On Sun, 23 Feb 2003 16:36:46 GMT, animaux
wrote:

lemmings


I LIKE lemmings.....:)

Importance to people
Inuit do not eat lemmings, nor do they make any use of their small
skins. However, those Inuit who support themselves in whole or in part
by trapping benefit indirectly from the "run" of arctic foxes that
follows each lemming peak.

One of the Inuit names for the collared lemming is kilangmiutak, which
means "one-who-comes-from-the-sky." The legend of lemmings falling
from the sky is common to Inuit all across the North American Arctic
and Scandinavia. It probably arose because of the sudden appearance of
lemmings when the snow melts following a winter of intensive
reproduction. Lemmings, particularly the collared lemming with its
presumed origin from the sky, were sometimes used by shamans
("medicine men") as a source of supernatural powers.

Lemmings are a vital part of the rather simple web of life on the
tundra, and they help to teach us how intricate even that simple
ecosystem is. Their burrowing changes the arctic soil. Their feeding
habits influence the composition of the plant community on the tundra.
And trappers appreciate them for another reason. Because arctic fox
numbers rise and fall according to the abundance of lemmings, the
income of people who depend on fox trapping for a livelihood is linked
to lemmings. The influence of lemmings extends far beyond the Arctic.
A lemming population decline may produce a surplus of Snowy Owls that
will, for a time, flood into southern Canada to the delight of bird
watchers. Meanwhile, the tundra ecosystem is gathering its resources
in preparation for the outburst of energy that will come with the next
lemming year.





Regards,

tomj

On Sun, 23 Feb 2003 17:54:56 GMT, Tom Jaszewski
wrote:

On Sun, 23 Feb 2003 16:36:46 GMT, animaux
wrote:

lemmings


I LIKE lemmings.....:)

Importance to people
Inuit do not eat lemmings, nor do they make any use of their small
skins. However, those Inuit who support themselves in whole or in part
by trapping benefit indirectly from the "run" of arctic foxes that
follows each lemming peak.

One of the Inuit names for the collared lemming is kilangmiutak, which
means "one-who-comes-from-the-sky." The legend of lemmings falling
from the sky is common to Inuit all across the North American Arctic
and Scandinavia. It probably arose because of the sudden appearance of
lemmings when the snow melts following a winter of intensive
reproduction. Lemmings, particularly the collared lemming with its
presumed origin from the sky, were sometimes used by shamans
("medicine men") as a source of supernatural powers.

Lemmings are a vital part of the rather simple web of life on the
tundra, and they help to teach us how intricate even that simple
ecosystem is. Their burrowing changes the arctic soil. Their feeding
habits influence the composition of the plant community on the tundra.
And trappers appreciate them for another reason. Because arctic fox
numbers rise and fall according to the abundance of lemmings, the
income of people who depend on fox trapping for a livelihood is linked
to lemmings. The influence of lemmings extends far beyond the Arctic.
A lemming population decline may produce a surplus of Snowy Owls that
will, for a time, flood into southern Canada to the delight of bird
watchers. Meanwhile, the tundra ecosystem is gathering its resources
in preparation for the outburst of energy that will come with the next
lemming year.





Regards,

tomj

Okay, now I like Lemmings too! I also love sheep, so I couldn't say "people
flock like sheep..." Now what? Dopes? People flock like dopes?

V

On Sun, 23 Feb 2003 23:00:20 GMT, animaux
wrote:

Okay, now I like Lemmings too! I also love sheep, so I couldn't say "people
flock like sheep..." Now what? Dopes? People flock like dopes?

V

Yup dopes and "icidal"!



Regards,

tomj

Thank you, Pam, for answering my question and giving additional
advice. After the first "grumpy" answer in this newsgroup I thought
"Oh, fudge! Shoot me! how helpful is THAT?".
I moved to South Carolina and am probably the most "organic" person in
miles here. The first year I sat in my 1acre yard and tried to pull
out weeds. At home I never ever used any herbicides, it just was not
necessary. Here we´ve wasted tons of water the first summer - until I
said it´s just too much just to keep some silly grass green. If you
don´t water enough, the grass dies, which makes room for weeds to grow
even more. We reseeded but it became cold earlier than usual. So the
grass did not grow thickly and dense enough. Again - room for weeds to
flourish in early-spring-like South Carolina winters.
I applied Lyme to adjust the pH of the soil (red clay - the plants
either dry out or rott in the moist ground or are taken by some
fungus, yumm). Nothing really worked out. Now with chasing a toddler
around I do not have the time anymore to do much in the yard (well, I
just cannot do anything and stay focused. 30-second-projects are about
what I get accomplished these days).
So what can I do with my lawn ( I treated only a part of it, so my
daughter still has places to play)? A nice neighbor told me that "Weed
& Feed" applied in winter made the lawn look better in spring. So I
blindly applied that stuff (I´ve never had heard of it, I am German
and still have to learn many terms and products of gardening).
Are there any internet pages to order organic fertilizers (do organic
herbicides even exist?).

