Your All Things Plants weekly news: November 9, 2013

There were 7 new gardening ideas posted last week:

By dave
November 9, 2013 The Tropicals and Houseplants Not-a-Raffle-Raffle
Let's kick off this week with a nice raffle. Hoyas, Plumerias, gift certificates, and more. Each ticket is a chance to win, so dig up the acorns you squirreled away because it's time for another raffle! (481 words - Read the full article)
(8 comments)

By piksihk
November 8, 2013 Clear Baggies for Free
Do you know an optician or optometrist? The finished glasses are returned with demo lenses in 4x4" baggies. The baggies are perfect for every type of seeds - great way to reuse and recycle. Stick a label on them and they are ready to go. (51 words - Read the full article)
(5 comments)

By Skiekitty
November 7, 2013 A Fishy Solution for Soil Fertility
If you have poor soil, go to your local big-box pet store and ask the employee in the fish department for a bag of their dead feeder goldfish. Bury the goldfish below your favorite plant and watch the plant explode with growth! This tip also works with fish "leftovers" provided by those who like to fish.
(8 comments)

By Xeramtheum
November 6, 2013 Awesome Labeling Software for Gardening
As a collector of the rare, the unusual, and the hard to find and a hybridizer, I’m always on the lookout for the best way to label and catalog my inventory of seeds and plants as well as the data I collect. Over the years I’ve auditioned various methods, but I finally have evolved a system that is easy to maintain and extremely flexible. (321 words - Read the full article)
(12 comments)

By Bonehead
November 5, 2013 Temporary Markers
Until a plant becomes firmly established, it is often good to mark where it is. I use flat river rocks to mark my newly planted mints, with a piece of driftwood in front of the rock so I know where to look for new growth in the spring.
(5 comments)

By goldfinch4
November 4, 2013 Thrifty Gardening in Fall
Look for great deals in fall on gardening tools at end-of-season sales.
(32 comments)

By Claudia
November 3, 2013 Preparing Bird Feeders for Winter
Fall is a great time to clean, repair, or replace bird feeders. If you have never fed birds before, winter is a great time to start! (118 words - Read the full article)
(10 comments)

The most popular images last week from our plant database:

Photo of Japanese Fiber Banana (Musa basjoo) by eclayne:

Photo of Senecio (Kleinia anteuphorbium) by tarev:

Photo of Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Bobby Martin') by Casshigh:

Photo of Sneezeweed (Helenium 'Moerheim Beauty') by bonitin:

Photo of Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Licorice Twist') by Joy:

Photo of Large-cupped Daffodil (Narcissus 'Romance') by TBGDN:

The most popular Multi-Plant Photos from last week:

Multi-plant photo by jmorth:

Multi-plant photo by bonitin:

Multi-plant photo by Paul2032:

Multi-plant photo by bonitin:

Multi-plant photo by ge1836:

Multi-plant photo by 4susiesjoy:

Noteworthy acorn tips given this week:
6 people gave for the idea "Awesome Labeling Software for Gardening" by Xeramtheum
5 people gave for a post in "Banner for November 6, 2013 by rocklady" by rocklady
4 people gave for the idea "Preparing Bird Feeders for Winter" by Claudia
3 people gave for a post in "Banner for November 8, 2013 by Newyorkrita" by Newyorkrita
3 people gave for the idea "Temporary Markers" by Bonehead
3 people gave for the idea "A Fishy Solution for Soil Fertility" by Skiekitty
3 people gave for the idea "In Support of Vines and Climbers" by Sharon
3 people gave for a post in "Banner for November 2, 2013 by mcash70" by mcash70
3 people gave for the idea "No-Stress Plant Repotting" by Xeramtheum
2 people gave for the idea "Growing and Photographing Daylilies in Sunny Regions" by Betja

Noteworthy acorn tips given this week:
6 people gave for the idea "Awesome Labeling Software for Gardening" by Xeramtheum 5 people gave for a post in "Banner for November 6, 2013 by rocklady" by rocklady 4 people gave for the idea "Preparing Bird Feeders for Winter" by Claudia 3 people gave for a post in "Banner for November 8, 2013 by Newyorkrita" by Newyorkrita 3 people gave for the idea "Temporary Markers" by Bonehead 3 people gave for the idea "A Fishy Solution for Soil Fertility" by Skiekitty 3 people gave for the idea "In Support of Vines and Climbers" by Sharon 3 people gave for a post in "Banner for November 2, 2013 by mcash70" by mcash70 3 people gave for the idea "No-Stress Plant Repotting" by Xeramtheum 2 people gave for the idea "Growing and Photographing Daylilies in Sunny Regions" by Betja

