Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with growing

I was given grow lights - what should I grow?

iftheaccidentwill — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:57:00 -0800

I was given grow lights - what should I grow? A friend recently gave me three different grow lights. I have a 400w metal halide, a 250w high-pressure sodium, and some sort of special fluorescent thingamajigger. I'm going to mount one of them above a 3'x3' table in my living room for an indoor garden.

What (legal) plants would be really neat to grow over the winter? I'm thinking especially of edible plants, but am certainly willing to consider others. I already have quite a few house plants, but I'd love to work on something a bit different or useful.

I'm not sure that it matters, but I live in Winnipeg which has pretty brutal winters. I also live in an apartment.

For a start, I'm thinking of growing peppers to play around with my own hot sauce.

Help me save a dying houseplant!

gilsonal — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 18:45:36 -0800

Help me save my vanilla plant! Its leaves are turning black and rotting from the bottom up. Too much water? Not enough? Lost cause? Help me green thumbs! I got a vanilla planifolia vine from logees and it came with a root ball. I planted it in coconut chips as instructed, and gave it a trellis to grow up. It was doing fine until I had a friend plant sit while i was in the hospital. Now the roots have died and the vine is now separate from the roots. the bottom most leaf is dying, turning black and rotten looking. Meanwhile, the other leaves seem a bit wrinkled.

The plant is indoors, in 70 degree temperature under plant suitable lighting approximately eight hours a day.

What can I do to help keep this plant alive and happy? I've been misting it once a day with water with a tiny bit of fertilizer in it, but its too soon to say if that has been helping or not. The leaves seem less wrinkled than before though.

What do you think?

I want to BE MacGyver, not LOOK like him

litterateur — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:45:19 -0800

I shaved my head last Thanksgiving during a bout of cancer (In remission now, though!). I'm slowly growing it back out again (chemo has retarded the actual growth), and I'd like to avoid the transitional mullet-phase. Any suggestions as to how to do this? I am a female. My hair was once down to the small of my back, thick and annoyingly curly. It's growing back just as thick as before (though the individual strands are thinner) and straight/slightly wavy.

Currently, my hair is about an inch, inch and a half thick. It all appears to be the same length, but therein lies the problem: the hair at the nape of my neck extends down about an inch. The hair at the top and the back of my head also extends down about an inch, but looks shorter, because generally, female hairstyles have longer hair on top so that it lines up with the bottom (Did that make any sense at all?)

Right now, it just looks like a scruffy boy-cut, which I really don't mind. But I fear it's only a matter of time before the mullet appears.

Advice for growing hops

mamaraks — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:41:19 -0800

Does anyone out there know about companion plants for hops? I have been given a beautiful hops plant and I want to plant it so that it grows along my garden fence...but I am worried that the veggies there won't like it. Will it go with peas and beans and stuff or will I regret planting it so that it trails along my garden fence and canopy? Does anyone have any advice? I am not a beer-maker, just a boring plant-lover.

Growing Plantains

billysumday — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:04:07 -0800

I want to grow my own plantain bush/palm/plant. In central Pennsylvania. Can I make it work? Have you made it work? Have you grown any kind of banana plant in a similar climate? If so: where would I get plantain rhizomes? The internet thinks I want Chinese herbs, when really I want a root to stick in the ground and grow. What else would I need to know (besides bringing the plant indoors in the winter)? A few more plantain questions after the jump. 1) What kind of a large pot is going to be the best? I'm assuming as large as possible but still small enough to be able to move inside in the winter.

2) I'm assuming the seeds from the plantains I buy at the store aren't viable and won't work. Should I give it a shot anyway?

3) Cooking plantains - my favorite style of plantains is maduro, not tostones. I can cook them to my liking but I'm wondering, how do Cuban restaurants get plantains so that they are still wet/juicy when they're served? Do they steam them or something? When I fry them, they are sweet and a little bit soft, but they don't sweat moisture like they do at some restaurants I've been to.

Any anecdotes or online resources you can point me to would be helpful.

Thanks so much.

Possible to start over again in love?

