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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:We recently read an article in Fortune Magazine that stated the Internet is creating the biggest economic shift in the history of the world. "The internet is the 'biggest' legal creation of new wealth in the world." These experts predict that more than ONE BILLION people worldwide, including nearly every household in the United States, will be connected to the Internet within the next five years. E-Commerce (buying and selling through the Internet) will account for more than $6.9 trillion before the year of 2004 comes to an end. We wanted you to know we are proud to be a part of this economic growth by opening the doors to home gardeners world wide. Through the use of the Internet, we are searching the world for growers of special garden seeds. Many of these farmers help bring together ancient wisdom and modern science so people everywhere may have good health and enjoyment in life. We are dedicated to providing the best wherever they are found. We hope you will invite your friends and family members to visit Rex's Seedco and invite them to enjoy the Green Thumb Times. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Tom Krueger Rex Gregor 2) Container Grown Palms:The price of a container grown palm is often thought to be very expensive, and generally this is true. Even the smallest palm in a five gallon container is found to be very expensive. This is a misconception because they don't have to be expensive. Did you know there are over 3,000 palm species that can be grown from seed? And almost all of these can be container grown as house plants. Not only are the seeds for most of the palms inexpensive, they are also very easy to grow, require very little maintenance, and will add beauty and value to your home. One of the major misconceptions about palms is they will soon out-grow their environment. Of the more than 3,000 varieties there are hundreds that are miniature varieties, with even more that are slow growing, and they will grow for many years in your growing area before there is any size problem. Most palms have very few cultural requirements. Assuming you are interested in container growing one, you can grow them in an area that has filtered light with only six hours of daylight. If you can read a newspaper with no additional light where you want to keep your palm, this is all the light your palm needs. Most palms are tropical plants that prefer a reasonable amount of humidity, but they don't really require any more humidity than any other houseplant. Most container grown palms will prefer to live in a container no larger than five gallons. Palms do best if they are not over-watered. There are some rain forest varieties that may need more moisture, but no more than a regular house plant. Most palms actually prefer longer intervals between watering. Your container must have a drainage hole in the bottom to avoid having stagnant water collecting in the bottom. Sub-tropical or tropical palms prefer to live in an area between a range of 60° F. to 80° F. which makes it a perfect houseplant. Generally speaking, palms do not have any problems with insects, except possibly spider mites. If you have other houseplants that are subject to spider mites, it is possible that you might find a few on your palms, but it is very unusual. If you want to grow a palm, here are a few varieties we'd recommend which should make you happy with your decision to grow one. P11 SILVER SAW PALM The leaves are fan shaped - light green
with a silver back. The seeds germinate very quickly. P68 CHINESE WINDMILL PALM This is a great container palm that
can be grown in every home and often found in Churches and public P20 PONYTAIL PALM This palm is one of the most widely seen palms
in the world. It has a familiar trunk with grass-like leaves. It a great
houseplant or container plant. P49 KING PALM This is a majestic palm with huge silvery-green
leaves with a light gray trunk that often has a swollen base. It is
an excellent container palm. P55 PIGMY DATE PALM This palm makes a great container plant
and it makes a perfect miniature palm for decks and patios. Have you considered the needs of your backyard friends 3) Humor for Today:A farmer purchased an old, run-down, abandoned farm with plans to turn it into a thriving enterprise. The fields were grown over with weeds, the farmhouse was falling apart, and the fences were broken down. During his first day of work, the town preacher stops by to bless the man's work, saying, "May you and God work together to make this the farm of your dreams!" A few months later, the preacher stops by again to call on the farmer. Lo and behold, it's a completely different place. The farm house is completely rebuilt and in excellent condition, there is plenty of cattle and other livestock happily munching on feed in well- fenced pens, and the fields are filled with crops planted in neat rows. "Amazing!" the preacher says. "Look what God and you have accomplished together!" "Yes, reverend," says the farmer, "but remember what the farm was like when God was working it alone!" 4) A Slow Starter:
5) Pulling the Wool Over Someone's Eyes:Why do we pull the wool over someone's eyes when we fool them?
