Q: This past spring, we tried starting some of our own plants from seed indoors, but they got tall, spindly and weak by the time we wanted to plant them outdoors. What did we do wrong? — Tyler P. A: Seedlings growing tall and spindly indoors is an age-old problem, and the same wisdom holds true now that it did years ago. The problem occurs if plants are started too early and the light level isn’t intense enough. ADVERTISEMENT Because plants grow at different rates, some types need to be started very early, while others should wait until April for seeding indoors. Begonias and onions require many weeks to grow and can be seeded in February. March 1 is the recommended date for seeding petunias, impatiens, coleus and snapdragons. March 15 is the date to seed peppers, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. Tomatoes and marigolds should wait until April 1, and zinnias until April 15. If seeds are started earlier than their recommended date, plants can languish indoors, becoming lanky and weak. In addition, seedlings need high light levels to remain stocky and strong. Plants grown with too little light often stretch and become weak-stemmed. Seedlings can be grown in a sunny window, but many windows don’t receive full, all-day sunshine as the sun moves across the sky, unless the windows are very wide. The short days of winter and early spring also keep light levels lower than seedlings prefer. A perfect way to provide seedlings with optimal light is with artificial lights, which can be standard LEDs, fluorescent, or special plant-type lights. Tube-type bulbs distribute light over seedling trays better than round bulbs. Seedling trays should be kept within several inches of the bulbs. Lights can be set on a timer with 16 hours on and eight hours off, similar to humans getting the recommended eight hours of sleep, which is how I remember it. Q: Thanks for the recent article on Blue By You salvia. Do you know where we can purchase this perennial come spring? — Rachelle S. A: Blue By You perennial salvia, an All-America Selections award winner and an outstanding feature in our perennial beds and landscapes, has been on the market for about two years, which is relatively recent as new plants go. ADVERTISEMENT As with many new cultivars, it takes time for new plant material to be widely available. Your best bet is to contact locally owned garden centers and inquire, which can be done now. This can give garden centers the opportunity to order the plants if they haven’t already. With the tens of thousands of plant cultivars available, no garden center can stock them all, but if they receive requests for specific types, they can often add them to their selection. Garden centers plan their inventory far in advance of the spring season, so the earlier a request is made, the more likely it can be fulfilled. Q: I know you prefer starting cuttings, such as houseplants, in mixtures of vermiculite, sand or potting mix instead of water. I’m curious why that is. Sometimes I have luck in water, but sometimes the cuttings rot. — Jenny S. A: Some plant types, such as pothos, root very easily in water and can even grow in water for many weeks. Other cutting types rot easily in water, which is why a solid-type medium often works best for coaxing cuttings to root. Sometimes I use high-quality potting mix, other times vermiculite, perlite or sand, and sometimes mixtures. Besides being less prone to rotting, starting cuttings in a solid-type medium has another important advantage. Roots that form in water are accustomed to growing in water, and when the cuttings are transferred into potting mix, there can be a stressful period of adjustment and shock. When roots begin forming in solid media, they are often more fibrous, well-branched and less gangly. Because they’re accustomed to growing in a solid medium, there’s usually less transplant shock when transferred into potting mix. For easy-to-root plants, rooting in water is handy, but solid media has distinct advantages. ADVERTISEMENT If you have a gardening or lawn care question, email Don Kinzler, NDSU Extension-Cass County, at donald.kinzler@ndsu.edu . Questions with broad appeal may be published, so please include your name, city and state for appropriate advice.Ultimately, the phenomenon of being shunned by the entire supply chain highlights the need for a more holistic and sustainable approach to food consumption. By acknowledging the impact of our choices on farmers, producers, our health, and our communities, we can make more informed decisions about the food we eat and the way we nourish ourselves. In a world where convenience often comes at the cost of quality and connection, let us not eat ourselves into a state of overindulgence, but rather savor the richness and diversity of food in all its forms.
Manchester United have made waves in the football world with the announcement of the signing of a 14-year-old grassroots midfield talent who has been turning heads with his exceptional skills on the pitch. The young prodigy, who has self-identified as a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, has caught the attention of top clubs around Europe, but ultimately chose to join the ranks of the Red Devils.
Croatia’s incumbent president wins most votes at polls but still faces runoffSo, as we raise our glasses to toast the arrival of the new year, let us also raise our spirits in celebration of the journey that lies ahead. Let us bid adieu to the old, embrace the present moment, and welcome the future with open arms. For the young ones who have started embracing the "slow life," the best is yet to come. Cheers to a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling year ahead.In a rather unexpected move, former United States President Donald Trump has recently launched a new fragrance line called "Fight Fight Fight." The collection consists of a range of exhilarating scents that aim to embody the spirit of victory and resilience. Trump, known for his strong personality and bold decision-making, has ventured into the world of perfumery to offer a unique olfactory experience that captures the essence of relentless determination and unwavering courage.
