The Old Folks Home

[hemet dennis]

Quote:
You should check out this place for computers. I have been using this desktop for a couple of years now. It was less then $100 with shipping.

http://www.usmicrocorpretail.com/c-15-refurbished-desktops.aspx

 

[sunflour]

@getaclue Check the fine print on your receipt from HHGregg..We had bought several things from them ..computers, refrigerator, wine fridge…and were quite happy with those purchases. But then bought a great priced small notebook and had problems when it stopped working at 15 days…Took it back in hopes of just an exchange and found that the return policy was only 14 DAYS!!! I had not read that on my receipt.

Had to deal with the manufacturer and pack it up and send it back to them for a replacement.

Dont' know if the policy is just on computers, and maybe just on the "close out special" we bought, but since then I refuse to deal with them and always verify return policy on any purchases.

 

[sunflour]

I bought some "naughty" pepper seed off ebay ( $ 2.00 for 25 seeds) - these are the guys someone earlier posted photos of - a NOVELTY hot pepper. I've never grown HOT peppers. Got no info on how tall they grow or how long till maturity etc. Want to grow plants for a couple neighbors so they can be surprised. The guy next door is a great gardener so if I can grow young plants I know they'll do fine for him. And one of the senior bus drivers loves hot peppers and grows several varieties. He wins at local chilli contests . I just hope they will germinate for me etc. I was game because the seeds were cheap. I'm not a veggie eater but, thought it would be fun & funny.

Has anyone successfully grown any of them???

Now those are quite "naughty"... Never heard of those, by my DH grows hot peppers every year. Would love to see candid photos of the friends when the peppers start coming in.

 

[Arielle]

Ok calling all computer geeks . .

I tried to download google chrome last night. It finished with a "thank you" message so I'm guessing it DID download. BUt it then tried to get me to down load some other fixes. No resulted in more downloading, so I closed htat tab to stop it, at the original tab ONLY the YES button was operational . . .sigh. So given that the thank you notice was up I closed that tab. DId I close too soon? How do I find the google chrome to get a shortcut created?? ( Assuming down load was successful and I didn't waste a whole night-- me crashed at 3:30!! lol)

 

[Arielle]

SCG--- love your pepper starting method. I keep trying, Have used up 1 pkt of seeds over 3 years -- no sprouts. If I could get just one plant to fruit, there will be enough chili peppers to last a year!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

SCG--- love your pepper starting method. I keep trying, Have used up 1 pkt of seeds over 3 years -- no sprouts. If I could get just one plant to fruit, there will be enough chili peppers to last a year!

They really like it warm to sprout. What I do with them and tomatoes is wrap the baggies in a kitchen towel and then place them over the seed starting mat. I get good sprouts that way. Sometimes they're sprouted so well I have to plant part of the paper towel, as well, so I don't damage the shoots that have come off it. If it gets too hot, it will kill them, so that's why I wrap with a towel.

Chickie definitely has a slipped tendon. After days of playing with it I was able to pop it back into place this morning - but it keeps popping back out. I can keep it there with a firm push of my thumb and then I've been stretching and bending the leg, but the tendon always goes back to its popped out location. I think this chick isn't going to make it.

 

[Sylviaanne]

They really like it warm to sprout. What I do with them and tomatoes is wrap the baggies in a kitchen towel and then place them over the seed starting mat. I get good sprouts that way. Sometimes they're sprouted so well I have to plant part of the paper towel, as well, so I don't damage the shoots that have come off it. If it gets too hot, it will kill them, so that's why I wrap with a towel.

Chickie definitely has a slipped tendon. After days of playing with it I was able to pop it back into place this morning - but it keeps popping back out. I can keep it there with a firm push of my thumb and then I've been stretching and bending the leg, but the tendon always goes back to its popped out location. I think this chick isn't going to make it.

I don't know how old your chick is but I have been reading up on the same thing for my pet rooster. He has had this injury for about 4 months and it hasn't gotten better but now seems to be getting worse. His foot is starting to turn inward and he's not even using it for balance now. It is cold outside and it probably hurts worse in the cold than it did when the weather was warmer but from what I have read, he may need to go in for surgery to get it corrected but there are no vets anywhere near that do large fowl. Can't get the ones who work with little birds interested either.

So what I got on to say is that some of the articles I have read said to pop the tendon back in place and wrap it with that sports tape, the stuff that sticks to itself. Leave it for 24 hours take it off and see if the tendon will stay in place and if not try wrapping it for 2 day but it does say not to leave it on for long periods of time, such as a week, I guess it could cut off the circulation if left on that long. Good luck.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I've successfully grown peppers. Took a couple years to get it right in my climate. Pepper seeds are some of the first seeds I start usually in mid to late March. When I start most seeds I don't throw them in soil. I get a damp paper towel, place seeds on it, wrap it up, stick it in a ziploc bag and throw it somewhere warm. I check it every other day and add a few drops of water if needed to keep the towel damp. When the seeds start to sprout I'll take them out and put them in dirt and label them then. This way I don't waste plastic seedling cups on things that may not sprout.
Then they go onto a heated mat in my little indoor grow house for about 6 weeks.
When I can't raise the lights any higher they go outside during the day to the cold frame, and then come inside at night.
They get planted outside (whether in a raised bed, pot or ground) when the weather allows, usually late May to early June. Then after that all they get is a lot of sun and water as needed when nature doesn't provide.
So, they are easy to grow, but they take a long time... at least in this climate. Assuming yours is similar.
Granted, you don't need a grow house or a cold frame, but they do help. Perhaps you have a window with good sunlight? Or two and move it back and forth during the day until it can go out? My cat destroys plants so most don't go in the house where she can reach them (although she will likely pass this year before that's a problem)

I do the paper towel thing too. One just has to check them daily so they don't dry out.
I think it helps because varieties can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to germinate.

