Re: fertalizing plants

[Guest guest]

I used to work for DeKalb Corn when it was in DeKalb Ill -- and the equivelent

of a thin shopping market bag cut in half -- the think flimsly kind (the thick

ones will create static and 'hold' the pollen to the sides) shake each flowr

inside the plant -- if you are going to to for a pain brush -- try horse over

cat, but cat over nylon hair -- the hair has nitches for the pollen to 'catch'

-- and horse is better than cat, but can be stiffer --and thus cause more dmmage

-- you need to be super gentle if you do it that way - which is why we always

used the equivelent of a plastic bag in mass production -- sure fire each time

every time reliability.  in fact the same summer I worked for CalCan I worked

for DeKalb Corn to put myself through school -- even got extention credits for

working for DeKalb Corn (now moved to Alberta -- they saw climate change coming

FAR sooner than we did -- that's why you mostly see Pioneer corn and very few

flying ear corn signs

in the central and northern mid west -- DeKalb as a 'northern corn' and Pioneer

was a 'southern corn' -- it could also be that your plants just can't adapt --

though that would only be true if you were a Western Garden or USDA borderline

area where micro-niches make a BIG difference -- also - ROTATE your crops-- this

is one reason -- there can be a gabillion diseases that affect a plant, but if

you move it from one part of your garde to the other each year, the disease has

a harder time catching up.

Each see when it sprouts had its species specific protection on it -- so when

you move it around you protect it from sprout to production.  It's one of the

true evils of monoculture. 

-- paul --

THE MORE YOU LEARN, THE MORE YOU WANT TO SCREAM!

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.....it's about learning to swear

like a firefighter. And just geten 'er done.

From: Diane <sunflowr@...>

Subject: Re:Ernest - Help Please

Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2009, 5:37 PM

I also have zuc plant that will not take the fruit to maturity. It

produced a little green zuc and then in a few days it turns yellow and

rots. I went online and followed the directions for cross pollinating by

hand using a cutip. No luck. The zuc looked like it was going to grow

but alas, it didn't.

The plants had 1 male flower each, maybe two. but only 4 female flowers

with the little green tykes since I bought it about 2 months ago. It is

an organic zuc from the Arborteum east of here. I cross pollinated 3 of

them and still nothing. It is growing in a very large plastic pot, gets

water everyone morning and now since it is 115, once in the evening. The

bottom leaves have dried up. Is this a sign of too much water. It get

afternoon direct sun, but is on the back, south facing porch, and in the

shade till about 3:00 or 4:00

Does the summer heat have anything to do with it. And no, we don't seem

to have many bees around. Just a few.

We are in Mesa, Arizona USA

Thanks Ernest for what ever you are will to share.

Oh, regarding the Freshlife, it is still doing fine. I keep the apt at

82 degrees, but the kitchen might get a few degrees warmer because of

cooking.

Diane