Rant: I hate most online gardening information

Discussion in 'Free Thoughts' started by domesticated om, Dec 15, 2020.

  1. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    Clever of you. The effector-gremlin on this site doesn't turn off italics and colour function when you're through with them. This time, I didn't think it worth my while to wrestle with him. In fact, even this response isn't. Just bored.
     
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  3. domesticated om Stickler for details Valued Senior Member

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    Did you mean "online"? You are making a big oversimplification by saying these people are all amateurs. These people are from a diverse group of amateurs, columnists, experts, companies (like garden product manufacturers), state or government agencies, and articles published by academics.

    I'm not sure what you mean by "not learning the craft" since this thread is the result of frustrations I'm encountering as I do research. If it helps to understand the context of what I'm talking about - think of trying to learn to use some sort of machine, but the manufacturer wrote the manual in English as an afterthought.

    "Pleased to screw unscrew #14 hand terminal bolt. Bolt in location 12 inch place 14 inch"

    If this was your experience, you'd be ready to strangle someone after a couple of days - haha.
     
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  5. domesticated om Stickler for details Valued Senior Member

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    Place clamp 16 inches from center.......the entire part is 16 inches wide
     
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  7. Beer w/Straw Transcendental Ignorance! Valued Senior Member

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    This might be some kind of a parallel: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/

    Just reading a couple posts in that forum you can get the notion that know one knows exactly WTF they are doing.

    I posted there long ago about wanting to get THC from marijuana brewed in a beer as well -I got called a troll...

    I believe this can be done with changing the DNA of the yeast. This has been been done, but not for an alcoholic beverage in mind. And this information seems to be under lock and key that I assume is for money/legal purposes.

    The only related information I've found is how to manipulate yeast to make glow in the dark beer.

    But the Twilight Zone part is changing the genetic code. For medical purposes it has been done in humans and that bodes the Pandora's Box.

    And let us not forget the yeast but learn a valuable lesson. Changing their genetic code, say to make beer, well they all die after the sugar is gone. Eat all the sugar to you're inevitable death - sounds like our own demise with money and the like.

    So every time you brew a beer make wine etc. Think of the yeast then think of Oppenheimer: "I have become Death, destroyer of worlds."

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    Last edited: Dec 17, 2020
  8. domesticated om Stickler for details Valued Senior Member

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    I do know that THC binds to lipids and alcohol, so you may be able to try decarboxylating your buds prior to some sort of post-fermentation process or bind it to an adjunct(s).
    Sweetwater Brewery actually has a few brews they've released called "420 strain" - although they just flavor the beer with the terpenes -- so you sort of get a whiff of it when you take the first few sips.
     
  9. Beer w/Straw Transcendental Ignorance! Valued Senior Member

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    I meant more like playing God.

    Yeast eats and reproduces creating alcohol and carbon. Modify it's genetic code to produce THC...

    No plant required.
     
  10. domesticated om Stickler for details Valued Senior Member

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    Since this is a begi
    Are you trying to emulate the same general principle of something being "converted" (ie - sugar goes in ---> ethanol comes out)? What's the does the yeast need to consume to convert it to THC?

    ALSO

    This article here goes on my hate list: https://www.leaffin.com/hydroponic-tomatoes/#1_Temperature
    If you're going to mention temperature in an entry about hydroponic gardening, you need to make it clear you are referring to either air temps or fluid temps.
     
  11. Beer w/Straw Transcendental Ignorance! Valued Senior Member

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    Just found this article. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00714-9

    For me, I don't want to turn my kitchen into a lab, I just want the friggin recipe!
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2020
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  12. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    How about both?
    What makes you assume they would be different?
     
  13. domesticated om Stickler for details Valued Senior Member

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    Not an assumption.

