It was generally believed "bolting" was caused by higher temperatures, but studies have shown that temperature is not the only factor.

Bolting is also influenced by light exposure, water stress, and genetics.

When conditions are right, a lettuce plant will "bolt" to create rosette leaves and a flower stalk in order to reproduce.

This heading growth causes the lettuce to become bitter by producing compounds like acetic acid (vinegar) and worse to provide protection against insects.

That's not what you want in a lettuce plant.

You can certainly pick the lettuce before it has reached full size ( before the premature bolting), but you can also avoid the factors that cause the bolting in the first place.

There's not much you can do about the total day length or the temperature (besides planting earlier in the season), but Florida farmers around here have had encouraging results from growing lettuce under screening, which seems to (1) reduce the temperature and (2) fool the internal clock mechanism that causes lettuce to determine that it is receiving a lot of sun.

Try reducing the number of light hours by planting earlier in the season (or possibly by screening to see if that works).

Be sure to minimize moisture stress, particularly during the hotter months.

You might try some slow-bolting varieties.

You might have to try different varieties in your own garden to see how each resists bolting under your specific growing conditions; Results will vary.

Lettuce gets bitter when it bolts.

See Robert Cartaino's answer for why this happens.

If you're going to pick baby greens you'll probably be able to harvest while it is still tasty.

Give your lettuce a little shade in hot weather to avoid wilting, and make sure it gets enough water.

If you're not bent on lettuce and just looking for some greens, consider chard or New Zealand spinach.

Chard does well for me in hot weather; picked at baby size it is a fine replacement for lettuce.

I haven't done NZ spinach, but references I have read recommend it as a green for hot summers.

Many plants produce bitter (or otherwise nasty) chemicals in defense of being eaten by insects .

Much of the reason for planting lettuce in cooler months is to give them a chance to reach maturity (for human consumption) before they've produced chemical weapons to shoo off the bugs.

Lettuce likes cool weather and lots of moisture, but there is no reason why you shouldn't sow or plant it out when the weather is hot.

Provided you give it the proper, weed-free spacing and keep it well-watered

, it is unlikely to bolt, even when the temperature is high.

That said, if you are planting out seedlings, it is probably better to do so in cool, preferably cloudy weather, or in the evening, to prevent wilting; it helps if you can give them some sort of makeshift shade for a few days.

I grow mine in light, dappled shade, and find that they taste best when grown as fast as possible - they therefore need plenty of food and water.

Various sources will say that cool weather is favoured for a sweet, tender lettuce crop ( here 's an example), and you will read that germination is poor in hot weather.

However I've never had a problem with germination or flavour in my lettuces sown all through June and July.

Even in a greenhouse I always get good germination with radicchio at the height of summer.

Though that is naturally a mediterranean plant of course.

Question: For whatever reason my lettuce (except for the mustard) in my mesclun mix didn't take this year.  I'm about ready to rotate in something else, but I'd really like a decent crop of lettuce.   I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be able to plant lettuce and pick it while it's still really tiny right?  I thought the reason you shouldn't plant it in hot weather was because it bolts quick.  Does it just not taste good?

What happens if you plant lettuce in hot weather?

Lettuce likes cool weather and lots of moisture but there's no reason you couldn't grow it later in the year.

It was generally believed that bolting was caused by higher temperatures, but this is not the only factor. It is said that cool weather is better to produce a sweet, tender lettuce crop. A reason for planting lettuce in cooler months is to give them a chance to reach maturity before they've produced chemical weapons against bugs.

Lettuce likes cool weather and lots of moisture, but there is no reason why you shouldn't sow or plant it out when the weather is hot. Although lettuce likes cool weather and lots of moisture, there is no reason why you shouldn't sow or plant it out when the weather is hot.


An advantage is that you can conserve water because of less evaporation -- there's no sunshine.

A major disadvantage is the flip side: the sunshine can't help dry out plant leaves that get wet.

Some plants don't like cold and wet foliage.

These conditions can foster blight on tomatoes for example.

See also this answer that mentions being careful not to leave basil damp overnight.

So if you're watering in the evening, don't spray the foliage.

Use a soaker hose or other irrigation technique that targets the roots instead of the foliage.

Early morning is a good time to water.

You can give the soil a good soaking and everything has a chance to penetrate before being burned off by the sun.

Anything that gets on the foliage will dry up with the sun and you're less prone to disease and fungi.

If anything, the opposite is true.

There are two reasons: First is evaporation.

During the day it is hot and the water evaporates quickly - i.e. it is effectively wasted.

This is why cities and water authorities have recommendations, regulations, and by-laws controlling when you can use landscape irrigation systems.

Secondly, water on plants in the sun can cause scorching - regardless of your latitude.

This is because the water droplets act like small lenses, concentrating the sun.

So you really want the water to be off the plants when the sun is out.

This usually makes the evening at sunset (or after) more favorable to early morning watering.

Of course drip irrigation is another way of avoiding this problem.

It is true that watering when the sun is out can cause scorching; on the other hand, although evening watering reduces evaporation, it leaves plants and the surrounding soil wet, or at least damp, at nightfall; besides providing fertile ground for diseases, this attracts more pests, particularly * slugs .

This link favours watering in the morning and, if that's not possible, then late afternoon (with enough time for the plant to dry out a little).

The dangers associated with scorching (daytime watering), are far outweighed by the problems associated with damp sulky plants (nighttime watering).

Here in the American South, in the summer, it's actually better to water plants in the evening, so that the water has a chance to soak in before it evaporates.

It is only better to water in the evening or early morning from a conservation perspective due to evaporation of this precious resource.

Otherwise, the idea it's bad to be watered under the bright midday sun because it hurts the plants themselves appears to be a myth.

See this article by a well qualified horticulturist debunk it.

There are many causes of leaf scorch, but irrigation with fresh water is certainly not one of them.

Hundreds of scientific publications on crop plants, turf, woody shrubs and trees have examined foliar scorch, and not one of them has implicated midday irrigation as a causal agent.

What does cause damage, however, is suboptimal plant-water relations, which can result in tip and marginal leaf scorch, shoot dieback, stunted growth, and leaf abscission.

Indeed, the best time to irrigate is in the morning and in the late afternoon for moisture to be absorbed by the plant with minimal evapotranspiration.

Question: Is it bad to water plants after the sun has gone down or near dusk?  If so, why?

Is it bad to water plants in the evening?

You can conserve water as there is less evaporation so this is better during very hot weather. However, you do risk attracting slugs.

Evening watering reduces evaporation, but leaves plants and the surrounding soil wet at nightfall; which can encourage disease and pests, particularly slugs . An additional advantge is that you conserve water due to less evaporation. Early morning is a good time to water and if not possible, then late afternoon.
The dangers associated with scorching with daytime watering are far outweighed by the problems associated with evening watering.


Your tap water will have particular properties depending on where you live, the source of your water, and whether you have some sort of water softener or filtering system.

My tap water, for example, is from the public system and is considered 'hard' because it has a high mineral (calcium and/or magnesium) content.

If I use tap water consistently on certain plants, I can see white rings of calcium deposits sitting on the soil surface; this can change the chemical properties - such as the pH - of the soil which can affect plant growth.

Softened water has higher levels of salt than plants prefer, and these salts can build up in the soil.

I've never seen the chlorine in public water causing any ill effects on my plants, but if you have sensitive house-plants you can let chlorine-treated water sit out for 24 hours to let the chlorine evaporate.

As long as you live in an area that isn't subject to extremely acidic rain, rainwater is preferable because it's missing things like excessive minerals or disinfectant chemicals.

If your plant is not special plant such as carnivorous plant, any water from the tap is okay.

The fact is tap water may contain different things such as chlorine, and a lot of different minerals.

My plant is drinking water with chlorine day to day, but they are thriving.

In the end, rain water maybe good, but who knows what is inside the water because the contamination from human activities such as car driving and industrial plant releasing exhaust fume from the chimney.

Check this link , and this too.

You may want to have your own judgement.

I think rain water and tap water are both okay in some extent, on the other hand, distilled water is not really that good because most of the minerals are lost.

I prefer tap water ,it is cleaner because chlorine kills bacteria.

Rain water is always the better choice.

City water can contain elements that could eventually harm the plant.

When the rainwater is unavailable the tap water will be just fine.

Sweet peas, garden peas and broad beans prefer rain water.

Although they still grow when watered with tap water the results you get from watering with rain water are vastly improved.

Chlorine and other substances in mains water inhibit the uptake of nutrients and thus reduce plant growth and health.

Rain water has a neutral pH.

It's usually softer than tap water and soaks in the ground deeper than a hose watering; people don't water long enough to equal the soak of a good rain.

There are particles picked up in the atmosphere during a rain which offer nutrients to the soil that tap water does not have.

I can understand what many are saying here, but to me rain water is best.

I live in the country and no matter how much water I give my plants they won't grow as much as they grow after a rain soak.

My best guess is that plants may like electrolytes or charged particles more so than we understand.

I have seen plants that have not grown for a few years of tap water, grow two or three fold after a good soak of rain water.

If you are growing from seeds I would definitely use tap water.

This is clean water and free of any microbes, bugs etc., that may cause damping off or rotting etc.

Rain water from water butts would be fine on most outdoor plants.

Rainwater is also as others have said is generally softer than hard processed tap water, so things like orchids or acid loving/lime hating plants would prefer rain water.

Rainwater is generally better.

Chlorine, fluoride, bleach and such, which are in a lot of city water, may not harm your plants in the drinkable amounts, per se, but they certainly may harm the beneficial microbes in your soil, which will reduce the benefit you would gain from those microbes (which may be considerable).

I find that my tomato plants last year preferred filtered water to regular city tap water, probably for this reason.

