I'm an idiot.

tlv204 · March 2010

For two reasons:

Reason 1: So I just went to start some seeds today inside so they'd be big and strong by the time I can plant them outside. I bought the peat pots and soil, then on the way home stopped to get a smoothie and added some rum to it just for funsies, thought I was having a good ole time gardening and drinking.

I turned around to stop our dog from trying to climb onto the counter and eat dirt, and then somehow managed to spill almost an entire 8 quart bag of soil onto our kitchen floor. I spent more time cleaning that up than actually doing the seeds.The lesson here is: kids, don't drink and plant.

Reason 2 (need some gardener help here): I didn't realize until AFTER planting all of the seeds (about 2 dozen pots) that I accidentally used potting mix instead of garden soil. Apparently I don't read labels; I just grabbed a bag since I was in a hurry and planned on worrying more about compost and such later. I started seeds for green peppers, zinnias, and tomatoes, and was planning on planting them outside later. I went to read the bag label after I realized this, and it says not to use in in ground gardens, but doesn't say why. Can you guys help me out? Do I need to go buy more seeds and start over? Help. Maybe I'm not cut out for this gardening stuff after all.

I did post this on gardening and landscaping, but it will take weeks before I get an answer there.

aMrsin09 · March 2010

H says you should be fine. But remember advice is only worth what you pay for it. I have no idea if he has any clue or not.

JessAndTrav · March 2010

I'm interrupting this thread to say that I am in love with this picture:

AmoroAgain · March 2010

I don't think it should be a problem. I've taken plans from pots and planted them in the garden...

mocha beans · March 2010

Yay for plants! Spring's a comin'! Reminds me I should plan out what I'm doing this year.

I don't know why it wouldn't be okay, I would think it would. But I'm a big amature, so yeah.

tlv204 · March 2010

Thanks jess

It's on the cover of our photo book, so I love it too.

Also, let's be honest. Even if the potting mix is not ideal, what are the chances that I'm actually going to redo it?

Another question: Do any of the rest of you have those stupid beetles that look like ladybugs but aren't actually ladybugs? They always go crazy if it gets warm in late fall and the first time it's warm in spring here, but they're driving me batty. I've already killed 11 today and I can see 7 on the INSIDE of my window from where I'm sitting. Please someone tell me how to get rid of them or keep them away?

aMrsin09 · March 2010

you got a picture of lady bug looking beetles?

are they grey and spotted?

or blackish with greyish stripes?

tlv204 · March 2010

No they're dark orange/reddish with black spots.

Here's something I found about them:

http://www.epestsupply.com/asian_beetles.html

I just don't want to use a whole lot of pesticide or do anything inhumane (I may have yelled at BIL for this weird bag collecting thing that attracted them and suffocated them, although now that's looking pretty good), and I don't want to spend too much money.

AmoroAgain · March 2010

Oh, the lighter orange ones?? They're a pain in the ass. I hate them.

But I don't know how to kill them either.

mocha beans · March 2010

Box elder bugs? Not in our house, but they were friggin everywhere outside the house in the fall. Big gross looking swarms on the siding. Old houses get them awful.

tlv204 · March 2010

Eww I just googled box elder bugs and no it's not them. I'm kind of glad, those are creepy looking. No these look exactly like ladybugs only more orange than red. And not nearly as cute somehow.

aMrsin09 · March 2010

I don't know what to kil those with, but at lesat they aren't what I described. What I described are Carpet Beetles and nothing, short of a flame thrower, gets rid of those.

You can call Orkin. They usually run specials. When I called last year, they were only $100 and for that $100 came out once a quarter.

mocha beans · March 2010

Okay, derr to me for not reading further. Not boxelder bugs.

Still, maybe a vacuum works with them too. That's how I would get rid of boxelder bugs.

tlv204 · March 2010

I like the vacuum idea, no touching of the bugs, but I have a bagless vacuum. I just have this horrible vision of trying to empty the cannister and a swarm of them attacking my face.

tlv204 · March 2010

If it doesn't stop we might have to call Orkin. It's really starting to gross me out, and H is starting to throw fits. I came home last night and he was running around with our tennis racket bug zapper thing (which does pretty much nothing since they have such hard shells), a paper towel, and an empty soda can. He was just running laps around the room gathering them from windows and collecting them in a can to throw away. That's definitely not more humane than the bag suffocating thing, so maybe I should quit worrying about the humane part.

aMrsin09 · March 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_im-idiot-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:e071c71a-3f50-4e3b-8562-642957fafe0aPost:b0f68fad-1cea-441f-aa00-cdc28661b50b">Re: I'm an idiot.</a>:
[QUOTE]I, so maybe I should quit worrying about the humane part.
Posted by tlv204[/QUOTE]

Oh Yes. My rule is, if it's in the house and has more than 4 feet and is smaller than a new born kitten...it gets nuked with the strongest stuff I can find.

Nebb · March 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_im-idiot-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:e071c71a-3f50-4e3b-8562-642957fafe0aPost:7f5d3059-29c6-4fa0-82db-c087b430825a">I'm an idiot.</a>:
[QUOTE]The lesson here is: kids, don't drink and plant.
Posted by tlv204[/QUOTE]
BLASPHEMY!!

I cant help you, I buy seedlings from a store here and plant those in the late spring. Its FAR easier.

mocha beans · March 2010

The way I figure, if it outnumbers the humans in the house 100:1, I am within my ethical rights to use any and all means allowed to me by my opposable thumbs and frontal lobe to elimiate them.

ZoeTheDog · March 2010

Reason 1 - That is hysterical and aren't you glad you spilled the dirt and not the rum!?!?!

Reaons 2 - You will be fine with the potting soil. It's only called potting because it's made for pots, which is what you are technically doing right now! Just don't go building a raised-bed garden outside and fill it with potting soil.

