I don't answer a question if I don't know the answer. I suspect this is true for all of us... We are here to give and receive advice but can only speak about something we know. Equally at times there are so many questions it is not surprising that some do not get answered at all.

Good answer, Moon. I agree absolutely: no point answering unless we're sure of our reply.

I try - but I agree - I don't like giving unclear or even wrong information, so if I can't research it or know from experience, I leave the question.

I only reply about plants I grow and know about and its experience of other members that helps me nurture or even decide what to grow next.
Some members do look at the unanswered questions and answer some of them.
But I think the fact we have an unanswered questions section enforces what some members have already said - we talk about what we know and leave (for others) what we dont! This is one of the reasons I like this site not a lot of silly or rambling rubbish answers, that you get on some sites.

I agree Denise

I feel bad about it though when questions aren't answered. There's one at the moment that's worrying me - about protecting rhodos in Ontario or somewhere far colder than snug little Britain. I was considering posting something along the lines of "Sorry, nobody seems to know the answer to this. We don't get temperatures lower than about 12 F in the UK)

(Edited later - found that 2 people have now given sensible answers - phew! Can stop worrying now :-) )

I know what you mean Beattie I looked at that one and thought, nope I don't know the answer.

And me - I thought about saying to brush off the snow - but the poor rhodo could well be buried in the white stuff for months for all I know! :-(

I like to read the Questions/Aswers,because my book of knowledge (brain) has not got much info on gardening,so learning form some of the Q/A

If its any comfort to you, Tugbrethil, I do quite often take questions from the Unanswered section, provided I have any clue as to what to say! But there was one about Conference Pears having hard bits in when eaten - I've experienced this in supermarket ones, but I've no idea what causes it... so therefore couldn't answer.

Lawsy! Sorry, I didn't mean to set off a storm! I just wanted to make sure people knew about it, and I obviously shouldn't have worried. I don't like to answer without knowing, either, and the few times I have answered from research, I have tried to make clear that that wasn't my own experience talking. Maybe, for members at least, we could try to let them know the aren't being snubbed, but so far, no one has known what to do about their problem?

I do agree with Drc, though, that bad info is worse than none!

I cleared the list today, Tug, lol!

Oh well done, Bamboo! :-)))

Indeed extremely well done!

Zapp! Kapow!! Go Bamboo!! : D

Bloomin' boring, looking up fruit problems...

I bet...

Well done too Bamboo and I have noticed before that you do take the time to do this.

Really? How did you know it was me?

I didn't know it was possible to empty the "unanswered questions" box. I imagined it was full of years worth of questions that no-one had attempted.

Full marks Bamboo! :-)
And have a gold star to stick in your exercise book as well.

LOL.

You have forgotten Bamboo - I think it was last year you asked where the unanswered questions had gone and again this year you said something about them. I noticed because I look at them too sometimes.

Well obviously my memory's not as good as I thought it was, lol!
Gold star Beattie, well, don't think I've ever had one of those... it's just my 'fairness' and pedantic streak coming out - I don't like to think of someone sitting out there being ignored, cos that's how it feels if no one answers, I'd guess.

so what causes the harder bits in pears? I knew they were gritty due to sclerenchyma tissue but why some gets more I assumed was a mineral/water deficiency during development.

There is a virus called Stony Pit I think - this causes hard lumps in the flesh, but you also notice that the fruits are misshapen. I can't find that question any more, it's disappeared, so can't respond, too late.

It's good to know about that virus, Bamboo. I didn't want to respond to that question with research, because of my complete ignorance of pears! Seaburngirl can probably point to my efforts to understand how to pick them, and laugh! : )

What I know about pears, and fruit generally, could be written on the head of a pin, Tugbrethil - but I do have the RHS book of Plant Pests and Diseases, so I research it in there. I have to say its resulted in my knowing more about plant problems than I ever wanted to know... sometimes, ignorance is bliss, lol.

Amen! Never read the nutritional labels on the food in the store, or "health magazines"!

ooh no, the nutritional labels are great if you're trying to lose weight - by the time you realise its got enough saturated fat for the average woman for a week, you have no trouble putting it straight back on the shelf, thus saving the financial loss involved in gaining weight, lol! Anyway, if the sandwich I fancied has 29 grammes of fat, I'd rather have a Mars bar, thanks...