They required less water and grew better when I filtered the water.

I imagine rainwater is similar to filtered water.

Rainwater is probably pretty much devoid of minerals.

It may contain chemicals via pollution, however, and your guess is as good as mine as to what those chemicals will do to your plants and soil microbes.

Well water, without chemicals added, has the potential to be better than rainwater, depending on your soil and the composition of the well water, because your soil may need those minerals.

On the other hand, the minerals in the water may have come from the above soil in the first place, in part.

Water from a hose is usually delivered at a faster rate than rain falling on say pottered plants.

Usually all the rain falling on a potted plant remains in the pot but the outflow at the bottom of the pots with hose water will take many leached nutrients with it.

Another factor is the build up of hard deposits on the parts of the plant which take in the water when tap water is used.

Note this similar effect also happens when a car is "washed" with rain how clean it gets ...

remember the scale build up on taps!

Question: Is it better to water your plants with rain water collected in  water butts ? I mean is that better than water straight from the tap?  And is it just a matter of temperature (presumably plants don't like to be soaked with very cold water (as mains tap water is)? Or are there other factors?  I'm interested in the effects on plants, rather than the separate issue of the cost to the planet of using mains tap water.  See also  Does water temperature affect plant growth? .

Is rain water better than tap water for plants?

Your tap water will have particular properties depending on where you live. This can change the pH of the soil and affect plant growth. Rainwater is preferable as it doesn't contain any chemicals.

Your tap water will have particular properties depending on where you live, the source of your water, and whether you have some sort of water softener or filtering system. Chlorine and other substances in mains water inhibit the uptake of nutrients and thus reduce plant growth and health. Also softened water has higher levels of salt than plants prefer, and these salts can build up in the soil. Rain water is always the better choice as long as you live in an area that is subject to extremely acidic rain. S0: Rain water has a neutral pH and plants such as weet peas, garden peas and broad beans prefer rain water.

Both rain water and tap water are both okay to some extent, on the other hand, distilled water is not really that good because most of the minerals are lost.


Roots exposed to the sun might think they have reached the surface and start to put shoots out.

Those particular containers don't look very strong - don't underestimate the weight of wet soil.

Ideally you should have some more rigid that does not collapse under the soil's weight or when you move them.

Do these containers have holes in them?

Holes in the bottom are required for drainage, but holes in the side could wet (and degrade) black paper/card as recommend by @shanna. Plastic pots can be okay, but you need something stronger and opaque.

All plastic pots will eventually degrade with the UV from the sun.

Perhaps not a significant problem at high latitudes, but here in Texas, they definitely have a limited life (as does plastic garden furniture!)

and some are better than others.

@gunbuster mentions plasticizers.

I suspect in this application they are less of a problem than in food containers, but this is another good argument for containers that are sold as plant containers.

Plastic is not a good medium.

It traps heat, melts in high temperatures and contains plasticizers (especially in soft plastic like yours) which may dissolve into the soil.

In addition, your container is too shallow for most plants.

It can only be used as container for plant germination.

If you're stuck for containers and this is your only option (or you want to be environmentally friendly and re-use those pesky non-recyclable food trays), you could glue something like black paper or cardboard to the outside to keep the light from getting through.

What do you mean when you say that you are using clear plastic containers to grow plants?

Starting from seed, as seedlings, indoor plants that don't want direct light and whose roots aren't totally root bound?

I suspect all of the above would be fine, although the indoor plants may have problem with not enough soil depending upon the plant.

Similarly, there may be some seedlings which need deeper soil level than that.

The other replies are all applicable, but I can think of situations where it would not be a problem, and there are probably others.

What is your goal, and what are the specifics?

curious

Another major problem is algae.

As algae needs light and moisture, the bottom part of the pot is the perfect place to grow.and once grown algae can destroy the root system ,And even if there is a little bit of algae the plant wont survive.

Clear pots can be great for plants, especially transplants.

Plants vary a lot, but in general, the roots reach the edge of a clear container, feel the sun, and stop growing.

This prevents them from getting root bound.

Once transplanted into the ground the root start growing with a minimum of transplant shock.

Broccoli is an example of a traditionally transplanted crop that can really root bind and benefits from clear containers.

Better yet is soil blocks...

no pot.

Blocks work great for large operations.

Gardeners may find clear cups more convenient and economical.

I have been using plastic shoe boxes with transparent fitted covers or with plastic wrap covers, plus salad green boxes and other such transparent boxes for 5 years now with: never a box lost to disintegration into the soil never a problem with plant's roots with care about ventilation and placement such that plants would not overheat care to inspect the contents frequently enough to verify that there would be enough moisture in the box place drain holes through the bottoms of some boxes that contained plants that needed watering as opposed to misting with rainwater or distilled water care that tap water salts from the dissolved solids in most of our tap waters did not concentrate in the potting medium as moisture evaporated from the boxes

care that boxes that were not adequately vented for pressure changes with changes in ambient temperature did not suck in misting water that was too high in dissolved solids, etc.

I would further say that I had to learn some of what I mention above the hard way, after inspecting plants, the contents of the boxes too infrequently.

Another thing to consider with transparent boxes is the tendency of algae, including some species that you might really not want, and also cyano-bacteria to grow in such boxes if the bases are exposed to light.

Therefore, consider shielding the bases in many situations with aluminum foil wrapped up to the soil or planting medium line.

If sunlight is to shine on the box during warm weather, avoid dark foils and avoid black paper, unless your objective is to cook the plants.

I acknowledge that there are some plant genera and species that would not do so well with too much light getting into the pot sides...

so shield those roots from light with something that reflects light, unless you have a particular reason to need to warm up the roots.

There are plenty of plants that like that, too, but don't let them reach cooking temperatures, which can be as low as 65 degrees for some species that I've grown or well over 100 degrees F for others.

Get to know your plant's requirements, first.

Some will want lids on the boxes and some won't.

Another point well made in response to the original question was that one can often use recycled containers.

I have found reasons to use 1/2 gallon plastic milk boxes on their sides,

plastic clam shell produce boxes, both those with ventilation slots and those without same, plastic meat boxes that have fitted transparent lids and black bottoms, etc.

I have used cupcake boxes, both new and recycled, plastic cake boxes, etc.

I only buy the new ones for use as very large community pots or very large germination flats.

Plants don't flower well in clear transparent pots.

The roots turn green.

Roots think they are branches and don't absorb the necessary minerals to produce good flowers.

They produce good branches and leaves, but not good flowers.

Question: I was using old clear (transparent) plastic meat packaging to grow plants in. Is that a good idea? Are there any side effects of roots possibly being exposed to the sun?

Is it OK to grow plants in clear (transparent) pots?

Roots exposed to the sun might think they have reached the surface and put shoots out. You could glue something black onto the outside of the container.

Roots exposed to the sun might think they have reached the surface and start to put shoots out or roots think they are branches and don't absorb the necessary minerals to produce good flowers. Generally pastic is not a good medium, but at least you can re-use those non-recyclable food trays, but plants tend not to flower well in clear pots.  Another thing to consider with transparent boxes is the tendency of algae  to grow in such boxes if the bases are exposed to light.  Basically you need to get to know your plant's requirements.


I don't have much experience with roses (just planted my first bush this year), but it seems to me that you have two options when dealing with thorns.

Good leather gloves , or consider a specialized product like garden armor .

Leather gloves are harder to penetrate.

I have not used garden armor, but they appear specifically designed to do exactly what you want them to .

For a different idea...

I hate buying gloves and having them fall apart all the time.

(I'm rough on gloves.

Even the expensive ones split apart quickly when you're moving wood, rocks, or doing a lot of digging.)

Call me a cheapskate, but I buy the cheapest gloves I can find (e.g. these US$2 work gloves ).

Then I wrap a layer or two of duct tape (heavy duty -- the good stuff) around the fingers, and a layer or two around the palms.

Don't wrap too tight or they'll be uncomfortable

(it's best to have a helper wrap your gloves while you're wearing them).

They're durable, easy to repair, and provide good protection against thorns.

As winwaed says in his answer, there is a tradeoff between comfort and protection.

I have a pair with only finger reinforcement that I use for shoveling or moving wood or rocks.

If I'm going to pull out a bunch of blackberries, I'll use something with palm reinforcement.

You might use an extra layer of tape if you find the thorns penetrating a single layer.

Three cheers for duct tape!

There is going to be a trade off between comfort and thorn resistance.

At the thin end (which you are probably using) are the thinner gloves.

These would include fashion gloves ("ladies gardening gloves"), and the cheap barely-a-whole-hand glove which are great for lifting timber, bags of gravel, etc.

but give little protection for spines, nails, etc.

Next up there are heavy duty gardening gloves which are made of a thicker suede-like/leather material.

Usually these are longer and give some wrist protection.

They cost more - perhaps as much as 5x the price of the cheap ones.

These might be sufficient - I find they're good enough for the better behaved cacti.

The full solution (which I haven't tried) would be to go for proper welding gloves.

These are thick leather affairs.

They're not going to be as comfortable - possibly oppressively so in a hot, humid climate; but they'll protect against a lot.

Their thickness is really for thermal protection but it is a thick dense material rather than oven glove "fluff".

Although I've never handled a pair, I understand falconry gloves are similar to welding gloves - clearly here the protection is against spikey things (talons and beaks) rather than heat.

I'd recommend something like a puncture resistent glove that's much stronger than leather (the page says 4 times).

This is also ergonomically designed, so you won't have much discomfort.

These are most often bought by people who cut their fingers on the kitchen slicers.

So while it's not really a "gardening glove", I see no reason to not use it as one.

Also, it's pretty inexpensive at $14.

I kept bees a long time ago

and I often wish I'd kept the kit because I miss those long gloves.

