Maggy, no problem..Anything for you..Here is a link to the space heaters that I have. I have three of them..They last forever and do not rust!

They are economical and only gone on when the temps drops below what you set it for..

Maggy, I may be the same one you are thinking of getting! If so, you can't go wrong..I don't use MODE..It is set for 60 and that's it..I don't think it will go lower than that...It will never reach 60 set at that in the dark of winter or cloudy days of frigid temps...You are safe at 60, trust me..You will keep your trees in constant growth besides..With just one heater, you may struggle to get it to 60, that is why I use two on particularly cold days..

You should have at least two, another kind that turns on after a power outage on its own, these don't, and a little propane heater just incase you have no power at all with spare propane... Let me see if I can find you the propane heater I use in case of emergency...I'll post that sperately...

MIke)

This post was edited by meyermike_1micha on Wed, Sep 17, 14 at 19:49

Mike you posted 4 minutes before me. I to like your pictures.

Steve

Maggy, this is my back up space heater in case electricity goes out for even a sec..It comes on by itself..

Here is a link that might be useful: Space heater

Propane heater...This is a life saver!!

MIke

Here is a link that might be useful: propane heater

Mike , sorry I am a bit confused. You posted back up and propane. What is the main heater? That is what I need to get . Maggy

Mike, I didn't see your earlier post but the link is not there. I am so sorry to bug you. I do have a small heater but one of our kids has it. Not sure which one but could be a back up. I will check. I appreciated all your efforts to help me. Thank you . Maggy

Hello....No worries..

The propane heater would be for a back up in case you loose electricity.

The smaller heater from Walmart would be the one that you have constantly plugged in but set on very low so that it is not always on..It will only come on if you loose electricity on the other ones you use because those won't come back on after a power outage..You have to be home or up to make sure you start them back up again..
That little one will prevent a freeze or your plants dying until you can reset the main ones you use..Get it?

Hope that helps...

You really need three kinds of heaters...

1. The main space heater with the thermostat control.
2. the little space heater that comes on by itself when the others won't when you get back power.
3. The propane one when you can't use any electric space heaters until you get electricity again.

Have a wonderful night my friend.

MIke

Mike you are a very patient man . I get it. But I still do not know what kind of heater the main heater is. You said you were posting a link in an earlier email but the link was missing. I am sure you are wanting to strangle new by now.
Maggy

Mike, your pictures are just so beautiful. Your greenhouse looks like a lush paradise. Thanks for sharing so many pictures with us. I always enjoy looking at peoples greenhouse setups to get ideas for mine. Your Brassavola is still blooming! That is nice it has lasted so long. You must enjoy the fragrance at night. Thank you for also including a picture of your Zygopetalum. They usually have a very nice fragrance. It is good to see that yours is blooming so maybe I can expect some flowers on mine soon too. I will have to check. I was interested in seeing your different heaters too. I would like to get something better than what I have for a backup. What i currently have is not enough to keep my greenhouse warm enough when my two gas furnaces go out. We never got to see a picture or link for your main heater though. The link didn't come through with your post. We are all waiting to see it. Btw, I spotted one of your friendly frogs in one of your pictures, the one with the clay furnaces. Looks like maybe he lives in there.

I finally finished putting up the bubble wrap and insulation today and brought some of the plants back in tonight. A lot of the warm growers are still out though so I hope they will be ok. They are beginning to look a little stressed. I am still putting up benches and hanging bars. I need to do some caulking on the outside tomorrow. It was so hot working in there, especially near the ceiling so I guess all the insulation is working well. It would be nice if it lasts a few years, but this bubble wrap is really flimsy, not like what i have been buying. That was thick and very heavy duty. The last hard to reach and odd shaped pieces up at the ceiling and above the furnaces took me longer than the rest all combined. I am glad it is finished. I made a little case out of insulation wrap for a water heater to fit over the exhaust fan and air intake shutter which I can roll up and fold back until I want to use them in the winter. That really took a long time. I should be able to use a bungee cord to help hold it on tightly.

Steve, your new greenhouse will be great to have when it is finished. Good idea to heat and vent it through the house window as long as it doesn't add too much humidity to your house. Please send more pictures as it progresses. I have thought to put an extension like that on my greenhouse to keep my cooler growing plants in that don't need much heat. I don't have that type of cool place for them now. I have an unheated porch but it is on the north side of my house so it remains too cold for my plants as the sun never shines there to warm it up. I have tried but everything freezes.

Brian, I love hotdogs too. Maybe you need to wear a helmet on that bus. It sounds dangerous on there. I commuted an hour by bus to NYC and then had a 1/2 hour ride on the subway for years. Then my company moved and there was no public transportation so I had to drive everyday in heavy traffic which often took several hours each way. There was always something happening along the way. One time a truck with Port-a-Potties was driving in front of me and they all kept falling off the back of the truck. Each one had a different name on it. Another time a truck with chickens kept losing them off the back of his truck. Another time a couch came flying at me off the back of a pickup truck. I have more stories. I think my co-workers who could take a train thought I was making up all these stories when I came in each day. I had a friend that drove a similar route to mine and we used to swap stories each day and used to say we would probably be killed before we got to retire. We both ended up retiring early because it was so wearing doing that commute. Best thing I could have done and i really enjoy being retired. When I wasn't commuting i was always flying in snowstorms or driving in them when my plane was canceled. When the plane crashed that I was supposed to be on but fortunately missed because i was driving in a storm to get to the airport, I decided it was time to retire before i really was killed with all the commuting. I had quite a few near misses on the planes too. I just like to stay home in my garden now, although I used to travel many places on vacations. It is good I did when i was young as it is a lot harder and riskier now. I am one of those people who always gets pulled out of the line and has their luggage searched as i look the furthest thing from a terrorist. Glad I saw the world in the good old days. I am content in my garden now.

Oh yes, Steve, we are not elderly in this "bugs gang", we are all just 39 and some months. I think even including Mike.

Veggie Girl, are you still around?

Cory

PS. This orchid bloomed today. It is very fragrant, but the picture is not that good. Maybe i will try again when the light is better. It has so many buds to come yet but I couldn't fit them all in the picture. The name is Rlc. Valley Isle Queen 'Orchidglade'.

Oops, Maggy, I am so sorry...It's not you, it's me. For some reason I thought I posted it...lol It was late and and I was eye tired..

Here you go. I am ready for the shower but I see too that Cory has posted something..I'll be back later))
Have a great day everyone.

I'll bet you it's the same one you could use..I have no issues with these at all)

MIke

Here is a link that might be useful: Lowe's space heater

Cory, one more thing..AMAZING!!!! I LOVE that orchid...YOu just had to mention the word fragrant, right? Lol

Ok now it's time for a shower and to close this notebook..

Take care. I will be back to read more probably tonight at work)

Hi Mike, thank you again for being such a sweetheart. I had bought a Delonghi tower and was planning to take it back because I cannot set it below 60 degrees. However I see the settings are identical to your smaller one ( picture) . I was planning to keep the greenhouse a bit cooler as I don't want the trees to grow much in the winter. I know Brian keeps his quite cool.
But I think I will keep it I am running it now to see how it works.
I will pick up a smaller one as a backup. I would like to have a small propane but my husband doesn't want me to get one. He is afraid of fire. Considering it would only be in an emergency I feel o.k. With it.
I understand how it all works and am sure it will be fine. As long as I didn't kill my trees.
Your pictures are just wonderful. So lush and green and so much to see. Thank you for sharing them. I find them fascinating. I hope someday you can live in a warm climate I think that would make you very happy.
I had asked you a couple of times how you Mom is doing but perhaps you didn't see it. Is she o.k. ? .
I am not feeling very well today . A bit off. I will write more later and Cory I will write you as well.
Brian my friend. Hope you don't get injured on the bus. When I lived in Halifax I used the public transient for 10 years. It can be interesting.
Hi Steve, hope you are well.
Maggy

Hi Maggy..NO problem..I think we all want you to be very successful at this and don't want you to make the same mistakes..Why learn the hard way when you have us young brains to help)

I love thet space heater..It's a funny thing how some stores can carry something entirley different than another. I have never seen one of those before. I like it. The good thing is that it swivels..Make sure the heat does not directly hit any of your leaves if you use that feature...