InterestedInKnowing — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:55:42 -0800

Is it possible to re-build a relationship with my ex? I have posted questions here before about my relationship because I felt so unsure of what exactly I was going through. Well, with some therapy and insight I knew I made the right moves to break off my relationship with my boyfriend. However, as months pass by, he has still let me know how much he loves and cares for me. Now, he understands why I left and he stated that I wanted a lover, not a parent and how he should not be advising me of anything unless I ask him. He finally understands what his problem was. And I understood what my problem was as well. He has apologized for the way he has hurt me and says he hopes I find a good love because I deserve to have that. I feel he is gaining knowledge and becoming more mature with this. Bottom line, we still love each other. Is it possible to re-build with this new mindset? Should there be any signs I look for when considering an option to get back together with him?

Maybe the two seasons of ‘Weeds’ we just watched had something to do with it.

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 07:58:39 -0800

Does marijuana make a good house plant? My husband recently got a California medical marijuana card. He’s been enthusiastically patronizing our local dispensaries. OK, fine, so we’ve got a baggie of pot hidden on the top shelf.

Now he wants to buy seedlings and cultivate plants, because it’s cheaper than buying by the gram. He proposes to keep a couple of plants in our living room near the window, like a houseplant.

The facts: We live in a rented apartment that neighbors can see into. We have a little boy who’s two years old, and I am pregnant with our second child.

My feelings: While I’m OK with him having a safely-hidden supply of pot that he uses carefully, I am absolutely opposed to him growing it in our residence. It will smell bad, it would make me feel uncomfortable to just have a big old marijuana plant growing merrily next to the TV, and most importantly, I think it’s reprehensible to potentially expose our toddler to THC--a dropped leaf would go right into his mouth.

My husband says that my objections are not rational or sufficiently thought-out. He proposes keeping the plants on a high shelf, out of our son’s reach, and insists that the plants don’t smell until the drying/curing process after harvesting. Given that he does have a medical marijuana card, he feels that there’s no good reason NOT to grow it in our home, or for me to feel uncomfortable about it.

Neither of us is willing to give in on this and it’s causing stress. He refuses to consider my alternate suggestions—such as cultivating his plants at a different location—because any setup other than natural sunlight coming through our home windows will cost money, and he’s trying to get a ‘good deal’.

So my questions are:
1. Am I being unreasonable? Sometimes my pregnancy hormones make it hard for me to give myself a reality check if I’m overreacting.
2. I really don’t know anything about pot or the growing thereof, but it seems that he won’t be convinced by any argument that doesn’t involve technical information. Can you help me to construct a compelling argument why growing pot in our apartment is a bad idea?

Indoor gardening?

mjewkes — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:25:11 -0800

What kinds of food plants will grow inside by a window? I have a single window in my room of the shared house I am living in. It faces east and gets a bit of sun from morning to mid-day. What kinds of food plants will grow in the windowsill without a grow-lamp?

Note that I can't have anything outside - so containers won't work.

Help me do some apartment gardening.

bindasj — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 07:02:20 -0800

Help me with my (potential) indoor apartment garden. First I have some minor experience wwoofing on some organic farms. I'm currently living in Seoul and am a bit frustrated with the lack of greenery and no yard. I don't even have a balcony. I have a big window though and am interested in growing things I can eat near it.

So I'm wondering what would be good to grow inside? Herbs strike me right away as something that is small and manageable, but what else? What do I have to worry about other than sun light issues? I'll probably have a ton more questions once I'm past this visionary stage, but if you've had any experience doing this, I'd really like to hear about it.

Nothing to do with Alan Thicke

emd3737 — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 19:14:41 -0800

Growing pains? Stigmata? What really were those pains I had as a child? When I was a child, I frequently got what I referred to as “leg cramps”, even though they weren’t just in my legs. Symptoms: dull but very unpleasant aching in the backs of my knees, crooks of my elbows, palms of my hands, and arches of my feet. They generally occurred at night and often woke me up. Pressing on or massaging the area provided some relief, but I recall them being fairly agonizing. At some point, I stopped having them, although as an adult, on rare occasions (mostly when I’m very tired or hungover) I get an uncomfortable but much less painful sensation in the same areas.
Looking back, I’m curious. What causes growing pains? How common are they? A Google search provided lots of symptoms but not much of a biological explanation. I also didn’t see any mention of pain in hands or feet. Interestingly, I did see one citation about a suggested link between growing pains and migraines, and I used to get awful migraines as a teenager. Perfectly healthy, now, though.

