Brrr... it has been snowing all day.  We have about 9 inches so far (really weird for us.  We are high desert, and get COLD in the winter, but only about 20 inches of snow all winter, usually).  Supposed to get down to 14 degrees the next two nights, then down to 7!



This is what it looks like outside right now.  I have shoveled twice!


I love it when the sign to the greenhouse gets covered in snow...


My 5 gallon HD bucket makes the perfect mouse trap.  They jump in to get the spent birdseed, then can't get out.  I usually turn them loose in the park, but this little guy is just going to have to hang out until the snow melts!  I gave him a little rag with water on it (I know, I'm nuts...).


My pond is now heated with two big aquarium heaters (thanks to forum member ideas!).  The birds love to shower under the fountain, and it helps warm the tropical house.


The birds are enjoying their breakfast while it snows outside!

Oh my gosh - may favorite fruit in the world!
I tried to bring some back from Mexico, but they wouldn't let me on the plane in Guadalajara, so I just sat down and ate several pounds of them in the airport.
Did that in France too.  But that was a bottle of wine...

I have several lychees growing from seed in my greenhouse, but they sure seem to be slow growers.  Like everything else in there, they probably need more sun.

Wow!  That is really cool!  I mean, hot!

Durio zibethinus (durian), from fresh durians I bought in Chinatown. The little trees are beautiful, but very susceptible to scale. None survived being billeted with friends when I was out of the country.

Hi Sara,
Wow!  I am jealous that you can get fresh durian up there!  I have only been able to score frozen ones, which of course don't do me any good at all.
I have an African/Oriental market that I check regularly, and have started Jakfruit, cherimoya, lychee, and all sorts of fruit trees from fruit I have bought there.

Hope you have fun in the forum - it is an awesome place to feed your addiction!

Carolyn

So, I just now saw this string.
Because my greenhouse costs as much to heat as my house, I am always looking for ways to make "free", or even "cheap" heat. 

I am wondering if I can use the refrigerator coolant pipe method and hook a whole bunch of them together in a series, position them along the north wall of my greenhouse (thus not taking up any floor space, which is at a premium...) and cycle the water through my 150 gallon pond in the greenhouse? 
The pond has a small fountain pump. 

Right now I heat the water to help heat the greenhouse, but I am using two really large aquarium heaters.  So I have basically reduced my gas bill by increasing my electric bill!
Has anyone here actually built one of those water heaters from refrigerator tubing, like the ingenious guy on that website?
Any other ideas for heat that does not take a lot of floor space?  I tried the barrels, but they didn't help much... 

And another thing - I use the water in the pond to water my plants, and my little parrots like to bathe in the fountain.  So how do I clean the coolant pipes really REALLY thoroughly?  And then, should I have the water tested?

I like the Super Herb Tea brand, but I don't know if it's organic.

I have been having a terrible time with mealy bugs in my greenhouse.
I have tried Neem oil, but it doesn't seem to slow them down at all!  I have also tried a systemic imidicloprid made for citrus (the Bayer one), but it is still an ongoing battle.
What kind of horticultural oil do you use?
I get so confused when I read the labels.  Is it different than dormant oil? The guy at the store said to be really careful with "heavy" oils or I can kill the plants, too.  Also, I was told not to use it in my greenhouse because of the high humidity and sometimes high temps (up to 100 in the summer, but it IS shady and the fan is usually going...).
I have birds flying loose in the greenhouse, so I also don't want anything that smells really strong.  They don't chew on the plants, though.
My biggest battle is with my citrus and coffee.
Or should I just keep using rubbing alcohol?

Thanks!
Carolyn

Thanks Oscar!

I can HIGHLY recommend Stuart for a seed source!
He sent the seeds very promptly, and they are up and doing great! 
The first packet of seeds got lost (although I suspect US Customs was involved...) in the mail, so he sent a second batch.  Of course, just a few days after he sent the second packet, the FIRST one arrived after wandering through the postal system for over a month!  The second packet arrived in less than a week.  I paid for both packets, and figured I would plant a lot of them to account for my poor motor skills in being able to get the little caps off the nuts.  I have a DOZEN trees sprouting now!

Carolyn

Good idea! I have been afraid to fall asleep out there...

Ok, this isn't a fruit... but...
A bindweed suddenly appeared out of a light socket in our sunroom the other day! This is an INTERIOR wall, the socket is more than 8 feet from the edge of the house, and there is no crawlspace.  We took the socket apart, and it did not originate there.  We managed to pull about 3 feet of (pale and desperate-looking) stem out of the depths of the wall before it broke.
Creepy.  Literally!

Wow!  You guys got me all excited about the Small Lot of Seeds permit, so I set up an account and am applying for one.  I want to place an order with ForestHouse.  They have all the cools plants that I have been trying to find.
I opted for the level 2 authorization and am going to apply online.
Just have to run out to the local USDA office tomorrow with my photo i.d. to get them to finalize my account.
Oh! Maybe they are hiring!  I am getting tired of working at the DMV...

Carolyn