Cornelious Vanderjagt

Jennifer Lowery wrote:I have metal shelving which is 3 feet wide and 2 feet deep.  Is this not an ideal size for shelving?   If the shelving is good, which lights would you get for each shelf?   I suppose i would put three 10" x 20" seedling trays per shelf.  

I got a 10" x 20" heating pad to grow some chilli peppers and would like to get them going.

Should I get compact flourescent or LED?

So many options, I have absolutely NO CLUE what to buy! LOL.

I've gone thru a lot of the options that are available in the stores, and found the 3 stage LED shop lights at Menards to be a dead ringer. They have 3 different light settings.. 3k(soft white) 4k(bright white) and 5k(daylight), with 5k being what we needed to get flowers and fruiting from peppers. They are also not hot enough to kill the smaller insects we use as part of natural controls.. Something rare even among LED grow lights. On top of that, they come in at about the same price or less than a spot LED plant fixture. Unfortunately, they don't daisy-chain like some of the other similar lights they sell.

Here's a link to the one I'm talking about. We've had some of ours for 2 years now with almost constant use.  
https://www.menards.com/main/lighting-ceiling-fans/indoor-lighting/shop-lights/smart-electrician-reg-5000-lumen-42-led-shop-light/cl-4sl5kcct-st/p-177023398352445-c-1472133557086.htm?tid=-7944025221073670391&ipos=4&exp=true

r ranson wrote:I see ads like this (both in search of, and gardener wanted) in the local classifieds every week.  It's usually gone in a day, so there are a lot of takers.  I bet there are loads more out there that don't bother to post an ad.  

There are, but some aren't the deal they look to be. Imagine working all Spring to find the gate locked in Summer. I'd recommend anyone coming across something like this gets the details of the agreement written up into a somewhat informal contract. That is my intention before moving forward with similar endeavors, but I haven't the example to show currently.

John C Daley wrote:What agreat idea.
There may be many gardens that people can longer tend but would love somebody to get involved.
How would you find such people and gardens?
Contact old folks clubs?

Some of the best ones are harder to find, but it's easy enough to walk around a neighborhood and notice an untended garden. A postcard might be the best way to approach talking with them. They have a lot of 'weed' laws in the cities now, which make it a little easier to get in.  I used to walk around and just talk to people about their yards, if I noticed something that needed talking about. Nowadays, they've outlawed that here without special permits so I can't even walk around without getting harassed by law enforcement agencies trying to fleece whoever they can.  As someone who does a lot of free work, and gives a lot of free advice, I can't afford to pay 200$/6mo.. Nor am I going to pay to be scrutinized or questioned by police about my business dealings or activities. A lot of the newer ordinances and laws seem very PS to me, right down to having to wear 'badges' as a solicitor. There's an old saying about giving up freedom for the illusion of safety, but I don't want to misquote it.

Both U. dioica and L. canadensis are very common here in Wisconsin, regardless of the area.  I can't attest to the flavor comparison, as we usually collect a variety of greens when we gather this, but I'm curious to try it alone now. I would say the rest of my experience relates solidly with the other attributes OP mentioned of Laportea.

I have mostly cultured Urtica, but had planned on taking some cuttings of Laportea this spring.  I was surprised to see how easy Urtica was to root from stem cuttings, and hope Laportea will be similar. Has anyone cultured Laportea in pots? It seems like a better candidate for indoor growing to me, but I've only worked with Urtica in pots.

Denise Cares wrote: I used to get flowers on mine but past couple of years the plants barely get waist high. Any ideas why they are not thriving anymore?  I dug thru the bed about 3 yrs ago an harvested the largest tubers. They are self-propagating so I've left them alone other than watering from time to time as it's been too dry for several summers.  I only use organic fertilizer/nitrogen base and have some aged wood chips on the ground around their area.  They are in full sun 6-8 hrs/day. I would like to try groundnuts but from reading the other posts it seems not good companion plants with sunchoke. Do the sunchokes like acidic or alkaline soil pH?  

If you haven't thinned them out in 3 years, that could be the issue. Is your stand really thick with stalks? I haven't left our patch long enough to see what 3 years does for overcrowding them, but that would be my first thought, given how they multiply. Regardless, I'd dig up some of it and have a good looksee at those tubers, just on good practice. This patch is only 2 years old, but we thin it annually.

Trying to find a plant or two, or someone who can produce cuttings of Prunus spinosa this year. I'd also be interested in seeds, but I have some of my own.  
Willing to trade seeds, cuttings, or purchase the stock. Been looking for 2 years, so thought I should expand my search area.

Not interested in substitutions or alternative native species recommendations.. We are looking for this specific plant. Thanks for your time.