Why is your picture upside down? Brian has been posting pics the same way too..Strange.
The propane heater would not cause a fire in your greenhouse as long as you leave room for it to heat up..
My electicity wnet out for about 1/2 hour on a -20 dgrees windchill day after a snow storm and thank God I had that! The temp in there went down to 36 before I noticed it. My mother called me while I was at my cleaning job at 5 a.m..I raced home started the propane heater and it was 80 degrees in there within 10 minutes...It was great!
Thank god the electricity came back on..It's rarely we ever loose it...Boy imagine a world wide black out in winter. We'd all be screwed!

Thank you for your kind comments..I told you I was going to take pics for you...Now when I get that solar cover on, I will take pics of that for everyone too..I think Brian would of been ok with one even though he has a fence..I think it would of been easy to slide the cover down between the fence and greenhouse.

Mom is doing better..Thank you for asking..I wasn't sure how she would do until today..She has lost a lot of weight which is a good thing and will not have to take her blood pressure med or cholesterol...Her blood was good with that the whole time she was in the hospital..She says she feels better without taking so many meds. I hope the Doctor keeps her off all those meds if need be. She also thanks you and Brian and Cory for be so caring..

I'm sorry to hear you are not doing that good today..I hope it is only today and that you feel better tomorrow and even now..I hope it's nothing. You have been working real hard and being yound as you are, it can be taxing on the body. Maggy, make sure you are getting your rest, ok..

I Now have to address Cory and Brian...If I have left anything out please let me know..By the way, YOU never said anything about the pots I got for less than 6 bucks! What do you think? In fact, no one did..lol

MIke

Brian, where are you today..? Miss ya...

In fact, where have you been?????

Did I miss something up thread?? Oh wait, I hope you didn't get bang off the head so hard that you can't come back...Sheesh..I could never do that on a bus..lol

Did you ever get a frost or are you still getting one? Are you all done with every plant coming in? Isn' it a pain? I am so glad we can water freely in our greenhouses, but do I hate watering indoors...Not being able to freely water plants from top to bottom and then lug water all over the house and up the stairs to water everything..What a pain..I always appreciate my legs and that they work I tell you.

Hope to see you back soon. and thank you for aksing about my mom..Your a wonderful soul and a good potted citrus grower)

MIke

Cory,,,,,,,,,,,Hi!

Are you all done frr sure now with the bubble wrap? Boy what HUGE pain that must be..Honestly, I don't know how you do it Cory..I hope that your friends and family appreciate what a dedicated strong person you are. You are made of good stuff, rare in others these days. A good worker and determined. I think I would fall down of shock to see what you do in that greenhouse when it comes to the pitch part of it...My goodness..The things we do for our plants and sanity, right?
Can you imagine how much money real greenhouse spend on heating costs?
I wish there was a cheap way of using Solar Heating to make our greenhouse warm, but then how much sun do we really get about now until next spring, right?
I think we shall have to fight to keep our greenhouses warm for years to come..That is whay I anxiously look forward to the winter solstice and teh return of the sun!
I always notice the greenhouse warming up ,more and more starting in February..I can't wait for that month to come by the time Christmas is here...I would say about February 15 I notice a huge difference and warmer each day after that..Love it..Then everything starts to wake up and March is the best. By the middle of March, it's time to put in the shade cloth aagin..

I have a very good question for you?????????????
When do you take your shade cloth off all together? I am not sure if it is safe just yet...The sun seems to still be strong enough in any given area where there is no shade in my yard.

I love that Cattalya my friend...Not a one of mines are in bud yet..They usually start about January which I find strange that yours are already starting..It must be because of temps since it usually stays nice and cozy warm in there until about December...

You guys and your hotdogs..Lol..Have you ever had one at Costco's? Oh my God..I have not had a hotdog in years until I tried one there about a year ago..It was quite a memorable experience..It was so good..lol

Cory, please send some of that fragrance my way, will you? Nothing like a pretty looking fragrant orchid!
Thank you for your commets too. It's nice to have friends here that appreciate my plants as I do..We all need each other for moral support and to share the excitemnet for sure..
What do you think of the pots?

Thanks again and I hope to someday see the one you sent me flower just as nicely as yours))

Steve,,,,,...

Thank you for your comlplimenst too...By the way, I hope you get that greenhouse up and running soon. I am not sure if you are about to get the cold we will.
You also have great looking figs!

I asked you earlier but you did not see it..Do you try other varieties and ones that ripen early in our climate?
Do you ever put yours into dormancy? For how long? What do you feed your fig trees?

MIke

Hi Mike, First of all your new pots are beautiful. Are they heavy? I love the colours. They look real nice.
I am not sure why the picture is upside down.I took it with my ipad and it is right side up when I look at it. That happens sometime.
It is strange that some heaters are so different in different stores. What is even stranger is the price difference between Canada and US. This heater cost me $ 120 ( including Tax) In the US it us $40 less. The products you have at Lowe's are not available here. I love shopping in your country because of the choices and prices. Within 15 min. we can be in Detroit.
My husband picked me up a small , cheap ceramic heater today as a back up. I am going to look into a gas one for emergencies. We have not had many ice storms here like Brian has but power outings happen occasionally.
It is great that I have the benefit of your experience. Thank you.
It is good to know your Mom is getting better. How nice that she can get off some of her meds . Good for her.. I have diabetes and have been able to reduce my medicine by half( my goal is to stop it all) as my sugars have been normal for more than a year. Sometimes the meds have a lot of side effects.
Today I felt achy and tired but am o.k. I didn't sleep well last night but otherwise am good. I changed my hair appointment to tomorrow. Thank you for your concern.
I look forward to seeing your greenhouse when you get the solar cover on it.
That will be helpful.
Have a wonderful evening my friend. You are very special.Maggy

Brian, my Canadian Buddy, where are you? I miss you too. How are you? You must be relaxing . It was beautiful here today but the nights are still cold. The trees seem to like it though.
How are your trees doing in the greenhouse ? Are they thriving? Have you had to have your heater on yet.? We are going up to 78 on the week- end. I a starting to get excited again about the winter phase for the trees. I am looking forward to caring for them in the greenhouse. It sounds like Mike waters by hand. I meant to ask him. I haven't figured that part out yet.
We put an ad on Kijiji for someone to dig the trench for the electrical cable and had 5 replies in 10 min. My husband decided it would be easier to hire someone. It will be cheaper than the electricians (2) doing it at a cost of an extra $500. I have told Mike I will keep the Delônghi heater. I think it will be o.k.
We are watching the Scottish referendum . My husbands grandparents were from Scotland so it is interesting to him. .Also part of my heritage is Scottish but more distant. It is interesting to see what will happen.If the country becomes independent it could have fall reaching ramifications not just for Scotland but for Britain .When we were in Portugal we met a female couple from Scotland and we have become good friends.We will be seeing them next May. I am very curious to hear their view.
Well I hope you enjoy your evening. Keep well. Maggy

Hi Mike, your pots are beautiful. Good deal. I will have to go check out Lowes. HD is closer so I usually go there although I like Lowes better. I took my shadecloth off this summer during the cleanup and am thinking I probably will have to put it on for a few weeks. I layed an extra layer of bubble wrap above the plants that are in there hoping to provide a little shelter until I have time to get out the shadecloth. I looked in quickly as I was going out to the grocery store and it looked very bright in there. I have lots of air blowing through them though. I don't want them to sunburn. There is just so much to do this time of the year. I think it depends on the weather each year to determine when it comes on and off. It seems different every year. I like to get as much light as I can though and often push the limits and have to be careful of burning some of them. My neighbor's tree is shading it more now too.

