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Pitting "those who know everything" against "those who want to learn" was not a good idea, in my opinion.
Exactly. Putting two spiders in a bowl is an exercise I gave up in preschool.
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Originally Posted by HB2HSV
Finally, please do not be a PC police here.
Truly that is the last thing any of us need.
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Originally Posted by HB2HSV
I look at it another way, science may be science, how we reach the same result may have a different approach. Gramma's way of doing things & she may not be able to explain it the scientific way, but it works so why argue? Behides, as a scientist I can say that the scientists are merely playing catch up trying to understand what people may know for centuries that works.
Excellent point. We wouldn't have penicillin but for the ancient Greeks' practice of using moldy bread and cheese to combat infection. How many centuries ago was that???? And we didn't get penicillin until the 20th Century ... Go figure. Those Greek grandmas knew all along ...
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But if you come here to get your egos stroked & get all pissy and storm off because people disagree with you, then I'd say "grow a pair".
My husband likes mimosas and so I have one (argh). It was here when we moved here, I did NOT plant it.
They are a pretty tree and do smell good and do attract hordes of butterflies, but all I see when I look at one is SEEDLINGS COMING UP ALL OVER MY YARD.
And lots of gardening experience, too. Which I will gladly share with you. And which you are most cordially invited to consider, or dismiss. It's up to you.
But it's not up to someone else to say that my experience is wrong, or stupid or silly. That is condescending, patronizing and insulting.
Do whatever you want. But if what you're doing flies in the face of common sense or science, then spreading that "information" can be dangerous. For example, if you think vinegar kills your weeds, good for you. Keep doing it. But someone needs to counter such a statement by informing the group that vinegar doesn't kill reliably, doesn't kill roots and can do more harm than good.
By the way, I was a gardener for thirty years as well, before I returned to college to study plant sciences. I learned that half of what I "knew" was wrong, and I learned that plants and turf can be very forgiving to poor cultural practices, making some gardeners certain that what they're doing is THE way to do it. You can denigrate college all you like, but you will only be denigrating yourself when you do so.
And lots of gardening experience, too. Which I will gladly share with you. And which you are most cordially invited to consider, or dismiss. It's up to you.
But it's not up to someone else to say that my experience is wrong, or stupid or silly. That is condescending, patronizing and insulting.
I suppose it isn't condescending to tell people their college hort classes mean nothing in the face of your experience?
I know no one past or present on this forum who has tried to pass themselves as experts in gardening. Some of us have degrees in horticulture, botany, careers in landscaping design, landscape maintenance, extension service all over the country, etc. And some of us are completely self taught. Most of us offering advice have experience of several decades. One thing I learned rather quickly is that this field changes and rapidly.
I got my BS in Landscape Design/Horticulture in 1976 and I can't believe the changes in approach and theory which has happened in the past , say, 15-20 years.
In 1980 I went to a popular nursery and asked the owner to see her selection of perennials. She looked at me funny and said "Most people like to grow only annuals cause they rip them out and can start fresh every spring. I don't carry perennials except some herbs". I knew she was not keeping up in her field. The next year I went she was behind the cash register and directed customers to her new Nursery Manager "who is up to date on what is popular now." She got wise and is still in business despite a Home Depot and Lowes not too far away.
Today we have so many more varieties of favorite plants, products to grow them and general population interest in all things gardening. It is a good thing and I love seeing really young people taking an interest in gardening. All the elementary schools in my community have a small garden patch.
It takes a concerted effort to keep up with changes and to read catalogues and bulletins from our extension services and universities and to take hands on classes. We have to recognize that change is not threatening and can be beneficial. At the same time we can appreciate advice from old timers who are perfectly happy with how they have been doing things for 50 years. There is room for all.
My husband likes mimosas and so I have one (argh). It was here when we moved here, I did NOT plant it.
They are a pretty tree and do smell good and do attract hordes of butterflies, but all I see when I look at one is SEEDLINGS COMING UP ALL OVER MY YARD.
I used to walk under one in a yard on my way to classes. One day I commented to the owner working in his yard how pretty it was. He growled at me and cussed and said he lamented the day he let his wife persuade him to plant it. He spent a great deal of time pulling up suckers and all the messy pods. He said he would pay me to chop it down one late night and tell his wife vandals got to it. After that I did some research and soon learned a pretty face can hide a lot of ugly facts.
I think it's a problem with all online forums. On the photography forums that I belong to, you would not believe the anger and rudeness that is often shown! Put up a thread that you like digital, and it becomes a flame war with the film shooters. Mention that you like Nikon, and all the Canon people are offended. Say that you usually develop you TRi-X at 68 degrees for 9 minutes, and all manner of "experts" will tell you that what you're doing is just plain wrong, and how could you be such an idiot?
In real life, people form groups that after a while sort themselves out into folks that have quite a bit in common. If you don't fit in, you feel it and go somewhere else. Online, anyone and everyone chimes in and everyday courtesy goes by the wayside. I'm also sure that a lot of it is because w/o seeing the person, without hearing their tone of voice, and without reading their body language, things are all too easily misunderstood. A video conversation wouldn't go this route. Maybe that's a solution. Online video forums.
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Heck, why not grow a whole row! 
