Stolen Idea!

JD,
I was in Kansas City six years ago. My husband had liver cancer and was operated on at the University Hospital. It had spread too far to correct. The day we left the city, it had begun to snow. So we left at 6 a.m. in the morning to get down the road toward Texas before things got too bad. He only lived three weeks after that. Sometimes it seems like yesterday and then some days it seems forever ago.
He always planted a large vegetable garden and would have had all kinds of greens ready to eat by now.
Merry Christmas and Happy 2006,
Louise

So sorry for your loss Louise. Maybe not good memories of Kansas.

But JDL, we haven't had temps above 16 for the last 3 or 4 weeks. It was 1 degree last night and all previous nights. We got 2 inches of snow a month ago but there has not been a cloud in the sky since. Normally January and February are our cold months. Winter doesn't start until the 21st of this month. Isn't that Wednesday?

Hold on to your hats guys, the storm is moving in this afternoon at 4 0 'Clock It is suppose to snow for the next several days. Yup, woke up to clouds this morning.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!

Jnette,
Wow!!!! There must be plenty of nice things about living in Washington for you to tolerate that kind of weather. About all I really remember from the news and geography (years ago) would be Mt. St. Helens and apples. How long is your outdoor gardening season? Do you have many houseplants?
It snowed here in Texas today but it melted before hitting the ground.

Merry Christmas and Happy 2006 Gardening !!!!

Louise

Louise, very short growing season. We got a little snow and then it quit. But the clouds hung around and the tempeature is 30!!! Shirtsleeve weather right???

Jeanette

Hi all, this idea seems to have been around for a while but I've only just came across it here on DG. Here's a link showing many different uses for H202. To find the seed information scroll down a bit.

Thanks . . . Joan

http://wolfcreekranch.net/h202.html

Couldn't get the page to load. I have started using H2O2 to water with for the last couple of weeks. Nothing to report yet. Still hoping....
Susan
=^..^=

Thank you . I just bookmarked
http://wolfcreekranch.net/h202.html

It won't open for me either - could you post the link in a NEW thread? Thank you!

Nope, it doesn't like wolfcreekranch.net. Jeanette

See if this link works:

http://www.wolfcreekranch.net/

It does!

Scroll dpwn and look for link that says: H202 - 35% Food Grade; on left hand side.

~* Robin

Got it! Very interesting!!
Susan
=^..^=

Thats interesting info.. here it all is for ease of reading:
:)
Susan M.

[HYPERLINK@www.wolfcreekranch.net]

Sprouting seeds: Add 1 oz. of 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide to 1 pint of water and soak the seeds overnight. Add the same amount of H202 each time the seeds are rinsed.

IN THE GARDEN:

Foliar Feed: For crops, put 16 ozs. of 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide into 20 gallons of water. This is sufficient for one acre. Spray on plants early in the morning.

Seed Germination: To germinate seeds put 1 to 5 ozs. of 3% hydrogen peroxide into a pint of distilled water. Soak the seeds for 8 hours. Excellent results have been reported on older seeds as well as fresh.

Insecticide: Mix 8 ozs. or more of 3% H202 to a gallon of water with 8 ozs. of molasses or white sugar (molasses seems to adhere to the plant better).

House & Garden Plants: Put 1 oz. of 3% H202 into a quart of water (or add 16 drops 35% to 1 quart water). Water or mist plants with this solution.

Orchards: Water ground around the trees using 6-8 ozs. of 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water, and also use it as a foliar spray.


MEASURING H202:

To make a 3% H202 solution, take one (1) ounce of 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide and mix with 11 ounces of water, preferably distilled water, to obtain 12 ounces of 3% H202.