I didn't get to do any work on the green house today as I was mowing the lawn and grocery shopping. I have a 40V battery operated mower which I love but it stopped working suddenly this afternoon. I just stopped to move a plant and then it would not start. I thought maybe the battery might need recharging, but that didn't fix it. I will have to call the company tomorrow to see how to get it repaired. I can't find a site on the internet where I can buy parts for it either. It has a 4 year warranty and I have had it a little over 2 years and it has worked great until today and it gets heavy use as I have a fairly large yard and I mulch all my leaves in the Fall.

Maggy, you are probably worn out from all that cooking. Good for you that you have gotten your diabetes under control. Your heater will probably work out well. We have had several blackouts lasting as long as 2-3 weeks the past few years. We never used to lose electric power until these recent years. My furnaces are natural gas and run off a battery operated thermostat or one that works off the gas somehow. The thermostats rust out every couple of years and the only one I can find in an emergency is the battery operated one. It is cheap, but I prefer the one that goes with the furnace that doesn't run on batteries. It is more expensive and I have to mail order it. I usually keep several of the cheap ones as spares as HD doesn't always have them and it is always on the coldest night of winter that the thermostat fails and shuts off the furnace. It is probably time to change them out now as prevention. My house furnace is gas now too, but needs electric to ignite it and operate the blower as I have hot air heat. It was hard not to have electricity for so long and no heat. Fortunately i have an old gas cooking stove without electric ignition. It needs to be replaced though as it is ancient but the new ones seem so flimsy to me.

Where is Brian?

Cory

Hi Cory, I agree with Mike ,you are pretty amazing. You work so hard to take care of your orchids, citrus and other plants and trees. I can see how dedicated you are. It is a labour of love.
Funny I am 39 as well. Have been for some time now. I think being close to nature keeps us young. I retired early also and have never regretted it. Initially I missed the routine and of course my work mates . But I soon adapted and have never looked back.
Putting up the bubble wrap sounded so difficult and time consuming. I admire your determination. I bet you are relieved to be finished. I have the solar cover . I will let you know how we got it on ( it is heavy ) and secured. I will post pictures. It will be a few weeks yet as our neighbour who will help us is away. The electricity will be done on Sept 30 . It will all be water proof and safe.
Every time I see a picture of one of your orchids I am in awe. They are so stunning. You have a real gift to be able to grow them . I am very interested in learning about orchids ,You see I know nothing but I think educating myself is a good idea. I think the Orchid Society will be helpful. I am going on Sun.so I will find out. I just discovered there are two Orchid societies in Windsor. It seems that some members parted ways and broke away and formed a separate society. Interesting. I was talking to a lady yesterday who told me this. .
Cory if I were to buy an orchid, what would you recommend? Which would be easiest? A cold ,warm or intermediate species. I will be going to the Orchid Show and Sale next month.
Sorry to hear about your lawn mower . It is good that it is still under warranty. We are lucky as our neighbour always mows our grass and removes our snow in winter. He is a very nice man. I try to do things to repay him. He loves when I cook for him. At least I can do that much.
We have a gas furnace but like you it needs electricity. I have a gas cooking stove and I love it. We also have a gas fireplace so that will keep us warm in the event of a power failure .
I was in hurricane Juan in 2002 and was without power for a week. I had saved water in the bathtub for flushing toilet etc and could use the gas BBQ for tea,cooking but the tank ran out. We have a gas line now to our BBQ so we could always use that.
Cory will you rebuild your beach house? Or is that an option.?
I love your commuting stories. Unbelievable. Sounded dangerous. I am sure you do not miss the commute. Do you find you are busier now than when you were working? There never seems enough time to do everything.
Hope your evening is relaxing and pleasant. Maggy

Hi everyone.

I know I miss a lot in my reading. I thank you all for looking at my plants and projects and the compliments. I enjoy looking at all your pictures. They are so full of positive life and energy.

To cover the questions I missed.

1) The Hardy Chicago fig is the the early fig that does well in a cold climate to produce fruit every year no matter how harsh the winter it came out of.

2) The brown turkey fig does well in cold but doesn't produce figs until to late to ripen. The B.T.'s Breba crop buds are killed in temps in the high teens and thus useless this far north with out greenhouse protection.

3) Other fig varieties fruit to late for use up here or are to cold sensitive.

4) I put my fig trees to sleep every year. That way I have no insect or disease problems. I do start them 2 months early to get figs in June.

5) The coldest temps we are due to get for the next 10 night takes us down to 48 F. That is 20 degrees warmer than that needed to kill tomato plants in that area.

Marg I have used incandescent light bulbs to heat my greenhouse. They can burn out but they can't catch on fire. You will have to learn how to determine a 3 bulb night from a 10 bulb night.

Mike I missed your pots when I looked at your trees. They are very attractive. Don't feel bad, no one noticed my fig containers and their artistic beauty. LOL.

I hope you all getting frost are prepared for the frost.

Steve

Brian, where are you? You just dropped off the planet or someone bumped you so hard on the bus, your still unconscious...Seriously, miss you

Hi Mike, I was just reading all the info, looking at the pictures you posted to help. I know you went to a lot of effort and want you to know how much I appreciate it. That is what makes you so special. Your willingness to share. Thank you from the bottom of my heart .I don't think I adequately expressed my gratitude.
I near killed my Moro orange. It was a beautiful tree with 7 medium oranges. I repotted it in 5-1-1- and the next day it got very cold. I brought it inside the unheated sunroom. Well it started to drop leaves and fruit. The change in light and temperature was too much. I think it is dropping fruit in an effort to survive. I put it back outside now and don't know if it will make it. It is my favourite tree. I would be very sad if I lose it. In retrospect I think it was too late in the season to repot. The Meyer and key lime are stressed but not as bad. A lesson learned.
Brian, I really miss you too. I hope you are o.k. Maggy

Hey Maggy....I just came by to check on Brian and I didn't see anything,..Now I am worried about him. He never said he was going anywhere and that is what concerns me..I hope he is ok too...If he had e-mail I would privately ask him, but nothing(

Listen, if you have your heat going in that greenhouse, put your tree in there, ok..The heat and humidity along with lots of light should help it come back. That is what I would do and in fact have to recover any tree. It's the best place to be ...The roots will not function and in fact decline if they are lower than 55 degrees after a repot.
Keep them warm and in bright light Water as you would and it should come back. Do not fertilize...Let me know what you do, ok?

As for repotting, if your tree was healthy to begin with, it could of been potted at any time, even in the dead of winter....It's usually because of shock that a tree take time to recover in the worst possible time of the year to repot.
I have repotted trees at any time any time of the year, and gave even ordered bare rooted one online and delivered in winter..The key is to make sure you provide good light and warmth along with a good mix.

If you can, do this as soon as yesterday. Make sure that tree is kept warm starting now, even if you have to go outside tonight and stick it in your greenhouse. I am hoping it's not too late.

