Thanks for the input. I too think the thing looks like a baby aspirator. It's the nozzels, that would have to make it work right. I also use the toothpick method for small seeds. However, when they get down to the size of poppy or petunia, they seem to adhere to the end of the wetted toothpick, more than releasing to the growing medium. And as far as using that for seed that is as fine as dust, for me, the toothpick method doesn't work at all. I was hoping this contraption would maybe work. Thinking, that it is constructed so that the seed will not go into the squeeze bulb. As I mentioned, if they do go past the nozzel, they are lost. I'm sure you know how surface tension can hold these smallest of seed to whatever they are on. The garden supply that I was thinking of buying it from says (I contacted them) it will be fine. I'd rather though have opinions of someone who has actually tried it with begonias and the like, rather than depened on their customer service person and the description in the catalog, which states it "can" handle even dust-like seed. A supply of toothpicks and a cup of water is lots cheaper than the $20 this will cost. --I'd could almost buy a good proprogation book with the savings. If anyone has more ideas, I'd like to hear: On either this seeder or how do you handle, the sowing of dust-fine seed? --the best I've been able to do is mix them with sand in a salt/pepper shaker and sprinkle that over the germinating medium. I've found though, that even with that method, the sand usually covers the seed; then, germination fails since they can't get light. Bob T

Only started Passiflora caerulea from seed. And yes, maypop is P. incarnata. I've read that Passiflora seeds should be germinated fairly soon after harvesting & if left too long, they tend to enter dormancy. I germinated mine much warmer than Penz did & provided soil temperature about 25-30 C (78-85 F). They seem to like the warmth & germinated quickly in about a week. Cover them with about 1 inch planting media & keep moist. If you plant them too shallow, they'll sprout but the seed coat will tend to stay on. Give them time to send their 1st roots down & by pushing up through the soil, the softened seed coat is helped off. Sorry I have no experience with starting the others from seeds.

Thanks OldTimeCarpenter1. Any thoughts on Santec or Sigma brand? Our two local plumbing supply stores don't carry California Faucets, which makes me curious as to why. I will have to see if I can find them somewhere to see them in person. I can say that based on what I see online I am not a fan of their logo imprint on the shower trim plate. I hate big logos (another reason why I like newport brass) I will be honest, I don't know much about fixture components. From what I have seen all the brands have plastic parts and from what I have read almost all have at least some components made in China. All I can see and know is how it looks and feels in the showroom. Some brands definitely feel more heavy and solid where as others feel light thin and plastic. I was actually surprised how many shower heads were actually plastic and not metal. I guess as with anything it is a balance between style, quality, and cost. My husband eliminated about 80-90% of the brands & styles when he insisted on a high neck victorian faucet that had a thicker trunk spout. He also did not want any shower trim plates where you could see screws. I want a stylish tub spout, so that eliminated the Delta, Moen and Kohler tub spouts which to me look like clunky builder grade Home Depot/Lowes specials. I also prefer that the shower trim plate have a built in diverter on the trim plate or a separate matching diverter. Kohler had nothing that fit our criteria until they came out with the new Artifacts line, however it is on the pricey side for Kohler. I wouldn't describe it as a "value" line, as it is coming in about 15% more than the newport brass. A quick look at Sigma, Santec, Graff, Calfornia, Rohl, etc....they are all priced higher than Newport Brass. Some by a lot. Are they a much higher quality in comparison?

I disagree, partially. You should only trust your instinct when science hasn't provided an answer for a while. Instinct is a decent "backup". Science is essentially instinct, backed up with evidence. "Trust your instincts" is basically a nice way of saying "go with your gut". I think that's a crazy way to poke your way through the darkness when you're dealing with a child who looks like they can't breathe. I just spent a sleepless night worrying about my boy's ragged, irregular breathing, and snotty coughing interfering with his feeding. I was scared, nervous, and didn't really ever feel like I was doing exactly the right thing. But frankly, that's just tough for me. I pulled an all-nighter of fear so that my wife, a doctor, could finally get some regular sleep. She woke up, walked into the bedroom, and basically diagnosed the problem as a non-problem in minutes with an aspirator, warm water, and a minute or two at the breast. As a parent, you just have to accept a certain amount of uncertainty, and the notion that some problems don't have obvious, immediate solutions. My boy's a premie, so nobody's more scared of the sniffles or apnea than I am. But MAN, I was amazed the way some of the other parents treated those poor nurses in the NICU. I'm not calling doctors infallible. I think we're just going through a cultural swing from one ridiculous extreme to the other. Fifty years ago doctors could do no wrong. In movies and books they were treated like demi-gods who could talk to anyone like they were illiterate peasants. Now the opposite absurdity is coming into effect. Now, in our hyper-commodified society, where everything has a price, we treat doctors like we treat a waiter at a cheap cafe. Like some pack animal that's there to suit our every whim, immediately. I've also noticed that, with our criminally inefficient health care system for the rich, we tend to take that frustration out on the nurses and doctors who are basically just the public "face" of our system. Parenting, though, is still the same, more or less. It's nervewracking, and makes you feel sometimes like you're just sitting there watching someone asphyxiate. But you're not (mostly). And thank God we don't just "trust our instincts". If we did, we'd still be burning women at stakes for "witchery" and bleeding people when they sneezed too loud at parties.