What are your best tips for a new greenhouse owner?

adriana — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:42:43 -0800

What are your best tips for a new greenhouse owner? I'd like to learn how to use a greenhouse. Here are some of my questions:

- is it possible to use it year round? I live in virginia

- what should I know about setting it up (inside)? Any tips on best practices?

- what can I grow inside? While I like flowers and ornamental plants, I'd love to use it for "growing my own food"

- do you have any stories to tell about your own greenhouse?

- do you have any suggestions for absolute no-no things in the greenhouse?

- anything else you think will help a complete newbie like me

- links to blogs you like by greenhouse owners, and other sites where I can learn

Thanks.

What were Eleanor Roosevelt's exact words?

albernathy0 — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 13:25:11 -0800

Hello, a while ago I heard a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt but since then I haven't been able to find it anywhere. It was along the lines of your mind growing with your experiences and age. The quote expresses her initial worry when as a late teenager she assumed her mind would maintain the same (limited) mindset, paradigm, mentality even into her adult, aged years. If I remember correctly the quote is short, being only a line or two. Thank you so much, this quote is very important to me!

I want to look like Lady Godiva

Brittanie — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:54:18 -0800

Help me stay sane while I grow out my hair. I am 26 years old and have had short hair for the past 12 or so years. During my entire teenage life I had a very short "pixie" haircut (like Twiggy or Mia Farrow in "Rosemary's Baby") but decided a few years ago to grow that out. I kept my hair slightly longer for awhile but now I'm ready to really grow it out — I haven't had long hair since I was a little kid!

I moved to Korea 18 months ago and decided this would be a good time to start. Now my hair is chin-length, just barely long enough to put in a ponytail with the help of some bobby pins. A few days ago I had a breakthrough — I put on a turtleneck, and actually had to sweep the hair off the back of my neck out of my shirt. Sweet.

However, it is driving me crazy! It is very thick, shapeless, and sort of half-wavy, half-straight. It's pretty dry, but I'm working very hard on keeping it conditioned and healthy. In August 2005 I had a stress-induced bout of alopecia which scared the crap out of me, and I have now committed not to treat it with chemicals or heat. I don't even blow dry.

I actually like my hair in it's natural state but I'm trying to go from layers to long with as much patience as possible. I also don't trust the hairdressers here, as I live in a pretty rural area and they aren't too sure how to deal with Caucasian hair.

This (self-link to Flickr) is what it looks like now. This is my first goal.

I searched the hair tag but didn't find much. Links are welcome, and advice, products, anecdotes and morale would be appreciated. Thanks.

growing pot

defmute — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 14:35:43 -0800

how long can you keep marijuana seeds before planting them? also, i heard that the main way authorities discover that you're growing is through tracking peaks in your electricity bill? is that true? if i live in an apartment building where utilties are covered, will anyone be able to know who is and isn't growing marijuana?

Toy creatures that grow to 600% their size when you immerse them in water

gentle — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 20:47:16 -0800

Toy creatures that grow to 600% their size when you immerse them in water. We bought a few from a street seller in New York, and they're cool. We want more, but now the seller has moved on. Where can I buy these toys, preferably online? The ones we bought are called "Colored Growing" and come in many shapes -- reptiles, sea animals, arachnids, the Empire State Building, the State of Liberty, and many other objects. Googling for that phrase, I have found them here and here, but that's about it -- the first one in Taiwan and the second one doesn't specify which creatures you get. I would like to find a store where we can buy a bunch of them and pick exactly the creatures we want. Perhaps they are also known by a different name?

Burning your party card

Deep Dish — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 23:51:54 -0800

Are shifts in your political beliefs really inevitable as you get older? Today I was walking down the street and some wandering idiot directed a racist remark my way. I didn't sort out what he said until he passed and actually smiled at the moron.