Keep me posted ok...Let's pray that Brian is ok...He is a wonderful and kind man, so rare these days!

Thank you for your kind comments, its special coming from you. You are just as kind also...I have met people that come and go, but I have a feeling that we will know each other for a while to come.I am here for you to be successful and so are the other fine folks that I have met here))

Many hugs from my Mom as she says. She also says hello to Patty, Rhizo, Brian, Cory, Josh, Jojo, Jodik, and Laura..But I don't think any of them will see this part)

Maggy, have a wonderful night..Please, Please if you can, take a pic of your tree and let me se where it is sitting to get better...I really want to see it and where it will sit to heal..

Good night and I will talk to you and hopefully the other friends of our tomorrow..

Steve, thank you for explaining your fig trees and nice comments...I must say you certainly know how to get lots of figs on one tree, Boy are they good when they ripen correctly!

Mike

Hi Mike, It is unusual for Brian to disappear. I am worried about him as well.We don't have any way to contact him. Let's hope he is just taking a break. Perhaps we will hear from him soon.
I am in bed since 7 pm. I have not felt well ,a bit of and fever. Hopefully it is nothing. Perhaps Brian is not feeling well.
OH! Mike I did everything wrong with my beautiful moro orange. It is in 5-1-1 mix. But I moved it on Sun to the sunroom which is cold and dark. Today I moved it outside in the sun. I fertilized it this morning. I do not have heat in the greenhouse now until Sept30 . I just went outside and brought it in my living room for the night. Should I put it outside tomorrow again in the sun? . It is going to be 78 degrees. I didn't know where I can put it in ideal conditions to heal. I also repotted my Meyer lemon and key lime at the same time.
Here is a picture. Hope it is not upside down.I will do whatever you advise, if I can
Mike I agree I didn't think we are " come and go people" We will be around for some time. And Brian, Steve and Cory as well.. Hugs to your Mom.
Brian is a very nice man and I will pray he us o.k.
Thanks Mike.
Hi Cory and Steve. Have a great night everyone. Maggy.

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This post was edited by maggyby on Fri, Sep 19, 14 at 23:08

Hi everyone,

Maggy, your Moro will probably be fine. Do as Mike says and put it in the greenhouse or put it on a heat mat to keep the roots warm. Keeping the roots above 55°F is important to keep the tree growing. You probably want to keep it a little shaded until it begins to recover. If the leaves heat up faster than the roots that is when the leaves fall off. The leaves will heat up and need water and nutrients when light reaches them as they will start to photosynthesize, but the roots are dormant below 55°F and will not be able to push up the water and nutients the leaves need, so they dry out, yellow and fall off. Your Moro should send out new growth once it acclimates and the top and bottom parts are more in balance.

Steve, thanks for all your explanation about your figs. I will re read again when I have more time as there is good information there. How is the new greenhouse coming along?

Mike, i keep going back to look at your greenhouse pictures more closely to identify all your plants and the details of your set up. I saw your pots in Lowes today but they were not on sale yet at that store. They may be coming on sale soon as they were placing them all together in the center of the nursery section to make room as they were setting up the Christmas decoration displays already.

Maggy, you have to match the kind of orchid to the growing conditions you have and that is what makes growing easy. If you have hot, dry, and dim light you will never be able to grow a plant that likes cooler, brighter, humid conditions. Tell me more about where you would like to grow an orchid. What is the high and low temperature of the area and how often does it fluctuate? How bright is the light? Which direction does it face? Is it in dry area and if so can you provide humidity with a humidifier? Phalaenopsis, also called the moth orchid, are generally considered as easy windowsill orchids to begin with as they will tolerate lower light levels, moderately low humidity, and room temperatures that most people are comfortable living in. They will grow in a north-facing window, but probably will not bloom there without supplemental lighting. The hybridizers are producing mini ones now that have many of the colors and patterns of the larger spiking ones. They are very reasonable and can often be found in the supermarket, Lowes, and HD for $6.99 and even less. They can easily fit on a small window sill and will bloom for several months at a time. The larger ones often can be found at these same stores from $9.99 - $19.99. Cymbidiums will grow well in an unheated spare room or sunporch where temperatures range around 50°F. They can handle even light frost, but are healthier if grown a little warmer. They need a very sunny spot to bloom. They do not require high humidity levels. They are large plants though. They usually have several spikes and bloom over a long period off time. Cattleyas will require high light conditions, and many are comfortable at temperatures around 58°F. There are those that don't like to get below 65°F, and others that like temperatures of about 45-50°F. They like humidity of about 60°F. Their flowers are fluffy and gorgeous, but the blooms last only about 2 weeks. Some of the hybrids bloom 2 or 3 times a year though. The hybridizers have been working on producing more mini-catts that have the same flower shapes, vibrant colors and bloom patterns as the original large species plants but are only 4" or less in height. Their flowers are relatively large and spectacular, and most bloom several times a year. There are also many new hybrids of oncidiums and odontoglossums that have been bred to tolerate windowsill conditions of the average house. Odontoglossums have very beautiful deep rich colors but need cool, humid, cloud forest type conditions. They have recently been bred with warmer growing oncidiums that also don't need as high humidity, and these hybrid plants can now be grown in typical windowsill conditions. They are very floriferous for long periods of time. There are basically two groups of lady slipper orchids (paphiopedilums); the solid green leaf one generally like slightly cooler temperatures than the mottled leaf ones which have patterns on their leaves and grow in conditions similar to the phalaenopsis. Some can be a little fussy about water and nutrients and many growers only use rain water or RO (reverse osmosis) or distilled water on them. Many really are not that fussy and can easily be grown in the home with the phalaenopsis. Their blooms usually last a month or two, and some are sequential bloomers and keep forming new buds above the most recent to bloom so they can sometimes be almost constantly in bloom. You will generally find two types of dendrobiums in stores although there are hundreds of kinds. Of these two types there are the dendrobium phalaenopsis which like warm temperatures and will drop their leaves if the temperature drops much below 65°F, and the nobile types that need a a drop in temperature in the fall to set buds. These can stay out until just before the first frost like the cymbidiums. And like the cymbidiums they are healthier if they are grown about 50°F. Both types like bright light and high humidity is not required. You may find vandas. Generally these are warm growers, but there are a few that like cooler temperatures to bloom. Those are generally the large purple spotty looking ones with Rothschildiana in their background. They need bright light and higher humidity to bloom and be healthy. These are the most likely orchids you will normally find for sale in stores and nurseries, but there are thousands more. You may find zygopetalums which are generally purple, brownish and green and have a wonderful fragrance, and sometimes angraecums with white flowers and a long spur off the back that Darwin speculated must be pollinated by an insect with s very large snout, which was proven to be the case many years later when its pollinator finally was discovered. Will you try some in your greenhouse? If you have a cool, humid spot you could try masdevalllias, draculas, coelogynes, and species odontoglossums and the cooler growing oncidiums. There are so many you will want to try. But try to match the orchid to the conditions you have. You will be tempted to grow plants that don't match your growing conditions; all of us do, but that is what makes them hard to grow as it is difficult to change the growing area much to meet the plant's requirements. I hope this helps you. You can always ask me or the vendor if you see a plant you like but don't know what conditions it needs to grow well.

I had to take my lawn mower to a repair shop about an hour plus away. They said it might be several weeks to even get to look at it so I ordered another on line to use in the meantime as I will have all the leaves to mulch. Theyhave already stated to fall from my Magnolia and Dogwood trees. I looked in Lowes but they were pretty much out of everything mower. I think the repair is probably minor and i might even be able to fix it myself, but I didn't want to void the warranty if it were something more expensive that went wrong. I suspect that I may have caught the cable that starts it on the hedge one too many times, although i was not working near the hedge when it just stopped working.

