Got banned from a local Facebook gardening group for suggesting someone use pine needles instead of bark mulch

Last month in the "Springfield Gardeners" group I posted that pine needles drop the pH just like bark does and the admin said I was spreading dangerous misinformation and removed me within 20 minutes, has anyone else run into ultra strict mods in hobby groups?

3 comments

3 Comments

eva_ward8822d ago

Three weeks ago in the "Portland Plant Swap" group I got kicked for saying that diatomaceous earth works better than neem oil for fungus gnats. The admin sent me a whole paragraph about how I was "encouraging harmful pesticide alternatives" but like, its just ground up fossils. People get so wrapped up in these little hobby group rules that they forget its just dirt and plants at the end of the day. Are these mods really that worried about a gardening tip or do they just enjoy the power trip?

wren_carr22d ago

Oh pine needles don't actually lower pH much, that's a common myth.

hannaht2914d ago

Got banned from a local reptile keeping group once for saying you can use paper towels as temporary substrate for a sick gecko. The mod wrote me a novel about how I was promoting neglect, meanwhile I'd kept that same gecko alive for 12 years with paper towels during vet visits. People get weirdly territorial about their little online kingdoms, I guess.