Thank again, Pam!
Jana

On 23 Feb 2003 18:12:32 -0800, (Holger Friebe)
wrote:

(do organic
herbicides even exist?).


develop a healthy soil food web and weeds are out competed...
use compost tea and aerate and top dress with good quality compost and
weeds will cease to exist. pH is a figment of inorganic gardeners
imagination....



Regards,

tomj

Tom Jaszewski expounded:

pH is a figment of inorganic gardeners
imagination....

Tom, that's not true. You need to put in a disclaimer that it depends
on where you live. Without limestone, my soil is naturally 4.5 to
5....way to acid to grow grass. And I do grow a nice lawn,
organically, using regular old fashioned limestone applications twice
a year.

--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

I applied Lyme to adjust the pH of the soil (red clay - the plants
either dry out or rott in the moist ground or are taken by some
fungus, yumm
_______________________
I hope you meant lime.

HA!

(sorry..just couldnt resist).

Kara Tyson
Lyme Disease Support Group of AL

Do a googel search under "organic lawn care" - you will find dozens of
sites that will outline how and when to go about tending to a lawn using
only organic methods, as well as offering an array of organic lawn care
products. I have found that most organic products have a limited local
region where they are offered, so check to see what is available in your
area. You can also get organic products from mail order, but sending
fertilizer by the mail seems to me to be an unnecessary shipping expense
if you can get it locally - most of the products will be very smiliar
anyway.

Timing is just as important as the product you use, so check with your
local county extension service for a lawn care calender for your area.
Lawns can be a huge drain on natural resources and contribute heavily to
unnecessary pesticide and fertilizer pollution. Develop a tolerance for
some weeds and water wisely, fertilize sparingly and mow high - a healthy
lawn will outcompete weeds and be more resistant to drought conditions.
And you will have to use NO products which could harm you, your child or
the environment.

pam - gardengal

Holger Friebe wrote:

Thank you, Pam, for answering my question and giving additional
advice. After the first "grumpy" answer in this newsgroup I thought
"Oh, fudge! Shoot me! how helpful is THAT?".
I moved to South Carolina and am probably the most "organic" person in
miles here. The first year I sat in my 1acre yard and tried to pull
out weeds. At home I never ever used any herbicides, it just was not
necessary. Here we´ve wasted tons of water the first summer - until I
said it´s just too much just to keep some silly grass green. If you
don´t water enough, the grass dies, which makes room for weeds to grow
even more. We reseeded but it became cold earlier than usual. So the
grass did not grow thickly and dense enough. Again - room for weeds to
flourish in early-spring-like South Carolina winters.
I applied Lyme to adjust the pH of the soil (red clay - the plants
either dry out or rott in the moist ground or are taken by some
fungus, yumm). Nothing really worked out. Now with chasing a toddler
around I do not have the time anymore to do much in the yard (well, I
just cannot do anything and stay focused. 30-second-projects are about
what I get accomplished these days).
So what can I do with my lawn ( I treated only a part of it, so my
daughter still has places to play)? A nice neighbor told me that "Weed
& Feed" applied in winter made the lawn look better in spring. So I
blindly applied that stuff (I´ve never had heard of it, I am German
and still have to learn many terms and products of gardening).
Are there any internet pages to order organic fertilizers (do organic
herbicides even exist?).

Thank again, Pam!
Jana

On 23 Feb 2003 18:12:32 -0800, (Holger Friebe) wrote:


(...(

So what can I do with my lawn ( I treated only a part of it, so my
daughter still has places to play)? A nice neighbor told me that "Weed
& Feed" applied in winter made the lawn look better in spring. So I
blindly applied that stuff (I´ve never had heard of it, I am German
and still have to learn many terms and products of gardening).
Are there any internet pages to order organic fertilizers (do organic
herbicides even exist?).

Thank again, Pam!
Jana

Okay, start again. Rule number one: Never blindly do what a nice neighbor
tells you to do. My neighbor shoots and eats mourning doves in his backyard,
puts down 25 pounds of Ironite yearly, and waters every day for 5 minutes. I
wont be taking his advice!

The reason you are seeing these weeds are most likely an indication of very poor
soil structure. Building a good soil with healthy micro and macro organisms is
very important, particularly for turf. Personally, I don't like turf and remove
it every year till it's mostly gone. I'll have the proverbial patch in front to
appease the neighbors (yuk).

Right now is an ideal time (had you not already used a weed and feed product)
would be to put down an organic weed control called, corn gluten meal. Here is
a lot of information on how it works:

http://www.gluten.iastate.edu/

mo

http://www.bioscape.com/bioweed1.html

If you live in the U.S. you can buy it at Lowes Home Centers. It has, as an
added plus a 10% nitrogen faction, which makes it a natural weed and feed.
NEVER feed turf in winter, not even in the hot states, not if you have trees.
If you read the bag of weed and feed, it should tell you on there it is not safe
to use around trees as it is an indiscriminate herbicide and can kill mature
trees as well as saplings. Just nasty stuff, atrazine.