Hello Brian. We are missing you here.

Cory

Cory, Good morning all. Cory, thank you for the excellent info on orchids. You are so knowledgable. Hi Mike and Steve. I am going to my rug hooking group this morning. Will write this afternoon. Hope you are all well. Maggy ,

Hi citrus and greenhouse experts. I am climbing on the GH wagon.

I have got 4 out of 5 of the south wall glass up and 5 of 6 roof panels over top. The east and west walls will not go up for another month. I will have the framing done though. There has been one unexpected snag after snag, so it is going slowly.

Steve

Hi my friends I am so grateful for all your concerns . I am still alive maybe a little bruised from the bus rides lol . A message from the heart . Maggy I did not know how to approach the situation with the heater by your postings to me it sounded like you were a little upset with the heater . I tried many times on I think it was Wednesday to get in contact with you to try to figure out how that thing ran and on my last try all though Iit might have seemed that I was asking the same thing you did not reply to me . I said to myself that you must be upset with me for buying that heater . When I joined the forum I said I would never recommend anything for that reason . That's why when you guys ask how do you get your plants to look so healthy looking and so large I never say to much because i am afraid if you try what I am doing it might end up killing one of your favorite trees . That would be devastating to you and me . I am sorry you do not like your heater I feel really bad but Maggy I am sure it is going to work out really well for you . It really doesn't matter if you can't get the thermostat to go below 60 degrees it will never keep the temperature at 60 in the middle of January and February anyways you will be lucky if it can keep your GH temperature at 52 at night even though you have it set for 60 . What you really want is the heater to shut off at 60 when the sun is on your GH . My heater is set at 55 degrees it would not make a difference if I had set it at 70 I will be lucky if I can keep the heat to 50 in the middle of January . Personally I think the heater will do you well I've had mine for a while now with no major issues the only thing is it does not oscillate any longer no big deal . It worked well the other night we had a major freeze it was 28 degrees in the backyard everything was white there was even ice in the water barrel and the trees in the GH were snug as a bug in a rug it was exactly 55 degrees in the GH . Maggy I value your friendship your a good egg . By the way one of your cuttings looks really good there is even a fruit at the very top growing . The cutting looks really green although I donto see roots coming out the bottom yet . There is at least 5 that look about the same fingers crossed but it does look good. Mikey and Cory and Steve I value your friendship very much also , love you guys . Mikey you would have laughed the night of the freeze we forgot that we had the sprinkler still set to come on for a couple of hours through the night well didn't we forget and when we were coming down our front stairs we both slipped on the ice that formed we were both lucky that we caught each other . Time to walk like a penguin again . This weekend is going to be very warm who would have thunk . Mikey your GH looks amazing buddy so proper compared to mine . Are all your plants that your going to bring in there in now ? So glad to hear your mom is feeling better that's so nice to hear . Don't worry your mom is going to be around for a long time you both have something to live for and that's each other . You can really tell you guys care about each other alot that's so nice to see . Cory you are also amazing I see you have had quit the time with your lawn mower . Do you have lots of grass to cut ? We always have problems with ours and it's not that old . Sometimes I think it would be better just using the hand pushed one , the one that doesn't use electrify or gas . I am glad to hear you are almost finished with winterizing the GH that's nice lots of hard work . You reminded me that I forgot to do the little triangle pane above the door and I forgot to give the door a extra coating with bubble wrap , I guess I will do that this afternoon. Your and Mike's orchids look amazing really beautiful if I only had the room . Steve buddy I was very happy to see that you are making progress on your GH good for you . Take your time though don't over do it . The weather guys think that after this weekend the temperatures are going to go above normal until at least the middle of October and if not longer . They are also saying it's going to be very dry with lots of sun , wouldn't that be nice you wouldn't have to rush building your GH . You're figs are amazing . Steve I think mine are finally ripening they are starting to droop . I am going to leave my tree out until the end of October . Did I see a few ripe fruits on yours ? How do they taste ?

Well you guys have a great afternoon nice talking to you all.

Brian

P's here is a picture of the cutting Maggy

Brian, Darling I would never never ,never be upset with you. EVER. If I seemed frustrated it certainly was never with you. Perhaps with the difficulty of finding things in Canada or finding them only to discover that have changed them etc.. I am so sorry you thought I was annoyed with you. I did not receive any postings from you on Wed. Or I surely would have responded. Please know that I would never behave by avoiding or not responding. That is not my nature. You are so kind and sincere. Please know I think the world of you. A big hug to you.
The heater will be fine. I have tried it and it works well. I love that you recommended it. I am keeping it and am sure it will not be a problem.
I know I ask so many questions and I apologize for that. I will get it all figured out and I keep remembering what you said. " it should be fun." I think with the technical issues I may have lost sight of that briefly. It certainly is a learning curve. I have benefited greatly from the experience of all of you and hopefully I can pay it forward eventually.
OMG! That cutting looks amazing. I am very excited. A little"nules"
I just got home from my rug hooking group and am going to have lunch. Will write more later. Brian, you are a gem. From my heart. Maggy

Hello friends. This is for you. Fresh blueberry scones. Nice with a cup of tea. Maggy

Oh Maggy they look delicious . They almost look like Pillsbury turnovers I Love those . I might have to pick some up this afternoon I have a craving now . Sorry to hear about your blood orange , I know that's one of your favorites . Maggy it is a lesson learned . I won't repot until my trees start talking to me . I believe they really do talk to us . Not by actual talking but showing us they don't like the environment their in or the potting soil etc by either loosing leaves or leaves turning yellow or brown or by just not growing . I will never repot unless my tree tells me to . I thought I was going to have to repot my valencia orange and navel orange this year you saw them they were huge they have been in the same pot and soil for years and years I don't understand why they looked so good this year . Maybe next year but I will not repot until they tell me to and they will when the day comes . This summer I repotted a couple trees that I had already repotted earlier in the spring the trees told me and Mike that they did not like the new potting soil I had put them in either by not growing or leaves starting to turn brown and yellow . Now the 3 trees I repotted are very happy they will show you that to . Sometimes we baby them especially our favorite trees and I am guilty of this to . We want to make so sure they do well and not die we overdue it with kindness and then we end up killing them . I always say if it's not broke don't fix it. I am sure your blood orange will pull through . Steve your making great progress looks great . I see you sloped the roof good because you want the snow to slide off . Steve do you get lots of snow in Cincinnati ? Your off to a good start looks great. I wanted to barbecue a few steaks tonight now it's starting to thunder great . Hi Mike and Cory .