    Root (think soil) temperatures and ambient air temps are actually different under normal conditions. To give you an idea of how important this is, you can actually prolong the life of vegetables during the winter by heating the soil despite having a lower ambient sir temperature. Likewise, having roots submerged in fluid that’s too hot can oxygen-starve the plant where the same temperature from ambient air has no real impact - other than being unproductive (lots of growth, but no tomatoes).
     
  14. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    All of which is a red herring, since its telling you to keep the temp (air, fluid) within the indicated range.
     
  15. Bells Staff Member

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    Hah!

    As someone who is close to having an indoor jungle (literally, family is now complaining at the sheer volume of indoor plants), let me give you some pointers in regards to what I use. Yes, the terminology can be confusing, but

    For well draining soil, it just means that the soil does not stay waterlogged and instead, drains out the bottom of the pot freely and allows the soil to be moist so the plant roots/tuber/etc can get the moisture it needs.

    I personally use a mix in my houseplants - that I mix myself. I buy bags of azelia potting soil (which is a peat based soil mix that is a light (in weight) and retains some moisture but drains well - it's a mix of peat moss, compost and some sand) and I mix it with coarse perlite and vermiculite (bags of which are pretty cheap). Equal parts of each. Having tried buying and using just plain old peat moss, I found myself throwing it out into the garden as it was water repulsive. So when they say well drained soil, it just means the soil retains some moisture to allow the plant to drink, but the excess of the water simply drains through it - ie it doesn't stay soggy and wet.

    I do not use gravel at the bottom of pots, as it makes the pot heavy. I usually just leave it as is to allow the excess water to drain out (I also drill extra holes in the terracotta pots I buy to ensure everything drains properly - I use special bits for the drill to do so and just make sure the surface is wet to not overheat the drill bit). I use the cheapest terracotta pots from the local hardware store because I find that they are the best at keeping the soil and roots cool and allows the soil to breathe as well and also because I love the patina they develop on them and expensive pots tend to be glazed and I like the look of simple terracotta pots - that is basically down to personal preference. Whichever one you use, just make sure it has lots of drainage holes in the bottom (*and for orchids, around the side too to allow the plant medium to air out properly and the water to drain through*)..

    For succulent type plants and plants like peperomias, I buy a cactus mix and mix that with perlite and vermiculite, which is super well draining.. I am actually considering switching a bunch of my plants to this mix because it drains so well.
    Sandy loamy soil is usually an equal mix of sand with your garden variety 'soil' - which is often a mix of compost type stuff and peat soil..

    Peaty soil is basically a mix of peat moss and compost - which is why it has little bits of bark, etc in it and it's rich and loamy. It's usually an equal mix of both.

    Clay soil is basically a high percentage of simply clay type medium.

    Because most of this stuff goes by feel.

    Stick your finger in the top of the pot. Does the soil feel wet and soggy? Then it's too moist. Does it feel damp and only lightly sticks to your finger? Then it's probably just moist and for most plants, just right (usually how you want the soil to feel after watering and the excess water has drained out). Not moist enough.. Does the soil just feel dry and no moisture at all in it? Then it is probably time to water the plant, give it a good soaking and water it until you see the water drain out of the bottom of the pot and then stop, let it drain and then move it back to its saucer, etc.

    You can't measure light in that way.

    Full sun means just that. It will do well in the full strength of the sun from morning until the sun goes down.

    Medium - dappled light - so not the full glare of the sun, but some dappled shade or perhaps morning sun and then bright light but not direct sunlight.

    Direct - see above - means direct sunlight.

    Indirect sun - means dappled not not the harsh light of the sun hitting the leaves.. So you'd have it a bit back from a window perhaps, so it's getting the light but not the direct sun hitting the plant.

    It simply takes practice and patience. You'll kill heaps of plants, and then one day it just kind of clicks. Every house, space, flat, garden, etc is different. It simply takes trial and error. I've been at this for many years now.. many maaaany years.

    My advice, just don't look at measurements that are that exact.

