We need a trillion more indoor plants.

[maikeru]

Trying, trying, trying. My banana and fig tree in my room are under attack by spider mites that crept in through windowsill cracks, thanks to the hot, dry weather (about 30-35 C now), and I spray them with water, because I read that humidity helps to keep spider mite numbers low. I didn't think they'd eat the fig, but they are...and eating it alive. I see leaf scarring already. Are there any plants impervious to these damned mites? I'm trying to sprout some seeds for oregano and rosemary next to my other babies, and this isn't good. It puts my entire "mug garden" idea at risk. Maybe I need neem oil. I already know that spider mites will eat any and all herbs I grow.

 

I'll probably get another ficus fig for my desk or two, once I get things (and pests) sorted out.

[freeztar]

Trying, trying, trying. My banana and fig tree in my room are under attack by spider mites that crept in through windowsill cracks, thanks to the hot, dry weather (about 30-35 C now), and I spray them with water, because I read that humidity helps to keep spider mite numbers low. I didn't think they'd eat the fig, but they are...and eating it alive. I see leaf scarring already. Are there any plants impervious to these damned mites? I'm trying to sprout some seeds for oregano and rosemary next to my other babies, and this isn't good. It puts my entire "mug garden" idea at risk. Maybe I need neem oil. I already know that spider mites will eat any and all herbs I grow.

 

I'll probably get another ficus fig for my desk or two, once I get things (and pests) sorted out.

 

The best approach to spider mites that I have found is a mixture of water and soap (~10%). The soap does its surfactant work and prevents the mites from puncturing the plant. Spray infected plants, wipe them clean, and then spray again. Problem solved. :eek2:

 

Another option which I recently tried is to place the plant outside. I did this with a plant I was keeping inside and within 2 hours of placing it outside there was an assasin bug on the plant, cleaning house. :)

[maikeru]

Water and soap sound like a good, nontoxic solution to a pesky problem. I'll try it right away. Should be usable on herbs, too. :eek2:

 

If I leave my plants outside, either the extreme heat or my forgetfulness will kill them. :)

[Michaelangelica]

Trying, trying, trying. My banana and fig tree in my room are under attack by spider mitesug garden" idea at risk. Maybe I need neem oil. I already know that spider mites will eat any and all herbs I grow.

 

A friend ,with limited water, used to grow strawberries commercially. The strawberries used to be attacked by red spider mite (tiny like red dust). She found, surprisingly, that a spray with seaweed fertiliser got rid of the mites.

 

In my own experience red spider mites seem to attack plants that are water stressed.

 

If you are going to spray with seaweed or soap (don't use detergent) make sure you give the undersides of the leaves a thorough spraying.

 

Alternatively, can you take the plants outside give them a hit with a jet of water from the hose and stick them in a bucket of water for a day?

 

The oils in herbs tend to deter spider mite.

[maikeru]

I washed the two plants a couple times, making sure that each leaf on them seemed clean and free of mites. And I put some large white index cards between the pots and the window to shield the pots from becoming too hot during the afternoon sunlight. These two measures seem to control the spider mites quite well. I think you're right that spider mites attack plants that are water stressed, so I need to try to keep up the humidity, regular waterings, and daily inspections. Anyway, a little extra humidity in the room never hurts, since it's dry as a bone now.

 

My banana tree has budded another little one, and I'll separate it off from the parent in a few weeks. Hopefully can get several banana trees going. I was joking with my parents that we'd be able to start a banana plantation in the garden room with enough time. Fig tree is really shining in the terra preta. It's doubled its size since I bought it and continues to grow like a weed. I've added an ivy plant and Pothos/devil's ivy (Epipremnum aureum) to the collection. So far haven't seen any mite infestations on them, and I need to repot them in terra preta. BTW, I want to mention that I've noticed my room's air does smell crisper and cleaner since I've added the plants and the terra preta. Makes a noticeable difference. Four plants so far...who knows how many more to go?

[Turtle]

Water and soap sound like a good, nontoxic solution to a pesky problem. I'll try it right away. Should be usable on herbs, too. :)

 

If I leave my plants outside, either the extreme heat or my forgetfulness will kill them.