In the world of football, maintaining consistency and top performance is crucial for any team that aspires to compete at the highest level. For Atlanta, one of the key factors in their pursuit of the championship is their ability to keep their standards high and push themselves to reach their full potential. Tactinardi, the renowned football expert, believes that Atlanta's success hinges on their ability to maintain the highest level of play throughout the season.
Government Initiatives and Policy Implications:
OAKLAND — PG&E monthly electric bills are rising far faster than those levied on customers of its two California utility cousins, a new official report shows — although PG&E claims it’s on a path to rein in costs. For roughly a decade, customers of PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric have all been burdened with electricity bill increases that are rising far faster than the inflation rate, according to the report from the Public Advocates Office at the state Public Utilities Commission. “Residential average rates have significantly increased,” the consumer advocacy group’s Dec. 5 report stated. The report also determined that the increase in electricity rates is far more pronounced for PG&E customers when compared with the bill burdens for ratepayers served by Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric. Despite the current forbidding trends for customers of PG&E and other California utilities, some hopeful projections are appearing on the horizon, in the view of PG&E spokesperson Lynsey Paulo. Electricity bills do not increase continuously, Paulo asserted. Bills might flatten or even decrease if costs diminish for programs such as mitigation of wildfire hazards. “There are rate increases, but there are also rate decreases when program costs are removed from rates,” Paulo said. Monthly electricity bills, however, have trended decidedly higher for PG&E customers. Here is how increases in electricity bill rates compare for California’s three major utility companies over multiple time frames, as outlined in the state advocacy group’s report. — During roughly three years from January 2021 to October 2024: PG&E, up 56%; Southern California Edison, up 48%; and San Diego Gas & Electric, up 21%. — During approximately 10 years from January 2014 to October 2024: PG&E was up 118% — more than double. Southern California Edison was up 86% and San Diego Gas & Electric was up 83%. Over the 10 years in the survey period detailed in the report, the inflation rate as measured by the consumer price index increased by 34%, the state consumer advocacy group reported. PG&E officials point out that the company’s current average electricity rates for residential customers are below those charged by the San Diego utility, although they are greater than the Los Angeles-area utility. Electricity rate costs as of October 2024 were an average of 38 cents a kilowatt-hour for PG&E, 32.5 cents for Southern California Edison and 38.5 cents a kilowatt-hour for San Diego Gas & Electric, according to the public advocacy office’s report. Wildfire mitigation costs, investments in electricity transmission and delivery systems, and rooftop solar incentives were listed as the primary drivers of the fast-rising electricity costs for California’s three major investor-owned utilities. Oakland-based PG&E insists that its residential customers can expect decreases in monthly electric bills in the coming years. In April 2024, in response to questions from this news organization after an Earth Day event in Richmond, PG&E Chief Executive Officer Patricia Poppe sketched out her vision for a time when PG&E customers would pay less in their monthly electricity and gas bills. “We see a future where customers’ bills can start to come down,” Poppe said in the interview. Poppe added, “We are working very hard to modernize our methods for customers and make (monthly bills) more affordable.” Some changes are already in place, according to Poppe. “We have implemented a lean operating system to shave costs out of our system and improve the customer experience,” Poppe said. If these assurances were to morph into reality, that would be a welcome counterpoint to the ominous trends PG&E customers have faced. In 2023, PG&E’s monthly bills for residential customers soared 22.3% , while the Bay Area inflation rate rose 2.6%. Paulo pointed to one component in the report by the public consumer advocates that suggested an upcoming early 2025 jump in residential electricity rates for PG&E customers would be followed by a decline in rates by late 2025 and going into 2026. In October, PG&E residential customers were paying somewhere around 38 cents a kilowatt-hour, although this rate was expected to reach 39.6 cents a kilowatt hour in early 2025, the Public Advocates Office reported. By sometime around January 2026, PG&E customers can expect to pay 35.2 cents a kilowatt-hour. All of these current costs and projected expenses for electricity, however, are well above what PG&E customers were paying as recently as early 2022. At that time, PG&E customers were paying just a bit more than 30 cents a kilowatt hour. Put another way, if PG&E electricity rates for residential customers decrease to the projected level of 35.2 cents a kilowatt hour, that would still be approximately 17% higher than what PG&E customers were paying around the start of 2022. “Rates have increased substantially since 2014, surpassing inflation,” the Public Advocates Office stated in its report.Furthermore, China's efforts to stimulate economic growth and enhance market stability have also played a crucial role in boosting investor confidence. The Chinese government's proactive measures, including targeted fiscal and monetary policies, infrastructure investments, and regulatory reforms, have helped bolster economic recovery and foster a conducive environment for investment. As a result, both domestic and foreign investors are gaining confidence in the long-term growth prospects of the Chinese economy.The epicenter of the earthquake was located in [specific location], with tremors being felt in neighboring states like California and Utah. The impact of the earthquake was felt far and wide, with reports of buildings swaying, items falling off shelves, and people experiencing a sense of panic and uncertainty.