    French tarragon does well in planter boxes if the soil is loamy and just drains well (so adding some course sand and some perlite will help). The mix I use above does well with it (can confirm.. as I have it growing in my garden in compost, some potting soil and perlite - the potting soil I just got from the local landscaper - as it's growing in the garden in full sun until the afternoon when the trees provide shade and dappled light).. If you are growing it in a planter box, add some course sand (like river sand that drains well, and/or some perlite - say 1/2 the potting mix and 1/4 sand and 1/4 perlite.. Water it when the top starts to feel a bit dry. It does not like it when the soil feels soggy or wet.

    Tomatoes grow like a weed and grows everywhere.

    Failing to properly arrange plants, etc will lead to disasters. It's not just about choosing pots and arranging flowers. It's about knowing what pot your plant will thrive in and which ones it won't in your climate (indoor and outdoor depending on the type of plant), not to mention the growing medium.

    But seriously though, stop over-thinking it. It takes practice. Half the time, tarragon dies because it's been over-watered or not watered enough and the soil becomes dry. If the top few inches starts to feel dry in the planter box, give it a good water and make sure it's not sitting in water in between that. Or you can plant it in a self watering pot and it will wick the water from the base as it needs it. Good morning sun and if you live in an area that gets super hot and dry, avoid direct afternoon sun, but ensure it gets good light from the sun - ie not direct sun shining on it.. And extra drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. Don't bother with pebbles, it's not necessary. If you are concerned about the potting soil falling out, go with a piece of mesh to act as a filter.. a liquid fertiliser like say, once a month if you feel like it - I never bother as it doesn't need it and half the time, the fertiliser can actually do more harm than good.

    This

    THIS!!

    So much this!

    I really got into growing ferns and I was trying to figure out why the maidenhair ferns just kept keeling over. The instructions I was reading online, I found out - several dead maidenhair ferns later, were from a guy living in Singapore, who grew his maidenhair ferns (of which he had hundreds) in his sheltered courtyard/balcony.. Moist, humid conditions that isn't too hot or too cold. Completely different climate.
     
  16. domesticated om Stickler for details Valued Senior Member

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    I love how you’re attempting to bridge a few of the gaps! Hopefully, this next bit of discussion wont seem like it's too much:

    Let's break down “well” and “draining” a little further. Let's assume “well” represents the rate and “draining” represents water flowing from the container. I'll also bring in this volume flow calculator.

    https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/flow-liquid-water-tank-d_1753.html

    For the sake of simplicity, we'll start with a container that only contains water. We'll say that it's 12 inches (30.48 cm) tall but the total volume is 152 cubic inches (2.49083 liters). If I wanted the water to leave the container at a rate of "well", what rate would that be in milliliters per second. A range for the purpose of having some degree of fudge factor is also acceptable.
    From this, we then add soil to the container and make the adjustments accordingly.

    BTW - I'm sorry for mixing imperial with metric (damn 'murican brain). A lot of this is in my headspace right now as I have been bitten hard by the gardening and hydroponics bugs and am in the process of both designing and implementing setups.

    This is also good (percentages are a huge help)

    Allow me to introduce you to a new series of instruments called "moisture sensors".
    https://extension.umn.edu/irrigatio...s-of-volumetric-water-content-sensors-1751860

    By the way.... I normally hate "here's a link" type answers, but in a nutshell, these types of instruments attach the levels of soil moisture to numeric values as opposed to subjective. Think of the measurements as having varying amounts of range resolution - like maybe 0-100 where 0 = "bone dry" in touchy feely terms and 100 = "soggy"

    For my automated irrigation purposes, it really help to have solid sensor data I can write a routine to follow. If I wanted to train myself to do this by feel, I could even stick my finger in a measured soil samples enough times to familiarize myself with what different levels objectively feel like.