 

Into your mixture of water & soap, add the liquid from steeping some tobacco. The nicotine should take care of your pests. If you use chewing tobacco like Red Man, the sugar will fertilize the plants at the same time. :eek:

 

Currently growing a Youth-on-Age plant in my room, that I collected in the wild, and a Sitka Valerian from a root also collected. :ip: :cup:

[Michaelangelica]

Into your mixture of water & soap, add the liquid from steeping some tobacco. The nicotine should take care of your pests. If you use chewing tobacco like Red Man, the sugar will fertilize the plants at the same time. :eek:

 

Currently growing a Youth-on-Age plant in my room, that I collected in the wild, and a Sitka Valerian from a root also collected. :cup:

Yes tobacco is deadly to most things.

 

What are the plants you mention?

Have you got a pic.?

-----------------------------------

This is an enthusiastic article on Vertical gardening

My problem with it is- Where does the energy for the light come from or to build purpose-built buildings?

The Vertical Farm Project - Agriculture for the 21st Century and Beyond | www.verticalfarm.com

Still it is an interesting thought/concept.

Certainly City office blocks seem lit up till very late if not all night. I wonder if the lights could be made more plant-friendly without giving office workers sunburn?

 

I wonder how many fights you would have in an office with a wall of strawberries or raspberries?

 

A Potential Solution: Farm Vertically

 

The concept of indoor farming is not new, since hothouse production of tomatoes, a wide variety of herbs, and other produce has been in vogue for some time. What is new is the urgent need to scale up this technology to accommodate another 3 billion people. An entirely new approach to indoor farming must be invented, employing cutting edge technologies. The Vertical Farm must be efficient (cheap to construct and safe to operate). Vertical farms, many stories high, will be situated in the heart of the world's urban centers. If successfully implemented, they offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.

 

The Vertical Farm Project - Agriculture for the 21st Century and Beyond | www.verticalfarm.com

Advantages of Vertical Farming

• Year-round crop production; 1 indoor acre is equivalent to 4-6 outdoor acres or more, depending upon the crop (e.g., strawberries: 1 indoor acre = 30 outdoor acres)
  
• No weather-related crop failures due to droughts, floods, pests
  
• All VF food is grown organically: no herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers
  
• VF virtually eliminates agricultural runoff by recycling black water
  
• VF returns farmland to nature, restoring ecosystem functions and services
  
• VF greatly reduces the incidence of many infectious diseases that are acquired at the agricultural interface
  
• VF converts black and gray water into potable water by collecting the water of evapotranspiration
  
• VF adds energy back to the grid via methane generation from composting non-edible parts of plants and animals
  
• VF dramatically reduces fossil fuel use (no tractors, plows, shipping.)
  
• VF converts abandoned urban properties into food production centers
  
• VF creates sustainable environments for urban centers
  
• VF creates new employment opportunities
  
• We cannot go to the moon, Mars, or beyond without first learning to farm indoors on earth
  
• VF may prove to be useful for integrating into refugee camps
  
• VF offers the promise of measurable economic improvement for tropical and subtropical
  
• LDCs. If this should prove to be the case, then VF may be a catalyst in helping to reduce or even reverse the population growth of LDCs as they adopt urban agriculture as a strategy for sustainable food production.
  
• VF could reduce the incidence of armed conflict over natural resources, such as water
  

and land for agriculture

 

Sorry I don't seem to be able to use Hypography smilie, type,picture or quote functions.

I'll try again later

The planet at night

Who left the lights on?

[Turtle]

What are the plants you mention?

Have you got a pic.?

-----------------------------------

 

 

Here's the first; I'm not sure how well it will do inside. Gathered in Lechtenberg Forest.

 

Here's info:>> Sitka Valerian - Valeriana sitchensis

 

Next is Youth-On-Age, also called Piggy Back Plant. Said to grow well indoors, it's really getting big. Also collected in Lechtenberg Forest.

 

Info: >>HowStuffWorks "Piggyback Plant: A Profile of a House Plant"

 

Whole new plants grow at the axil of older leaves.

[Michaelangelica]

Cool thanks Turttle

that is agreat link you gave on Indoor plants

 

My problem is working out inexpensive indoor lighting

and that site has an article on it

HowStuffWorks "Lighting House Plants"

Unfortunately we don't have the range of indoor ligating available in the States and our systems are not computable (USA 110 V; ours a deadly 240V). As soon as you start asking they think you are a MJ grower !

[Ganoderma]

tell them you are! at least they think you know your stuff about lights and they will stop the games and get right down to it!