Beekeepers need protection while also needing a glove which allows careful and precise hand movements.

Typically their gloves go right up the arm.

Beware, though, beekeeping kit isn't cheap.

The gloves I use don't really protect from thorns all that well, but I find that if you handle roses by grabbing them right near the flower itself, you don't encounter many thorns.

i've had good luck with insulated leather gloves and my hands don't feel especially uncomfortable on a 100° day.

barberry thorns are thinner and impossible to avoid.

they go through the leather occasionally; and once it's happened, it will happen more frequently in the same spot. '

thought about adding some duct tape to the grip areas......

un-insulated are no good for thorns; insulated suede are okay but not as good.

i will not use rubber or plastic dipped for thorn-work again.

that was painful!

doing some research, i now see why.

they are "cut" or "slash" resistant because they're woven with resistant materials; but thorns will travel in-between the weaves.

the coating itself offers little protection,it seems........

it may help to note that rose thorns point inward -wild (invasive)multi-flora even more so; so if you can avoid sticking your arm in you may avoid getting sliced.

i often use a short pole-pruner to clip toward the base of the stem, (such as this 5' one: http://cdnll.gardenersedge.com/images/500/9234_1.jpg )then pull it out by the tip of the branch.

i may have to make a few cuts because of cross-branches, but it's still easier than going against the direction of the thorns.

(& safer)......

i am considering trying these: http://www.magidglove.com/assets/item/hero/TRX550_HERO3.jpg

Question: I have a couple of rose bushes in my new house and the thorns in the bush (there are a lot of them!) go right through my current gardening gloves, and they hurt. what kind of gloves are available that will prevent rose bushes from stabbing my hands?

What kinds of gloves are best for handling thorny rose bushes?

There will be a trade off between comfort and thorn resistance. Leather gloves are harder to penetrate.

There is going to be a trade off between comfort and thorn resistance. Leather gloves are harder to penetrate. Falconry gloves may also prove useful, as well as insulated leather gloves. Also bear in mind that if you handle roses by grabbing them right near the flower itself, you don't encounter many thorns.


Vegetable oil does not work well because it beads up on top of the water and does not spread across the surface.

It also goes rancid.

Mosquito larva breathe air through a little tube while they float on the surface, so "oil" remedies are designed to cut off their air supply.

You can try a horticultural spray oil .

It only takes a few drops to form a microscopically thin sheen across the water.

This is recommended for bird baths so it's pretty safe for the innocent bystanders in your yard.

You can also try mineral oil .

It's completely non-toxic.

There are also non-chemical larvicides (that are mostly mineral oil) which are made specifically for this situation.

These pet-safe mosquito dunks contain Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bti bacteria ) which mosquito larva eat and die

but it is completely harmless to everything else: pets, birds, wildlife, etc.

If your pond water is otherwise healthy, you can always try raising some fish.

Goldfish, koi or, yes, even the aptly-named " mosquitofish " love the stuff.

You don't have fish living in it do you?

If not, I would drop some pool chlorine in there.

I have found only one solution to mosquito larvae.

Drain your fountain once.

Use a shop vac to remove leaves, debris and dirt.

Let it dry in the sun for one day (if you are patient).

On day two, refill with water , and place a jacuzzi chlorine float in the basin .

Close the chlorination vents so your chlorine is not dispensed too fast.

Chlorine tablets are the size of wine bottle corks (available at big box home improvement store, or pool supply).

Set your fountain timer to operate at least a few hours a day to cycle the water (I run ours from noon to 10pm for ambiance).

Once a month, top off the chlorine float.

You will never have mosquito larvae again.

I keep my chlorine levels high enough where you can smell the chlorine on your wet hand.

I would rather have a sparkling clean fountain and replace my pump and parts once every five years, rather than change my water once a month because of larvae.

Probably the only way that you'll combat the larvae without adding anything to the water ( mosquito eating fish , those donuts ) is by draining and refilling the fountain on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, most of the recommendations I've heard speak of daily changing (can't find any references at the moment).

The aquatic life cycle of mosquitoes is 5-14 days, so you might be able to get away with changing the water every few days.

I've also heard recommendations of aerators, waterfalls, or anything else that keeps the water moving

(I'm assuming your fountain has some kind of feature like that already?),

but I'd guess it would need to be fairly aggressive in the amount of water it churns to minimize mosquitoes and their larvae.

I'm guessing it's going to take you a bit of trial and error to figure out what minimizes the both mosquitoes and the inconvenience of having to battle them.

You may even want to just let it sit dry during the worst times of the season.

And make sure you and your neighbors minimize any other sources of standing water around your yards!

I think fish would be a good solution, but not goldfish .

They are nasty, producing lots of feces.

If you put a Plecostomus in there, it would eat the algae, and I have read that zebra striped Danios will ferociously eat mosquito larvae.

I am looking for solutions before I put in my water feature

, I'm no expert.

I think the oil would just look gross.

Hats off!

I water my plants with fountain water.

Then I use chlorinated water to refill the fountain.

The chlorine kills algae and mosquito larvae.

The running fountain removes the chlorine.

Repeat a day or two later.

Can you drain the fountain?

If yes, then drain the fountain and pour antiseptic on the fountain.

I cannot think of other method.

I won't put a fish into fountain.

Question: I found lots of mosquito larvae in my fountain. How can I get rid of them?  A local store has the doughnut thingies but they are expensive. I'd prefer a homemade solution if possible.  I tried vegetable oil. It worked but looks ugly.  Any other suggestions?

How do I keep mosquitos out of my fountain?

Vegetable oil doesn't spread across the surface. You can buy horticultural oil sprays and non-chemical larvicides. You could also try an aerator to keep the water moving.

Mosquito larva breathe air through a little tube while they float on the surface, so oil cuts off their air supply. Vegetable oil does not work well because it beads up on top of the water and does not spread across the surface, but you can try a  horticultural spray oil . There are also  non-chemical larvicides specifically for this.  If your pond water is healthy, you can always try raising some fish, but not goldfish. Probably the only way to really combat the larvae without adding anything to the water is by draining and refilling on a regular basis. The aquatic life cycle of mosquitoes is  5-14  days, so you should change the water every few days. You could also try aerators, waterfalls, or anything else that keeps the water moving.


Perhaps not regularly, but certainly whenever the heap begins to look a little dry - successful composting depends on moisture.

There is a very good article on composting and moisture level , together with a host of useful links, here , and an excellent one on home composting, by the Royal Horticultural Society, here .

In this related question , I answered: A handful of compost should be about the consistency of a damp sponge.

What I do is add water when I turn the pile: I turn the hose on a little bit, set it in the spot where the pile is going to be, and start shoveling material onto it.

After a couple of inches of depth, I raise the hose, so the water trickles into the center of the pile.

Then shovel some more, repeatedly lifting the hose every couple inches of depth.

This way, the whole height of the pile gets some moisture.

If it has been hot, and we haven't had any rain, I'll also dump waste water onto the pile.

(E.g. soiled water from animal buckets.)

Below are a few more sites that contain a lot of good composting information that you may find helpful/useful: Composting Council of Canada At Home With Compost : Clues on Composting

The composter contents should be moist like a wrung-out sponge.

If the contents are too dry, it will take overly long to compost; and if too wet, the contents may begin to smell.

Troubleshooting

If the pile does not decrease in size or generate heat, composting may need a boost.

If the pile is dry, add water - mixing thoroughly.

If the pile is wet and muddy, spread it in the sun and add dry material.

Remember to save "old" compost to mix with incoming material.

Create Your Own Compost Pile

Having the right amount of greens, browns, and water is important for compost development.

Ideally, your compost pile should have an equal amount of browns to greens and alternate layers of organic materials of different-size particles.

The brown materials provide carbon for your compost and the green materials provide nitrogen, while the water provides moisture to help breakdown the organic matter.

Backyard Composting Approach One 1 - Select a dry, shady spot near a water source for your compost pile or bin. 3 - Moisten dry materials as they are added.

5 - Optional

: Cover top of compost with a tarp to keep it moist.

Backyard Composting Approach Two 6

- Top with a 3-inch layer of brown materials, adding water until moist.

- Turn your compost pile every week or two with a pitchfork to distribute air and moisture.

Move the dry materials from the edges into the middle of the pile.

Continue this practice until the pile does not re-heat much after turning.

Making and Using Compost Location

Because the compost pile may need to be kept moist during dry weather, a convenient source of water should be available.

But don’t locate the pile where water may stand.

Excess moisture in the bottom of the pile can cause the process to stop or lead to odor problems.

Layering Lightly water each layer as it is added.

The entire pile should be as wet as a well-wrung sponge.

Achieving this result is easier if you water each layer of dry material while building the pile rather than trying to wet the entire pile after it is built.

Care of the pile Decomposition will occur even if a compost pile is ignored after it has been built, but it will occur at a slower rate.

Adding water to maintain moist conditions and turning the pile to improve aeration will speed the process.

To check the moisture content of the pile, squeeze a handful of compost.

If a few drops of water can be squeezed out, moisture is about right.

If no drops fall, the pile is too dry.

If water trickles out, the pile is too wet.

Cover the pile with plastic or other materials during wet weather to avoid excessive moisture buildup.

Piles may be turned by slicing through them with a spade and turning over each slice.

The main objectives of turning are to aerate the pile and to shift materials from the outside closer to the center, where they may also be heated and decomposed.

Moisten dry spots in the pile by spraying with water during turning.

US Composting Council

It is very important to keep water and temperature in balance in a compost heap.

The bacteria need water to assist the decomposition process, but too much water will slow down or stop the process completely.

Water should be added little and often, but only as necessary.

A handy tool for compost is a thin slightly rusty iron rod about 4 feet long.