    By now, let's just assume there's already prior art as far as sensors are concerned LOL, an realize that light can be measured in things like luminosity, colors spectrum, etc. A couple of examples.
    https://www.amazon.com/Moisture-Sunlight-Tester-Gardening-Outdoors/dp/B07SG3TCM5
    https://hydrobuilder.com/learn/how-to-measure-grow-light-with-a-par-meter/


    This is a part I can disagree with. It takes longer given the lack of up-front information provided. I think what may take years is encountering various undocumented edge cases.


    Thanks so much. Will literally be headed to the store or nursery within hour. My tarragon's rhizomes are chomping at the bit to be transplanted from the containers they were delivered to me in.

    Actually - understanding fertilizers is pretty important as it will determine how it impacts the plant. I'm oversimplifying it, but I'm more about knowing my tomatoes will do well with something like blood meal vs. <some-catch-all-brandname> vs. some specific N-P-K fertilizers based on the growth stages (ie - growth, flowering, fruiting, etc).

    Case in point of being set up for failure from the beginning due to vague instructions.
     
  17. Bells Staff Member

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    You can't really apply this to pot plants in a potting soil medium, or even in a garden set-up with soil based medium.

    If you had a complete hydro set up, or even semi-hydro with leca for example, then the volume of water ratio to nutrients, etc, is vital. But with a soil set up, in pots, it's simply not conducive and just builds stress levels to a hobby that is meant to be relaxing (at least for me at any rate).

    With a soil set up, well draining simply means the water or liquid you are using to water your plants with, drain through the medium quickly and drain out the bottom after moistening the potting medium.

    If you have clay in your pot as a potting medium, then obviously it won't drain as well - but theoretically, if you want to avoid issues with fungus, mould, etc in the pot or container, a well draining mix is the best.

    I have them.

    I just don't find them useful for me personally. If you find they make your life easier, then definitely use them!

    I stick my finger in the top of the soil and if it's dry, I water it. With my ferns, I lift the pot and I can tell by the weight when I need to water it. Most of my plants like to dry out a bit before watering anyway - except for my ferns. In my garden, I give everything a good soak twice a week. Sometimes 3 times a week during a dry spell in summer. If you grow things in terracotta pots (like I do), for most of my plants, it's once a week. And they are all flourishing now. That's what I found worked for me.

    You can't really apply it effectively because it depends on the humidity, how much oxygen the roots are getting, the types of pots you are using, the temperature, etc.

    In a hydro set up, even semi-hydro, then that could apply. But normal potting mix medium? I don't actually think it's necessary.

    Each person has their own set up. I have friends who water their plants daily and they are thriving. Mine thrive with a once a week deep water in terracotta pots and sometimes, twice a week if the weather is super hot or dry. In winter, it's often once a fortnight. It all depends. I don't plan in advance. I have a quick look a couple of times a week.

    For automatic irrigation, you basically plug in the numbers (ie time, minutes watering, etc) and off you go.

    You can't measure how much a plant needs on any given day, because it may require more water some days and not others. Even with automatic irrigation, you still have to check and perhaps cancel it that day or reprogram so that your plant is not getting an excess of water that could do more harm than good.

    Which is important for a hydro set up indoors.

    That's not what I was talking about.

    Even with an indoor set up, you need to know the lighting you are using, the strength and then understand the plant's cycle and how much light it needs.

    Growing plants in such a set up is not natural for the plant. So you basically need to learn about the plant to see how it will adapt and you then change accordingly. It's best to get instructions from people living in your area or climate as well.

    Trial and error. I have read about 2 dozen books and more websites than I care to count in regards to growing ferns. Basically all of them contradicted each other. One said they don't like any drafts or even a breeze, they don't like to be touched, etc.. Another, for the same fern, had theirs growing in front of a fan and was constantly touching. One said well draining soil but has to be kept moist and not to keep it's roots near water, another used a wick system in their pot to pump even more water into the pot from the large container of water the pot was sitting in and saying that they often grow by rivers.. One said low light and another said theirs did better in bright light from morning until night.. And on and so forth.

    French tarragon actually does not need a lot of fertiliser, if any at all. It's flavour actually becomes more intense, the less nutrient rich the soil happens to be.