The most active threads this week:
Subject OP Area Replies

Blooming in the Southern Hemisphere Gleni Daylilies forum 39

I did it! I did it! farmerbell Daylilies forum 29

What Caught My Eye in Paris... webesemps Sempervivum and Jovibarba forum 29

Isn't this the truth!!! Skiekitty Thrifty Gardening in Fall 23

Banner for November 6, 2013 by rocklady rocklady Site Banners forum 21

Don't forget to "Fall Back" tonight! :-) Shawwannda Sandbox forum 21

Banner for November 5, 2013 by TBGDN TBGDN Site Banners forum 17

Banner for November 8, 2013 by Newyorkrita Newyorkrita Site Banners forum 17

November 2013 - Butterflies, Moths, Dragonflies, Damselflies, Mayflies ... mellielong Gardening for Butterflies, Birds and Bees forum 16

The most active threads this week:
Subject	OP	Area	Replies
Blooming in the Southern Hemisphere	Gleni	Daylilies forum	39
I did it! I did it!	farmerbell	Daylilies forum	29
What Caught My Eye in Paris...	webesemps	Sempervivum and Jovibarba forum	29
Isn't this the truth!!!	Skiekitty	Thrifty Gardening in Fall	23
Banner for November 6, 2013 by rocklady	rocklady	Site Banners forum	21
Don't forget to "Fall Back" tonight! :-)	Shawwannda	Sandbox forum	21
Banner for November 5, 2013 by TBGDN	TBGDN	Site Banners forum	17
Banner for November 8, 2013 by Newyorkrita	Newyorkrita	Site Banners forum	17
November 2013 - Butterflies, Moths, Dragonflies, Damselflies, Mayflies ...	mellielong	Gardening for Butterflies, Birds and Bees forum	16

Some new recommendations from our members:

ARoseblush recommended Park Seed and wrote:
I purchase many of my vegetable seeds from Park Seed. They grow well here in my small mountain veggie garden in Vermont, and the taste and quality of the veggies are excellent. I also have purchased my self-folding tomato cages (space savers when stored for the winter) and various other tools from them. My favorite is Park Seed's Bio Dome Seed-Starting System. It is compact and easy to use. I start all my daylily and tomato seeds under the dome during the winter months. No mess, no fuss, developing strong and excellent root systems and very healthy plants that I can transplant into 5'' pots to be hardened off outside in the spring. I just place it in a south-facing window, add a little water with a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide to the well of this small unit, and watch the seeds germinate. Bio Domes come in many different sizes. Although this is a more expensive way to start seeds, for me it beats having styrofoam cups, filled with seed starter mix, and heat lamps taking up a lot of space in my dining room. It really is a miniature green house with its own growing environment. It is also great for dormant daylily seeds that take longer to germinate. Adding a heating pad under the bio-dome keeps the seeds or seedlings warm inside the unit and promotes faster germination. The system is portable and easy to move if I need the space for a dinner party. Park Seed introduced this system about 5 yrs. ago. I absolutely love it, and I heartily recommend it.

Some new recommendations from our members:
ARoseblush recommended Park Seed and wrote: I purchase many of my vegetable seeds from Park Seed. They grow well here in my small mountain veggie garden in Vermont, and the taste and quality of the veggies are excellent. I also have purchased my self-folding tomato cages (space savers when stored for the winter) and various other tools from them. My favorite is Park Seed's Bio Dome Seed-Starting System. It is compact and easy to use. I start all my daylily and tomato seeds under the dome during the winter months. No mess, no fuss, developing strong and excellent root systems and very healthy plants that I can transplant into 5'' pots to be hardened off outside in the spring. I just place it in a south-facing window, add a little water with a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide to the well of this small unit, and watch the seeds germinate. Bio Domes come in many different sizes. Although this is a more expensive way to start seeds, for me it beats having styrofoam cups, filled with seed starter mix, and heat lamps taking up a lot of space in my dining room. It really is a miniature green house with its own growing environment. It is also great for dormant daylily seeds that take longer to germinate. Adding a heating pad under the bio-dome keeps the seeds or seedlings warm inside the unit and promotes faster germination. The system is portable and easy to move if I need the space for a dinner party. Park Seed introduced this system about 5 yrs. ago. I absolutely love it, and I heartily recommend it.

Some numbers from last week:

36 new members.
138 new threads.
3,181 new posts.
931 new images to the plant database.
133 new comments in the plant database.
24 new Multi-Plant photos.