If you want to protect the baby, please just put a nice thick blanket under her
and don't let her crawl on the turf till it rains at least 5 times. I may sound
alarmist, and maybe I am, but this is some nasty stuff they put in bags.

I apologize for my initial, knee jerk response.

Victoria

On Mon, 24 Feb 2003 02:24:24 GMT, Tom Jaszewski
wrote:

On 23 Feb 2003 18:12:32 -0800, (Holger Friebe)
wrote:

(do organic
herbicides even exist?).


develop a healthy soil food web and weeds are out competed...
use compost tea and aerate and top dress with good quality compost and
weeds will cease to exist. pH is a figment of inorganic gardeners
imagination....



Regards,

tomj

That's correct. I'd also add that many of the turfgrass weeds are indicator
weeds. They indicate poor, starved soil. Use organic fertilizer (make sure it
says CERTIFIED organic on the bag or it's not) and do a search on turfgrass
management, organically. Not YOU, Tom, but Holger.

V

On Mon, 24 Feb 2003 05:59:33 -0500, Ann wrote:

Tom Jaszewski expounded:

pH is a figment of inorganic gardeners
imagination....

Tom, that's not true. You need to put in a disclaimer that it depends
on where you live. Without limestone, my soil is naturally 4.5 to
5....way to acid to grow grass. And I do grow a nice lawn,
organically, using regular old fashioned limestone applications twice
a year.

Do you have the soil tested? How do you know it is still so low in pH?

animaux wrote:

On Mon, 24 Feb 2003 05:59:33 -0500, Ann wrote:

Tom Jaszewski expounded:

pH is a figment of inorganic gardeners
imagination....

Tom, that's not true. You need to put in a disclaimer that it depends
on where you live. Without limestone, my soil is naturally 4.5 to
5....way to acid to grow grass. And I do grow a nice lawn,
organically, using regular old fashioned limestone applications twice
a year.

Do you have the soil tested? How do you know it is still so low in pH?

One indication it is too acidic without doing any testing is the amount of
moss it produces. A mossy lawn is very indicative of too low a soil pH.

And I have to agree with Ann that proper pH levels are a concern. Less so
with more ornamental plants which are more tolerant of a range of soil pH,
but quite important when it comes to growing a healthy lawn or vegetables,
neither of which thrive in the acidic soils that are common to parts of the
east and west coast.

pam - gardengal

On Mon, 24 Feb 2003 16:10:55 GMT, animaux
wrote:

Okay, start again. Rule number one: Never blindly do what a nice neighbor
tells you to do. My neighbor shoots and eats mourning doves in his backyard,
puts down 25 pounds of Ironite yearly, and waters every day for 5 minutes. I
wont be taking his advice!

I don't recommend eating at his house either! Eating mourning doves
is on par with eating a pet cat. Aren't there laws against firing
weapons in a populated area?

zhan

On Mon, 24 Feb 2003 16:35:10 GMT, Pam wrote:


One indication it is too acidic without doing any testing is the amount of
moss it produces. A mossy lawn is very indicative of too low a soil pH.

And I have to agree with Ann that proper pH levels are a concern. Less so
with more ornamental plants which are more tolerant of a range of soil pH,
but quite important when it comes to growing a healthy lawn or vegetables,
neither of which thrive in the acidic soils that are common to parts of the
east and west coast.

pam - gardengal

Oh, I agree with Ann, having lived on Long Island, the island of lost pines and
acid! I had many customers come to me with their woes of pH problems. As soon
as they started using pelletized lime, their pH didn't need as much adjustment
each year, or even the twice a year people were using lime.

Nothing will KEEP the pH down forever, but I was wondering if it was checked to
see that maybe liming was unnecessary for a season or so.

V

On Mon, 24 Feb 2003 17:09:26 GMT, zhanataya wrote:

On Mon, 24 Feb 2003 16:10:55 GMT, animaux
wrote:

Okay, start again. Rule number one: Never blindly do what a nice neighbor
tells you to do. My neighbor shoots and eats mourning doves in his backyard,
puts down 25 pounds of Ironite yearly, and waters every day for 5 minutes. I
wont be taking his advice!

I don't recommend eating at his house either! Eating mourning doves
is on par with eating a pet cat. Aren't there laws against firing
weapons in a populated area?

zhan

This is Texas. However, I'm sure there are laws, but I'm not in the city (so to
speak). This is the same man who took a neighbors cat to the woods, dumped it
and would not tell the neighbor where he dumped it. It was a manx cat,
beautiful and not a bother to anyone. I did warn the cats owner that this idiot
would do something like that, but they didn't take heed. This idiot also goes
wild boar hunting and he hung it, dead, on the basketball hoop eyesore in his
driveway. THAT was not acceptable to me and I called police and he had to take
it down. But oh what a ****ing asshole this guy is.

V