Brian

Hi Brian, The scones are made from scratch. Fresh blueberries and warm from the oven, they were yummy. Brian you are so right about the trees. The moro orange was beautiful and it is my favourite.The only reason I repotted it was because I kept thinking I don't want trees in the greenhouse in different mixes and I decided 5-1-1 for all of them. I was afraid the roots would not do well in the heavy soil during winter. You are also right, a lesson learned. I have almost killed them with kindness . I will learn to listen to them and as you said they will let me know. I never realized they could stay in the same pot for years. Do you fed your trees at all during the winter when they are in the greenhouse?
Well the 18 in deep trench is near completed for the electrical cable.We hired a guy to dig it and he is almost done. I can hardly wait to get the greenhouse wired and get everything set up. It will be done on Sept30 th.
It is 80 degrees here now and starting to look cloudy. The radar is showing thunder storms not far away. Hope you will be able to BBQ your steaks.
Have a great evening my friend. Take care. Maggy

Cory, I am doing my best to get the Moro to survive . Thank you for the explanation. I didn't realize the roots shut down below 55 or that the leaves would fall off if they heated up faster than the roots. That makes so much sense. With that knowledge now I will not make the same mistake again.
Cory, thank you for explaining in detail the different types of orchids and the conditions in which they grow. I never even knew there were so many different kinds let alone that they require different environments. It is all very fascinating.
I think I would like to grow one in the house where I can see it and appreciate the blooms . My living room faces the east and gets the most sun. It probably will be about 70 degrees during the day and at night around 66 -67 degrees.
We have a humidifier on our furnace which can keep the house fairly humid. The only problem is that the vents to the furnace are below each side of the big picture window.
What about the greenhouse? It will be 60 degrees or lower in there and humid. What could I grow in there? I am going to start with just one or two. I don't have room to grow many.
You are so knowledgable and I am going to print off your post for future reference. It is a great resource. I really appreciate that.
Mike,how are you doing ? Are you working today? My tree is still alive in spite of my efforts to kill it. I have it outside where it is 80 degrees right now but a thunder storm will happen shortly. It is only going down to 68 degrees over night. Not sure if I will leave it there or bring it in, As soon as I get heat in the greenhouse Sept. 30 th it will go in for the winter. I asked Brian and Cory, and I will ask you,do you stop feeding your trees in the winter in the colder temperatures .Or do you just reduce the amount of fertilizer? I am using dyna Gro foilage pro .
I may ask the guy we hired to dig the electrical trench to help us put the solar cover on when he comes back next week. I haven't located the 4 ft bungee cords yet. But have a few more places to look. We will be going to Detroit in the near future and I can look there, if I can't locate them here.
Steve, your greenhouse is looking good. It looks like you have been working hard designing and building it. You are very resourceful, I admire that.
When I was at my rug hooking group this morning one of the ladies had bought a box of figs and was saying how good they are. I must try some again. I was thinking I don't like figs but maybe I haven't tried a ripe one.
Have a good evening all. Maggy

Hi Maggy I don't fertilize till I start to see growth or flowers which usually starts in February or March and even then just a little . You will see that your trees will do absolutely nothing November , December , January and maybe February it's just to dark and cool in these months unless there is alot of sunshine this winter . Did you eat all your scones they looked so yummy ? Pan fried the rib steaks with onions and mushrooms man does that make a nice gravy . Speaking of beef where are our beefcakes tonight Mike and Cory Steve with their abs of steel not to mention their six packs lol? Well my friends have a great night going to relax with a movie we rented Godzilla in 3d .

Brian

Hi gang just forgot to mention that we had to tie up our apple tree today it tipped over and almost came out of the soil from the weight of the apples . I would say there is a few pies there . The apples aren't that great this year they have some blemishes and the leaves are starting to turn red from the frost . Can you believe we are still getting strawberries thank goodness there is still something to look at in the garden or I would be going crazy .

Have a great night guys

Brian

Brian! Welcome back my buddy! So good to see you are back..I am so glad to see you about these parts again)))
I thought you might of got knocked over let alone the apple tree on that transportation thing..
I never saw so many apples on one little tree. Now if we could make that happen to our citrus trees!
Brian, why don't you e-mail me so we can make sure we are ok? You don't have e-mail in your profile.
Can you believe this weather?? It was 35 this morning and it got to 75 today..It is so nice and warm out now, just what I like.
I was able to take all my plants out from the proch and stick them right back outside again..the first thing I did was water them from top to bottom..I am going to miss that once they all come in.
I also painted the porch and I am getting that ready for the cold nights. I'll be putting up plastic all around the windows to better insulate if for the cold nights. They did so awesome out there last winter. I was able to water them like I do outside too. I love that setup I created.
Sorry you felt the way you did with Maggy...That is what stinks about writing and not talking. It's so easy to mis-interpet what one says or thinks unless we talk to each other or e-mail each other. Don't run away again unless you are sure of something. Maggy would never get mad at you or me without saying something privately. we are all very close here. You are loved by us all and can see what a good heart you have. Maggy cares for you too). Remember she is a nurse and she has to care for others even if they throw crap her way....lol Literally.

I can't believe that you got a frost already. I'll bet your trees are not even colored yet! We almost got one but did not so the growing season goes on thank God here.

How did you know I had a six pack? lol NOt today after eating tons of scallops and butter! lol

Thanks for the compliments on my greenhouse..That is not even neat to me just yet. I'll be taking everything out sometime next week and do another cleaning and then put everything permanently into their spots..I love your idea with putting smaller pots on the top of bigger ones. Thank you for that.

How is it that it's thundering there? we don't even get more than a couple of thunderstorms in the hottest time of the year, let alone this late. Never this late.

Brian, you are so kind saying that about my mother and I. Thank you pal..That means a lot))
I am glad you didn't fall down and hurt yourself! Thank god!

Well, I am off to bed...I am so tired..I was up at 5 a.m. cleaning at my job, then yard work until about 10, the breakfast, then painting all day, then scallops, there here, then bed...

Maggy and Cory, I will be back. Maggy and Cory, I am so happy to know you..I just wanted to say that. Maggy and Cory, have a wonderful night. I can't wait to read what you both have to say too.

MIke

Brian, look at that tree. OMG could I make a few pies with those. Mike there you are. I am as happy as you are to have Brian back. You are right we are friends here. I have no objections to anyone emailing me if you ever want to.. I also respect one's need for privacy. About 90 % of communication is non verbal so in the absence of the those clues it is very each to misunderstand or misinterpret .,hurt someone's feelings,
Will be back tomorrow. To catch up.
Have a great night. Maggy
Sent from my iPad

Good Morning, Mike, Brian, Cory and Steve. Here it is Sun morning already. I can't believe where the week has gone. I wanted to give you an update on the moro tree.it appears to be recovering . I have put it outside during the day since we are having a warm spell. Then bringing it inside at night to keep the roots warm. All your advise has saved it I believe. Thank you. The fruit was falling so I took the rest off . I won't make that mistake again. I love that tree.
Brian how are you doing. ? What kind of weather are you having in Ottawa.?
We get a few warm days and then it gets cold again. Could you believe that last night we had to put on the central air as it was too warm to sleep.
Did you get your steaks BBQ'D ? . I am making a sirloin tip toast today. My husband has gone to the market to get fresh vegs. Your steaks sounded delicious. The scones didn't last long,I gave some to the man who was digging the trench some to my neighbour and I think there are two left. I would definitely make again.
Brian, the Kishu cutting looks so healthy. I wish my cuttings didn't all die Maybe I will try again in the spring.
When I started writing this the sun was shining and now the clouds are dark and the wind is blowing. Sure looks like a storm and my dog is getting scared . So blizzare I hope everything us o.k. with us now. I am so sorry I caused you to be stressed Brian..I think the world of you.
OMG it is so windy. It definitely looks like the first day of spring.
Hi Mike. Sounds like you are painting again. I remember you said you paint often. What colour did you paint the porch.? It must be a lot of work taking the trees in and out. They can be heavy. You keep them in your porch all winter right? Is your porch heated. What are your new pots made from.? They look so pretty. And such a good price. I am started to feel like everything s coming together . The trench is almost complete and in a couple of weeks I will have electricity in the greenhouse. It is all clean and ready. I may try to get the solar cover on this week. What do you think of the moro. ? It certainly isn't dead. Hope you are not getting exhausted doing so much.
Cory, did you get finished with mowing your lawn. My husband says he likes the greenhouse in the back yard as it is less to mow. LOL! . He has two hip replacements so some things are difficult . He got severe arthritis in his hips in his 40's and 5 years ago he had them both replaced . It changed his life. In 2007 he was walking with two canes. Now I can't keep up with him.
I just love seeing your orchids . They are beautiful. How do you care for so many? I would never be able to do it. Is you greenhouse finished now? I am not looking forward to the cold . But there can be some nice winter days when the sunshine and it can get warm here. We have gone in short sleeves in Dec. sometimes. Last year of course was brutal. Enjoy your day.
Steve, I image you are working on your greenhouse and getting it ready. It will be interesting to see when finished. Keep us posted.
Have a great day all. Maggy