For you, vehve, Alaskan and those in the mountains might try the capsicum pubescens. They're the most cold tolerant being from the Andes.
And if you have a sunny indoor spot or a cool greenhouse they'll live and fruit for years.

http://www.reimerseeds.com/capsicum-pubescens_1422.aspx

This place has more varieties. They carry all the other capsicum species as well. They're in Germany but ship worldwide.
For the US, you have to apply for an import permit but I don't think it's complicated. I have at least 10 varieties of seeds from last year but I think I'll try to get some from this place.

http://www.semillas.de/cgi-bin/shop_en/shop.cgi?shop=&keywords=Capsicum+pubescens

You should check out this place for computers. I have been using this desktop for a couple of years now. It was less then $100 with shipping.

http://www.usmicrocorpretail.com/c-15-refurbished-desktops.aspx

There's another one.
http://www.microcenter.com/

i built just about every pc we have owned but these days the best buy and amazon specials are cheaper than I can makee

I bought my first few. A couple used Apple II Cs and a new XT. I can't believe I paid $900 for that piece of c***. It didn't even have a hard drive. Since then I've built all of them except for the ones given to me by employers, 3 laptops and a desktop.
I just bought a refurbished one for $180. It's a Dell GX760 Intel Core2 Duo 3 GHz
2 GB/ 250 HD/ Windows 7 Professional/64 bit.

Mine died and I needed one quickly. After I bought it I defragged the old one and it started working. I bought it about 6 weeks ago and haven't started it up yet. Stupid, I know. I didn't feel like continually swapping the video cable. I have a fairly new Westinghouse flat screen that died. I ordered a set of capacitors to replace and they just came a few days ago. I'm going to try to make time tomorrow to swap them out. Then I can run both computers at once.
If the current one dies again, I can put the HD in the new/er one as a slave.

... Dh called, and the overdraft thing from savings kicked in. I have the receipt where Sears credited my account, but the bank didn't get the memo. I'll see what transpires between now, and Monday on the bank account. It's all good, as long as Sears credits it back into the account. Anyway, I love the new microwave!

I'm not sure how it works but I was told that if it goes back on a credit card it can take up to 10 business days to show up.

I bought some "naughty" pepper seed off ebay ( $ 2.00 for 25 seeds) - these are the guys someone earlier posted photos of - a NOVELTY hot pepper. I've never grown HOT peppers. Got no info on how tall they grow or how long till maturity etc. Want to grow plants for a couple neighbors so they can be surprised. The guy next door is a great gardener so if I can grow young plants I know they'll do fine for him. And one of the senior bus drivers loves hot peppers and grows several varieties. He wins at local chilli contests . I just hope they will germinate for me etc. I was game because the seeds were cheap. I'm not a veggie eater but, thought it would be fun & funny.

Has anyone successfully grown any of them???

Not the willy type but I've been growing peppers since I was a kid. I don't remember having a garden without hot peppers. I grow a few sweet peppers like the more unusual bell pepper colors. Green peppers are cheap at the grocer so I don't waste garden space on them.
At the very least I always grow cayenne, Serrano and habanero.
Temperature is important for germination. The best germination happens between 70 and 85. They can germinate from 60-95F but beyond that almost none will sprout.

In the Philppines they open the box of the item you are buying, after you paid for it, and show you that its working, then rebox it. This even includes light bulbs.

That's a good technique. No need for a return desk or complaint department.

I love how differently things are done all over the world, often there are a lot of better ideas how to do things.

 

[chickisoup]

Morning everyone!


SCG- So sorry for your chick and the weather. I didn't send it your way this time, honest! Huge storm, but northern edge of it is well to our south this time. All we have this morning is 7oF and below zero windchills, not that bad. Really like your grow rack setup. I just have one 4 bulb system I hang in my bay window and then 4 more 4 bulb lights (long ones) that I hang in my sunshed/workshop. I pre-sprout my seeds the same way you do for the same reason except I have those 12 pack trays I put them into. I start a LOT of plants from my own seeds. (Went seriously overboard into plant genetics a few years ago).

After we moved to the frozen tundra and I was "retired" by DH to get the homestead squared away while he continued work, first thing I did was get started on making some of the ground "grow worthy" and learning how to work with the climate this far north. Working with the soil and growing things has always been my first love, well, that and critters. Spent the winters developing my library and taking Master Gardener courses. Developed a few of my own tricks and eventually was asked to teach a few classes. Yes, I am one of those that doesn't know how to have a "casual" interest in anything. Guess that explains how I wound up a geek

(tho I admit after moving to the middle of no where keeping current with that world just isn't my priority anymore). We appear to have lots of very sharp folks on this thread with wide ranging interests and areas of expertise!
Hurray for Old Folks!

 

[Peep_Show]

@drumstick diva

I started a bunch of those P***r Peppers and gave them out to friends in my started-plant garden packs (assorted surplus tomatoes, peppers, eggplants.) I didn't tell them what they were, either. (hehehehe)
They are average size pepper plants and the peppers are edible (hot!). Most of my friends just busted up when they were harvested; Mother was appalled.

I found for sprouting pepper seeds that a warm base (heat mat) is critical. If you haven't got one try the top of the fridge. Then light, water, light fertilizer until planting time which is after ALL frost is done. If you have rabbits you may want to put little wire cages around them as tender little pepper plants apparently are nummy.

Happy gardening!