    I just dig in some compost when I first plant it and just let it go, to be honest. And that's usually with compost that has a mix of chicken manure and garden clippings, a bale of hay or sugar cane mulch, whichever one I find first in the local area, that I let break down for many months. Once a year, if I remember, I'll throw a handful of slow release little pellet things in that general vicinity... If it's in pots, the potting mixes usually have a slow release fertiliser in it already, so I don't have to bother.

    Tomatoes.. Literally. They grow like a weeds. Everywhere.

    They are even growing in cracks in some of the pavers that I have around my vegetable garden.

    The seeds sometimes come in with the potting mix and they pop up there too.

    Which is kind of why I now just go by what I have learned over the years living in the particular climate of my suburb, which is drastically different to the climate 3 suburbs away.

    What I found the most helpful was to talk to people. Look on social media for any gardening clubs in your area. Check out to see if there are community gardens and pop down there and have a chat to those who are there. That's what I ended up doing about my vegetable garden and herbs. That local advice is amazing.

    As for my ferns, I just play it by ear now. I found the soil mix that works well for me. I found what works well for me in controlling bugs, fungus and fungus gnats. I don't use chemicals and stuff to do so and my house is now very close to being a jungle. I have just popped out to buy more pots, for the half a dozen or so new plants I bought yesterday from an indoor nursery someone recommended to me that's not far at all.. And a new hunk of timber with which to make another plant table..
     
  18. domesticated om Stickler for details Valued Senior Member

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    Yes you can. In fact, the drain flow rate is literally given in countless sites and through the local extension (state gardening resources). Their “10 minute or less” test always looks like:

    Here's a simple test to find out how well your soil drains. Dig a hole that is 12-18 inches across and 12-18 inches deep. Fill the hole with water. If water drains from the hole in 10 minutes or less, you have fast drainage. If the water takes an hour or more to drain, you have poorly drained soil.

    This is not to say that I consider the information credible, but I’m just pointing this out.


    It’s conducive to auto irrigation in addition to being one less thing to worry about since the work is already done. Building “levels of stress” is subjective. You’re referring to something some people enjoy (like me) that others may find tedious, difficult, or unpleasant.


    I hear ya, but I think you missed my point. The point I was trying to make is that if you created online content explaining it this way, it’s too vague. Then you’ll have people like me reading your article...

    “weight?” <pulls out scale> “how much does this need to weigh?”

    You don’t know the answer to this. Not putting you on the spot or anything (please don’t take it this way), it’s just this particular statement shows a lack of knowledge as to what’s possible - for example: measuring basics like humidity and soil temperature

    Actually, you can have it automatically adjust based on soil moisture readings, based on some sort of algorithm (an ebb and flow type routine for example), based on weather reports, you can automate it handle if it’s actively raining if not predicted, based on temperature, etc. I could make it change daily based on the growth phase of the plant.
    I think you may only have experience with flat timers which is understandable.

    Actually, I can use the data from sensors like that for all sorts of stuff - like determining of the plant is getting enough light based on it’s outdoor location, getting data that correlates the position of the sun with time of day and how soil temperature is impacted. I can determine if some level of intensity is not enough in dappled shade. There is a lot that can be done.

    Looping back to my original “letting off steam” post here. I totally agree most of the content is abysmal.

    A nursery that no doubt has to repeat this hundreds of times using a particular formula or pattern so there’s inventory. Heck - possibly even train employees to do, make purchase orders on supplies.
    “I need 1000 seedling trays for ferns, I will need X Y Z amounts for each container, and need to feed each one ____ amounts of water, and _____ amount of ____.”
     
  19. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    18,935
    Shifting responsibility...

    This is just so foreign to me. The fascinating idea that a Youtube video should (let alone could) teach you exactly how to succeed at such a complex discipline as hydroponics while skipping any amount of trial-and-error or skill-building.

