We don't have that issue where I am located. They capture steelhead fry and put PIT tags in them. PIT tags are an RFID chip coated in glass and about the size of a grain of rice. When the fish return from the ocean years later the detected by electronic sensors strung across the river.

What brand and type of soil are you using? If you are using a soil that has any parts that are mulch, that can be a carrier of mold. Soils that use just new materials tend to have lower mold spore loads. When taking cuttings, it is also important that you do not leave damaged leaves on cuttings, or bury any leaves on the cuttings. Both can lead to mold.

@@AgTeacherThoughts I'm using promix. It's basically a peat/perlite mix. I do remove any leaves the fall off the cuttings right away so they don't mold on the growing media

Yep, it's one of the very few reasons it was brought over from Europe to the USA.

It was just a happy little accident. Glad you enjoyed that humor.

I'm just doing my job as a teacher. Make sure you're subscribed and watch for new videos as I upload them.

There are ways to induce it. In fact I was discussing it with the science teacher I work with at the high school just this last week. He has a doctorate in Biochemistry and worked extensively with plant genetics in a government funded lab. Unfortunately that portion of plant work is really his field and not mine. His words to me when I asked if we could do it in our lab was "Not around High School Students. Not only can that alter plant DNA, it can also change yours." I took that as a pretty hard "No."

First off, don't worry about too many questions. My job is answering questions. I've been providing customer support since I was in elementary school when our family opened our first retail nursery location. Now I teach and answer student questions all year long. Florida is one of the unique locations where you could get this plant to live outdoors year round. Humidity isn't generally a problem as it is easier for them to maintain their moisture. My firefly petunia stays outside in direct sunlight here and it was 114 F yesterday. As long as you make sure it does not dry out, you are okay. As far as blossom size, quarter to fifty cent piece is typical for this variety. This is what is known as a patio variety. Don't expect long trailing branches, big leaves or large 3" plus blossoms. It is designed to be kept in a planter or container. This leads to lack of branching and compact shapes. If you prune for shape, understand that their slow growth rate will mean it takes time to start blossoming again. When a plant first develops a bud for a blossom it takes a full month for that bud to bloom. That's one month from differentiated meristematic cells to open flower. So when you cut off formed buds, it takes quite awhile to start flowering again. If you desire, also keep some of the branches you cut off for cuttings as a backup plan in case you have issues. Also, transition your plant outside slowly. Start with it in complete shade for a week, then part sun for another week then after that you can place it in the sun. If you need more questions answered don't hesitate to comment. I will get to them as soon as I can. Also, make sure you subscribe as I will be adding more material each week, and a lot more plant content when we start planting again in January.

@@AgTeacherThoughts thank you VERY much for taking the time to respond! This is so interesting...I know very little about these plants and really appreciate the info. As we get closer to fall I can try to acclimate my petunia slowly to an outdoor environment. I don't mind if the plant takes time to blossom, I just don't want to irreparably damage it by cutting it back, say, 50% when it's as small as it is right now. Having never done this I just don't know how much is too much. I guess if I start small, and with the longest limbs, that will be good. It pretty much has three long "stalks" with a flower at the tip of each, I don't see it bushing out to the sides much, so was thinking maybe I'm supposed to shape it. I've subscribed and will definitely be watching your petunia-related footage, probably other stuff too, you've got an interesting channel. Thanks again!

Yes they were working on it to make sure that it didn't need special feed to glow. They were quite successful. It isn't bright, but is more like the reflected light you'd get off of an alarm clock. It also glows best after a good watering with fertilizer.

I have tried to become a grower partner and raise them, but I have received no response from the company. There was a lot of work on getting it glowing, but not as much on making a good garden variety.

My home is located in a neighboring town outside of the fire area. So we are pretty safe here. I myself came from an area that in 2020 saw massive fires. The fires that year destroyed entire towns and cost the lives of 11 people. It was almost an apocalyptic atmosphere in our town where the street lights came on and stayed on for four days the smoke was so thick.

They need a lot of light and fertilizer. A window is not enough so give it supplemental light if possible. The buds will come eventually. I trimmed mine quite heavily and I am just now seeing buds again.

The stereotypes were mounted and locked onto the press cylinders, and, like the type forms themselves, melted down for re-use after the press run. My career was mostly in offset printing, but I learned all about letterpress in high school, and I had a small letterpress shop in my basement for many years.

