-Plain Parsley
-Genovese Basil
-Sweet basil
-Lettuce leaf basil
-Roma Tomatoes
-super boy hybrid 785 tomatoes
-Teton Hybrid Spinach
-California wonder peppers

Technorati Tags: jiffy, leaf basil, lettuce leaf, parsley, roma tomatoes, rosemary, seedlings, seeds, soil, specifics, spinach, sweet basil

knowing that the new ones are filled with mercury?? Are the new more energy efficient light bulbs better in the long run when they begin to burn out and we begin dumping mercury into our landfills and eventually into the soil and groundwater? or does the government have some sort of recycling program for them.. Do you believe people would recycle them if they could considering how few people recycle glass and metal now when it is so easy to do

Technorati Tags: energy efficient light bulbs, groundwater, landfills, mercury, soil

I planted 5 raspberry bushes last year. Heritage, Prelude, Encore, Cascade Delight, and Jewel. Only the Heritage & Jewel did very well. The other 3 did very poorly, i’m assuming because of different light requirements. They were all planeted in the same containers, soil, and watered / fed the same.

I have partial shade for half the day from my neighbor’s house shadow.

So, what are some varieties of raspberry plants that have lowest light requirements for urban gardening?

Technorati Tags: amp, cascade, containers, heritage, neighbor, partial shade, prelude, raspberry, raspberry bushes, raspberry plants, soil

knowing that the new ones are filled with mercury?? Are the new more energy efficient light bulbs better in the long run when they begin to burn out and we begin dumping mercury into our landfills and eventually into the soil and groundwater? or does the government have some sort of recycling program for them.. Do you believe people would recycle them if they could considering how few people recycle glass and metal now when it is so easy to do

Technorati Tags: energy efficient light bulbs, groundwater, landfills, mercury, soil

Hello, recently I started an indoor garden. I use soil not hydroponics by the way. FOr now wen plants sprout I have Flourescent lights on the way. But People recommend HID, HPS, and MH (Metal Halide) bulbs. I’m prepared to order one, but do they need a special fixture. Or can I just screw these bulbs in any lamp.

Technorati Tags: flourescent lights, hps, metal halide bulbs, mh, plants, soil

Salient (A Sonnet)

A firm foot grips the patch of night
A thief with golden hair
Eclipsing star and shadowed light
The garden’s girth laid bare

Descending flock of fire reigns
The courtyard flashes bright
A family flees with coarse disdain
The gathered watcher’s plight

Children dance on helpless heels
A mother calms her flock
Father’s fate is slowly sealed
The crash of thunder knocks!

The day breaks barren on hardened soil
The hands of hardship slowly coil.

~~~~DPM~~~~

That hurt.

Alen, I very much appreciate your input.

Technorati Tags: courtyard, crash of thunder, disdain, dpm, fate, flock, girth, golden hair, plight, soil, sonnet, thief

I don’t just want heading and general areas. I would like to find all the specific groups that have to do with growing, gardening, hydoponics, zones, soil, light,….. That is why i was wanting to find a list of every single group. Or how would you suggest i find these things?

Technorati Tags: single group, soil

I recently purchased a small device for gardening that can read light levels and the PH and moisture levels in soil. Since it does not use any batteries (including no in-built battery) how does it work? Can it determine moisture content through a chemical process? The meter just has two metal probes that are stuck into the soil.

Technorati Tags: batteries, metal probes, moisture content, moisture levels, soil

The gnats are here every summer. Stay in the same spot, 5ft off the ground on the sidewalk leading to the front door. They always just swarm around in the same spot all day so I do not know where they are coming from. We dont have many plants in the yard and the soil is naturally dry. There are no pools of water around either. We also have a bug zapper on all the time but they do not go near it (there is no other light source distracting them)
They only stay in the same spot when we dont get near. I have tried spraying them in the past. I am thinking they are staying in the shaded area.

Technorati Tags: bug zapper, gnats, light source, plants, pools of water, sidewalk, soil