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I just got my incubator all hooked up and running. I am noticing a 5 degree swing on the temperature. Is the 5 degree swing too much? We just changed the thermostat because it had a 10 degree swing and nothing hatched. Do I need to replace the new thermostat with another one?
 
barbiegirl said:
I just got my incubator all hooked up and running. I am noticing a 5 degree swing on the temperature. Is the 5 degree swing too much? We just changed the thermostat because it had a 10 degree swing and nothing hatched. Do I need to replace the new thermostat with another one?
Click to expand...

Yes, 5 degrees is too much variation. What brand incubator and what type of thermostat do you have?
 
LisaYolkUm said:
does anyone have any experience or knowledge about fruit trees----------

In particular dwarf fruit trees and then

even more specifically "fruit cocktail dwarf trees"

here is a linkhttp://www.directgardening.com/detail.asp?ProductID=5556&AID=10792636&PID=6147345&SID=1vmdurxb0y82q


It kinda seems too good to be true ...................but maybe not................3 fruits in one tree
in dwarf size for my patio................could it be possible?
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's "too good to be true". Grafting fruit trees is almost universal, but the key to a long, productive life is to match the top part (called the scion) with a compatible rootstock. This is a pretty exact science, and there are no "universal rootstocks" that work well for any scion, so some of the branches will do much better than others, essentially starving them because they don't have a good graft. Think of it like a body rejecting a transplanted organ, you need to find a good donor match.

Also, growing fruit trees in containers is very tricky in this climate, tricky anywhere really, but you won't get much fruit from a container tree. Fruit trees in general are prone to diseases and harder to manage than most people would guess from the beautiful pictures in the catalog. You need to be dedicated to spraying them on schedule (even if you choose to go organic, they still need some attention) and pruning them every winter.

I don't want to rain on your parade, but it's not a plant and forget it until harvest thing. You'd do well to learn a lot about raising whatever fruit you are interested in before buying your first plants. Some fruit really is pretty easy, if you know what to do and take care to do it at certain times of the year.
 
barbiegirl said:
I have a hovabator we just put in an aftermarket thermostat and a fan. It's not a wafer thermostate, I'm not sure what it's called. It looks like a little box with a white knob to turn to set the temperature. I don't know why it typed all in bold just noticed it and too tired to retype it. That is the one in the link.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-UNIVERS...145?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a80d2aee1
Click to expand...

Why did you replace the wafer thermostat it had with this one? I have never used this model, but I don't think it looks very precise, more like a water heater thermostat. Wafer thermostats are "tried and true", though I also like some of the new digital ones, like the STC-1000.
 
dheltzel said:
Yeah, it's "too good to be true". Grafting fruit trees is almost universal, but the key to a long, productive life is to match the top part (called the scion) with a compatible rootstock. This is a pretty exact science, and there are no "universal rootstocks" that work well for any scion, so some of the branches will do much better than others, essentially starving them because they don't have a good graft. Think of it like a body rejecting a transplanted organ, you need to find a good donor match.

Also, growing fruit trees in containers is very tricky in this climate, tricky anywhere really, but you won't get much fruit from a container tree. Fruit trees in general are prone to diseases and harder to manage than most people would guess from the beautiful pictures in the catalog. You need to be dedicated to spraying them on schedule (even if you choose to go organic, they still need some attention) and pruning them every winter.

I don't want to rain on your parade, but it's not a plant and forget it until harvest thing. You'd do well to learn a lot about raising whatever fruit you are interested in before buying your first plants. Some fruit really is pretty easy, if you know what to do and take care to do it at certain times of the year.
Click to expand...

thanks! this is what I wanted to know IN ADVANCE.......................

I don't have enough sunny space and really would like to grow a fruit tree but it seems like not such a great idea.

I DID order some currants and gooseberries............and have strawberries and blueberries..............so hopefully these will prosper.
 
I replaced it because it went from 105 to 89 in my incubator. It wouldn't hold the temperature. The only thing I was able to hatch with it was leopard gecko eggs and they were a lower temperature that it held fine.
 

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