I need help! Will my Irises flower next year?

I live in zone 5. and I bought some (dutch and bearded) irise bulbs, that are hardy here. on the box it said to plant them from sept. to november. I planted them in sep. and today I saw they have little leaves about 4-5 inch tall. We're supposed to have a hard frost this weekend and we normally have snow by mid nov. So will they lose thier enery now and not bloom next spring?

I need help! Will my Irises flower next year?
You'll be fine. Mine do that if I cut the old leaf sets off them. After you're initial bloom next year, don't cut the leaves off, just let them dry on their own or braid them and let them dry. Mulching over the top of where they are planted is always a good idea, just rake it off in the spring or leave it for nutrient.
Reply:Yes, when the freeze comes, they'll die back but then come back again in spring.
Reply:Your irises will be fine. Those little leaves might be nipped by the frost, but the rhizome will be fine. I leave all the leaves on my irises through the winter. In the spring, I just go out and clean up those that look crappy. I've got to figure the best way to keep the huge blooms from taking a header when spring rains come. I'm thinking nails and string on the fence they're planted next to.
Reply:Not to worry, they will be fine.
Reply:They will be fine.

Could I get sued if I plant an edible plant on publicly accessible commercial property?

I got sunflowers which grow seeds at the head, but I'm scared that somebody will sue me for thousands of dollars if I plant them outside. Where I plan to plant the plants is on commercial property that I own but is publicly accessible that is about 10 feet away from a sidewalk.



Already paid seven thousand dollars settling a lawsuit, all because a toilet paper roll in the bathroom was 2 inches below the Americans with disabilities act guildlines. Which supposedly caused severe emotional distress.



Now I'm afriad that if I plant these plants somebody will try and eat them then sue me for getting sick if they do. I won't use pesticides or any chemicals on the plants and want to use them for ornamental purposes.

Could I get sued if I plant an edible plant on publicly accessible commercial property?
I am not an attorney, but common sense would dictate if you own the property, anyone who comes onto your property and eats the sunflower seeds does so at their own risk and if you want to stretch it a little more, technically, if they do not work for you or have any business on your property, they could be liable for trespassing.
Reply:Could you get sued? Of course you could get sued. This is 2008 and we have idle attorneys around every corner. If you are concerned, don't plant them.
Reply:YOur heart is in the right place. I think if you post a warning label you'll be fine....



ya gotta love the new millenium..........
Reply:Since you have all ready been sued after a lawyer went into your bathroom with measuring tape to measure the proper inches pertaining to your rolls of toilet paper, I would think that you would use common sense and plant your sunflowers on your own private property. I would plant them in my back yard and put up a fence. The American Disabilities Act loves to find a bathroom that is not designed for the unfortunate in wheelchairs. What if a wheelchair rolled right next to these sunflowers and ate one? Or a seeing eye dog ate it and died? The law pertains to the seeing eye dogs rigidly.Wow!

sandals church

How to I make my leggy sunflower seedlings more sturdy?

I germinated and grew them firstly in a greenhouse but left them in too long. I've planted them out now, but they became very leggy (some are about 9 inches tall and are only on their 3rd pair of leaves) so I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to help make them stronger while they're growing and less prone to getting broke when it's windy? They're too small for a cane.



The ones I planted out when they got their first pair of leaves are really solid, still about 9 inches high, but with more pairs of leaves and much thicker stems.

How to I make my leggy sunflower seedlings more sturdy?
Get them on a good fertilizer schedule, lots of water and hopefully they are planted in a nice sunny location. Stake them up until they get a little healthier and you should have tall, strong sun flowers in no time.
Reply:i don't agree with this based on my own experience they don't have to be staked. Report It
Reply:According to two books that I have on the topic of growning plants from seeds, whenever one is attempting to begin plants indoors, one should use a florescent light along with regular lighting to produce the ultra-violet rays (blue from florescent and pink from lightbulbs). Second, the light should be placed about two or three inches above the plant to increase the amount of energy used to develop stems. This works well for our tomatoes. I usually use books on either end of the florescent light to increase it's height.



Don't just sit there, grow something!
Reply:i've had that same situation when i start my own seedlings. make sure they are in really full sun firstly. use those little bamboo stakes to reinforce their stem strength. once they get going you'll be able to remove those and they should be fine on their own.



the bamboo stakes will help them keep from blowing over and breaking until they develop a strong enough root system to support their height.
Reply:First they need a lot of sun and then plant them at least 40 cm (1 1/2) feet apart of anything even fence or bushes or a house. They like lots of water it's not easy if they are on a sun as well, so i suggest a huge backet or anything which u hide under the ground and then water it from the top. Good luck !