Here are the oranges that I took off the tree to help it recover . Several had fallen already.Although they are not ripe or ready what a scent they have . I tasted one. Sour but oh! So flavourful . I have to save this tree as I can just imagine how tasty they will be when ready. Maggy

Hi guys I spent an hour writing here this Morning and everything got erased , technology . So here's the gist In short form I love all you guys and I promise from the bottom of my heart never never to think bad and stupid things again . XOXOXOXO . I guess you guys know now that I am very sensitive from probably all my little insecurities and trust me I have lots . Mike love you buddy I was very touched by your message your a beautiful man . I am so fortunate that this forum has brought us all together . It so nice to share all my experiences with people I really care for. I don't know about you guys but I feel in general people really don't care to much for my hobby it's no big deal for them , it's so nice to share with you nice folks because to myself it is a big deal and a beautiful hobby . It is raining cats , dogs , and frogs out there now , we are under a severe thunderstorm warning lovely . Maggy I heard you guys had a severe storm last night . How did your trees make out and your poor pup . Is your pup still under the bed ? Maggy your blood orange tree looks beautiful and healthy I don't think you will have anything to worry about . Maggy can you do me a big favor and cut one of the oranges in half and take a picture . I would love to see the inside of one because I don't know if I will ever see one myself because my tree is very lazy . Maggy i love roast beef and mashed potatoes with lots of gravy yummy . Our steaks were delicious we ended up pan frying them because of the rain . It is nice to pan fry sometimes because you can make great gravy from the juice of the meat . Can you believe i am making more stew cant stop eating that beef . You are so right stew is a real comfort food .Thanks Maggy and again I am so sorry Maggy you are such a kind hearted wonderful soul. Mike I am so jealous that yourself and Maggy and Cory and Steve can leave your trees out so long . I am glad I brought the trees in when I did we had a freeze here not a frost the temperature dropped to 28 degrees Thursday night . It's so warm and muggy here now and it's supposed to stay that way for a couple of weeks . Like Maggy we had to put the air conditioning last night . Mike it doesn't hurt to place the plants on each other , they really don't seem to mind I have been doing this for quit some time , I have to way to many trees and it frees up some space in there . Mikey you have a great afternoon buddy try to get some rest it's Monday tomorrow .

Talk to you guys later have a great afternoon . Hey where's Cory and Steve?

Brian

Steve is sulking in a green house that won't cut him any slack.

Steve

Hi, much as I hate to, I am putting my trees in the greenhouse because I wouldn't be able to get them in once the orchids go in. Otherwise I would wait another month. They are all growing and some are blooming so I hope I don't mess them up bringing them in early. Brian, it IS like a jigsaw puzzle fitting everything back in. Maggy, the scones look delicious. Wish I lived nearer! Steve, the greenhouse is looking good. Mike you are so industrious! I'll be back later. Have to go out to buy a replacement fan. It has to go in before the orchids too or I won't be able to get it in either.

Cory

Oh my goodness everyone! I have finally been able to sit down and still tons to do..You know,when it gets this warm, you almost feel guilty doing nothing...So this is what I did...

I stripped the greenhouse of every plant and threw away the non essential ones. I wiped all the glass down, rearranged the orchids to be more airy, made it more spacious and took out certain orchids that I know would do good on my porch.....

I then pained almost the entire porch which was a pain..I have to put down a new floor and the ceiling, that was crap from an old leak..I painted it three times and the rust kept coming through..So I had to get primer and that is my next step next week. I thought I would be done with it today.

I worked out, cleaned at 5 a.m Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Watched Godzilla, my only sit down time besides writing you guys. I cleaned the yard, dug up plants to fill those holes with cow dung, cleaned the pond, and cleaned my long driveway of debris..lol

Then I got to see it pour for about an hour that all of sudden made my trees look so green! I took pics of my other orchids in bloom along with my Blood Orange, and took pics of the greenhouse nice and cleaned..lol I had to wash the outside too so I can prepare it for the solar cover...

I ate, showered and here I am..Now, I need to read what you all had to say....I'll be back soon)

By the way, my mother send hugs to all of you))

MIke

Maggy, the weather here is unbelievably muggy and warm, but cloudy..I wish the sun was out, but it was for a while..This weather makes me tired after a few days of cold..Sheesh! It's so good to have all the plants outside again for a few days...
I see your tree is making a recovery? That is so nice..Brian is right, keep the roots above 55 degrees and give it lots of sunlight..In that mix almost anything makes a good recovery..

Maggy, did the wind knock your plants over yet? I hate wind like that..I hate it when it happens when you are at work.All I can think of is the plants getting knocked over and not being able to do a thing about it until I get home late at night.I hope they are ok. Did you get thunder? We are getting bizzare weather too//I have never seen it this muggy in one night after 30's..

I painted the porch a bright off white color to reflect the sunlight when it's on the porch..So far so good. I love it. It use to be a type of blue..Yuk. I even painted the window will and trimming a stark white.

Boy, the food you make sounds awesome and tasty..Yum.

Yes, I kept a few citrus out there last winter even though at times it got pretty cool out there, like the mid forties, and everything loved it, even certain orchids.So this year I'm putting all my citrus out there and saving myself a lot of aggravation.. I sacrificed my lights in the basement to do so..So I am giving most of my succulents away that I would of kept down there to allow for heat on the porch. Last year it was too expensive to leave the lights on down there for 8 hours a day, heat the porch and the greenhouse..Almost 250 dollars a month starting in December..

The pots are made of light weight plastic or fiber glass...? Not sure, but very light and extremely awesome for lifting.

My goodness, those baked goods..lolol..I am not one for eating sweets, but you would have me eating those if I were there..

Is that a pic of the Moro Tree? It looks awesome if it is..It's so nice and rich and green and those fruits...You have been holding out on us..That's a lot..lol Nice.

Ok, let me se what Cory had to say..If I missed anything, I am sorry...Just ask again)

Mike

Cory, talk about industrious...Boy, it would be a scary thing if they put us all together in the same play pen.,.lol

I can't believe all that you have done too..Yup, none of my plants ever go back into the same place once I remove them from the greenhouse..I don't put any citrus in there though except for my Kishu...I keep hoping the constant heat and sun will make it grow..I think it's a midget! I can't even get it to hold fruit..I don't get it. It's the only tree that won't give me tons of food or grow big. I can;t figure this tree out at all..

The orchid you gave me has a prime spot in there though..It's already growing it seems to me..It's very happy I think..I hear you about the squirrels..I never knew they were that destructive with orchids..They tore one of my Cattakya's to shreds! I never knew..Now they all stay in the greenhouse..They gnaw at the bulbs like candy..arg!\\hdiyuyeutgeu

You saw the pots? Are they not nice and light or what? I love them. I am waiting for the lighter colored ones to go on sale..I go every day to check.

Do you like the way the orchids are set up? I did a little rearranging today and I think you will like it. I'll take another pic later and please let me know what you think?

