Dear Plant Pimp

[wiffledaddy]

Dear Plant Pimp -

i've been thinking about getting rain barrels. however, it seems that a good sized barrel (60-100 gals) costs around $200, and doesn't seem too cost effective.

can one gather enough rainwater to make it thru the summer in the bay area?

your thoughts, please.

I think rain barrels are great.

Getting through the summer solely on rain catch is probably unlikely, unless you have very little to water. But, with one or two barrels, you can do some useful things.

Here are some thoughts for my situation, since I don't know what kind of garden or plants you are taking care of.

I have several indoor plants. A few 6-8 foot plants, and an abundance of small potted plants. Some of the plants are tropical plants that don't do well with the tap water. If I were to hook up one 55 gal food grade container to a downspout and filled it, that would get me through a year of watering my indoor plants. Also, the plants would love the rain water.

Outside, I have three dwarf citrus trees. I think one barrel would be almost all the water those would need for a season. I could put a barrel on a nearby downspout, and rig a drip line from that to the plants.

As far as cost, you can reduce it significantly if you get hold of a food grade barrel and make the rain barrel yourself. I know I've seen various schemes and diagrams on the web. I'll track something helpful down and send it in PM.

To sum up, I think catching and using the rainfall is a great idea and can't see how you could go wrong.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[owlflavored]

To sum up, I think catching and using the rainfall is a great idea and can't see how you could go wrong.

i was inclined to agree with you, until i came across this gem on the San Jose Water Co. website:


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On the simple and inexpensive end of the spectrum are rain barrels. A 57 gallon rain barrel with a cover, overflow hose, and hose bib connection costs about $100. If this barrel can be filled and used 20 times during the irrigation season approximately 1,100 gallons of water can be saved. At a value of $3 per 1000 gallons you can see that these devices would not be particularly cost effective, but they can save some water.
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so .... saving $3/year, it will take me over 30 years of collecting rainwater to break even! assuming i could fill it up 20 times/year! which i probably can't! awesome!

conservation sucks.

 

[wiffledaddy]

Blaah! That's not very encouraging info from your water district.

Well, there are a couple of things worth keeping in mind. First, I think you could build a rain barrel for a lot less than $100. Also, for the most part, rain water is better for your plants. Depending on what you're growing, that might be worth considering.

If there is plenty of cheap water readily available, then sure it doesn't really make sense. If you're in an area where there will be strict rationing, then it's more practical.

In case anyone is curious, you're not going to catch enough rain to water your lawn.

 

[Baum19]

Dear Plant Pimp,
My roommate has 4 cats and they chew the hell out of my house plants. Do you have any recommendations of a house plant I can get that will cause a cat to... I don't know... nothing too bad... maybe just.. stop living when they chew on it?


Thanks!

 

[brichter]

Depending on what you're growing, that might be worth considering.

That's pretty much what it's all about anyway, right?

:laughing

 

[wiffledaddy]

I just wanted to share something I've been playing around with. These are a couple of my booze bottle plantings.

For whatever reason, I end up with a bunch of empty booze bottles around here. I've been experimenting with different solutions for getting plants to root and then live happily in the bottles. Here are a couple of them.

This is a christmas cactus in a cointreau bottle. It not only rooted quite well, but even flowered.

 

[wiffledaddy]

This is a dracaena marginata in a Blanton's bourbon bottle. One of those troublemakers in the background ripped this branch off my large stump marginata, so I stuck it in the bottle. It's made pretty extensive roots and is growing pretty well.

 

[Godsdarling]

Wiffle I remembered the pictures! I am sorry I am such an airhead!

Remember kids pot smoking in high school kills your braincells add that to being a blonde, there is no hope for me :laughing

Thanks for your input! As you can see from the pics the weird thorny limbs are a bright green and the branches around it are dying. What do you think?

 

[Bad Dad]

Plant Pimp


Habaneros. I've had plants on 2 different years. One year, I had a dual pot with tabascos in it. They flourished, habaneros flowered but never peppered. flowers all fell off. Next year, planted again, with another pot with serrano's/jalapenos in it. Same thing. Habanero flowered then they all fell off, no fruit. Serranos/jalapenos grew like crazy.

What is the deal? Both years the plants were purchased at about 6" in height. Transplanted into pot with great potting soil.

Should I go for seeds, rather than a young plant?

I REALLY want to grow habaneros!!! The greatest pepper on the planet!