Shove the rod into the pile using your best rapier thrust technique, and as you do this feel the consistency of the materials it passes through.

Maybe you feel twigs and other hard stuff, maybe it is consistently smooth and open.

Push in as far as it will go and pull it back out, and inspect the surface of the rod for signs of dryness or physical water.

Then put the rod back in and leave it there for half an hour, then withdraw again and feel the temperature of the rusty rod, getting your hands nicely dirty and feeling the quality of the compost it passed through.

If your hands get really smeary dirty the pile is probably too wet already and needs drying out and rebuilding.

If the rod feels cool or only slightly warm then the engine is not running.

Maybe it has finished decomposing, or it's time to rebuild the heap, moisturizing, but not wetting, as required.

Buckets of water are only required if the pile is running really hot and shows a dry rod test.

Yes, compost needs water but not too much.

It should have the same amount of dampness as a wrung out sponge.

And it needs to be tilled and turned over every once in a while to keep it aerated; that will help prevent mildew from forming.

Question: I have a 1m x 1m x 0.6m compost heap. I was turning the heap yesterday and was surprised to find that most of the heap hadn't really decomposed, and was in fact quite dry.  Should I be regularly adding water to the heap to encourage composting?

Should I add water to my compost heap?

Successful composting depends on moisture. Adding water will speed up the procress. It is important to keep water and temperature in balance to help bacteria.

Adding water to maintain moist conditions and turning the pile to improve aeration will speed the process. Add water whenever the heap begins to look a little dry as successful composting depends on moisture. The composter should be moist like a wrung-out sponge. If the contents are too dry, it will take overly long to compost. If it is too wet, the contents may begin to smell. As the compost pile may need to be kept moist during dry weather a nearby water should be available.   It is important to keep water and temperature in balance in a compost heap. Bacteria need water to assist the decomposition process, but too much water slows down the process. completely. Water should be added little and often, but only as necessary.


It looks like a Canna (lily) to me (sorry don't know which particular family/variety).

You may find the following videos from the University of Illinois Extension of some interest: Use Cannas for Extra Drama in the Garden Overwintering Cannas

At first I thought that it was canna.

Then I went outside and took a picture of a small red-variegated banana growing outside.

It looks very much like your picture.

It could live quite easily in Minnesota in the summertime.

Would die as soon as it got anywhere the low 40s.

Why that plant is not a Canna-Lily Although the pictured plant has large, reddish leaves, in habit, it looks nothing like a canna.

Canna leaves usually alternate back and forth on opposite sides of the stem, botanists call this characteristic distichous .

Banana leaves, in contrast, are arranged spirally around the stem.

So the leaves of bananas can go in any direction, but canna leaves on a single stem tend go in two directly opposite directions, giving it a habit vaguely similar to corn (maize), which also has distichous foliage.

As one can see in the photo, the leaves of our plant run in every direction, so the plant does not have distichous foliage.

Michael G. Simpson in Plant Systematics uses the foliage arrangement as a primary means of distinguishing cannas, bananas, and related families (like gingers).

He notes, however, that on rare occasions, canna foliage can be spiral.

Nonetheless, the leaf arrangement of the plant in the photo is not very canna-like.

The plant exhibits a number of un-canna-like features.

First, let us use Bing's and Google's images of cannas to remind ourselves what they look like.

Cannas are stiffly upright plants, our plant has a very relaxed habit almost spreading.

Canna leaves point mostly upwards.

Our plant's leaves point mostly out.

Canna leaves are bent around the stem, which helps give them their stiffly upright look.

With the exception of the youngest leaf, our plant's leaves bend away from the stem.

Canna's stems are very straight and tall, like corn (maize).

Our plant scarcely seems to have a stem.

A canna plant as large as our plant would have started to flower, yet, our plant is still unfurling leaves.

As mentioned earlier, our plant looks nothing like a canna.

So what is it?

In all of these ways that our plant differs from cannas, it resembles bananas.

In fact, it very closely resembles a red sport of Abyssinian banana ( Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' ) ( Another photo of the plant ).

Here is a source for red Abyssinian banana , but I am sure there are others.

The International Banana Society is a good source for cultural information.

That is a canna.

the variety name is Red King Humbert.

It is the same as what I grow.

To overwinter, I wait until the top gets frosted off, then cut them off and dig up the rhizomes and store them in baskets in the basement.

In spring, after the frost is gone, I plant the pieces 3' apart in moist soil.

They are very tolerant to poor drainage and will grow in standing water.

This is a Banana.

I grow Cannas and at first glimpse the leaves do resemble those of Cannas in colour and structure, but the low, stocky and compact stems and their formation confirm to me

it's a Banana.

Question: I like the way it looks and might want to get one but I need to know what it is. The location is Minnesota.

What is this large leafed plant?

It looks like a Canna, variety Red King Humbert.

It is either a  Canna (lily) of the Red King Humbert variety, or a banana plant.

It looks like a  Canna (lily).
The variety is Red King Humbert.
This is a Banana.


Yes, bolting means "flowering and ready to set seed".

When it sends up that long flower stalk, it's all done.

As for "is it edible": it will probably be bitter enough that you won't want to eat it.

Lettuce in summer is tricky -- long days and heat

makes it want to bolt.

Now that you've seen it happen once, you know what it looks like and you can keep an eye on it next time around and harvest it once it starts to show signs.

Giving it some shade can also help it last a little longer.

If you still have seed, I'd go ahead and start another batch -- starting a few new plants every couple of weeks will keep you in lettuce from now until the ground freezes solid.

Lettuce often runs to seed prematurely when it is stressed.

Apart from the reasons already mentioned, drought and overcrowding can cause it to bolt.

As pointed out, you can eat it after it has bolted, but it will have a bitter flavor.

Mine do better when under a thick-mesh netting grow tunnel (see photo) which provides them with some much-needed shade and also protects them against bird and slug damage.

Simple answer is yes, flower shoots on lettuce is a sure sign of bolting.

Lettuce is a cool season crop, meaning it prefers to be grown in mid to late Spring and (early) Autumn (Fall).

If your lettuce was planted in full sun and temperatures have constantly been over 75°F (24°C) during the day time

, that is the cause of the problem.

Nothing about going to seed means you can't eat them, but as others have pointed out, you may not want to at that point due to a tenancy for the greens to get tougher and a bit more bitter the further into the seeding stage the plant has gone.

That said, I'd still consider giving the greens a taste even after they've flowered.

I've found different varieties hold up for a bit longer than others.

Greens that are tougher or a bit bitter to begin with (rocket/arugula and mustard greens) still taste pretty good even though there might be a flower or two, whereas softer lettuces (buttercrunch) might as well go straight to the compost bin.

I did meet someone who said that bolted lettuce was good for making lettuce soup , which would certainly deal with the fact that the leaves get tough after bolting, though I suspect that a bitter lettuce will make a bitter soup.

I can't say that I've ever tried this, though I've always been curious.

If you're going to keep re-sowing your greens as the year gets warmer and lettuce is more likely to bolt sooner, you should start harvesting the plants earlier.

As long as they have a few well developed leaves, a young lettuce salad is very nice.

Pull the whole small plant, cut off the root, clean and eat.

(As bstpierre pointed out you can snip the plant rather than yank the whole thing, see his comment below this post for more information).

And, of course, once you've reached the end of the season, it's never a bad idea to let a plant go all the way to seed, so you can harvest the seed for sowing in subsequent seasons

(see here and here for some Q&A on saving seeds).

It appears as though it has likely started to bolt.

You can attempt to eat it but be warned as it may be slightly tougher and bitter than you are accustomed to.

The longer you wait the worse of it will potentially taste

but it is still edible.

If it's not to your liking, simply pull it up and put it in your compost pile (if the seeds are not yet mature) and attempt to grow some more as the season allows you to.

Yes, if your lettuces are putting up a long tall central stalk and/or flowering then they have bolted.

You might want to check out the question

" Culinary uses for bolted lettuce? "

on the cooking Stack Exchange (asked by, ahem, your correspondent some months ago).

technically bolted means run to seed prematurely.

as opposed to flowering and seeding by usual time for species.

factors for bolting include unusally long hot spells, drastic fluctuations in weather over few days, poor soil structure and/or soil moisture problems, unbalanced chemistry due to fertilizer use, crowding, improper handling of seedlings when planting out and planting seedlings of species that hate handling altogether and should be planted as seeds.

almost forgot, untimely planting of crop, planting crop outside normal climate zone.

thankfully species most prone to bolting are also quickest growers so you can progressively sow.

When my red leaf lettuce bolted this year it tasted very bitter, to the point of making me gag; and I like Arugula.

When the Romaine bolted, the higher the leaf the more bitter it tasted.

I have pulled all our lettuce plants now, and will try to replant some soon.

This is my first year with a vegetable garden in about 5 years; and at a new house and in new planting beds.

Question: I planted a batch of "zesty blend" lettuce seeds. They seem to be doing fine, but suddenly they started flowering:   Have they bolted? They look healthy otherwise. Still edible?

My lettuce is flowering - does that mean it has bolted?

If they are putting up a central stalk and  flowering then they have bolted.

It would appear so yes, because bolting means "flowering and ready to set seed". If your lettuce has put up a long tall central stalk or is flowering then they have bolted.


Many houseplants can withstand low light intensity.

You can google "houseplant".

Some of them can clean the air too, according to a research done by NASA.

I have a copy of that research in google doc here .

Here is a shortlist of houseplants: Hedera helix

English ivy Chlorophytum comosum spider plant Epipiremnum aureum golden pothos Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa' peace lily Aglaonema modestum

Chinese

evergreen Chamaedorea sefritzii bamboo or reed palm Sansevieria trifasciata snake plant Philodendron

scandens `oxycardium' heartleaf philodendron Philodendron selloum selloum philodendron Philodendron domesticum elephant ear philodendron Dracaena marginata red-edged dracaena Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana' cornstalk dracaena Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig'

Janet Craig dracaena Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii' Warneck dracaena Ficus benjamina weeping fig I recommend Snake Plant , Golden Pothos and Spider Plant myself.