Cory, you are a chalk full of information when it comes to orchids..My goodness...Thanks for that)
I have found that most will grow all in the same environment as I can give them, but getting them to flower is tricky...I see now..But they are all healthy at least..Now if I want certain ones to flower, I know what to do..The one I always have an issue with is the odontoglossums..I can never get them to re flower year after year. I try a different area every year..Now I am going to leave it in the coldest spot without freezing yet bright and see if that does the trick..
I have much success with all the others..Especially the Ocidiiums! I'll take a pic for you of one in flower now that smell like chocolate..Yum.
I also get surprise flowers form all the others when I leat expect it..It seems that I am giving the right amount of light to most and moisture, but it's the temps that induce flowers at different times of the year for different plants..i just let nature do it's thing and hope for surprises, you know?

I love you plants!!! I keep looking back at them. I can't wait to see the one you sent me bloom)

Of all the things to happen is to loose your mower..Go figure..That has to be a pain! Do you do all the yard work and plants, or does your other half do it too? Are you alone in your passion for you yard and plants like us?
It would be fun if we could help each other out..
My brother has to weed and mow over 2 acres of his land and his sons won't even pluck a weed..Seriously, all they like to do is sit to play with tech stuff..It' sad.

When I broke my foot 2 years ago, not a one of my friends offered to water my plants or family..Just my Mother who broke her are trying to water my tomatoes..
It was discouraging, but I won't forget who was there for me..

I hope you find some time to rest up like I just did..Now I am off for Chinese food and a shower again..It's beem nice being with you and everyone else..)
...............................................

Brian, Brian, Brian,,,I am so happy to see you))
You are a gem in my eyes and I am so happy I know you.

Brian, doesn't that frustrate you when that happens..You work so hard to put your thoughts out just to have it disappear..I hate that..Brian, I feel bad for you getting a frost that early, sheesh! i hope you get some warm weather before winter..It would be nice to spray your trees again with F.E..I will be doing that until the cows come home..lol

I love food like that too, except for hotdogs unless they are from Costco..lol
So good to see you my friend...I hope you have a wonderful night and I will be back to see what else you have to share. Look for some pics ok.

Mike

Hi gang . Cory and Mike we should have said Maggy your scones look Devine darling simply Devine . Maggy waiting for my picture very curious to see what your blood orange looks like inside . Maggy i was looking at your blood orange tree and something doesn't look right to me all the leaves look they are pointed down I'm not trying to worry you but all my trees the leaves are pointed to the heavens lol . Steve what's going on I take it something went wrong with your GH , what happened you sounded pretty frustrated . Mikey your to funny is that a Costco hot dog in one of your pots , the pot with the dog decoration ? Your right Costco hot dogs are the best that's what we use, they are so juicy . I was looking at the satellite it looks nasty along the east coast are you and Cory in for a nor'easter ? Mike do you kind of feel funny when you throw out plants or when you don't bring them in the GH because there's no room and you know they are going to die from the cold ? I hate when that happens , I have a blood orange that has done nothing for the last 10 years and I left it outside it actually survived the freeze we just had I felt so guilty I would bring it in if I had the room . I am going to have to figure something out . Cory you sound like your working way to hard . I don't think you have to rush the long range forecast looks really good . Or do you want to be just done with it ? I love the fall but I hate the prep and bringing the plants in . It is so much easier in the spring when you just bring them out not much thought required . Everyone have a great night and Monday .

Brian

Hi Everyone. Look at all that has happened here, while I was sleeping. I went for a short nap but seems it lasted several hours.
Brian here is a picture of the inside of the moro orange. ( and key lime for my drink) Not mature yet but if only you could smell it. So juicy and although sour it is bordering on sweet. I think it reddens as it gets mature.
I hated to take them off the tree but it is a small sacrifice to save the tree.
Brian , there is a reason we all met here. Our love of growing citrus and sensitivity. God knows I have tons of insecurities and can get hurt easily. I can certainly think the worse Your being sensitive makes you who you are and that is what I love about you.
You are right about most people not being interested in our citrus hobby. My friends think it is weird and I don't know anyone that is excited about it. But here we all understand each other and know what a joy it is to be with our trees. When we run Into difficulty we help each other and when we overcome an obstacle wow! Did you ever read about the guy in Kinston Ont. Who has the largest citrus collection in Canada? If not I will find the article for you.
We had a severe thunder storm last night but it didn't last. Teddy was hiding under my husbands chair. It is looking like we might have a storm again as I see a lot of black clouds in the north sky.near Detroit. It is getting cold again and the poor moro must wonder if it will ever stay in one spot. We just brought it in.
Don't you hate when you write a lot here and it disappears. It happens to me often.
The roast beef dinner has been delayed until tomorrow since it is too late to cook it now. Will find something easy. My poor husband never complains and I know he was looking forward to the beef dinner. I will have to make it up to him. He says he doesn't mind me growing the citrus trees as long as I supply him with limes for a gin and tonic. I think I can do that.
It sounds like you like to cook as well. The steak in the frying pan is nice for a change. Stew is a favourite . I love it with lots of vegs and so nice on a cold day. Think you have inspired me to make some this week. Do you put turnip, parsnip,carrots onions, potatoes . I have a recipe that I make in a heavy pot in the oven. Yummy.
I do agree that is is unfortunate that you get frost so early. But the up and down of the temperatures is hard on the trees.
Have a great night my friend and don't disappear again . Seriously if you are wanting to discuss anything email me .
Take care and enjoy your evening.Maggy

Oops, I did again! My bad....Now we have to start another thread, but don't forget to look at what we all posted before we move on..It took me almost 1 hour to write what I wrote..lol

If it falls on deaf eyes, well then...)

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Mike..

This post was edited by meyermike_1micha on Sun, Sep 21, 14 at 20:15

Mike, my goodness! I could never keep up with you. Where do you get the energy.? I could not even imagine doing half what you do.
The Moro seems to be making a recovery .Without help from you. Cory and Brian I lwould have not done so well. I felt bad to remove the fruit but it had to be done. The squirrels took a few. I have a terrible time with those pests. They steal my tomato's constantly ,even with a double height wire fence., they stole my two fairly large Washington oranges , I can't put out bird feed or hummingbird feeders as they wreck them. They are not even scared on my dogs.
We got thunder and lightening last night and high winds but my pots were ok. I had them kind of protected and some are secured by being tied to the railing. The worse thing was at 5 am there was a tornado across in Detroit area. It was unexpected and thankfully it wasn't later as it went down a whole street. Pretty scary. No one was hurt thankfully
Those pots really are beautiful and being light weight what a bargain. Your trees will look nice in there , not to mention easy to move. Great deal.
Your porch sounds like it is nice and bright. Mine is a kind of salmon colour. Someday I should paint it white. It is good that your trees like it there. Mine is facing West and with the big trees in the back yard it doesn't get sun.
Your orchids should be happy with lots of air and sun in the greenhouse.
Today I planted 5 epiphillium cuttings that I got on line They were several weeks old and well calloused . I was able to buy them from US as they are not rooted . I ordered some Christmas cactus cutting today. from Britain , can you believe. They will do well in the mail as it is not too cold and being cacti they won't wither. But they are just one segment each so will take a long time to grow. A long time ago someone from South Africa sent me about 30 different epis they were so beautiful . I couldn't bring them when I moved . I should have saved cuttings . But I was too excited about starting a new life with my man. LOL!
I hope you are not tired from all the things that you do.
I am going to try and send your sauce this week. I will let you know I hope customs don't take it but it should be o.k.
Take care. Have a great evening. Maggy