 

[wiffledaddy]

Plant Pimp


Habaneros. I've had plants on 2 different years. One year, I had a dual pot with tabascos in it. They flourished, habaneros flowered but never peppered. flowers all fell off. Next year, planted again, with another pot with serrano's/jalapenos in it. Same thing. Habanero flowered then they all fell off, no fruit. Serranos/jalapenos grew like crazy.

What is the deal? Both years the plants were purchased at about 6" in height. Transplanted into pot with great potting soil.

Should I go for seeds, rather than a young plant?

I REALLY want to grow habaneros!!! The greatest pepper on the planet!

There are a few things that might have caused the lack of fruiting. I'm going to guess it was the most likely culprit, which was too much nitrogen. Were you fertilizing the plants? If so, what were you using?

Second most likely culprit would have been the soil type and pH. Plant your habaneros in cactus mix for best results, not a soil rich in organic matter like you would plant tomatoes in.

Habanero seeds take a long time to germinate, and given the length of your growing season, it's best to just buy plants. Go to a good nursery and pay a buck or two more than you would at the hardware store.


When you first get the plant, I'd suggest you water so the soil is moist, but not soaked, and let the top inch or two of the soil dry between waterings.

Fertilize the plant after a week or so. You want a fertilizer that has low nitrogen, and higher phosphorus. 5-10-10 is probably about what you want. Fertilize the plant only one time. If you want to be scientific, and I would encourage this, experiment with fertilizing some plants and not others. I suspect the unfertilized ones might do as well, maybe even better.

Tell me what your zip code is, unless you know the specific hardiness zone where you are. There are a couple more things to consider about your pepper plants. Specifically when to plant and what kind of exposure you want.

 

[wiffledaddy]

Thanks for your input! As you can see from the pics the weird thorny limbs are a bright green and the branches around it are dying. What do you think?

Okay, Darlin, you have what appears to be a very common thing here: an old, neglected rose bush.

We're going to take an aggressive approach to rejuvenating this plant.

1. Put on gloves

2. Get pruning shears.

3. Cut every branch on the plant down to 6 inches from the main union -- that knobby, gnarled ball at the ground. If any of the stems you cut appear to be brown throughout, look like there is dead wood inside, then you cut that all the way off.

4. Give the plant a little water and walk away from it for 1 month.

Do that this weekend.

Any questions?

 

[Bad Dad]

Folsom, CA dude. 95630

Current back yard faces south

 

[owlflavored]

FYI - this book is also pretty helpful and can answerify a lot of questions. it's like having Wiffledaddy on your shelf.

 

[Godsdarling]

Wiffle! I've done that! The green throny branches come back quick and never ever produce roses. And the more I prune it the more that they come back and the rest of the branches die. :cry I'll prune it again :laughing

 

[wiffledaddy]

Wiffle! I've done that! The green throny branches come back quick and never ever produce roses. And the more I prune it the more that they come back and the rest of the branches die. :cry I'll prune it again :laughing

If you've already cut it all the way back in a previous spring, then your next course of action is to use the shovel-pruning method. Here is the technique:

1. Put on gloves.

2. Get shovel.

3. Dig up rose bush and toss into green bin.

4. Continue digging until you have removed old roots and have a nice, round hole. Fill this hole with new planting mix and a rose bush of your choice.

 

[Godsdarling]

It is a lost cause huh. Such a pretty green thorny branches :laughing Why does it do that anyway? Two toned branches?

Alright I'll dig it up. :cry I wanted a sunset rose bush anyway Thanks!

 

[ninjanurse]

For whatever reason, I end up with a bunch of empty booze bottles around here.

:laughing

 

[Godsdarling]

Heya Wiffle. :wave My email started working again! This is my lighting if you can recommend a plant for my desk I would be most grateful. Thanks! I appreciate all the feed back :kiss

Edit: Upload failed, lets try it again...

 

[DucatiHoney]

I have four Christmas Cacti. Two of them I got from my mother-in-law. They bloom at Christmas. Two of them I got from a friend a few years ago. They lived outside when she had them. They now live inside. They bloom in April. All of them get watered at the same time and have the exact same light. I haven't repotted any of them since I got them.

How do I get them to bloom all at the same time? I've tried every technique I've ever read about to get the two late-bloomers to do their thing when they're supposed to.

-Late Bloomer in Oakland

 

[WeekEndWarrior]

so I wanna grow a /tomato plant. anything special things I need to do? just water and go?