Question - I can't help you with the bugs. If FI was here, he'd be giving a sermon on how to kill them humanly and by using an eco and pet friendly vinegar concotion. But he's not...he's at the Islander game. Sorry!!

Cheers!

tlv204 · March 2010

Haha, Nebb yeah I've thought about that. I was trying to save money since I know I'll be buying a mature crepe myrtle and possibly some azalea bushes, so I wanted to save some here, but I don't know if it's worth it.

I'm about to go get the vacuum. The stupid noise of their plastic feeling exoskeletons bouncing off the glass while they try to get outside (WHY THE EFF did you come in my house to begin with stupid bugs?) is really starting to get to me. Maybe I'll double fist the vacuum and the bug zapper and see what happens.

Nebb · March 2010

You should seriously shop around at garden stores and nurseries in your area. I bought 15 tomatoe plants, 15 pepper plants, 10 zucchini plants, 2 bags of bean seeds and 2 cucumber plants for TWENTY SEVEN DOLLARS last year, by WOM and shopping around a bit. Dont ask me why I planted that much stuff, I don tknow, but the moral of the story is shop around.

mocha beans · March 2010

Good grief that's a lot of plants Nebb!

Nebb · March 2010

Yeah I kind of went a little overboard... that wasnt even all I planted. I had more peppers on the deck, 5 cherry tomato variety, and a full herb garden. I now I have a freezer FULL of diced tomatoes and spent most of last summer trying to find people to pawn vegetables off on. I learned my lesson.

tlv204 · March 2010

Ha that's a good deal Nebb. I have a feeling I'm going to go overboard too. Luckily H is super duper logical and level headed and usually stops me before I do something like try to grow a beanstalk tall enough to find a castle.

shannonalise · March 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_im-idiot-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:e071c71a-3f50-4e3b-8562-642957fafe0aPost:7f5d3059-29c6-4fa0-82db-c087b430825a">I'm an idiot.</a>:
[QUOTE]For two reasons: Reason 1: So I just went to start some seeds today inside so they'd be big and strong by the time I can plant them outside. I bought the peat pots and soil, then on the way home stopped to get a smoothie and added some rum to it just for funsies, thought I was having a good ole time gardening and drinking. I turned around to stop our dog from trying to climb onto the counter and eat dirt, and then somehow managed to spill almost an entire 8 quart bag of soil onto our kitchen floor. I spent more time cleaning that up than actually doing the seeds.The lesson here is: kids, don't drink and plant.[/QUOTE]

This is almost identical to something I did about a month and a half ago. But I was sober. At least you had an excuse. <img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-tongue-out.gif" border="0" alt="Tongue out" title="Tongue out" />

Nebb · March 2010

What did you get seeds for? Are you planting anything else? I need to get my shiit together soon for green onion and garlic planting, but its still way too cold as far as im concerned right now. I might consult my book tonight.

tlv204 · March 2010

I just started seeds for cherry tomatoes, green peppers, and zinnias. I have a giant long list of other things I want to plant, but we'll see what actually gets planted. I really want to plant corn, watermelon, and canteloupe, but I don't know if the corn will be worth the low yield, and although it's still within the right zone I don't know if watermelon and canteloupe will do well here. Plus I don't know how much of it I can eat. So basically I have a crap load of seeds and ideas and we'll see what actually happens

PS I just vacuumed up 27 stupid beetle things. I keep having to get up every few minutes to go get more. I have to find something better to fix this.

katiewhompus · March 2010

You should be ok soil wise. I use potting soil or a seed starter mix I found to grow my babies, then transfer most of them to my mom's garden since my balcony garden only consists of individual pots and a few planter boxes. I wonder if they just say don't use it because there are less fertilizers and they don't want someone dumping 20 bags of potting mix into the ground and not being able to grow anything?

Mom is started a ton of plants for me so if/when we get into a house I can still have a bit of a late summer garden. I'm hoping I'll have time for tomatos, peppers, radishes, maybe zuchinni and a ton of herbs. I was talking to Dh about an herb garden last night and he got really excited.

I use the vaccuum to get rid of the stupid bugs in my apartment (finally they are going away, hurray for neighbors finally moving into the vacant condo next to us). I vaccuum them and then vacuum up a little bit of comet or flea powder. It slows them down enough that I can quickly dump the canister, tie off the trash bag and toss it.

mocha beans · March 2010

I did cantaloupe and watermelon last year and had good results in MN, I would think you'd be fine in MO. I didn't get as many fruits as I wanted, but I think that was because there weren't many bees around. There were tons of flowers on the vines, waiting to be pollinated. I think I may buy a bunch of bees in a house thingie this year to put up, maybe have better luck.

I haven't done corn because I have a smallish yard and garden, it takes up too much space for what you get. I just wait for the grocery store to have some good fresh local corn.

tlv204 · March 2010

Other things on my list: several herbs (but those will stay in pots and come inside in the winter most likely), green beans, sunflowers (with edible seeds just for H), carrots, and green onions. And LOTS of flowers. I think H talked me out of apple trees, but oh well. Most of my favorite flowers are bulbs, and I was too lazy/tired to plant any in the fall, so those will have to wait. We have a world market going out of business nearby, and they're selling all of their product display stuff, so I got two medium sized half barrels that I'm excited to use as containers on the patio. By next

katiewhompus · March 2010

Whenever I think of fruit trees it reminds me of my neighbor of who huge apple and pear trees, but never did anything with them. If you got within 50 feet of their house you were gagged by rotten fruit smell and there were always bees all over their yard.

My rule with bugs, "if you are outside I leave you alone, if you are inside it's war"

Unless its a lady bug, praying mantis, or other cool bug. Spiders are hit or miss whether they get squashed or put outside.

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