Golden Pothos is very hard to kill because they are pretty good at different environment.

You can also plant Golden Pothos in water within a glass container which is beautiful.

Among all of them, snake plant require minimum attention.

You can water once a month.

On the other hand, cacti require good sunlight and prefer hot, dry environment.

In low light environment they don't look very good.

We've had a Christmas Cactus (A.K.A. Holiday Cactus) in our bathroom window for over ten years now, with very little watering.

I have a picture of the same young plant (in bloom) from the 90's .

The name of the plant comes from the bright flowers that bloom during Christmas.

It's remarkably unlike traditional cacti and from a distance it doesn't look like one.

Regarding low maintenance, one of the things to bear in mind is choice of compost : in my experience, a peat-based compost dries out much more quickly than a soil-based one (however much moisture-retaining additive the first contains); this involves more frequent watering which, if you have a number of indoor plants, can be fairly time-consuming.

Sooner or later, if you have a busy schedule and fail to water your plants often enough, the tip of their leaves will turn brown and curl up or wilt; instead of contributing to the amenity of your apartment, they will detract from it; so, if you buy quite a few plants, and are very busy, a soil-based compost would be a better choice.

Of the plants already suggested, the one that will withstand the most neglect - a real ironclad - is almost certainly the Spider Plant ( Chlorophytum comosum ).

I've had one for over twenty years and I can vouch for its tolerant nature!

Source:

Wikimedia Commons

If you opt for a palm (another ironclad that I've had for many years), given that you live in an apartment, height will be an important consideration.

Indoor palms do well in low and filtered light.

There is some useful information on the different varieties here .

As well as cacti, I'd look more generally at succulents .

When I was a kid, I loved growing lithops (living stones) just because they were so visually interesting.

And, they positively reward neglect, as over-watering will cause too many leaves to form, which spoils their camouflage.

I also had a number of different forms of crassula ,

whose geometrical leaf patterns I loved (I always found a certain beauty in nature's expression of math!).

Finally, if the spines on cacti might make them unsuitable in places, how about something like euphorbia obesa ?

Suitably bizarre to look at and, again, nicely drought tolerant.

Dieffenbachia species tend to make good house plants.

They don't need much water or sunlight and tend to be really hardy indoors.

A brand name of one of our Dieffenbachia is "indoorstructable"!

I have a Jade plant sitting near an East window that I've had for years.

I only water when its very dry

and it takes care of itself.

It started as a table plant and now sits on the floor and is roughly 4 feet wide and tall.

A great plant that requires very little care.

Most ferns and ivies work well indoors.

We use these mainly in our vertical gardens when planting them indoors.

Pothos is a great plant for indoors as well.

I've had good luck with hoya plants.

They have a variety of leaf shapes and colors and require little water.

They need good light but not direct sun.

I have a beautiful rubber tree that's been living indoors with indirect sunlight for a while, and just can't stop thriving.

It's a peaceful and oxygen-adding addition to an apartment.

Philodendron Cordatum and Philodendron Hederaceum .

Massively leafy.

Small footprint (pot size relative to amount of leaves).

Great for cleaning air in city apartments.

Thrive in diffused (indirect but near) sunlight.

Resist the urge to untangle its cords.

Those "tangles" provide support while the plant winds its way to the best light it can find.

Left undisturbed, they'll link into woven waves.

Start with a small one and transplant it into a pot with plenty of room to grow.

Keep the soil moist, but never flooded.

Use standard 4-4-4 houseplant fertilizer.

After a year of consistently good care, it'll be huge.

These are perfect in hanging pots near the top corner of a window.

Don't hang it

too high--

it'll be difficult/dangerous/messy to water, and it won't be happy if its base foliage is in the dark (above the diffused window light).

Every "node" of the plant has the ability to shoot down roots if it hits soil.

Thus, a piece can easily be snipped and re-planted to start a new plant.

Give trimmings to all your buddies (before the apartment is overrun by your massive plant)!

Clippings will even grow in jars of water-

but they want some root support to thrive.

This same species grows wild in Caribbean (Hederaceum) and tropical (Cordatum) climates, booming on the forest floor with stalks as thick as a baseball bat and leaves the size of a table!

Aspidistra elatior , commonly called the Cast-Iron Plant; this plant lives up to its name!

Question: I'm not an expert on plants, but would like to add some plant life to my apartment. I'm looking for good choices that:   don't require direct sunlight  require minimal watering  survive for at least a few months at a time  have low risk of attracting pests   Bonus points for "interesting to look at". Cacti seem low maintenance and resilient, yes? What other choices are there that I might consider?

What are some low maintenance plant choices for apartment (indoor) living?

Golden Pothos, snake plant, spider plant and indoor palms are all good choices. You could also look at succulents in general, as well as ferns and ivies.

Golden Pothos is hardy in different environments and snake plant and the spider plant requires little attention. Indoor palms also do well in low and filtered light. Christmas Cactus needs little watering and you can also consider cacti and succulents in general. Dieffenbachia  species  tend to make good house plants. Most ferns and ivies work well indoors. Pothos  is a great plant for indoors as well.

Golden Pothos is hardy in different environments and snake plant and the spider plant requires little attention. S7: Indoor palms also do well in low and filtered light.

Christmas Cactus needs little watering and you can also consider cacti and succulents generally.


This depends.

If your humidity level inside is too low (often a problem is you run the Heat or AC)

then plants do benefit from a misting of water around the plant to try to raise the humidity in that area of the room.

However, mostly you just want to water the soil beneath the plant rather than the whole thing.

This is because water sitting on leaves of plants, or excess humidity around them (especially things like tomatoes) can actually lead to disease.

It also provides little actual benefit to the plant.

Most places outdoor plants will have plenty of moisture in the air to be just fine.

However, if you are in a desert or other very dry climate you may have to mist around your plant so that the humidity around the plant stays at the proper levels.

Although some doubt was cast on it in an earlier question, there is the concept of "scorching".

If this occurs (and isn't a myth) then the water droplets on the leaves act as small lenses refracting solar heat and scorching plants.

Some plants are effectively immune, but if this does occur, other plants and growing buds might be particularly sensitive.

Another point against foliage watering on outdoor plants, is that the water on the leaves will evaporate more quickly than if it falls on the ground (this is where @wax eagle's humidity comes from).

It is therefore wasted.

At times of drought you want to get all the water where it needs to be to minimize water usage (and your water bill!).

I agree with the advice already given as regards outdoor plants.

However, as pointed out by wax eagle, apart from cacti and succulents, most indoor plants , dislike the dry air produced by central heating in winter (unless you have a humidifier, of course, or they live in the bathroom or the kitchen) and they will suffer - many may not survive - unless you give them the humidity they need.

You can create a moist microclimate around them by: misting the whole plant by spraying it with tepid water - but not in bright sunlight, for the reason given by winwaed, or placing the pot or, better still, a group of pots, on a layer of pebbles at the bottom of a shallow tray, into which you have poured a little water, just enough to almost cover the pebbles but not to enter the bottom of the pot, or double-potting - putting one pot inside a larger pot or container, and filling the gap between them with moss which will need to be kept continually damp.

If the leaf tips of your indoor plants turn brown and shrivel, or the leaves wilt, although the plants are being watered sufficiently, this is usually a sign that the plants need more humidity in the air.

As mentioned in other answers already, watering the foliage is mostly a waste of water due to evaporation.

One exception is if you are "fertigating" (fertilizing + irrigating) aka "foliar feeding".

This is where you spray a dilute fertilizer mixture on the leaves so that the plant takes up nutrients from the leaves instead of through the soil.

But this isn't really watering as much as feeding -- the plant isn't getting all that much water as compared to nutrients.

Most research seems to conclude that watering the leaves themselves has little benefit and can in some instance cause some risk.

Applying specific types of "feed" to the leaves seems to be noted as a separate process and has been shown to be beneficial especially amongst fruiting plants.

One query I have had in regards to the idea however was brought about by watching my garden's reaction to summer rain.

I have wondered if the first small shower on the leaves somehow triggers more effective feeding from the root system as the rain continues to come down.

Question: A question I often wonder about when watering outdoor pots in the dead heat of summer. Should I just make sure the soil in the bed/pot is watered sufficiently, or is it necessary/advisable to also water the leaves and stem? My naivete makes me think that hitting the above ground plant will keep the plant cooler and reflects more of what happens when it rains, but I may be wrong.

Any benefit to watering whole plant (leaves and all) instead of just the soil/roots?

Mostly you just want the soil beneath the plant to benefit. The water on the leaves will evaporate more quickly.

You should just water the soil beneath the plant rather than the whole thing. Watering the foliage of outdoor plants is mostly a waste of water due to evaporation.  However, apart from cacti and succulents, most  indoor plants require some humidity on the foliage.

Watering the foliage is mostly a waste of water due to evaporation.

However, apart from cacti and succulents, most  indoor plants require some humidity.


Wunderground.com have email alerts, but they might be limited to US servere weather warnings.

I use Wundergound for my weather - good for stats junkies such as myself, or those what want a meaningful discussion of hurricane forecasts rather than the usual TV gloss.

However, I use their website (no advertising for $5/yr).

They also have some broader international weather forecasts/data.

Below are some weather services you may wish to look into further (if you've not already): Weather reports for the UK: Weathercall by phone, fax and web - Paid service from the Met Office British Isles: Rainfall radar - Free online service from the Met Office.

If you click on a region, you will get more detailed information, including "Weather warnings overview".