Ps: They don't need any bamboo sticks if they have space, they just grow

I have a 2.5 gallon tank. How many inches of sand should I put at the bottom to grow some Vallisneria Torti?

Vallisneria tortifolia or vallisneria corkscrew or corkscrew grass, different names for the same plant basically.

I have a 2.5 gallon tank. How many inches of sand should I put at the bottom to grow some Vallisneria Torti?
Corkscrew val grows to 3 feet tall, way too tall for a 2.5. You can trim it, but it will look like crap.



If you really want it though, 1-2 inches is fine, rooted plants grow better in gravel though. Snad packs tight and the plant has trouble pushing roots through it. Gravel has spaces for roots to slip in between.



According to my personal experience and the experience of everyone I know hwo has it, it grow to 3 feet.





Doesn't get as tall as I said? If I had a camera I would snap a pic for you right now. It IS corkscrew val and it IS 28 inches tall.
Reply:Put about 1 inch of gravel or sand in the bottom. This type of corkscrew doesn't get as tall as the other guy said. Your size tank will be fine. Here's some other info. Good Luck!



http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?what=p...
Reply:I have not personally Vallisneria Torti but I'm a book nerd and have read a lot about it. I would put 2" or 3" in and see what happens.

What causes bitterness in cucumbers?

We planted some cucumbers down here in south louisiana, and they are so bitter, it's unedible. They are ending up 12 to 15 inches long, and about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Could this be a type of English cucumber? Does anyone know what type this might be, and how can we get rid of the bitterness? Any input is greatly appreciated.

What causes bitterness in cucumbers?
I did that last year! Lol. Its because you bought the kind of cucmber grown exclusively for pickling, and thats why they are so bitter. You cant get rid of the bitterness, but you can plant another variation of cucmber. Sorry Im not of much help, ans good luck!



=]
Reply:I have always took and cut the stem(about 1/2 inch) end and rubbed it on the cut end.Then when that white foamy stuff comes out,I peel it and there you have it...Never fought with a bitter one.Grandmaw taught me that..Thanks for 2.
Reply:It is usually the skin and the meat nearest the skin that is bitter. Try pealing a little deeper and soaking the slices in some salt water.



I Googled this and found it has to do with the chemicals produced during certain types of weather and certain areas, plus the fact that certain types of cucumbers are much more bitter.
Reply:The bigger they are the more likely they are to be bitter.

You can give them a soak in water with a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar to help get the bitterness out. Or you can salt them and leave them in a colander for an hour or so and then rinse them like you do with eggplant to get the bitterness out.

Try both and see which way you like the taste better. I've done both in the past.
Reply:They sound like a telegraph cucumbers, but the still shouldn't be bitter. You could try pickling them to see if the improve

I recieved a plant from Quill Corp. as their preferred cust. Anyone know what kind of plant it is?

I recieved a plant from Quill the office supply company because my company is a prefered cust of theirs. For the life of me I cannot figure out what it is and its really annoying me. I tried looking up house plants online, I've called Quill about it. I just want to know what the heck this plant is. Its just annoying like when you have a song stuck in your head and you can't remember the name. Anyway , it looks similar to the money tree plant but it doesn't have the five leaves on a branch. It stands about 11 inches tall and has shinny leaves.

I recieved a plant from Quill Corp. as their preferred cust. Anyone know what kind of plant it is?
Its called FREE,forget about money
Reply:do you have pic of it?
Reply:Schefflera? what kind of leaves, round, pointed,alternate, compound? More information please.

gina

Why is the shallow end of my pond mossy?

I'm in Florida, the pond is about 18 inches deep at the shallow end and about 3' deep at the other end with a waterfall. The entire pond gets lots of sun even though there is a large avacado tree over the shallow end. I purchased an upgraded filtration system when the pond was installed. The rocks on the floor of the shallow end are covered with a fuzzy green moss. I do have some plants in the water. What can I do to eliminate this?

Why is the shallow end of my pond mossy?
Its algae, not moss. Algae needs nutrients and sun to grow and it doesn't like moving water so the waterfall is protecting the deep end. Try adding floating plants with large leaves to shade the water. There are also underwater "oxygenating" plants you can add that will shade the rocks and use up some the nutrients. Limit nutrients in the water by limiting the use of fish food and preventing fertilizer and soil runoff into the pond from nearby gardens or lawns. Finally barley straw, available at pond supply centres, produces a chemical as it decomposes that kills algae. It takes a bit of time to work.



There are also algae killing chemicals you can add to the water, the dead algae can create a problems so chemicals should be a last resort.
Reply:You can buy some water barley and weigh it down just below the water. The breakdown will cause a natural elimination of the algae.