The answer is "C," sort of. The wool in question was originally part of the wigs worn by judges to enhance their dignity. Unfortunately for the judges, the wigs often slipped around and sometimes slid down over their faces. How dignified could you be, even in black robes, if your face suddenly looked like a sheep's . . . hindquarters? The expression was generated by – who else? – lawyers, who used the image of wool over the eyes to signal that they had outwitted the judge. Justice is blind, indeed! (Source: WHY YOU SAY IT by Webb Garrison) Printed here with permission from the author's estate. Click Image for Our New Palm Tree
Gallery 6) Quote for Today:"The best way to garden is to put on a wide-brimmed straw
hat and some old clothes. And with a hoe in one hand and a cold drink
in the other, tell somebody else where to dig." 7) Plant Provenance:
Why is that important? Well trees and shrubs may be native to many areas of the country or world, but you can have a case where the seeds or cuttings taken from the same tree or shrub in Georgia would have a different genetic makeup than one taken from the same species in Illinois. Plants evolve and adapt over the years - these changes are mapped into the genetic material. This mapping can have a profound effect on cold hardiness, resistance to heat, or drought tolerance. Keep this in mind this spring when you purchase a shrub or tree for your yard. Check if it is native to your area, but also find out where that particular tree or shrub was actually grown. A good nursery or greenhouse should have already considered that when they placed the plant for sale - but you should still keep it in mind when you purchase. 8) Icy Windows:
Granted, humidity in the winter is typically low, but that doesn't mean it is low inside the house. Over the past several decades our homes have become more energy efficient - we've added insulation, re-sealed our doors and windows, and done other things to keep the cold out and the heat in. Unfortunately, this sealing has given the moisture generated from bathing, cooking, and even breathing no place to go but to remain in the house and increase the humidity level. Condensation is a sign of too much humidity. Indoor humidity level should be kept around 35-40%. If higher, turn down the humidifier and be sure to run the exhaust fans when bathing or cooking. Be sure your air-intake from outside to the furnace is not blocked. Other things to consider are to run the fan on your furnace even when the burner is not in use. The added air movement will help keep the moisture off the windows. You can also run your ceiling fans in the opposite direction from the flow in the summer - that usually means in a clockwise motion when you look up at it. Besides the benefit of your windows having a longer lifespan, your indoor environment will be healthier. 9) Subscribe/UnsubscribeThis newsletter, the Green Thumb Times, is sent out only to those who have requested a FREE subscription by signing up at http://rexseedco.com or specifically asked to be added PRIVACY: Your email address is held in the strictest of privacy. It is never traded or sold to anyone else. To subscribe to The Green Thumb Times To unsubscribe Tom Krueger, Editor and Publisher Rex Gregor, Contributing Editor Please feel free to forward The Green Thumb Times to a friend. Rex’s Seedco has searched the world for quality
growers of garden seeds. Many of these farmers bring together ancient
wisdom and modern science so people everywhere may have good health
and enjoyment in life. We are dedicated to providing the best wherever
they are found.
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[ Past Issues Index ] [ Rex's Seedco Home ] [ Our Seed Catalog ] [ About Us ]
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Here's
and interesting fact - parsley seeds can take six weeks to sprout. They
also need moisture to break dormancy. You can speed germination by soaking
the seeds in lukewarm water for several hours before sowing.
Because
we want them to feel sheepish about being fooled? Because it will make
their eyes itch and they won't see us fooling them? Because if one minute
they have no wool over their eyes and the next minute they do, it will
get them all wigged out?
We
came across this term the other day. What does it mean? According to
the dictionary, provenance means "place of origin." In that
case, bet it doesn't take you long to figure out that plant provenance
refers to the place where a plant evolved and had its genetic makeup
determined.
This
is certainly the time of year when people start to experience ice or
condensation on the inside of their home's windows. Is the problem the
weather? Actually, it isn't - it's the humidity. (Sounds like a saying
about heat in the summer.)