Linda wrote:
Well, Mr. Martinez, I have to admit you hurt my feelings. I thought it

I apologize for that. My tone was indeed abrupt and I neglected to take
your feelings into consideration.

experts to visit with each other, I'll butt out and stay gone. I am not
an expert and don't want to be one. I just want to be able to play with
my plants and see them succeed.

Most of us are not experts, but rather amateurs always looking to
exchange information with like-minded individuals.

as well as the spaced out plants. Maybe that won't work here. The things
I had planted in pots up there were in Miracle Grow potting soil and did
fine. Again, maybe that won't work well here. Lesson learned.

Miracle Grow is a medium loaded with artificial/synthetic additives. You
will find that many, if not most of the regulars here, practice a more
natural approach to gardening, avoiding all kinds of artificial stuff
and favoring the use of natural fertilizers. Which is what prompted my
contemptuous remark, which I again apologize for.
So, in a nutshell, the information I tried to convey in my original
response is:
1. Growing corn and sunflowers in pots is not really practical.
2. Miracle Gro is not something I recommend or would ever use.

Cheers.

Victor

ps- don't take things personally when accessing usenet newsgroups.

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

"Linda" wrote in message
...
Planted several things in MiracleGro potting soil. My sunflowers got a
whopping 18". My indian corn got maybe 24". My squash got 10". My
Four O'Clocks are about 8 or 10". Bought a start of Sea Holly - it's
about 5". Most had a sickly pale green/yellowish color. What is going
on? In Oregon I just planted those things in the sandy soil, never
fertilized, just watered. The sunflowers were 6 or 7 feet tall, the
indian corn got about the same, my Four O'Clocks were about 3' and
bushy....well, you get the idea. Why is nothing growing well here? Is
there something I should have been doing? Oh, and the poor tomato
plant...too sad to tell! I thought the store-bought potting soil would
be the right thing to use. Advice?


My inground garden here has similar height problems. The only exception is
one tomato plant that survived to date that I transplanted right after the
last frost.

My feeling its the fast onslaught of heat that caused this.
--
Jonny

Thank you for your nice response Mr. Martinez.

I appreciate your explanation for your feelings about the Miracle Grow
potting soil. Now THAT is the kind of information that a group like
this should be giving to folks like me. I had no idea the stuff was
so...so "unnatural". Who knew?! Well, I know it now ;-)

Linda

As you've seen, I'm surely not the one to give advice ;-) Ha! It's
good to know I am not the only one with puny plants. If we hang out
here we are bound to figure things out.

Linda

Nice to share with someone without being jumped on, or saying you or I did
something wrong. Maybe it should be called "umbrella-net" (you need one
here) rather than "usenet"?
--
Jonny
"Linda" wrote in message
...

As you've seen, I'm surely not the one to give advice ;-) Ha! It's
good to know I am not the only one with puny plants. If we hang out
here we are bound to figure things out.

Linda

"Not Nasty" wrote in message
. com...
Catbird et al -

I also have noticed the condescending tone of some of Victor Martinez'
posts over the years. It always disappoints me because I feel it throws a
wet blanket on the generous give and take of this forum. It makes newbies
afraid to ask questions for fear of being ridiculed.

"Victor Martinez" wrote in message
...

Miracle Gro is for clueless suburban weekend gardeners who don't know
better.


Generally speaking, Victor Martinez is a jerk.

Yes Jang, you'll find that it's easy to find the people that are NOT from
Texas in Austin. They are the loudmouthed obnoxious people!

;-)


"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
I was just telling this to my New York mom who is considering moving
down here. It's just more polite, friendly, and respectful in Texas
then it was up north in NYC and Long Island. I'll never move back
there.

On Tue, 30 May 2006 19:03:40 GMT, Celeste Evans wrote:

Well, I have to disagree. I have always found Victor to be helpful, if
a bit terse at times. Remember that this is the internet and you are
not in front of someone. Bad day at work, but just wanted to make sure
he got you the info, or whatever. Any number of reasons for a short
reply. His information is always well seasoned if a bit peppery for
your taste. Remember that this is Texas and we like a bit of heat. :-)
Welcome to Texas ya'll, we don't hate Yankees, but sometimes we have a
little fun with them. Settle down and enjoy the heat and you'll
probably find that we don't bite, but we might bark. Actually a pretty
friendly place.

Cea

In article , Not
Nasty wrote:

Catbird et al -

I also have noticed the condescending tone of some of Victor Martinez'
posts
over the years. It always disappoints me because I feel it throws a wet
blanket on the generous give and take of this forum. It makes newbies
afraid
to ask questions for fear of being ridiculed.

Gardening in Central Texas is unlike gardening in any other part of the
country, and it takes specific information to succeed, but I admit that
at
times, the sometimes belittling responses from this poster has deterred
me
from participating. Invariably, when somebody (like you) calls him on
it, he
responds defensively, and he continues with more of the same.

Being from the remote north, I struggle with trying to keep plants alive
through the heat and hail and frost and crappy soil that is Central
Texas.
And thankfully, snotty superiority is not typical of gardeners, who are
for
the most part very kind, generous and helpful to all.


"Catbird" wrote in message
...
"Victor Martinez" wrote in message
...
Linda wrote:
Thanks for your response. I'm sorry I was not more specific. All
those
things were planted in large pots - nothing but Miracle Gro potting

You want to grow corn and sunflowers in pots? Not gonna happen!

Of course you can!


Later in your response you said NOT to use Miracle Gro fertilizer?
Isn't it the good stuff? Or is that just the publicity hype?

Miracle Gro is for clueless suburban weekend gardeners who don't know
better.

What a dig. (let the puns begin) Plenty of urban casual gardeners out
there being "clueless" too.

You've not been helpful to Linda here but one likes to know you have
maintained your superior quality.

--
Catbird

"Oh-oh, her schizo is about to phrenia" - Bob Hope

"Catbird" wrote in message
...
"Victor Martinez" wrote in message
...
Linda wrote:
Thanks for your response. I'm sorry I was not more specific. All
those
things were planted in large pots - nothing but Miracle Gro potting

You want to grow corn and sunflowers in pots? Not gonna happen!

Of course you can!


Later in your response you said NOT to use Miracle Gro fertilizer?
Isn't it the good stuff? Or is that just the publicity hype?

Miracle Gro is for clueless suburban weekend gardeners who don't know
better.

What a dig. (let the puns begin) Plenty of urban casual gardeners out
there being "clueless" too.

You've not been helpful to Linda here but one likes to know you have
maintained your superior quality.

--
Catbird

"Oh-oh, her schizo is about to phrenia" - Bob Hope

I didn't know either. I've been using "Osmocote" - the little balls that
"slow-release" for quite some time now.
With hope and heart,
Kathleen
--
I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen:
not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.
~ C.S. Lewis
"Linda" wrote in message
...
Thank you for your nice response Mr. Martinez.

I appreciate your explanation for your feelings about the Miracle Grow
potting soil. Now THAT is the kind of information that a group like
this should be giving to folks like me. I had no idea the stuff was
so...so "unnatural". Who knew?! Well, I know it now ;-)

Linda