1 Pint 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide makes 1.5 gallons of 3% H2O2 solution.

1 Quart 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide makes 3 gallons of 3% H2O2 solution.

1 Gallon 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide makes 12 gallons of 3% H202 solution.

GRADES OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE:

3% Hydrogen Peroxide (Drug/Grocery Store Variety) Used as antimicrobial agent for treating wounds and sanitizing agent [Made from 50% Super D Peroxide, Diluted. Contains stabilizers - phenol, acetanilide, sodium stanate, tetrasodium phosphate among them.] [This peroxide contains known chemicals do not ingest!]

6% Hydrogen Peroxide Used by Beauticians for Coloring Hair. Used as sanitizing agent. Comes in strengths labeled 10,20,40 volume. Must have activator added to be used as a bleach. [Contains stabilizers, additives, and impurities dependent on manufacturing and dilution process. Do not ingest.]

30% Re-Agent Hydrogen Peroxide Used in medical research. [Contains stabilizers, additives, and impurities dependent on manufacturing and dilution process. Do not ingest.]

30-32% Electronic Grade Hydrogen Peroxide Used for washing transistors and integrated chip parts before assembly. [Contains stabilizers, additives, and impurities dependent on manufacturing and dilution process. Do not ingest.]

35% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide (Also 50% Food Grade H2O2) Used in food products like cheese, eggs, whey products. Also used to spray inside of foil lined containers for food storage - known as the aseptic packaging system. Used for the disinfection of potable water. Also used (diluted) to disinfect, kill bacteria, sanitize wounds and introduce oxygen into the body. Eg. bathing, gargle, toothpaste, treat drinking water, etc. [Contains stabilizers, additives, and impurities dependent on manufacturing and dilution process.]

35% Technical Grade Hydrogen Peroxide Used for waste water treatment and the disinfection of potable water, cosmetics, and laundry applications. Also used (diluted) to disinfect, kill bacteria, sanitize wounds and introduce oxygen into the body. Eg. bathing, gargle, toothpaste, treat drinking water, etc. [May contain a small amount of phosphorus to neutralize any chlorine in the water it is combined with.]

35% Standard Grade Hydrogen Peroxide (Also 50%, 60%, 70% Standard Grades) Used mainly for bleaching in the pulp and paper industry and in the textile industry; oxidation reactions in the chemical industry; environmental processes (detoxification and deodorization). Used for Waste water treatment. [Contains stabilizers, additives, and impurities Do not ingest.]

90% Hydrogen Peroxide Used by the military as a source of Oxygen at Cape Canaveral. Used as a propulsion source in rocket fuel.

99.6% Hydrogen Peroxide This was first made in 1954 as an experiment to see how pure a hydrogen peroxide could be manufactured.

WARNING: This product is a VERY strong oxidizer and will temporarily turn skin white on contact. NEVER use 35% food grade Hydrogen Peroxide without diluting it first. Read First Aid precautions on label before using. Storage: Keep out of flourescent light. Store in a cool dark place.

hmmmmm, Last year I posted on jan 24th that maybe it might be good to water your seedlings with this stuff.. Guess it's true!!

Susan

It still amazes me that a common household product such as this can have so many uses, and that I was unaware of it.

I've already 'purged' a plant that was doing poorly and am waiting to see what results.

Joan

RE: Superthrive

In the Houston area Superthrive is available at HD, Lowe's & Walmart-
also at vrious nurseries but the cheapest is Walmart and Lowe's- $700 & change for 4 oz bottle.

I find the shelves are not labled to include superthrive, it's always in the outdoor fertilizer section at the stores- if you can't find it you can ask the store manager why they don't carry it and if they plan too- most of the time if one store carries it others do also, but I have found that you can't ge good help these days- most of the employees in the garden section @ these chains can't tell a mum from an orchid- hope this helps.

WOW just found this thread and what help for a newbie! I've never planted anything from seed so am trying it this year. I live in zone 6b and I'm not sure when to plant them outside after they sprout. It says my growing season is 207 days and frost dates are 4/16 in spring and 10/14 in fall. Do I keep them inside until after 4/16? I've tried to research this here but there are so many different opinions. One site says to plant everything outside in mini greenhouses:

Winter Sowing is done outdoors during Winter using mini-greenhouses made from recyclables; there are no heating devices, no energy-wasting light set-ups or expensive seed starting devices. This is from www.wintersown.org

Others say keep inside, keep some warm and other cool.

