I demand an investigation into Moose's growth techniques!!

Bullwinkle

Esteemed Member
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17/11/10
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After having a long look at Moose's spectacular crotons again today I have contacted the relevant authorities to investigate Moose's water supply for performance enhancing additives.I am sure that Moose has studied the Barry Bond's way to pass the tests but his results are quite amazing!!I saw two airlayers that we traded this summer are now larger than my mother plants.It would be like having a baby and 3 months later the baby is 6ft tall!!
 
He does talk a lot about manure and mold. Maybe he's dropping some hints to his secrets!:p

I think Ray/Crazy for Crotons has something up his sleeve as well and should be added to the investigation.
 
Scientists had to be involved in creating the growth stimulants.The Balco labs are in California but maybe Bonds has a house in South Florida??Is Moose a baseball fan??Whatever he is using it is working :) :)
 
1. Check and see why Moose's house is no longer connected to the city sewer system. Can anyone say, "free fertilizer"?
2. Why are trucks from Turkey Point stopping at his house?
3. Wasn't there an article in the Miami Herald a while back about a Santeria sect moving into his neighborhood? What do they do with all that chicken after they cut off the heads? Where does all that blood go anyway?
4. Are those plants real?
 
All valid points,either way further invesigation is needed!!

1. Check and see why Moose's house is no longer connected to the city sewer system. Can anyone say, "free fertilizer"?
2. Why are trucks from Turkey Point stopping at his house?
3. Wasn't there an article in the Miami Herald a while back about a Santeria sect moving into his neighborhood? What do they do with all that chicken after they cut off the heads? Where does all that blood go anyway?
4. Are those plants real?
 
I need to dispute some rumors. First of all Mike (Waykoolplantz), if I sung to my crotons, surely they would expire. They do however have a prediliction towards Beatles tunes. Their preferences are Nowhere Man, Magical Mystery Tour, Something, Strawberry Fields Forever, Paperback Writer and As my Guitar Gently Weeps. ;)

"Grandma" prefers Daytripper and The Ballad of John and Yoko. :rolleyes:

Secondly, Mike (Bullwinkle) - I am hooked up to the County water system.

Third, Ricky - this house has been hooked up to a septic tank since 1948. I have a large Copernicia macroglossa palm growing in the drain field, no crotons.

Fourth, Ricky - Santeria does occur in my neighborhood. Animal parts, vegetables and fruits do get deposited in Moose Land wrapped in Newspaper with spanish writing on the interior. I don't use the contributions - it goes into the garbage. I think my Zombia antillarum palm makes them nervous. The spines of this palm are the actual "pins" used to stick zombie dolls.

Fifth - what do I do to make my crotons grow? Answer: I read both of Dr. Frank Brown's books and followed all of his advice. :p

Look who just showed up at my door ...
 

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One suggestion from the old timers in the book was to use "oak leaf mold". I don't believe that many are following that advice. Since I started using it, the quality of my plants seems to have improved. I add about 10% oak leaf mold to my potting mix. When I plant in the ground, I amend the soil with a 15% oak leaf mold.

Here are my oak leaf bins. Before and after ... :p
 

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I love oak leaf compost - last year I shredded about 125 bags worth of oak leaves and made about 5 cubic yards of compost, most of which is going into the garden and about a 90 foot long flower bed (crotons will be planted in this bed for the summer).
I'm also saving some of this compost for croton pots this spring.
This year I plant to compost at least 200 bags...

The garden last Sunday with 16 large wheelbarrow loads of oak leaf compost just dumped:
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I love oak leaf compost - last year I shredded about 125 bags worth of oak leaves and made about 5 cubic yards of compost, most of which is going into the garden and about a 90 foot long flower bed (crotons will be planted in this bed for the summer).
I'm also saving some of this compost for croton pots this spring.
This year I plant to compost at least 200 bags...

The garden last Sunday with 16 large wheelbarrow loads of oak leaf compost just dumped:
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Outstanding Peyton! :cool: It shows in the quality of your plants even though you are challenged with cooler temperatures than most of us. :)

I would love to have all of that oak leaf compost of yours. :eek:
 

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Moose, up here lots of oak leaves get bagged up in late winter/early spring when people are cleaning up their yards for spring (Live Oaks drop tons of leaves and catkins in early spring), then I just drive through shady neighborhoods and collect nicely bagged leaves and run them through a 5 hp shredder into my 8x8x4 foot compost bin... makes beautiful stuff!
The hardest part is bagging up the leaves, so I let other folks do that :)
 
Ditto here Peyton. My entire back yard is one big oak leaf mulch bed. When that's not enough, I make the rounds through the neighborhood looking for "free mulch". I've never checked the PH levels in my back garden. My hunch is alkalinity is not a problem.
 
It appears that Grandma appreciated all the composted oak leaves that were liberally put in the bottom of her planting hole. She's also been mulched twice with oak leaf compost.

Hmmmmm, it appears that Mr. Ralph Davis may have been onto something. :rolleyes:
 

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Question about the oak leaf composting. Is it as simple as setting aside a bin for oak leaves, and then use as necessary? Do you have to wait for a certain amount of time before use? I stopped my husband from getting rid of a pile of oak leaves, and now I want to know how to store these for compost. Basically, what is the procedure I should follow? (if it's not a secret...:)
 
Compost and oak leaves are a great. I believe they are a smaller part of a bigger principle, which is heavy mulching. If I had to choose between fertilizer, irrigation, and heavy mulching, I would choose the latter. I spread oak leaves any chance I get and they eventually rot in place. Come to think about it, oak leaves are about the only thing I don't add to the composter, just because they are so easy to spread the in place.
 
I pick up bags of oak leaves throughout the neighborghood and spread them in the back garden. I also get large bags of coffee grounds from Starbucks. Nothing pumps out a new flush of leaves faster than a shot of coffee.
 
Question about the oak leaf composting. Is it as simple as setting aside a bin for oak leaves, and then use as necessary? Do you have to wait for a certain amount of time before use? I stopped my husband from getting rid of a pile of oak leaves, and now I want to know how to store these for compost. Basically, what is the procedure I should follow? (if it's not a secret...:)

Leslie - certainly everyone has there own methods. This is what has worked for me ...

First I collect a bunch of dry oak leaves
 

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For my in ground plants I spread about a two inch thick layer of the leaves. If I am planting a croton in the ground, I layer the bottom (about 2 " of the hole with the dried
oak leaves. This is to help keep the amended soil I add from getting washed in right away. It also helps to retain moisture around the newly planted root ball. As it decomposes, it provides some rich organic material deep in the ground that would take much longer if just applied to the top.
 

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Then I layer mulch over the oak leaves. This holds them from getting blown away. It also aids in the leaves getting broken down (composted) much quicker. After one rainy season the leaves are gone. Washed into and enriching the soil.
 

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Thanks, Ron. I am going to start using the oak leaves that we've saved. There's a lot more to rake! I haven't been using store-bought mulch too much lately - trying to use pine straw for mulch where possible.
 
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