That pot that I used is as large as I will go. It holds enough moisture for me for it to be watered every other day. I don't foresee the plant using the full volume of soil. So yes, this is large as I go.

@@AgTeacherThoughts Thank you. Looking forward to more update videos.

Yes, but it is indiscriminate so any aquatic animal will struggle and surface.

It's a myth.

Petunias tend to be the tanks of the garden. Typically they do not care if they get wet. However, with this one it does seem to be a little more sensitive, probably due to the varietal choice. The internode spaces are small, and the leaves tend to shadow one another which makes them susceptible to moisture related issues. I have also noticed that some grow lights are a bit too strong for plants. I've had some seedlings that struggled with the intensity of the lights. If you have a place outside, and a sacrificial start try growing one outside to see if it performs better there for you.

They are not self pollinating, they need some help. Mine are outside so they have insect help. Inside there is nothing to transfer the pollen unless you intervene with a q-tip. Take a q-tip and insert into the bottom of the flower bell. Twist it a time or two, then insert it into another blossom and repeat the process. You can also cross pollinate by first putting the q-tip into another colored petunia and then into your target petunia. Just know, if you want glowing petunias, not all seedlings will glow. The glow needs a light colored blossom. And you are not able to sell the seed as the firefly petunias are patented.

Thanks for the Q-Tip, er, tip! One of my survivors is going leggy / bolting (not sure of the right term in this case) & growing a brand new flower! It's also by far the brightest part of any of the plants. I want to be VERY SURE to get seed "just in case". So far it's the only one flowering but 5/10 survivors I'm not complaining as long as they're coming back. Related I still need to contact Light Bio on a refund or something for the other 5 casualties of shipping in a record heat July in black boxes & bad soil: in fact, 1 plant was still in its peat plug (which looked like a wine cork)! Let you know how it goes... Mike in Arizona

They are an amazing plant and it is a remarkable survival mechanism.

There are a lot of variables to success. It's been too hot here to take cuttings from the petunias I have been breeding. I need to take them on a cool morning. When I do, I will shoot a video about it. I don't root my cuttings in water as there is a higher risk of fungal issues. I use damp potting media with a liquid rooting hormone.

Yup, eventually I will find a claim of my own. Then I can spend my summers digging dirt and seeing that shiny.

The tree has been removed to maintain a good relationship with the neighbors. I know they have some value, but the hazards and annoyance outweighed any potential benefits to keeping the tree.

There are several videos on the channel where I show it in the dark. These do not glow super bright and need long exposures to show up on camera.

@@AgTeacherThoughts does it glow like the ceiling stars irl?

That's probably the best description of the glow.

Fertilizer: Jack's Classic Petunia FeED 20-6-22 at a rate of 1 Tablespoon dissolved in 1/gallon of water. Water it with fertilizer water every watering. As far as the seed, I do not know on this variety what method they use for pollination. Mine is outside so there are plenty of options for bees to pollinate it. I also have many petunias near by, so it could be set via any method. They do set seed, but propagation in any form is prohibited by law as they are patented.

I also wanted to add some feedback, because I’ve spent a lot of time learning about this (and I spend way too much time watching thousands of videos). Since your video is titled “Edges for a Garden,” I was expecting tips on garden borders like logs, plastic, or stones, I was pleasantly surprised by the detailed information on sharpening and using garden hoes. The content was incredibly informative! To help optimize your video’s reach and better align the title with the actual content, I have a few title suggestions: 1. “Sharpen Your Garden Hoe Like a Pro: Essential Tips and Tricks” 2. “Ultimate Guide to Sharpening Garden Hoes for Perfect Edges” 3. “Transform Your Gardening: How to Sharpen and Use a Garden Hoe” 4. “Boost Your Gardening Skills: Sharpening and Using Garden Hoes” 5. “Why a Sharp Garden Hoe Makes All the Difference: How to Sharpen and Use It” 6. “Garden Hoe Mastery: Sharpening Techniques and Usage Tips” 7. “Maximize Your Garden Efficiency: Sharpen and Use Your Garden Hoe” 8. “From Dull to Sharp: Perfecting Your Garden Hoe for Better Results” 9. “Garden Tool Hacks: Sharpening Your Garden Hoe for Optimal Performance” 10. “Expert Tips on Sharpening and Using Garden Hoes for Better Gardening” These titles might attract viewers specifically looking for advice on maintaining and using their garden tools. Thanks for the great tips! Best, Ernesto

Yeah, I tried several titles and the computer algorithm would not promote this video when I used those titles. Anything that said sharp or knife, or hoe was held. So I had to be non-specific. It's just the way it is some time. Glad you found the video though.

