Highlander - Thanks fer your input. I would never disagree with darwin, especialy natural selection. The only problem that I have, is that were sticking to science ( in that regard), which is hundreds of years old. Have there really been any real revisions of his theory that are accepted widley yet...

Sure plants adapt to their enviroment in their lifespan, but as far as i know, the offspring are more likley to be hardier and more robust then the parent ( please correct me if im wrong). The truth is that a single specimen of some plant does not really adapt to its environment. Its growth, habit,...

This afternoon the BIG flys were in rare form, I was trying to thin a Bissetii grove but they love this weather and were relentless - these guys are about 1/2 the size of my thumb and they wait until you have your hands full. I had to keep dropping my tools to kill them - killed a couple of dozen b...

I finally did some quick measurements. On a black 3 gal pot (I think -- about 10" diameter), the temp putting the probe in the soil touching the plastic was about 125ºF. The soil in the center was about 105ºF. A second pot of same size but dark green right next to this was 127ºF at edge, 110ºF...

Alan_L wrote:I think suburban deer are quite adaptable. This doesn't seem to work for me.

I am certain you are correct and some of the deer around here are adaptable, as well. I don't know that there is a simple solution that works for everyone -- short of a ten-foot woven-wire fence.

ghmerrill wrote:I believe that the constant moisture under the mulch, as well as the increased earthworm activity makes for better growing conditions under the mulch.

Thanks. That was my guess. If nothing else, moisture and worms would make for much softer soil and thus easier running.

My guess is that made it sick, I am skeptical that the Milorganite or my car blocking the path did it, but a bad experience with hot sauce might have. Personally, my guess is that it was the car. Deer are very dumb and very skittish, or at least the deer here in the Appalachians are. Any change mak...

Why did those rhizomes prefer to stay within a mulched area? Water seems one possibility. Also, wouldn't soil tend to be somewhat softer under mulch?

David wrote:No, S. fastuosa has been well behaved for me. S. makinoi has spread faster than any other of its kin, but very manageable.

Thanks, David. I have been very tempted to try a start of S fastuosa. From the pictures, it looks like a beautiful cultivar.

Does S fastuosa wander as widely and deeply as the S okuboi?

I have a vague recollection of a discussion, here, in which it was claimed that S fastuosa was well behaved and easily controlled---at least in somebody's garden, somewhere.

...simply gluing a cardboard sleeve to the outside of the pot can lower the pot temp down to air temp... Not quite down to "air temp", I am guessing. There will still be conductive heat transfer from the cardboard to the pot. In point of fact, just leaving the cardboard loose, with a gap ...

I wonder why they don't make white plastic pots for nurseries? At a guess, I'd say because of UV stabilization. White would not last very long, when exposed to sunlight. Also, if I'm rememberin' my heat-mass transfer aright, the difference between black and a lighter color is significant, but not a...

ShmuBamboo wrote:Not misunderstood.

Okay, thanks, and thanks for the response.

ShmuBamboo wrote:We have consistent rains here in the spring (every year) and I have yet to lose a single shoot to dampening off or rot, either in the ground or in pots. Not a one.

Very interesting. I thought the P nigras were famous for aborting shoots.

Perhaps soil conditions and wind play a big role in the 'to water shoots or not to water shoots'. Upon reflection, I came to a similar conclusion and am unconcerned that I might have harmed my 'boo. Until the past couple of weeks, we have had a fairly dry spring, seems like. I had shoots on the P n...

BTW - keeping the soil constantly moist on new shoots in my experience is a recipe for aborting, rotted shoots so let us know how yours do. I have never watered during shooting season and prefer that the soil gets a chance to dry out, but we have had measurable rain on 13 of the 16 days in May this...