Most people would identify this man, rather than me as a part of the "struggle."

I find myself after a liberal arts education, two overseas stints as an international development worker, a delegate spot at a sustainable development conference and work experience in trading organic commodities on the slippery slope to an SUV and gated community. I work for a corporation now, and find the life stable and usually much easier than my social development related occupations - I make more money (I struggled in the development field and when I initiallly went coporate my attitude was that I hate the corporate world but I really need the money so act happy). I still like some lefty things, like public radio but I am really nothing like I used to be. My vote hasn't changed yet politically, but I let my party membership lapse. Is a shift really inevitable?

Apartment vegetables

Holygrail2 — Sun, 14 May 2006 21:30:03 -0800

Does anyone know any resources on growing vegetables while living in an apartment? I want to grow quite a few vegetables this spring and summer but I live in an apartment (I'm going to transfer them to my parents large lawn when they get too big). Are there any online resources or books dedicated to growing vegetables in these kinds of conditions? Or does anyone have any tips. I have a balcony that gets a lot of sun but only for maybe 4-6 hours of the day, so I know there'll be limitations, but I still wanna try.

How would you grow an effective barrier of annoying vegetation?

pracowity — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 02:31:00 -0800

How would you grow an effective barrier of annoying vegetation? What sorts of plants could be grown to discourage people from climbing over a fence? I am thinking of things such as poison ivy, nettles, and various thorny plants. Poison ivy might be a little too much for the gardener and for the invader, whereas nettles are less damaging and have various friendly uses, but are nettles enough? How about some particularly thorny vines? For a northern climate, what's the right plant and how would you cultivate it?

Does this blooming thing exist?

reformedjerk — Fri, 12 Aug 2005 12:11:35 -0800

I'm looking for seeds for an indoor flower or plant that will grow in about 2 to 3 months. Ideally, this plant should require very little space, not be seasonal, and be easy to grow for amateurs like myself. Does my ideal plant exist on this planet, or am I being completely unreasonable? Any ideas?

Life Question

Lola_G — Tue, 01 Mar 2005 14:27:59 -0800

I just moved to a new city, which in itself is exciting, but I am finding it a bit lonely. While some parts of my life are fabulous, they don't make up for the daily monotony that seems to escalate the longer I fail to do anything about it. I need advice. I took a job in the same field as I was previously working -- just to have some "security" when I got here (Chicago). Of course, three weeks into it, it remains unsatisfying. I even find I am missing my old job, even with all the bull and politics there, we were all friendly to each other. Now I sit in my office alone and when people talk to me I feel like I am an alien. I guess it would be hard to state a "question" and I may catch a lot of shit for the lack of one...but the solitude has me thinking a lot about pursuing the career I really want. Finances make this nearly impossible right now.

Ultimately, I need to be doing something more creative but I never nurtured that in me and it is fighting to get out. I went to law school, knew it wasn't for me, wracked up too much debt and now have a "desk job".

Have you ever taken an impossible risk? How did you start?

I really am soliciting advice as I feel completely "rudder-less".

Phantom blond hair growth

BuddhaInABucket — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 10:08:03 -0800

I shave about three times a week and have black hair, but occasionally I'll wake up to see a blond hair that's half an inch long or longer has sprouted out of my face overnight. The same thing has happened on my arms and legs, with much-longer-than-ordinary blond hairs appearing amidst my regular body hair. What's going on?

Planning my future

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Oct 2004 10:23:10 -0800

I'm 27, and getting to the point where I understand I'm not a big kid but an adult in denial. I want to change that attitude. I like who I am (hey, been that way for 10 years!), but apparently that's no good for an adult. I keep saying I like to seize the day, but I'd like to seize my future now (woohoo). I need to become responsible, to think long in advance, to make decision quickly... such things I tend to procastinate through, or let wane until the problem arises again.
So, my question : how do I grow up ? I have found such things as "planning your future" or even the "Life Assessment Quiz". I'm kinda looking for more advices on what I should do next, pointers, ways to kick my own ass, that sort of things.
Please, no "have a kid, that shall do the trick" tips :)