@@AgTeacherThoughts these algorithms are getting ridiculous… censoring everyday words

It is famous for it's name and how it came about. Here is the link to the long format video that explains it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHnLmWSVr9VmkKcfeature=shared

The genetic material is patented. So propagation or sexual reproduction using is prohibited by law. I do know of some individuals who are licensed through the company to work on that, but it is not something I plan to do.

Petunias are in the nightshade family. They can develop roots at any point along their stem. However, they can only grow branches from nodes where there is intact meristematic tissue (a bud).

@@AgTeacherThoughts This is good info, thank you. I have some of those “starry sky” petunia’s and i want to try and propagate them over the winter.

They are fun to learn about. My students were pretty awestruck when I took it to class.

@@AgTeacherThoughts Thank you for the tips on what to set the camera at by the way, it was very helpful. At the end of the 5 minute clip, the last 30 seconds show a short video of them rooting and in the aeroponic tower garden. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2nOl4CmfbZgidUsi=qZONTGt2dN6vP0wJ

Yup, fun having a new pet in the garden.

As long as you are aware and willing to accept that you will not have blossoms for awhile you can do that. Just remember that it takes one month from flower bud formation to when it opens as a blossom. This also means you will have to wait for them to form. When you pinch you activate the buds below the pinch, and these need to grow out before they start forming flower buds. So it may be 6-7 weeks before you see blossoms from where you pinched.

@@AgTeacherThoughts okay great thanks! I don't mind waiting. But I wonder how they get the calibrachoa so dang bushy at the nursery, I don't think my basket will ever achieve that look. I will keep trying though lol

One change I would make is to definitely put a filter over the intake. It will keep random debris from clogging the emitters. I made that change after shooting the video.

@@AgTeacherThoughts thanks!

Glad you enjoyed it.

Always!

Budworms prefer blossoms. Luckily on my plant the brightest part are the new buds. I keep feeding him blossoms. We will see, but no noticeable changes yet.

We purchase our plugs from a Ball Seed. They are a supplier for commercial growers. They are a great supplier if you are looking for large quantities of plants.

Here is a link of one of my trips to see the new varieties that were available through Ball Seed: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6erc4WgdtucbK8feature=shared

I can certainly give you some ideas. First of all, we have to consider the size of the container it is currently in, and the type of potting soil. For the container, once you receive your plant it needs to be transplanted into a container no less than a one gallon nursery container. These are pots about six inches across and ten inches deep. The soil should be a peat moss and pearlite mix. I recommend Sunshine Mix Number 4, which can be found at either Lowes or Home Depot. After the container, we need to think of watering. You should water it daily with enough water to ensure it runs through the pot. A decent size pot should be able to hold enough water for a whole day. Next, let's consider your climate, if the temperature is above 90 with low relative humidity you may need to water morning and evening.

@@AgTeacherThoughts All very useful information. I replanted them yesterday into deeper gallon pots - they were in ceramic- with the sunshine mix you recommended. It's only 68 here today, so even after 1 thorough watering it's still damp next day. I'll water again tomorrow and see how it goes. Took a picture after replanting so it will be possible to judge if they are getting bushier. Thanks so much for the help

Yes, and no. Yes we need a longer petunia, but not a Supertunia. There are growth habit differences between Supertunias and true trailing petunias such as Surfina Pink Vein. Supertunias were bred to sprawl out across the ground and don't make good baskets. Their branches tend to stick straight out. Petunias like Surfina Pink Vein are true trailing petunias and if cared for correctly can trail 4 foot or more. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHbSkoZnl52kmas

​@@AgTeacherThoughtsOhhh I didn't know they grew like that, thanks for letting me know

The difference between the two fertilizers is WHAT nitrogen is used. Miracle Gro uses Urea which is not in a form readily available to the plants. It must be broken down by bacteria into Nitrite and then another bacteria is required to take it from Nitrite to Nitrate. The problem is that potting medias are relatively sterile and do not contain the bacteria necessary to convert the urea all the way to Nitrate. It is the Nitrate that can be used by the plants. Jack's Classic uses primarily Nitrate Nitrogen and thus is immediately available to the plant and doesn't require a bacterial conversion.

