PDB suggestion

Hi Dave!

In the PDB category "Spacing" would "one per pot" be a useful addition?
That's usually how I grow my orchids, cacti, and larger specimen bulbs...

Failing that, "Not Applicable" would also cover mat-forming plants.

Thanks, as always, for your attention!

Hmmmm. Lemme ask you this: would you search for plants that should be placed in their own pot? (That's really the reason behind all the checkboxes - to give users the ability to search for plants with that particular attribute.)

And...this is a biggie - are you willing to go through and mark all the plants that need to be updated if we add a new checkbox? (Sad but true - it's a litmus test we must apply before we add a new checkbox at this point.)

Well, actually Terry, the fact that you *would* have to "go through and mark all the plants that need to be updated" proves the point.

But I understand the practical side: more work for the already over-taxed Editorial Board.
Remember the cereal commercial?
"I'm not gonna eat it!"
"I'm not gonna eat it either!"
"I know! Let's give it to Mikey!"

So... maybe we could get Baa to do it...

(Man, am I gonna catch it for that one! ;)

Oh - and as for searching: I've never searched for a PDB plant by any criterion other than Latin name. Do people really search for plants requiring 30cm spacing? Wow! Spacing is the least of my concerns since 1. I'm forced by Tokyo land prices to do 90% of my gardening in containers, and 2. luckily most of the plants I'm interested in lend themselves to container culture. I guess that puts me in a very small minority (as usual, sigh...)

Thanks anyway! ;)

This message was edited Jun 13, 2004 10:31 PM

Pardon, but not true! Not true! We disabled gardeners, as well as others without a lot of space, use containers a lot. For me, that's the only way I can garden. I realize the points that Terry made are valid. But I have found that I do find myself wondering, "how many plants per pot to have a good display?" and what size pots would be best?" It really makes a difference to know what others have learned through practice. If I want to create a pot to place in my garden for color, how many pots do I need, and what size works best for which plant, for a planting season?

I would use this type of information a lot. If the plant is listed as "space 4-6" apart," will I get the best benefit the first season with perennials if I use 1 plant per 4" pot? Or would it be better to put two or more plants in the pot the first year. I can always repot as necessary for the next year.

But the less pots I can have, that provide the best display and growing conditions, the less pots I have to get someone else (usually poor DH) that particular year, to achieve the desired effect. When you can't lift more than a pound or two, without damaging your back, or your sunny space is limited, how many plants do you need optimally?

Conversely, if buying plants on the economy, can I have a larger variety, and see which ones work best? Or do I need to start with twice as many plants as I need to result in the effect I want?

Plants usually grow differently in pots than they do in the ground. Some, however, continue their usual growth pattern, and we need to know that information. Is the plant is going to outgrow the pot within 2 months? Or will the pot be self-limiting to the plant, so a larger, heavier pot is not needed? If it grows better, and I will have room for the plant at standard size in my finite gardening space, I will know to plan to have someone plant it in the ground at approximately a certain growing level.

Container growing is a new field to me, as is the newer climate I am in now, and I am just learning, mostly by trial and error. Some assistance in this would be greatly appreciated. I hate murdering plants, adding to water pollution, and wasting limited resources on doomed trials.

Maybe a button available that takes you to a subsite, if you are container gardening.

Just MHO. Thanks!

And thanks, Lophophora, for asking the question!

Hi JudithI !

Glad to see my "very small minority" get a little bigger ;)
You've got a lot of really great points there - but it all comes back to the question of filling out the boxes for the 276 million entries already up on the PDB.

Dear Patient Terry - another member, bless her heart, suggested this to me: a check box that said, "suitable for container culture".
Dave could use some of that Linux Majick of his to automatically check all the Orchidaceae and Cactaceae....

...and I will solemnly swear to go through and check all the boxes in the Calochortaceae and Velloziaceae. Cross my heart.

;)

I really would like to see "suitable for containers/window boxes" as an choice as this is an item many Gardeners, including me :), will search for.

Milan

What can one NOT grow in containers? Let common sense rule out Giant Sequoia. Although Bonsai is fun too.

Anything I plant! LOL

Ulrich, Ulrich, Ulrich - quibble quibble quibble... ;)

The operational word here is "suitable", not "can".