    A how-to book might take ten times as long to read as watching a Youtube video, and there's no way any reasonable person should expect ideal results out-of-the-can.


    Now, I of course, am blind to age and generation, but my wife, who is in the position of hiring assistants, finds a consistent lack of initiative and responsibility in younger generations. They seem to expect to be spoon-fed everything they need to succeed. They also seem to get most of their "knowledge", such as it is, from Youtube videos. It is hard not to draw such a comparison here.
     
  20. domesticated om Stickler for details Valued Senior Member

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    As far as young —> old goes, I’m picturing myself having a conversation with someone in a nursing home.

    Me: I was reading about pomegranates and heard they can survive the winter weather...,
    Them: eh.... well, you know ya can’t find nuthin’ useful on them computers.
    Me: I read this in a book
    Them: <stares at me confused> well, back in my day we didn’t have those computers like you young-ins have. Makes learnin too easy“
    Me: book.... this was in a paperback book about growing pomegranates
    Them: well, if ya ask me, you should put the computer down and get yer hands dirty
    Me <bailing out after realizing this wasn’t going anywhere> Uh - Ok
    Them: Ya see, my friend ed used ta have him a farm. He was self taught. This was long before computers came around
    Me: uh huh
    Them: Then, we’d pick em’ and look at each one ta see if it was ripe
    Me: uh huh

    .... this goes on for about an hour -haha
     
  21. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    18,935
    Haha but no it doesn't, does it? Because:
    I think you made my point for me.

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  22. Bells Staff Member

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    Yes.

    But you have not seen or witnessed the saturation level of the soil itself. Here's the problem I have with such tests, while they work, they fail to address soil saturation in the process - ie, how much fluid the soil is retaining for your plants to use.

    Say you add a lot of something like peat moss to your garden or pots - which many recommend you do. So you go out and buy a few bags worth of it, mix it in with your soil and/or compost and dig it into the garden or in your pots for that hearty peat moss medium that plants thrive in.

    You then do the drainage test and yay, it's drained within 10 minutes. You are happy as you have well draining soil.

    You then plant your plants and expect it to do well. You have followed the instructions to the letter.

    Then you notice your plants are not thriving or growing. You cannot figure out why.

    That well draining soil, that you followed the 10 minute test for.. Does not actually retain enough moisture for your plants to use. Peat moss, who the majority add as extra, is often water repellent if you do not buy it wet. If you buy it 'wet', then it can actually be a bit of a sludge and can sometimes even be boggy (definitely not well draining). And I have seen people buy this stuff in massive quantities, and then question why their plants are dying. It is one of the mail ingredients in many potting soil or garden soil. And people will buy bags of it and mix it in.

    Fast drainage tests like that work great at seeing the water move through quickly. But it does not indicate or show how well it is actually wetting the soil or medium in the process.

    And you may end up killing your plants in the process, because it fails to factor in temperature variation, humidity levels, how much water the soil has wicked and is retaining.. So you may end up over-watering or underwatering your plants which can kill them.

    Auto irrigation is good for a large garden set up, where you water twice a week or something, or have set up a drip watering system. I would not use it for containers though for reasons stated above.

    And also ensure it's one that you can turn off depending on the weather as well..

    Okay, I'll put it this way.

    You don't know, until you go ahead and plant the stuff, how whatever you are planting is going to respond to your current climate. I'm not talking about your suburb. I am talking about where and how you have planted whatever it is you have planted, what growing medium you are using, the type and thickness of mulch you are using around your plants, etc..

    All of which will affect the humidity around the plant and the soil temperature, not to mention how much water it requires and how often you need to fertilise it.

    And this varies on a day to day basis depending on the level of moisture in the air and the temperature itself. So you going out and measuring the humidity and soil temperature will only provide you with a tiny window (which I'll be perfectly honest with you, no one who grows plants actually bothers with this) of what your plant needs or wants to thrive and not die.

