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WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 14 APRIL 4, 2014
Free Republic | April 4, 2014 | greeneyes

Posted on 04/04/2014 12:54:31 PM PDT by greeneyes

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks.

No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread. There is no telling where it will go and... that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!

NOTE: This is a once a week ping list. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest are welcomed, so feel free to post them at any time.


TOPICS: Gardening
KEYWORDS: agriculture; food; gardening; hobby
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To: JRandomFreeper

I have many slopes on my roof and 12 downspouts. That is why not much drains from the downspouts, I’m sure. I do have a spring in the front yard out by the road, but that is way down the steep hill where I rarely ever go.

Do you know much about electronic speed controllers? I have a 30k ohm pot that has went south, according to the flashing trouble code light. I can get an exact replacement from Hong Kong for $7, but 10-18 days delivery time. They do not offer expedited delivery at all. I want to bypass it, but do not want to damage the $600 electronic speed controller. I think I can do this, but don’t know much about the speed controllers and how they work. It is for my electric scooter.

The same part from the American replacement parts company want $57+ shipping. RadioHut has a 10k ohm universal fit for $3.65 in stock locally.

Now if I could get this part sent to Korea quickly, my wife could get it from K. to Houston PDQ. LOL


161 posted on 04/07/2014 1:28:28 PM PDT by rightly_dividing (He who dies with the most tools... dies with the emptiest wallet.)
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To: rightly_dividing
You probably need the exact replacement part, without looking at a schematic. I wouldn't replace a 30K with a 10K, not without knowing exactly what the math is on the rest of the circuit. I might try a 50K Ohm variable in there, though, if the pot isn't a voltage divider, too.

Lots of speed controllers are PWM controllers with a VCO controlling pulse width/duration. Once again, the schematic is the final word. Read the source, Luke. ;)

/johnny

162 posted on 04/07/2014 1:39:32 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: rightly_dividing

Well, you do have to have a decent rain! We are getting rain today a bit slower just have half and inch so far, but Hubby diverted the flow to it wouldn’t go into the pool.

How much does it cost to have someone come in and clean out the gutters? We are talking about getting the mesh covers so that the leaves don’t even get into the drains. Hubby was going to check and see how much it costs. He does the clean out himself so far.

We just put gutters in last year in preperation for getting more water storage, before that we just had the rain barrels under the edge of the eaves where the most water came off the roof.

I have to go to Walmart today to pick up some tax software. May try to get Hubby to do it so that I don’t have to get out and be tempted to spend money.LOL


163 posted on 04/07/2014 1:50:09 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: JRandomFreeper

Thanks for saturation of confusement.

So, I guess hot wiring it is completely off the table, huh? :o)


164 posted on 04/07/2014 1:59:59 PM PDT by rightly_dividing (He who dies with the most tools... dies with the emptiest wallet.)
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To: rightly_dividing
I was an engineer before I was a cook. ;)

Nope, I wouldn't try hot-wiring something that expensive. I'd get the right part.

/johnny

165 posted on 04/07/2014 2:03:11 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: greeneyes

Our yard guys do it. During leaf season the grass does not need mowing so they blow the roof and gutters, then blow the yard. The season before we found them, the oak leaves were 3” deep over the entire 2/3 acre. That initial clean up was very pricey, but maintenance is reasonable. The first regular time when they were cutting grass, the extra for the roof and gutters was $10, but when they do not mow, it is included in the yardwork. We have an agreement to keep them working year round for a fair price year round. They are almost like family to us. Today was the first grass mowing of the year. It looks good again.

I have been working on a leaf muncher to chop leaves into small pieces so the are useful to compost. I inherited a BUNCH of Skilsaw blades that I am not going to use on saws, that I want to chop leaves with. I now have an electric motor that may be powerful enough to power it.


166 posted on 04/07/2014 2:30:35 PM PDT by rightly_dividing (He who dies with the most tools... dies with the emptiest wallet.)
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To: rightly_dividing; Marcella

I was clearing some trash land over near the church parking lot to plant the last 3 trombone squash, and looky what I found. It's a speckled king snake, about 2 ft long. After changing, I grabbed the camera to take a few pictures. These guys eat rats and rattlesnakes.

I'm all for having them on the property. I wish they wouldn't startle me when I pick up a piece of metal siding, though.

/johnny

167 posted on 04/07/2014 2:31:39 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: rightly_dividing
I have been working on a leaf muncher to chop leaves into small pieces so the are useful to compost.

I've been working on the same thing. All I need to find is another leaf blower sitting by the curb.

/johnny

168 posted on 04/07/2014 2:33:41 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: sockmonkey

53 tomato plants - I am so envious.

I don’t know how many I will eventually have as there are several in one pot, most have 4 in them, and there are 8 types so 8 pots with four is 32. I’ve already got 4 others in big containers that are not part of that group.

When the big pots get here, this week I hope, I’ll move them from the small pots they are in and then I’ll know the final number of tomatoes Don’t think I’ll have enough large pots for all those as tobacco also needs big pots plus other veggies in small pots need those big ones.


169 posted on 04/07/2014 2:45:12 PM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Going Galt is freedom.)
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To: JRandomFreeper

I’m not going to bypass the pot. I need to suck it up and do the wait time.

I could not locate a schematic. Even the factory service manual did not have it. My tablesaw had a schematic, and that is about as basic of a tool as it gets, an electric motor and a magnetic switch.


170 posted on 04/07/2014 2:45:52 PM PDT by rightly_dividing (He who dies with the most tools... dies with the emptiest wallet.)
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To: sockmonkey

Wow! You’re going to be busy this season!


