Subject: Re: Scope or focus of newsgroup
From: wtmorgan@pilot.msu.edu (Bill Morgan)
Organization: Michigan State University
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 1997 15:04:25 -0400
Message-ID: <MOD$971021.12137@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$971001.5596@rec.gardens.ecosystems> <MOD$971019.4532@rec.gardens.ecosystems>


In article <MOD$971019.4532@rec.gardens.ecosystems>,
R.Zwaagstra@ppsw.rug.nl (Ronald Zwaagstra) wrote:

> If we rely on nature rather than on chemicals that are often produced
> at substantial environmental costs, we need to have some faith in our
> understanding of nature. If we elect to follow advice blindly, without
> an understanding about what would make the advice work, we will be
> confronted with a mixture of successes and failures. This will surely
> create a chaos that most people are not willing to accept. A single
> plant may have a hard time for one of several reasons, e.g. a lack of
> organic matter, a too shady or too sunny spot, an unsuitable type of
> soil. The advice to add lots of compost will not be very fruitful if
> the plant is simply misplaced. Unfortunately, this is still a common
> kind of advice asked for and offered, even in this group.

A very good point.

One consistant problem here [and in the mother group and the sibling r.g.*
groups] is that often (usually?) people asking for advice give inadequate
information.

One often sees calls for advice which reveal very little about the actual
situation. Often, there is no information as to where, geographically the
poster lives. There is no clue as to climates or soils. Zone 3 is a very
different beast from zone 6. And even within a zone, there are soil matters
to consider. Zone 5 in a region with thin, highly alkaline soils (parts of
the Great Plains) is very different from zone 5 in a neighboring area with
thick, near-neutral or acidic soils (Corn Belt).

Forgive me for only talking about the US here: this group is indeed
international, but the US has enough variation that the point can be made
very well. Washington, Nebraska, Wyoming, Georgia, Missouri, Idaho, and
Tennessee are all very different places for the gardener*. And in fact,
each state named contains enough variety that what works well in one place
in the state will not work well in another, and might fail completely.
That's just the US. Add in the fact that people all over the world tap into
the UseNet, and you start to realize that it is important for people to let
you know where they live.

Things that we tend to advocate as panaceas are things that *usually* work.
But some of these things may be good advice 80% of the time, and really
stupid in the other 20%. Or maybe it is 95/05 or 70/30. Few things work all
the time. We are looking at ecosystems here, and each ecosystem is
different. What works in an arid region might work in a semi-arid region,
but may well fail in a very humid region. What works in an arctic area
might work in a temperate area, but will likely not work in a tropical
region.

And that does not even begin to take into consideration other factors like
local microclimates: the amount of sun/shade, dampness of the soil, etc.;
things that can vary greatly over a distance of only a few yards. Aside
from the big differences I mentioned earlier, it is true that what works
where you live may not work a mile away. What works in the sunny corner of
your yard may fail in the shaded area in the opposite corner.

The point is that when one asks for advice, he/she should include as much
information as possible. Let people know where you live. The city is a nice
start. In the US, USDA and Sunset zones help. The particulars of your
yard/garden are good things to know. The *exact* site that you are talking
about is important, too.

So when you ask for advice, let us know what you are dealing with. Don't
make us guess. Give us information about your location and climate. Let us
know anything you can tell us about the soil you are working [with], and
the particular siting: sun/shade, etc...

*I left out such unconnected places as Michigan, Florida, Hawaii, Alaska,
Maine and California. All the states in the first list border at least one
other state in that list.

Regards,
Bill

--
Bill Morgan
wtmorgan@pilot.msu.edu
Center for Room Temperature Confusion