I'm very confused, any help would be greatly appreciated!

Carolyn

April, I'm glad to hear it. I've been wanting to get some and thought that ordering it was my only option. I asked for it at a top notch garden center chain in Atlanta and they guy was very puzzled. Glad to see it's more readily available.

One thing I have tried is Messenger and I can not say enough good things about it. I had these little baby mums and I sprayed messenger on them and they just exploded! I'm serious. They went from about looking dead and punny, to these huge vibrant over 1.5 foot across amazing plants. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/451274/

Carolyn, pick up a book or two about starting seed from the library and read up as much as you can. This is my second year and I'm still doing lots and lots of asking, reading books and of course being on Daves.

The entire reason for starting indoors is that you will extend your growing season. For example tomatoes started indoors and later taken out, will be larger plants and bear fruit sooner and longer than those left outside to germintate when the weather heats up and the soil is warm enough. All those plants you see in the garden centers in spring are being started now in a greenhouse somewhere! :) Also, if your starting seed and planting flowers, you have a ready made garden instead of waiting when your area passes the last frost date. If you do start seed indoors there is a process and you should learn about before you do it! Here are some tips from my mistakes.. use a seed starting soiless mix and sterilize it and everything you are growing in or else it will damp off (die!). Invest in a set of lights to place your babies under or else they will be stretching for the window and you don't want that. There's lots more to know.. that's a small start :) Good Luck.

Here is a classic thread on garden mistakes so you can learn from others.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/20066/

I guess I was referring to 2 different methods. Some say keep indoors under lights and some say use the Winter Sowing method. Was curious which was better but thanks anyway.

CRS,
Try some of each. I always thin out over 70% of what comes up to give remaining plants space to thrive. So planting half a pkg inside in a domed flat and half outside under 2 liter bottle houses is a great option.
Get a notebook, or blog progress on each. Some things will always work best one way or another. Growing from seed does require some maintenance care. Hydrogen peroxide is your best friend and shop lights are great for fooling small plants into taking off. Good luck.
Sidney

SGG

I have never heard of Messenger- followed the link and read all of the good reviews and comments- sounds like something I could use.

Thank you for info!

april,
You will love Messenger. I used it and Spray n Grow last winter on a bed of white petunias. The plants got to one and a half foot balls consantly loaded with 50+ blooms. I also used it on my coleus seedlings at about six weeks and they all thrived.
A gardener needs all the help I can get and most of the things we buy will last attleast for 3 years.
Sidney

Hey Sidney, How you doin'? My daughter gave me one of the clams I think you call them, of her order of Messenger last year but I never used it. I will try it this year. Thanks, hope everything is well with you.

Jeanette

Going great.
Sidney

Hi Jeanette and Sidney

Anyone, I have used this method to sprout some exotic asian morning glories, and......some seeds My mom collected in the mid 70's from West Africa...seeds are sprouting including the ones from Africa...I'm very excited about it as I don't know what the plants will be from Africa as my mother is no longer with us. What I don't know, is how soon after they have sprouted that you plant them?? Any particular mixture etc?

Rj

Sidney
Thanks for the tip!

Thanks Sugarweed, that was the info I was needing. Will try both methods now and hope for the best. lol

Hello friends
Can anyone provide me with a link for this Messenger stuff? I would greatly appreciate it.
I'm usually pretty up to date with these newer and different products but I know squat about this stuff. It sounds like 1 more product to add to my stash of other unique foliar apps.
Thanks so much and please keep the info coming;)
JD

Free shipping on all orders over $25.
http://www.edenbio.com/xcart/home.php?cat=248

Messenger® Plant Health Activator
http://www.gardeningthings.com/sm/cimpublic/retrieve.cgi?dbname=gt&catalog_id=1.11.27

choose

~* Robin

Robin
Thanks so much for the links! This stuff sounds pretty amazing and I can't wait to give it a try. Please let me know if you find any more info or results from the use of this product. I'm eager to hear how/what our friends here have seen and have to say about it.
Thanks again;)
JD

I applied it to my houseplants for the first time yesterday. You're supposed to reapply every 3 weeks. I'll keep you posted...