ADJECTIVE: 1. Suited to one's end or purpose: appropriate, befitting, convenient, expedient, fit, good, meet, proper, tailor-made, useful. See AGREE, GOOD. 2. Satisfying certain requirements, as for selection: eligible, fit, fitted, qualified, worthy. See ABILITY. 3. Consistent with prevailing or accepted standards or circumstances: appropriate, deserved, due, fit, fitting, just, merited, proper, right, rightful. See RIGHT. (Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition.  1995.)

Actually, you *could* grow a Sequoia in a container, but just don't ask me to help you repot it next century...

(BTW - love your Echeveria elegans. Wanna trade pups for E. albicans? It's highly suitable for a small container... :-D

Hey Buddy, I got my own

Lofofora, let me know next time you are in the neighborhood; I'll give you my address and you can pick up all the E. elegans and more just for the wantin'. Do they allow plants into Japan?
I am too lazy to package and ship stuff. Besides, I have learned by and by that no good deed goes unpunished.

Hear, Hear!!! for Lophophora!! Well said! Thanks!!!

I still don't know what size pots to use. LOL

BTW, I have to plant in a pot I can lift without further damaging my back. A full pitcher of water is too heavy for me now. So, the smaller the pot, the better, for as long as possible. :)

Count your blessings for having a pot to plant in.

Mein Lieber Herr,

"no good deed goes unpunished"...?
Are you sure it's Merriam-Webster you're using? Sounds more like Ambrose-Bierce.

Many thanks for the generous offer - may look you up next time I go back for Christmas. But fear not, it won't be to beg - you're right about not allowing plants into the country.

BTW - more thx for saying nice things about me in that Euphorbia thread. I shall find some way to punish you.

;)

You very velkom, enni teim.
'Don't touch my moustache', as us GIs used to say there in the fifties.

GIs with moustaches, in the 50s???????? Pray tell, do!

Well Judith - it's completely off topic, but since Terry is ignoring us anyway, we may as well give up on this thread.

US enlisted men are infamous monoglots (except for Ulrich of course), and the Japanese are not much better (except for Noriko, Tomtom, matsuzono, goldenfish and DORA777.) In the 50's & 60's, rather than provide a few hours of basic language instruction (the DOD offers it in various forms nowadays, bless their hearts) some wit at HQ came up with a list of phonetic approximations of Japanese for use as mnemonics. Predictably, they became pidgin substitutes. So...

Japanese Person: "Arigato" (Thank you)
Japanese Person: "Do itashimashite." (You're welcome)

became

Japanese Person: "Arigato" (Thank you)
American Person: "Don't touch my moustache" (Don't touch my moustache)

Amazingly, "Don't touch my moustache" was completely incomprehensible to non-English speakers. Those few Japanese who could understand were either perplexed by the non sequitur, or else offended by the presumption that they would even contemplate molesting a complete stranger's facial hair.

Never forgetting nor forgiving this horrible rudeness, the Japanese have since retaliated by flooding America with Pokemon and inexpensive cell phones, thereby hastening the decline and fall of civilization as we know it...

;)

who sez I'm ignoring y'all? Have you looked at the list of "other details" in the PDB lately????

Lophosan, great explanation!
I think, though, we were retaliating for "Kulissumatsu".

Edited to add a link to The Devils, Dictionary.
http://www.alcyone.com/max/lit/devils/c.html


This message was edited Jun 29, 2004 3:24 PM

Thanks, both! Now I completely understand, I think??? I gather this works better spoken than written, but I get the drift.

You're really dating yourselves, you know. I was a bit young when that war was "afoot," so to speak. And I'M older than dirt! I was around during WWII, but just barely!

(cringe)

Terry!! Prostrate, I tremble, humbly & abjectly supplicating forgiveness for my ignorance.

I shall now go and put my mouse where my mouth is, and check that box in all my entries (where applicable.)

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you're welcome ;o)

Now you've done it Lopho. You've gone and created the dreaded thread-spread. Your !!!!!!!!!!'s need a space in them!!!!!

Editor!!!! Help!!!!

Terry -

Just finished updating 72 plants. Whew.

How much do they pay you HD'ers anyway?
(It's not enough...)

I think I shall suggest PDB improvements more sparingly in the future...
At least ones where I have to do (some of) the work.


;)