 

but for indoor lighting the best is around*** 3000K and 6000-6500...most fluoros should list this on the bulb/box. for many plants, 40-50 watts for 12 hours a day is good enough for decent indoor growth (money trees, african violets, lucky bamboo even Aloe vera).

 

do you guys have CFL bulbs? DO they list the colour temperature? or even better, the wave legnth? even if they dont, they will have the information available via phone/mail/internet...they have to.

[Michaelangelica]

tell them you are! at least they think you know your stuff about lights and they will stop the games and get right down to it!

LOLOLOLOLOLO I don't think I have laughed so much for ages.

I might try your suggestion- if I feel brave.

 

but for indoor lighting the best is around*** 3000K and 6000-6500...most fluoros should list this on the bulb/box. for many plants, 40-50 watts for 12 hours a day is good enough for decent indoor growth (money trees, african violets, lucky bamboo even Aloe vera).

 

do you guys have CFL bulbs? DO they list the colour temperature? or even better, the wave legnth? even if they dont, they will have the information available via phone/mail/internet...they have to.

I have tried to get info, but have not got it together yet.

[Michaelangelica]

Seems a bit expensive?

Video:-

New Inventors: Fytowall

]Fytowall[/b]

 

Fytowall is a system that creates a simple solution for greening vertical wall space, either indoor or outdoors with minimal water use and a much wider variety of plants.

About the Inventor

 

Fytogreen’s design team is headed by Geoff Heard who is the main horticulturist. The team also consists of Stuart Tyler a Biochemist /Microbiologist, Andy Gibson - production and design and Brett Playsted - Irrigation, installation and system automation.

 

Contact

 

For more information about Fytowall, contact the following:

Vertical Garden - Fytogreen Australia

[Michaelangelica]

Well anywhere you can put a plant

I wonder what the pollution would be like in Beijing Olympics if they had imported a billion plants into the city?

Thousands of huge trees were planted for the Sydney Olympics

Trends: urban forests

 

Listen Now - 02082008 |Download Audio - 02082008

 

This week Trends and Products is about urban forests, with physicist Dr Peter Fisher, who emailed us in response to our Conversation in June with the Melbourne City Council's Rob Adams.

Dr Fisher has a passion for old-fashioned shade from trees and plants, and is lobbying hard for urban forests. He is a climate change consultant and research fellow at the Central Queensland University.

 

Guests

 

Dr Peter Fisher

Research Fellow, Central Queensland University Climate Change Consultant

RN By Design - 2August2008 - Trends: urban forests

[DougF]

Michaelangelica

Well anywhere you can put a plant

I wonder what the pollution would be like in Beijing Olympics if they had imported a billion plants into the city?

Thousands of huge trees were planted for the Sydney Olympics

 

 

%5Bimg%5Dhttp%3A//hypography.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=42&pictureid=811[/img]

Google Image Result for http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Beijing_smog_comparison_August_2005.png

 

It looks like they could use a plant or two' date='

but at lest they are trying to keep the smog down for the Olympics,

a rather tall order I would think! :)

 

Breathing in Beijing: An Emergency Anti-Smog Plan' date=' Rainmaking, and New Words for Pollution[/size']

 

After over a week of mixed pollution, Beijing today outlined emergency measures for fighting smog during the Olympics, potentially expanding what is already the world's grandest pollution experiment. Under "extremely unfavorable weather conditions," like hot, humid air without the winds needed to disperse pollution, the government may enact further restrictions on factories and cars in Beijing and the nearby city of Tianjin as well as surrounding Hebei Province -- in total a region of more than 91 million people.

 

<--->

 

The past few days have seen pollution levels drop dramatically from earlier in the week, due largely to heavy evening rainfalls. It's unknown how much cloudseeding the government has been doing these days, but as a friend speculated after seeing a police motorcade speed along the second ring road last night just after a thunderstorm, "the officials were coming back from Chongping, where they had probably just satisfied themselves by shooting the hell out of the sky."

Breathing in Beijing: An Emergency Anti-Smog Plan, Rainmaking, and New Words for Pollution : TreeHugger

 

Here is a artical on the cloud seeding in and around Beijing.