I forgot to say above that I put 3 days between the Spray n Grow, and the Messenger applications.
I also use SnG's Bill's Fertilizer when I apply Spray n Grow.
I have Brugs and tomato plants buding and setting fruit. I think I'll give em a treatment this week.
Sidney

Hey Sidney :)
Messenger has the Mighty Plant now which is messenger and food together and that's my choice.

Susan

They sent me two packets of Mighty Plant in with my order of Messenger, for free.

Susan, I alternate with that also.
I figure a little this and a little that.
Here it just seems to work.
Sidney

Yes, if I get samples of the straight messenger, I'm certainly going to use it, but I think I'll be buying mighty plant from here on out :)

Susan

Have you checked this out? http://www.edenbio.com/xcart/search.php?mode=search
It's a shame we don't Co-opp here any more. This would be a good one on their 400 bulk Mighty Plant for $160.
Sidney

Well, I'm bummed! I've been following this thread and decided to place an order for Mighty Plant. Edenbio says they can't ship to Washington state. I wonder why?

What kind of company are they Katy? Just jumpin' in here. If they aren't shipping plants I wonder why also.

BTW, Hi Sidney, did you guys get the Spray-n-Grow catalog? They have the Volcanite which a lot of us on the Soil Additive thread have been talking about. I have some in the mail to try.

Jeanette

Are we not even allowed to discuss private small co-op's? Having four people go in on that would mean getting 100 packs for $40, or 50 packs for $20 plus tax and shipping.... that is a very sweet deal and I would certainly do it from here.

Yes, it is a huge shame that the co-op thread is dead.. I would jump all over this.

Susan

If we can't do coops here, we can/should just creat another kind of meeting place to do and duscuss these kinds of things. Sometimes pooling of funds is the only way some products are affordable to us all. I know when spidermites were thick 1 year and we couldn't get rid of them entirely until finding a product named "Avid". It works so well, it made spidermites no more of a problem than over watering practically. My point tho was this stuff cost around 200$+ for a quart and we gardener's only would need 1-2 liquid ounces of it and that lasted a few years. Babble Babble Babble...Here I go on rambling again.
I need to make a purchase of this stuff like yesterday so if anyone would like to email me and discuss doing this, please do ASAP. I saw someone above mention that just 4 people combining funds could make for a huge saving, I'm 1 of the 4 right now!;)
I haven't the foggiest idea of where to order this stuff from yet as I've been too darn busy with hospital BS and preparing for yet another 3-4 week stay sadly. I go in Feb. 1st and I need to get this messenger along with a billion other things lined up so my wife can take over while I'm away. Obviously I need to order this pronto so if a few more of you are ready, let's git-r-done;). If I don't hear from a few of you in the next couple days, I'll be doing an individual order but I don't want to. I can be reached here or my email is:
jdavis493@sbcglobal.net
I would greatly appreciate it if someone could/would find the best place to purchase from now so we can be ready.

Meanwhile, I have some serious "wining and dining" and cramming in as many quality fancy dinner dates with my wife before I get checked in at the hospital. I need to creat as much quality time with my family as possible as fast as possible in an effort to make up for what won't be happening over the next 2 months or so.
LOL Those are my feeble excuses for not researching any of this stuff. I gotta run, I think tonight will be a romantic dinner followed with a few hours at the Casino. She just loves doing the casino thing a few times each winter and it makes for a good date;).
Wish me luck and thanks friends;)
JD