The new National Severe Weather Warning Service - Free email service from the Met Office BBC Weather Service - Doesn't offer email service, but does offer free, Mobile access and RSS feeds.

Weather reports for the USA:

Weather Alerts & Inbox Weather - Free email service from The Weather Channel Mobile & Downloads - Free apps from The Weather Channel WeatherBug Mobile - Free and paid Mobile apps from WeatherBug Desktop Weather Products - Free Desktop apps from WeatherBug Email Alerts & Updates - Free email service from National Weather Service Daily forecast & severe weather watches & warnings - Free email service from AccuWeather

Worldwide weather reports:

- Offers free email service, but requires free membership Mobile & Downloads - Free apps from The Weather Channel WeatherBug Mobile - Free and paid Mobile apps from WeatherBug Desktop Weather Products - Free Desktop apps from WeatherBug BBC Weather Service - Doesn't offer email service, but does offer free, Mobile access and RSS feeds.

Google maps

"Weather" - Free overlay to Google maps, powered by Weather.com Rain or shine, see the weather in Google Maps Weather services I personally use (living in the USA): The Weather Channel Mobile App

- Hourly, Daily, 36 Hour & 10 Day weather, plus Alerts WeatherBug Mobile App -

Hourly, Daily & Weekly weather, plus Alerts Missouri Botanical Garden on Twitter - Freeze warnings

The above weather services come from: Asking a few gardening experts and weather companies/services on twitter for their recommendations.

An internet search.

Personal experience with some of those services.

I think I've found a winner! "

If this then that" is a website that lets you specify an action to take based on some trigger event.

They have weather triggers available, and email/SMS actions.

Here's my ifttt recipe for email frost alerts.

I just barely set it up, so I don't yet know how reliable it will be.

SMS is left as an exercise to the reader...

You can try Weather Underground .

This is one of the best sites for weather information and I always rely on this to plan my road trips.

I've found the information very comprehensive and the layout & navigation thoroughly satisfying.

If you sign up as a paid member ($10/yr, although there are free memberships with lesser features), you'll have access to email forcasts & updates.

From their sign-up page: Our new email forecast and alert service is included with every membership.

As a member, you select cities where you want weather updates, and we'll send you alerts immediately after they are issued by the National Weather Service.

Forecasts are reformatted for text, or html devices, and can be sent whenever you choose as a paid member.

I'm not sure if the information for other countries will be as comprehensive as that for the US, mainly because different weather stations report information selectively.

But it might be worth a try.

I could not find a service

so I have made one, http://frostalertemail.com

(UK only).

I had the same problem and couldn't find a solution..

so I developed ColdSnap!

for Android..costs less than a packet of seeds (and now does high temperature warnings too).

I've developed www.ifweather.com for managing custom weather alerts and sending email just like you describe.

It isn't free, but it's the best option for managing many alerts for more than one location that I've found.

It currently has the ability to watch the forecast for temperature and precipitation conditions.

When the conditions you specify are satisfied it sends you an email.

You can schedule when you'd like to receive emails too, so you won't get pestered at inconvenient times.

It does work in the UK as well as other countries.

Question: What's the best way to get warned if there's going to be a frost? Is there website or online service which will email me?  My priority would be a service which emails only in the event of frost warnings but I guess a year round daily email with min/max forecasted temperatures for my postcode would be fine.  I'm in the UK. I did sign up with one UK frost alert service before last winter (sorry, can't remember which one) but never received any emails.

How can I best get an alert if overnight frost is predicted?

Try Weather Underground or Wunderground.com for weather alerts.

Wunderground.com have email alerts, but they might be limited to US. You can also try  Weather Underground . The following have also been developed  www.ifweather.com, http://frostalertemail.com  and ColdSnap.

Wunderground.com have email alerts, but they might be limited to US or You can try  Weather Underground .


From "gardening experts" on twitter

I've currently got a two-way tie on what your plant could be: Member of Lamiaceae family, most likely Clary sage (Salvia sclarea) Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea).

Warning, Foxglove - Noteworthy Characteristics: Plant leaves are a source of the drug digitalis and are highly poisonous.

If it's Clary sage, the leaves should smell aromatic when crushed & the face of them should feel hairy (furry) to the touch.

If it's Foxglove the leaves will feel soft to the touch.

The "gardening experts" on twitter all agree with, if you let it flower it will make identification 100%.

The plant in your photos has leaves which seem identical to those of Green Alkanet ( Pentaglossis sempervirens ) which has hairy (furry) basal leaves with purplish stalks: Perennial, member of the Boraginaceae Family.

Native to south-west France, and the Iberian Peninsula, but is now naturalised throughout the British Isles.

Prefers shaded, damp areas.

It was brought here for the red dye which can be extracted from the roots, but escaped from cultivation.

The leaves are rough and covered with hairs.

The lower leaves in the basal rosette have no stalks, but the upper ones on the stems have stalks.

The stems can reach up to 75 cm.

The bright blue, forget-me-not-like flowers appear from April to July and arise from the upper leaf axils in clusters with two small leaves behind them.

They are edible and are sometimes used to decorate salads.

Green Alkanet

There are quite a few of these plants growing under hedgerows, by the roadside and in neglected gardens in Manchester, where I live (see photos), and they have just finished flowering.

As Green Alkanet has basal leaves that are almost indistinguishable from those of the Foxglove, we shan't know which of the two (if either)

your plant is, until it produces flowers; if it hasn't already done so, it is likely to be a foxglove, since this is a biennial.

If it has now flowered, perhaps you could post a photo, so that we can confirm its identity.

It is worth considering that it might also be Comfrey .

Here's are a couple of images of comfrey from Wikipedia that show the similarity of the leaves with your plant.

Its Digitalis (foxglove).

It doesn't have the hairiness of one of the Borage family, although its easy to confuse the two before they flower - the way to tell is by touch.

Borage feels unpleasant to handle, Foxglove doesn't, being soft.

I suspect it was planted deliberately - it is surrounded by Lamium maculatum and the blue flower appears to be Tradescantia - all these are used in the UK for shade planting.

It looks like Sea Holly to me - Eryngium (perhaps Eryngium Planum?)

Question: Does anyone have any idea what this is? It looks too substantial to be a weed

What is this large furry leafed plant with purple stalks, found in the UK?

It could either be clary sage, foxglove, green alkanet, comfrey or sea holly.

Your plant is most likely to by Clary sage  (Salvia sclarea)  or Foxglove  (Digitalis purpurea).   Other possibilities are Green Alkanet ( Pentaglossis sempervirens ).  It is worth considering that it might also be  Comfrey  or Sea Holly.


The roots of most trees are shallow (i.e., not more than 1' to 1.5' deep), but spread out very wide (see the picture below from here ).

Given the height of your trees, they're not very young and you can be sure that the roots spread at least as far out as the tree is tall.

Add a factor of half to that for every 10 years of the tree's life.

Note that this is only a rough approximation and if you need a better estimate, you'll have to contact an arborist.

However, your trouble is going to be finding out where the roots are.

I'm afraid you'll have to find that out only the hard way.

In some cases, you can get an indication of which direction the primary roots radiate by looking at the base of the trunk, but not any more.

I've never found a need to leave that much space around a tree.

As long as you don't dig too close to the tree, you'll be pretty fine planting stuff like 4-5 feet away from it (if you hit a root, then just dig a little to the side of it).

Also, the further out you go, the lesser you'll have to worry about damage to the tree from digging.

Trees can easily take a hit in few of their tertiary roots and not even be aware of it.

bstpierre makes a very good point that Oak has a tap root which grows deep downward instead of out (think carrots).

In this case, the foot print will be a lot smaller.

Also, another common rule of thumb is that the roots spread out 2-3x times the crown width.

This is very true in the fig family and the like, where the trees grow moderately in height, but have a wide canopy like crown.

See this page at Iowa State University Extension for more details.

We grow vegetables in an area about 16' square, in raised beds.

Several years after we started, the garden became a disaster - we just couldn't get anything to grow well in most of the garden.

Eventually, I figured out that some nearby Norway maples had taken over most of the soil - coming up from the bottom of the beds.

For several years I kept digging the roots out of the beds, but they just kept coming back.

Eventually, I got the idea to try to keep them out altogether.

I now dig around the garden with a pickax every 2-3 years on the bad-tree sides.

I get down 9-12 inches.

I've been amazed at the size of the roots - some as much as

an inch-and-a-half - given how far the trees are.

I cut finger-sized roots with pruning shears, and use a pruning saw for the really big ones.

Trying to break good-sized roots with a pickax is a great way to hurt your back.

The worst offenders are some mature Norway maples that are about 35 feet away from the edge of the garden.

They are downhill from the garden

- I wonder if the roots can "smell" the nutrient stream from the garden and go there preferentially.

Norway Maples are notorious for aggressive roots.

If you're concerned, you might try trenching with a pickax around the perimeter before

you dig the garden.

You might just sample a few areas that you're most concerned about.

Because the pickax has such a thin blade, it's not too hard - unless you find roots.

I considered trenching and installing some landscape fabric (vertically) that's supposed to deter roots.

It's impregnated with copper.

I'm concerned about ingesting the copper via the vegetables, so I opted not to use it.

Your mileage may differ.

I had a sugar maple in the front yard.

It was cut down 2 months ago.

The roots of that tree caused me big problems and a lot of work.

A 5 inch diam root 2 1/2 feet in the ground grew tight against my basement wall and the pressure of the root buckled the wall, which i am repairing now.

The tree had always been trimmed, so it would be hard to say how big the crown was.

The tree trunk on the bottom was 54 inches in diameter.

The tree was 30 feet away from the house and now I find it was too close and caused me a lot of damage and work.