 

Blame it on the Sand: Beijing's Fake Rain

 

While many countries have seeded clouds since the 1950s' date=' China’s recently become the self-proclaimed world leader in counterfeit rain, which, at a cost of $266 million over a decade it has used to stem drought, fight forest fires and now relieve the capital of its pollution. What all the cloud-seeding rockets cannot help of course is the real problem: poor land and water management in the north, where excessive farming and grazing, bad irrigation, and deforestation continue to loosen top soil, expose sand, and expand the Gobi desert. [/quote']

Blame it on the Sand: Beijing's Fake Rain : TreeHugger

 

I have a question, just how much precipitation can you get? and if you make it rain here, are you depriving someplace inland of rain? :)

[Michaelangelica]

I have a question, just how much precipitation can you get? and if you make it rain here, are you depriving someplace inland of rain? ;)

Hard to know isn't it? But world air humidity has been rising and it is a greenhouse gas.

Cities seem to have their own microclimates because of all the concrete and lack of greenery.

This was interesting:-

Scientists at the University of Manchester have conducted a study looking at the effect global warming will have on our major cities, and say a modest increase in the number of urban parks and street trees could offset decades of predicted temperature rises. The study has calculated that a mere 10% increase in the amount of green space in cities would reduce average urban surface temperatures by as much as 4°C.

This 4°C drop in temperature, which is equivalent to the average predicted rise through global warming by the 2080s, is caused by the cooling effect of water as it evaporates into the air from leaves and vegetation through a process called transpiration.

Green spaces collect and retain water much better than concrete, and as the water evaporates from the leaves of plants and trees the surrounding air is cooled. This process, called transpiration, is similar to the human cooling effect of perspiration.

 

“Urban areas can be up to 12°C warmer than more rural surroundings due to the heat given off by buildings, roads and traffic, as well as reduced evaporative cooling, in what is commonly referred to as an ‘urban heat island’,” said Dr Roland Ennos, who worked on the project with Professor John Handley and Dr Susannah Gill in the School of Environment and Development.

 

“We discovered that a modest increase of 10% green space reduced surface temperatures in the urban environment by 4°C, which would overcome temperature rises caused by global warming over the next 75 years, effectively ‘climate proofing’ our cities.

Cloud seeding was pioneered by the CSIRO in Australia 50 or more years ago. But if you haven't got any clouds, what can you do?

http://www.greengeek.ca/2007/10/14/small-increase-in-green-spaces-can-offset-temperature-rise/

......................................................................

So what's wrong with a plant?:D

SOME AIR PURIFIERS CAN MAKE AIR QUALITY WORSE

 

According to the study, which appears in the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, using an ozonolysis air purifier in a sealed room can lead to ozone levels as high as 350 parts per billion, a level equivalent to a Los Angeles Stage 2 Smog Alert.

The EPA has already come out against ozone-producing air purifiers, saying that they have “little potential to remove indoor air contaminants.”

http://www.greengeek.ca/2006/05/11/some-air-purifiers-can-make-air-quality-worse/

[DougF]

Michaelangelica

SOME AIR PURIFIERS CAN MAKE AIR QUALITY WORSE

sense you brought up the ozone levels I thought I would inject this article at this point in time' date=' as it explains [u']How Ozone Can Be Both Good and Bad? ;)[/u]

Ozone - Good Up High Bad Nearby

 

Ozone is a gas that occurs both in the Earth's upper atmosphere and at ground level. Ozone can be "good" or "bad" for your health and the environment' date=' depending on its location in the atmosphere. [/quote']

 

Ozone - Good Up High Bad Nearby | Air Quality Planning & Standards | Air & Radiation | US EPA

[maikeru]

I took two pictures of my indoor plants (not including the indoor garden, which I will post pictures of one of these days).

 

One is of my ficus tree (fig) that is growing mostly in homemade terra preta. It's growing like a weed and is surprisingly heat tolerant and sunlight friendly.

 

In the other picture, going from left to right, are a pothos/devil's ivy, banana tree, and English ivy. The banana tree and its little sprout are growing in terra preta as well. Found out that the banana tree could not tolerate Utah's harsh sun very well on the windowsill until too late. Much of the damage to it accumulated while I was away on vacation and unable to care for it. I've shielded it with index cards and increased the amount of shade the pot and plant gets. I'll probably put it into a bigger pot as well and separate the sapling, which is growing very quickly. The sapling has already doubled in size since I shot the picture. I'm going to move the pothos off the windowsill and to a corner in my room, where it should do better. Both the pothos and English ivy will be repotted and put into terra preta to help them recover and flourish. I have a lot of charcoal now, and should be able to make up new terra preta pronto.