    People relying on youtube for all this information are failing to understand one basic thing. The gardens on youtube videos you are watching, is not your garden. Their growing conditions will not be identical to yours. And it is literally a case of trial and error to find out what works best for you, the plants you are growing and the growing medium you are using.

    Gardening, like everything else, takes practice. It takes learning as you go. I have read more than a dozen books and looked at even more websites about setting up vegetable gardens.. I gathered that knowledge and then through trial and error, found a system that worked well for my garden, including soil type, climate, weather pattern, amount of lighting required and type of lighting, watering and fertilising cycles and the plants I am planning on planting for consumption. It took me years. Not because the information in the videos are wrong. But because the videos are not filmed in my garden with my set up. In the end I went and spoke to other people who had vegetable gardens, etc in my area to get tips.

    Trial and error.

    Figure out what is best for you.

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    That ^^^ is some of my galangal, after I did the complete opposite of the instructions posted online and simply through trial and error, got it to grow like that. It's actually taller than I am. It's growing next to the pool, in full sun, in soil that is a tad on the clay side, which is actually not recommended. That spot turned out the be the best spot for it, as opposed to the shade, with rich well draining soil.. The damage you see on the leaves was from a hail storm we had.

    I shoved a bit in there to see if it would grow after failing elsewhere. Now it can basically be used as a full on screen plant around the pool - there is actually a pool on the other side of that shrub..

    Don't just rely on youtube. You need to basically see what grows best where you are and that's through trial and error. The people on youtube also have had to experience the same things when they were figuring it all out.

    Why do you need this though?

    I honestly just don't see the point.

    You seem to have this idea of putting stuff in the soil or in a hydroponics setup and having everything just be done for you with very little input from you.

    You don't actually need all these expensive gadgets. Take your finger, stick it in soil - feel damp? No need to water. Feel dry? Water. Done.

    Is it raining? Don't turn on the irrigation. Is it super hot and dry? Water for a bit longer this afternoon.

    You don't want to grow your French tarragon. You want it grown for you, in your garden. Only instead of using a gardener. You are using frankly useless gadgets that you literally do not need.

    Nurseries normally recycle their trays.

    Secondly, most are under shade cloth areas and do one water in the morning and if it's super hot, will turn on the overhead sprinklers in the afternoon.

    The best nursery I have ever been to is one that's literally out the back of a giant horse paddock in horse country nearby and their fertiliser was to let chickens run around (also their pest control methods) and a staff member walking around with a giant hose if it was a bit on the hot side.. Their plants do not die when you bring them home because they aren't grown for the purpose of selling - where nurseries basically boost plants for sale and then you bring them home and they fall over dead.

    It's also where I bought that galangal from.
     
  23. domesticated om Stickler for details Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,277
    Mmmmm mmmm mm
    I’m going to reply to this as one megaquote instead of addressing each sub-issue of online gardening info separately.

    So I really want to accept the tribal knowledge slow learning approach as acceptable. I want to take all these tidbits and live life reading the nuggets of information provided by online content (static web pages and youtube videos) as they are. Maybe I visit these pastel green flowery web pages armed with the expectation that they are giving readers a usably coherent starting point to the topics.

    However - after reading this, I say to myself “Ok - relax and move on”...... only to visit the next piece of online content and wish I could flay the author of the article like Ramsey Bolten.

    “Compost should be one third green to two thirds brown.... nitrogen to carbon”. Awesome - I have a giant pile of fall leaves and not enough grass. How much coffee grinds do I need to obtain? Oh.... just 33.33%. I have more leaves than can reasonably be measured volumetrically..... can I go by weight? Naw because 30 lbs of coffee grounds to 60 lbs of leaves doesn’t equal 1/3 of
    the aggregate... urm.... meant volumetrically at a similar density - sorry, I didn’t think of that.

    I need to buy a heavy punching bag with a picture of a gardener on it - wearing an apron and a straw hat with a punchable expression on their face lol.
     

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