A break from planting

[takla_makan]

I'm taking a break from planting right now. I bought a load of compost yesterday to enrich my poor soil (I have been mucking around in years past with peat moss, soil pep, and steer manure), and I'm planting some of the perennials I bought when I went in a week ago to get a new faucet for the tub. (The thinger to divert the water to the shower head

Comments

[andmore]

I have been mucking around in years past with peat moss, soil pep, and steer manureI hear that dragon dung works wonders for your plants

[takla_makan]

Most bugses can be taken care of by washing the plant with soapy water. Rilly. Soap blocks the air openings and suffocates bugs. But it doesn't kill eggs, so you have to do it once a week until they're all gone.

Those gnat thingers might be whiteflies, which you can wash off. You can also buy insecticidal soap if it's not convenient to haul the plant to the sink and soap it off. The advantage to the insecticidal soap is that it's not harmful to people or pets at all.

In other news, I heard from grannybat on Saturday. She's up for some HP stuff in July, so just say the word.

[andmore]

What a bout the soil? Soap doesn't hurt the soil? I saw the little nasties in the soil and tried to squish them. There are only like 3 or so left as far as I can see. I wonder how long they live. They aren't white flies, because they're not white. They're tiny and black and they fly in a twirly way so I can't smack them between my hands. Stupid things. I thought about just re-potting my plants so I can have all new soil. Is that a good idea? I think they're eating the leaves I think one is a Thimbleberry. It at least looks close to it and the other I still don't know the name of. It will hang when it grows up and it has dark green leaves that are a little thick.
Anyway. Thank you for your help.
I'm not sure what the plan is with the book anymore. I might be that we stay here because of money matters. I want to see you all again, but I'm not sure it will be possible this time. We'll see what happens. Y'all can always come down here. :)

[takla_makan]

The soap does not hurt the soil.

Thimbleberry? That looks like a raspberry.

Perhaps it's a China Doll plant, which is a common houseplant.

The other one might be a philodendron or a pothos or a non-variegated wandering jew or a lipstick plant or grape ivy.