My recommendation: never plant trees that close to any building.

A considerably raised garden will entail less work than digging compacted soil and roots, plus you can use a quality mix.

Any existing roots won't grow up into a raised garden.

In fact this is how flowers and other plants flourish in botanical gardens, right next to huge water guzzling trees.

I have a raised bed 3' tall.

The fig tree 20 feet away grows roots into it and completely takes over the entire bed -

and so YES roots grow UP into raised beds in contrast to the assertion made by another post here.

I dug 12" trench around it last year and found a 2.5" diameter root.

I chopped it off.

This spring I find that the whole bed is filled with roots all over again.

I dig 12" around and find no roots -

so I guess now I have to dig deeper.

There is no better spot for a planter re: sun exposure for my tomatoes

so I'm in a constant battle here

(N. CA)

Question: I a looking to plot out my new garden site for next year and am wondering how far I need to be away from some nearby trees. The trees are a few different types (apple, oak, pine etc.) and anywhere from 20-40 feet tall. I am trying to see if there is a way to tell/guess how far the roots will reach before I start digging and find out the hard way.

How far (on average) do tree roots extend out from the base of the tree?

The roots of most trees are shallow but spread out very wide. They are likely to be spread as far out as the height of the tree.

The roots of most trees are shallow i.e., not more than 1' to 1.5' deep, but spread out very wide. Given the height of your trees, you estimate that the roots spread at least as far out as the tree is tall. Existing roots tend not to grow up into a raised garden. But it is not recommended to plant trees close to a building.


Anything that a bonsai expert would work on is an outdoor bonsai.

Some people train succulents to be bonsai like, but these just don't cut it in terms of style and quality.

If you had an indoor succulent type bonsai and referred to it as such to a Japanese or Chinese person they would likely suggest you are using the wrong word to describe your plant.

Many nursery retailers keep succulents and other such things close to their bonsai displays, that they grow in a similar fashion to bonsai and because most succulents will thrive in a tiny pot if given the occasional watering, they are damn hardy and nurseries want to keep their customers happy, so they sell these plants as bonsai (e.g. jade tree in tiny pot).

It has the added benefit of being cheap to cultivate and unlike proper bonsai, they don't die after a week because the buyer doesn't have the experience to care for a real bonsai.

For anything that is a real bonsai, which is a real tree which is growing in a place where its roots are restricted, it has to be treated just like a real tree.

It needs optimal water (not too much or too little), it needs enough sunlight and it needs fresh air, it also needs enough nutrients in the soil.

If any of the above are lacking it will shed its leaves and then die.

The bottom line, you can't keep a bonsai inside your house for more than 2 days a week if you want to keep it growing healthy.

I usually only bring one or two selected plants into the house when visitors are coming.

You do not need to plant it into the ground, just have it somewhere were it will catch the breeze and can get some sunlight (without drying out).

To me if you were told that it should be an outside bonsai then I would try it outside.

If you plant this in the ground it will no longer be a bonsai in the classical interpretation.

A boxwood is an outside plant.

You could keep it outside during the day or when you are not at home.

Bring it inside when you are home

so you can enjoy it.

If there is a spot in the house that is most like outside then try it there.

This could be a porch or a very sunny spot in the house.

Bonsai is a miniature living tree so you should provide an environment which is suitable for your boxwood.

As fas as I know this tree prefers USDA hardiness zone 6-9.

If you live somewhere where the outside temperature is adequate than I suggest outdoor cultivation.

Just place the bowl (and the plant) outside.

Usually outdoor bonsais are not directly planted in the ground.

For a beginner (like myself) it's much easier to use a bowl.

If you plant it outside and stop pruning the branches and the roots it will grow like any boxwood, and it won't be a bonsai anymore.

Because of the small size, your bonsai boxwood will be more sensitive than a "normal" boxwood at the same area.

You should take care of the watering, and during winter you have to avoid freezing of the roots.

If the outdoor temperature is too low, or you have no garden, you may try to grow it indoor.

Several successful attempts show that it's possible.

Usually it's not too difficult during summer, but you need to find a cooler windowsill before winter.

According to my Bonsai books (specifically Practical Bonsai), an outdoor bonsai is just that - it's a plant that would normally grow outside where you are, and it needs to be kept outside, and not in full sun.

If you live somewhere that gets very cold in winter, the plant will need to be moved under shelter during the worst temperatures, but really should not be kept indoors for longer than 4 weeks, and preferably only 2 or 3 days.

An example of an indoor bonsai in the UK would be Aralia elegantissima, most Ficus varieties, or Crassula arborescens; Pinus parviflora (japanese white pine), Acer varieties, Boxwood are examples of outdoor bonsai.

An outdoor bonsai is a bonsai of a species that can naturally grow in the climate you live in.

This does of course not necessarily mean the region you live in: For a species that can not survive in the climate you live in, you need to create an artificial climate which means taking it indoors.

Whether this means your window sill or a greenhouse or something else entirely depends on the species and your indoor climate.

This means that all bonsai are both indoor and outdoor bonsai somewhere in the world.

It also means that all bonsai can be held indoors when you create the right conditions.

As a rule of thumb though, trees prefer an outdoor environment so that's why it is advised to put outdoor bonsai outside.

Please note that only because a tree is native to a climate does not mean that a miniature tree aka bonsai can be just left outside without special care, especially during winter in regions that experience extended periods of frost.

Question: I recently got a Brussels Boxwood Bonsai, 3 years old.And I have it placed indoors near an optimally sunlit area and apartment temperature is around70 F.There seems to be a little bit of wilting/decay on the top canopy.  Boxwood is supposed to be an outdoor bonsai.  What exactly does the term outdoor mean?    Should I just the place the bowl outside or have it replanted on ground outside?  If it must be outside anyhow, is that absolutely mandatory? Are there no alternatives to placing it outside?

What exactly is an outdoor bonsai?

You can't keep a bonsai inside for more than 2 days a week if you want it to stay healthy. You don't need to plant it in the ground, but it does need to be able to feel the breeze and not in direct sun.

Anything that a bonsai expert would work on is an outdoor bonsai. You can't keep a bonsai inside your house for more than 2 days a week if you want to keep it growing healthy.
An outdoor bonsai is a plant that would normally grow outside where you are, and it needs to be kept outside, and not in full sun. This means that all bonsai are both indoor and outdoor bonsai somewhere in the world.


For killing weeds in an established lawn, a Weed Spray is usually the easiest way.

A weed spray kills weeds without harming grass (provided the grass is healthy).

I've had good luck with Spectracide , but the Ortho product mentioned in here works well too.

The Spectracide label says it kills Ground Ivy, so it should work on your weed.

Some tips: Note that a targeted weed spray is adifferent than a general pourposeherbicide like RoundUp.

Don't getthem confused, or you will have adead lawn.

Read the label!

If youare really cautious, look up theactive ingredients and see what theydo (Google them).

If you have a lot of spraying to do,consider buying a Pump Sprayer .

The squeeze trigger bottles willcramp your hand if you have a lot ofspraying to do.

You can also re-usethe pump sprayer for other thingslike bug spray and deck cleaner.

Big established weeds will take a long time to die.

It will probably also require multiple applications of the spray (spaced several weeks apart, read the label).

Try plucking/cutting the Ivy so the spray doesn't have as much work to do.

If you get "holes" in the weeds (e.g. by ripping pieces off), you get an entry point for the spray into the plant's "bloodstream".

After the weeds are dead, you may have bare spots in your yard where they were growing (or just big chunks of dead ivy.)

You may need to re-seed those spots, but wait a while.

The weed spray can interfere with new grass.

It's also best to plant grass in the fall anyway.

Weed and Feed products and weed preventers like Preen are usually pre-emergent, meaning they don't kill stuff that is already growing (check the label).

That's why you usually only apply them early in the year, before the weeds can germinate.

The Sprectracide spray I suggeseted also contains a pre-emergent weed preventer (not sure about Ortho).

To make life easier in the future, try to stop the weeds before they get too big.

Use a weed preventer, and spray/pluck them early.

Looks like Ground Ivy or Creeping Charlie .

Control requires persistence via Michigan State University Turfgrass Science Click below images to enlarge...

I suspect most weed and feed products will be pre-emergents, meaning you need to get it in your lawn before the weed seeds have a chance to germinate, which is a limited window.

Once something like this is already growing, you're usually left with the round-up type of products, which kill everything they touch, or hand pulling.

After a long day in the office, sitting outside on a nice day, pulling weeds, can be therapeutic.

Just make sure you get as many of the roots as possible.

And with viney or runner spreading weeds, try to get the entire runner.

I have had some pretty good success with Ortho Weed-B-Gon Max .

I have used it on crabgrass, clover, and wild onion and it does a pretty good job.

Pretty much I have used it for spot treatment in small areas but you can also use it with a sprayer to spray a larger area.

Don't kill it, just learn to live with it and look how beautiful it is.

If ever it takes too much space, reduce it mechanically by hand.

Remember that plants are very strong and that products which are able to kill them hurt you also...

You will save money, and learn more interesting things by tolerating wild flora in your garden!

In fact you are lucky that they are willing to come!

Round up!

Careful with it though - it kills anything it touches.

You can put it on with a foam brush to be more selective than spraying.

This Henbit loves moisture.

Although prolific it would not stand a chance if you would train your grass to have deep roots.

You've been watering too little too often.

This technique makes for shallow rooted grass.

These cool season grasses have huge root systems, genetically.

They appreciate being trained by allowing the soil to dry out before watering again.

Water deeply and do not water again until you see your footprints stay down in the grass.

Watering deeply and allowing the soil to dry saves water, your lawn will be healthier and drought tolerant and Henbit will not be happy.

You need a broadleaf herbicide designed for lawns.

