PBS Forum

Quote from: David Pilling on May 19, 2022, 03:49:25 AMOr...

A "wonder weevil" has been introduced to fight the invasive floating pennywort weed that grows 20cm a day in rivers. The non-native South American weevil has been released into waterways in a world-first effort to tackle the highly invasive plant, which is making Britain's waterways inaccessible to canoes and anglers.

I have friendly pests that have rid me of horrors like fritillaries.

Now what do we set to catch the wonder weevil.

Your post brings back memories of the old nursery song "There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly."

I don't have knowledge of specifics here; but, most monocot families are capable of forming intergeneric hybrids. It is at least theoretically possible. I can't say whether it is likely but my hunch is that it is very unlikely.

Quote from: Martin Bohnet on May 26, 2022, 12:27:55 AMDear Marc,

there seems to be a discrepancy between data and perception. I've plotted the number of posts to the list for years 2017-2021 against the current situation and the average for each month: old list data in blues, getting paler with age, average in black, 2022 in orange: Forum dotted line, List dashed line.



Well, the Forum numbers are to be taken with a grain of salt as I couldn't find  a way to exclude the teamtalk hidden from users, but even if I assumed 50% of forum posts as teamtalk, we'd still be at about the level of the 5 year average.

Another thing we can see from history data: the PBS profited from the pandemic, with 2020 &  2021 being far more active than the 3 years before.

In my opinion, the data  affirms perception!

Considering that my perception begins with Oct 2021.  Traffic on the lists was consistently at or above 200 until April then fell off dramatically.  Traffic on the forum seems to be [exclusive of team talk] about 80% the result of 7 or 8 people making an effort to stimulate discussion.

Since reading this conversation, I took a drive on Black Mountain road through a wooded area.
Even on steep hillsides, the Maianthemum racemosum are growing vertical NOT perpendicular to the slope.

When I joined PBS last October, the lists were very active-with several entries on most days.
Since the Forum opened, traffic on the lists has declined dramatically while traffic on the forum has not increased much at all! I joined primarily because the information being exchanged was really valuable. I'm sure other users of the lists found it valuable as well. The change of format certainly does NOT decrease its value; and has great potential to enhance it.  Let's not give up the value of the information exchange because of a change of format!

I believe that one's sexuality is a private matter not suitable for general discussion.

I have no issue with those who might disagree with me.

Leon and Diane,

Thank you!

Diane,

I'm afraid that my sewing skills are limited to tuck and tack; but even that will keep things from falling.

Diane,

I think that one problem may be that they want more winter chill than you are giving them.
many grow in mountain regions and don't appreciate much protection.

Quote from: Martin Bohnet on May 06, 2022, 08:58:09 PMOh, the good old question "when is a rootstock a rhizome". As for Ranunculaceae, you can surely exclude the annuals ( Tribus Nigelleae, Genus Consolida). Several of the true Ranunculus, especially the weedy ones don't go past "fibrous roots", and several species are evergreen with a often huge taproot, e.g. Aquilegia, most Thalictrum and several of the Delphiniums - i'm always unsure if I should include D. semibarbatum in the wiki, I've seen it being called rhizomatous. I have no idea of monkshoods, because a poison permeable through skin is my personal Rubicon I won't cross.

so in short: it is complicated.

I often find Aquilegias with the 'taproot' growing laterally instead of vertically, even in deep loose soil.
This caused me to mistake the taproot for a rhizome.

I am very pleased that in the course of the last 2.5 years I managed to lose over 100 lbs
[45.5 kg].  However, this morning when I put on a pair of underpants, I was very disconcerted a few seconds later to find them around my ankles. What was disconcerting was the looming cost of wardrobe replacement.

Thank you!

Until recently i was led to believe that the entire family had rhizomes.  I was recently informed that some Delphiniums did not.  Could someone knowledgeable elaborate on the subject?

Thank you

Jim,

You might find wooden buildings that are being torn down and use scrap lumber to build inexpensive raised beds. Then you can control the soil that goes into them.