Back from crazy week

I have had one of the most crazy weeks of my life. I drove down to Miami FL for the aroid show were I bought around 2,000.00 worth of plants. I then drove back to find out my cousin David Seals of Chicago was killed at age 20 in a freak motorcycle accident he was only going 10 to 15 miles an hour no less than 150 feet from his house. I then drove up to Chicago for the funeral. I finally got home last night. I think I have gone through every emotion known this week and all the driving has taken a bit of a toll on me. I am glad this week is gone I doubt I could do it again.

Here are photos of my trip to Miami and tons of the plants I got while their.

Here I am at the auction. This is the true form of philodendron Santa Leopoldina or also known as spiritus-sancti this is possibly the most rare and saught after aroid on the planet. Only one known wild plant has ever been seen. The leaves stay very narrow and can get around 4 to 5 feet long. I bid 1,100.00 for this and I did not win it LOL. For that price you can be sure I am crazy.

Here is a pic of the plant on display at the aroid show. These plants are brought in for show and also judged. I had the honor of being one of the two judges in placing awards for best in show most unusual and most well grown.

Brian, So sorry about the loss of your cousin.

Jackie

Help me here for a moment.....

Aroids and phils are related? I can see that, but I didn't know. Are they all in the same show?

Also, those big Mamas......I want one...... Where I live, can I have it? Can I sneak it into luggage? Right.

Seriously, where can I get one? I have a friend that I know would like one too and lives not far from me.

Congrats on being a judge. You must be a big Mahaf!!!!


Hap

brian,

How awful for your family. My heart goes out to you all.

How wonderful for you to have attended the Aroid show, and, wow!, to be asked to judge, also. What an honor.

That philo is so unique- can't imagine it being up for auction-being so rare and all.

Those monster aroids are unbelievable! Can you please tell me their name?

Deanna

So sorry for your loss.

Viv

Brian I'm glad the week is finally over for you.
I know how much you've been looking forward to the Show.
Such a HIgh to such a Low.
Years ago we lost a 15 year old neighbor we'd known from birth to Snowmobile accident, doing 10 MPH, freaky and senseless.
Sit down, relax a bit and regroup.

When you feel up to it I'm sure we'll be hearing a bunch about the show from you.
Sorry to hear you didn't get the spiritus-sancti.
Tell me you did snag that Philodendron maximum.........................

Hap,
All Araceae are included in Aroids. Have Spathe will travel! lol

Ric

Brian
So sorry to hear your news, a life lost is always a difficult time foa a family and especially at such a young age. Welcome back.

Brian when you are up to it I would love to know about that giant EE in your first post. Where and when can I get one. Love it.

I lost my oldest son about 9 years ago in a car wreck. It is so hard to take. I have your whole family in my thoughts.

Like Hap said, 'Sit down, relax a bit and regroup'.
We have missed you.

Linda

Very sorry to hear of your loss Brian. On another note, congrats on being a judge! I too, am waiting to hear about the first picture!

Hi Bryan

So sorry to hear of your loss. I loss my 27 yr old daughter 7 days after she gave birth to her 2nd child and at first I was so angry. We had done everything so they would have memories of us after we died and thank God for those memories now. You have to enjoy life and people to the fullest because you never know. That baby in now 9 and a clone of her mother so I started over.

My Grandmother use to say don't go to bed mad at someone. Settle it right there and then.
Jeri

Sorry to hear of your loss Brian.

Looks like you had a great time in Florida and congrats on the judging position. Love the first photo.

That stinks about your cousin.

Those EE's are sick! I have a LONG ways to go for mine to get anywhere near that :)

Brian sorry to hear about your loss. You and your family will be in my prayers.


This message was edited Sep 25, 2006 12:33 PM

Brian, so glad you're home now. What a week, you had. Hope you find some quiet time to reflect and regroup. Thanks for posting your pics & congrats on being a judge! -B

((((hugs)))) you need one after your last few weeks.

Lavina

Wonderful photos of the show! My thoughts are w/ you and your family, the loss of such a young person is always difficult.
April

Brian is the very first photo you have posted in this forum a CALODORA GIANT Persian Palm Elephant Ear???

The first photo is a pic of Alocasia Borneo Giant. calodora can get about this size but borneo will get even bigger with age.

I'm so sorry for your family's loss. Definitely a high and low week. Thanks for the pictures.

Brian

Do you have any experience with alocasia robusta? I ask because I just ordered 6 and then have talked to people that say they are hard to keep alive. What do you think?

Jeri

They are not the easiest Alocasia in the world that is for sure. They tend to like it very warm and humid. If to wet or a bit cool they will fall over from the base and rot away. Once you get them past the 1 foot area they will seem a bit easier to grow. With many like this I try to keep them in a restricted pot so they drain faster using a airy soil mix. Do not over fertilize they are heavy feeders when conditions are right but in a lot of cases the fertilizer will burn up new roots. I always use a time release fertilizer and I put the fertilizer at the edge of the pot usually a inch into the soil. I have lost many due to being to wet so let it dry off between watering. I use pro mix soil but any peat base soil should do well.

I lost my first robusta last Fall.
It was about 18" tall but never 'robust'. lol
After reading Brian's advice on it over the Winter I decided to give it another shot.
I now have a budding monster on my hands.
It's well over 3' tall and tough as nails.
I'm using a peat/compost/orchid bark mix which drains supper fast.
It WILL be coming in soon before the cool Fall rains start.

Ric

Brian

I've heard you talk about pro-mix before and looked for it here in La. Nobody knows anything about it. Where would someone find it.

Jeri

jeri, pro-mix is just a soiless mix. Soiless mixes are almost always a combination of peat, vermiculite and perlite. Some of the mixes have composted pine bark in them as well. They all have a slow release lime charge in them to combat the lower PH of the peat so the PH is about 6.2 or so. They almost all have a small amt of "starter fertilizer" in them as well. They are all sterilized and usually come in compressed bales of 3.3 yds. The majority of people who use them are commercial growers of some sort-so you would have to look for them at a place that sells growing supplies to grhouse growers or nurseries. The advantage to them is that they drain very well, and of course, they are sterile-so there is no fungus to deal with ( unless the bales have been sitting around with holes in them, wet for a while). Because they don't have any soil in them, you should use a over 50% nitrate nitrogen fertilizer rather than urea or ammonical nitrogen. Once you switch to the ground then urea/ammonical fert ( with some nitrate) can be used.

Thanks tigerlily123

I keep hearing about pro-mix but couldn't find it. Last night at our MG meeting the speaker was even talking about it. He uses it for bromilia(sp). He told me where to find it locally.

Jeri