@@AgTeacherThoughts I'm a little confused. Why am I getting such great results? I've used that tomato food on everything from vegetables to flowers in containers and the plants seem to blast off as soon as I start giving it to them. I've been buying it over the last few years just because of the results. I add compost and biochar to my vegetable containers. So maybe that's the reason? I generally buy (And don't hate me lol) topsoil. I get better results from topsoil than I do any bagged container soil. I don't know why, my friend lol. I look for the topsoil that already has a little compost in it then add a little more along with biochar. In contrast, I do have a few plants that were potted on the fly in miracle gro potting mix and have been in those pots for a little while (like my monstera) that also seem to really love it. Your guess is as good as mine brother! That's why I'm reaching out to you. Never stop learning. 💛

When you look at fertilizers they classified by the amount of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (N-P-K). The Jack's Classic Petunia FeED is 20-6-22. Jack's Classic Tomato Feed is 12-15-30. Each feed is scientifically designed to meet the needs of specific plants. The petunia feed has extra Iron (Fe) in it as that is a nutrient that petunias need to maintain their color as well as plenty of nitrogen to contribute to rapid plant growth. The tomato feed has extra calcium (Ca) in it to prevent blossom end rot but less nitrogen so you get more emphasis on blossoms and less foliage. Plants are like people, they can live on all sorts of foods. Yet, they need specific things to keep them healthy. By catering your feeding to your specific plant you allow them to perform at their best. ANY fertilizer will be better than no fertilizer, but the best results come from the right formulations for each plant.

@@AgTeacherThoughts really appreciate all your input my friend. It's huge! I'll give it a try and keep you posted. I have a feeling it's going to be the right move! Thank you 🙏

You should absolutely pinch trailing petunias. Trailing petunias require a minimum of three pinches. This allows for better more even shape of the baskets. Here's the video on how to pinch for shape. This is about baskets, but it works for pots too. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYHZmIyOqaile8U

I'd need to see a photo or have a description of the damage. Can you describe the size and shape of the damage? Is it just on the leaves, or blossoms, or stem? Is there any evidence of Frass (droppings) or slime trails? I have videos on Thrips, Aphids and Budworm. Each of the videos describes the damage and how to combat the pest.

@@AgTeacherThoughts its circular holes on the leaves and blooms similar to what ive experienced with other garden plants like cucumber or squash. mostly just general leaf damage. No slime trails or black spots or poops noticeable. even though im not able to specifically identify the pest i believe it to be beetles of some kind since that is what ive seen in the yard in the past. im not able to keep whatever it is off these things. edit: i went ahead and just moved them. maybe they are the tastiest thing in their area and i got them up off the ground i think this will help a little.

There are a few things that cut circular holes. In petunias this is most often Budworm. They appear early in summer, and start with holes and eventually as the caterpillars grow, they will eventually consume the entire blossom. OR it could conceivably be Cutter Bees. They cut and remove sections of leaves and blossoms to build nesting chambers. They nest in hollows of wood or old plant stems. Cutter bees are great pollinators so I wouldn't fight them. You can fight Budworm using a biological spray called Bt. Here is a video on that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmeZaHqel6ikpKMfeature=shared

It's not fungal, or viral. The yellowing is tied to nutrition. It's called Interveinal Chlorosis. Here is the video on how to fix it and identify it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5elmqegjt6ZhpY

I caught two pallets so far this year, and three pallets last year. I made quick work of the last two pallets in a raised bed project.

Yup, you would think they'd do a better job at protecting the bags from carts or forklifts. But since they don't we benefit.

Really as long as you are following the rates that are listed on the packaging, you should be fine and shouldn't have to worry about over feeding. Petunias are VERY heavy feeders, commercial growers like myself often practice "Constant Liquid Feeding" where the plants get fertilizer on every watering. When I am pushing them I feed them as heavy as one table spoon per gallon of water. Each basket takes about 2/3 of a gallon per watering. It is important that you add enough water to the basket that it runs freely through the pot. It should drip after watering as this allows for the flushing of salts and keeps them from building up where they could cause other issues.

I kindly respect plant patents. I deal with thousands of patented starts, this is no different. Plant patents are an incentive for plant breeders to innovate. Our gardens would be much duller without them. It is the goal of plant nerds like me to eventually develop a patented variety. Not having a patent can cost you millions. Check out my video on how a sweet potato breeder missed out on MILLIONS. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKrbhH13pZ18hM0feature=shared