Weed and feed is always one of this type of weedkiller.

The trick is to wet your lawn down first and apply the herbicide (granular form) using a rotary spreader.

The water will help the broadleafed weeds to hold onto the herbicide.

You can purchase just the broadleaf weed lawn killer without the fertilizer.

Don't water or mow for a couple of days.

Mow your grass on high at the very least 3

" no shorter.

Have you aerated this year?

Look up questions on lawn care maintenance for cool season grasses on this site.

There are some hard and fast rules for cool season lawns that if followed you'll never have to use an herbicide again.

Also check the pH of your lawn.

Ideally 6.5 to 7.0.

Henbit likes more acidic soil.

Again, just the management of your lawn will help the grass itself to outcompete, shade out germination of weed seeds, and you will be selecting for your grass and discouraging weeds.

Question: I have a viney weed growing in my yard.  Weed and Feed  doesn't seem to affect it. It's slowly spreading to more and more of my yard every year. What is it, and how do I kill it?

What is this vine-like weed and how do I kill it?

It looks like ground ivy. Try cutting it before using the spray.

This looks like  Ground Ivy  or  Creeping Charlie . You could try plucking/cutting it so the spray doesn't have as much work to do.  In the end you could decidde not to kill it, but just learn to live with it and look how beautiful it is.

To kill weeds in an established lawn, a Weed Spray is usually the easiest way.


I haven't heard of people overwintering portulacas, although I don't see any reason why you wouldn't be able to.

The main reason for this is that portulacas are extremely easy to grow from seed and grow very well in the northern US, where you are.

So I really wouldn't worry about overwintering it and would simply leave it in the ground and start afresh in spring.

Portulaca grandiflora (assuming this is what you're talking about) is an annual, so it seems unlikely that overwintering indoors will work.

They reproduce via seed.

You may be able to extend the season long enough for it to flower and set seed while you have it potted indoors.

Then you could collect seed and replant outside next spring.

I would note that the seed is fairly cheap (I see 5000 seeds online for $8; you can probably find end-of-season packets in the discount rack right now for $0.99 or less), so it may be best to just buy seed and replant in the spring.

I have a beautiful window box of portulaca growing right now

that came up from the plants that I never dug out last year!

It was quite a surprise, but they must have gone to seed and wintered well outside.

Of course the plants that came up were not in any orderly fashion, so when they got large enough, I dug up the plant plugs and replanted them in a tidier way.

It looks great now.

Best box I've ever had.

I only have a handful of blooms so far, but heaps of buds ready to pop!

This is one of my fav

’s

I pluck the dead flowers off and find the seed pod .

Dust the tiny seeds on a paper plate and save them in a paper bag for next year .

During the Season I put the part I plucked just 1/2 inc into any dirt and it also grows more plants this plant is amazing

My aunt does it very year.

She brings some in and puts them in an upstairs window.

They root easily and she breaks off pieces and uses these as starters in spring.

I have been able to overwinter portulacas in our sunroom, where they get good light all winter.

Question: My  portulaca  is growing a clump of short stems at the base of the plant like a  sedum . The sedums use this to grow the next years growth. Could I dig my portulaca up and overwinter it indoors?  Update:  The plant did overwinter and grew well the entire next season. However, It didn't produce seed.

Can portulacas be overwintered indoors?

I wouldn't worry about overwintering it and would leave it in the ground to start again next spring. However, you could extend the season by bringing it indoors.

Rather than worry about overwintering you could simply leave it in the ground and start afresh in spring. Portulaca grandiflora is an annual, so it seems unlikely that overwintering indoors will work, but you may be able to extend the season long enough for it to flower and set seed while you have it potted indoors.


It looks to me that your lucky bamboo is root bound.

What that means is that the roots have outgrown the pot the plant is in and are getting suffocated.

This reduces their ability to take in fertilizers and water, even if you're feeding them on schedule and can cause stunted growth and sometimes, yellowing.

In a plant potted in soil, you'd see something like the second picture in this answer .

Your's looks a little different from that because of the pebbles, which are harder for the roots to push around.

But the problem is the same.

I would suggest getting a larger pot and transplanting it so that the roots get some 'breathing space'.

You might also want to propagate a couple of cuttings, as Mike Perry notes in this answer Before transplanting into a larger pot, I would take a cutting or two from the plant (if it's viable, I can't tell from the photo as it doesn't show the top/whole of the plant) and propagate those cuttings, just in case something goes wrong during the transplant process.

Here is a video on "

How To Propagate Your Lucky Bamboo" that may prove helpful/useful.

I've seen symptoms like this when the water has dropped too low (roots start to die and rot) and/or when the water has turned anoxic (no oxygen).

Note that rotting roots when re-submerged will quickly turn the water anoxic.

I consider my answer and yoda's above to have a lot of overlap.

We're both talking about a root problem and some variation of suffocation/anoxia.

One symptom of chemical anoxia is a sulfurous smell - and I have smelt this with lucky bamboo in an extreme case (stems had truly rotted!)

Here's what we eventually did to save the plant, mostly following the answers: Removed the dead leaves and cut the dead parts off of other leaves.

Pruned the roots, and cleaned the green goo.

This is pretty easy by washing the roots under a faucet.

Changed the pebble, because it was covered with green goo.

We use potting soil instead of the pebble it came in

(I think they sell them with pebble just because it looks nicer).

Moved the plant to a bigger, opaque pot

(I think a clear pot and sun exposure allowed the green goo to grow on the roots) Propagated a cuttings.

The next generation is not doing as well as the parent.

Added plant stakes, because they both had trouble supporting themselves, and started having odd shapes.

We prune the roots and change the potting soil periodically.

We forgot to do it for a while and the cutting was sad, but it's doing better now.

I had this happen to me once and eventually the yellowing went all the way down to the roots and the plant died.

After doing some research, I was told it was a fungal disease.

According to this FAQ, it looks like it could be a variety of things.

Edit

11/22/15: The original link provided above is no longer available, therefore I deleted it.

Although I'm not sure it was the exact reference, here is a Frequently Asked Questions page about lucky bamboo care from the same site.

Mine was turning yellow until I stopped with tap water and started only giving it filtered or distilled water.

You need do change the water it is so dirty the bacteri and fungi is killing the bamboo.

If you change the water weekly the bamboo will get healthier

Question: Our lucky bamboo has turned yellow in a very short time, after we've had it for almost 2 years. We've trimmed all yellow leaves, and changed the pebble to clean the green algae - what else can be done? Why did this happen and what can we do to save it?

Why has our lucky bamboo turned yellow?

It looks like the roots are too big for the pot. You could also try watering it more and changing to non tap water.

Your lucky bamboo may be root bound, meaning that the roots have outgrown the pot the plant is in and are getting suffocated. The water may have dropped too low or may have turned anoxic (no oxygen). You need do change the water it is so dirty the bacteri and fungi is killing the bamboo.


The paper ones?

Sure - they're just like blotting paper and break down quickly.

The usual things that can make some papers questionable should not be present (plastic coatings, metal and/or oil based inks) - or if they are present, you need to quickly change your filter brand!

What I would probably do if possible, is to try and tear the paper a little so that it all mixes up more easily and quickly.

Yes, you can add coffee grounds with their filters to your compost pile.

Because they are wet, they decompose fairly quickly.

The filters may dry out you if leave them on top of the pile in dry weather.

Keep it inside the pile and keep it moist.

Also, worms compost the grounds and filters very fast.

I have a five tray worm factory

and I just drop the whole filter with the grounds in and close the lid, and my army of five thousand redworms eat it in less than a week.

I found filters to be easy to compost in almost any composter.

If you have a two week ComposTumbler you will want to shred them before you add them, to keep it even.

I agree that coffee filters do not break down quickly.

However, I simply move any uncomposted material such as the coffee filters to a new compost pile, and let the composting complete there.

I always screen the compost to catch any twigs, etc., that did not break down sufficiently.

My brown coffee filters breakdown quickly.

The white chlorinated coffee filters take longer to break down.

We purchased a bag of cow manure from a local hardware and placed a small amount in a container with water to serve as a manure tea where we also deposit coffee filters, grounds and fruit trimmings.

Works for us.

Absolutely ok; we have incorporated coffee grounds into our plant food and many of those grounds included the paper filter.

You can go to our site if you are curious, there is a lab analysis on the site: www.beantogreen.com

I don't mind they don't break down fast, I consider it a mulch for the soil and or weed discourager.

I have my colleagues use a plastic bin to save all coffee grounds with their filters

and I recycle them to my garden.

You can imagine the amount of filters that go into my garden.

I haven't seen a problem at all with them.

It's true if the filters are exposed to air

they do not decompose unless covered in soil.

Paper coffee filters do not break down quickly at all.

I've tried different brands:

all natural, brown etc.

Those of you say they do have maybe never actually watched a coffee filter in a compost pile.

You need carbon materials for compost, which is all the paper filters are, so they are not only fine, but part of what is needed.

Just try and rip/break them up when turning over your compost, just as you would rather throw in a shredded newspaper instead of one that is fully intact.

Question: I've heard that coffee grounds are a good "green"(nitrogen rich) to put in your compost, but I was wondering if I could throw the filter in there as well?  They are the standard "accordion side" white ones.

Can I put coffee filters into my compost?

Filters will break down very quickly. You need to careful that your filter doesn't contain anything like a plastic coating or oil based ink. Try to rip it up before putting into the ground to aid decomposition.

Just drop the whole filter with the grounds in. They can be added to the compost, but break them up when turning over your compost, just as you would rather throw in a shredded newspaper instead of one that is fully intact. They need to be covered in soil to decompose. There should be no plastic coatings, metal or oil based inks present.

Just drop the whole filter with the grounds in. They need to be covered in soil to decompose.