171 posted on 04/07/2014 2:52:03 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: greeneyes

“We are talking about getting the mesh covers so that the leaves don’t even get into the drains.”

I had to replace a gutter across the edge of the roof over the lower deck so I had a larger gutter than before plus with a mesh screen over it. They are worth their weight in gold as just water goes into the gutter then into a downspout and I have a diverter in that downspout so I can divert it into a 55 gallon water barrel next to the downspout, if I need it. I would let the first dirty water off the roof stay in the downspout to the ground until I thought it was as clean as it was going to get, then divert it into the barrel. I have a Big Berkey water purifier to sanitize that water if I need it. That, of course, is prepper mode.


172 posted on 04/07/2014 2:54:40 PM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Going Galt is freedom.)
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To: Marcella
53 tomato plants - I am so envious.

Yes, but most of them, I have no earthly idea what kind of tomatoes they even are because they were "free" at Mom & Pop nursery because the Markers were missing from the six packs.

I scalped my front yard today..I should have set the mower higher, than mowed a second time in scalping mode..I was covered in dirt, dust, and bits of dead grass.

Oh, and I scarified the cucuzza seed, and put them in a soak, and the Tromboncinos are doing well, and I will take a picture of something soon to post..either T squash, potatoes, tomatoes, or lettuce, or the cattle panels set eup, or something.

Or maybe a really scary picture of my water bill if we don't get some rain in the Western TX Hill Country

173 posted on 04/07/2014 3:04:58 PM PDT by sockmonkey (Of Course I didn't read the article. After all, this is FreeRepublic..)
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To: EQAndyBuzz; KGeorge

My daughter had hail in SA about an hour ago on the Northwest Side near UTSA..Anybody else get hailed on?


174 posted on 04/07/2014 3:13:52 PM PDT by sockmonkey (Of Course I didn't read the article. After all, this is FreeRepublic..)
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To: JRandomFreeper
You can have that snake and keep it out of my garden - I would shoot it with my pellet gun until it was dead. It could probably swallow my Yorkie.

Good News! Got a call from engineer and he was on his way to a well and could come by my house and finish tightening the screws/nuts on the Sears Craftsman work table with shelf underneath. He got here with steak dinners, which we ate, then he tackled the work table. He said I would never have been able to tighten those nuts because they are two sizes. The wrench I was trying to use fit the first size at the top of the nut but would not fit the next size under that one. He carries all the tools known to mankind, so got his bag and found the right size to hold the nut and finished tightening all of them.

I said I couldn't do it but I tried for a long time before giving up. He said it also took more strength than I had to do it. Then, he put the top on it with more hardware to do that and put the lower shelf in, so it is finished. Now the garden tools I use can go there instead of inside my house next to the glass doors.

Johnny, I had four pots, each with two tobacco plants in them (one has three) and had them sitting on top of the small dining table under the roof. They were there to go in big pots when I get them. Well, this morning, I put them on the deck to get them off the table in order to use that table for my ash tray and drink when engineer was working. At some point, I looked at the tobacco, and Prissy had taken bites out of two leaves, each one in a different pot. I mean she shredded those two leaves - I was going to drop kick her into next year but contained myself.

I put them back on that table. She has not bothered any other plant - why is she eating tobacco if she can get to it? When they get in the big pots, she can't reach them, but why is she attacking my tobacco?

Every single plant out there is special, but my tobacco is grown from seeds you sent me and by darn, they are going to make it until the leaves are ready to harvest.

I suppose your cats don't eat tobacco?

175 posted on 04/07/2014 3:25:51 PM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Going Galt is freedom.)
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To: Marcella
My catz don't eat my tobacco. Catnip is another matter. But not the tobacco. I never heard of a dog eating tobacco. It should get rid of any worms she has...

I did wind up with a volunteer catnip plant in amongst my garlic. I'm letting it live. The catz always want more.

/johnny

176 posted on 04/07/2014 3:33:03 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: sockmonkey

“Or maybe a really scary picture of my water bill...”

I pay a maintenance fee every month to our property owners assn., and that includes gas for the central heating and water. I can use no water or much water and pay nothing extra. Water use is unlimited.


177 posted on 04/07/2014 3:42:44 PM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Going Galt is freedom.)
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To: Marcella

No rain here yet, but a big burst of wind just took out my deck cover gazebo thingy, and twisted it into a useless pile of metal, and threw it on the roof, then off the roof.
I had put stuff I didn’t want to get wet under it...so, I am sure we will now have rain..Dang, I better go get my electric leaf blower of the deck.

I hope the greenhouse is okay. I haven’t checked it yet. my satellite dis didn’t rip off the roof..That’s good.


178 posted on 04/07/2014 4:00:41 PM PDT by sockmonkey (Of Course I didn't read the article. After all, this is FreeRepublic..)
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To: sockmonkey

“twisted it into a useless pile of metal, and threw it on the roof, then off the roof.”

What! Did you have a mini tornado - it bent metal or tossed metal around?


179 posted on 04/07/2014 4:13:42 PM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Going Galt is freedom.)
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To: rightly_dividing

Hubby used to mow over the leaves back when we weren’t into gardening much. That was good for the lawn. Now he rakes them into a pile and puts chicken wire around it, till it decomposes.

Once it’s decomposed, he has a new garden plot and plants something. I have 13 beds, and a 12 bed garden plan. So I have a leaf and yard waste pile in the 13th bed, on a rotating basis for some of the beds.


180 posted on 04/07/2014 4:18:07 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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