I got an alocasia lauterbachiana

Linda, your A. lauterbachianas are shipping out this morning as I write. If the postal gods smile, you'll have them by Wednesday, but if not, by Thursday. Thanks!

:) I wondered where Linda was getting her fix... Good October everyone!

Thanks for the update LariAnn, I can't wait to get them. I need to get a bag of potting soil I am almost out. Is there any that you recommend? I would have to be able to get it from WalMart, we don't have to many places in my town to buy all the really good stuff.

Now you know AuntB. It is no longer a secret. LOL New day new month. My GH thermometer said it was 49 in there this morning, won't be long until I need to think about filling it up.

I hate winter. Now I have said it I am done. I will keep my smile on my face.

That's what we have to do isn't it? Endure it, with anticipation of our yardens for next year.... and catalogs, piddling with what's idling in the basement and DG, help sustain my sanity (well, kind of). lol

Well, y'all can live vicariously through the stories I'll tell this winter about goings-on at Aroidia. Lots of seedlings growing, things will be showing their true characters, and I'll post pics for all to enjoy. Got to stoke the fires for Spring 2008!

Linda - if they have some miracle-gro potting soil, that should be good. If you can get some perlite (not vermiculite), rinse it first to get rid of the powder and fluorides (pour it out on a piece of screen mesh, then rinse it out with your garden hose nozzle. this also makes it easier to mix with the soil), then mix it 1:1 with the potting soil to make your mix drain better. I use a 3:2:1 mix (by volume) of composted pine bark, washed perlite, and Pro-Mix BX (a professional peat based media, but Canadian sphagnum moss works well as a substitute) for Alocasias.

Thanks LariAnn, 1 to 1 - I don't think I'm using that much perlite. I'll adjust for the alo's. I'm getting ready to prep a mounded bed for next year, (more for colocasia) I was going to use soil, cotton burr mulch, sand and cow manure.... any tips? I'm excited for you to get your plants, Linda. My 2 little ones from blackjungle (wish I'd asked LariAnn, first) are doing fine - 1 is putting out a new leaf and the other seems to be idle, but I'm hopeful it's just adjusting to it's new environment.

AuntB,

The mounded bed sounds fine so long as it is well drained (i.e. is not in a low area of the yard or garden where water can pool). Soon I'll be readying a large raised planter for some special Philos and Alos so they can get big and blooming. I think I'm going to have to order in a 7 yd truckload of nursery soil mixed to my specs because I want MONSTERS in my planter and that's too much mix to make with my little concrete mixer (that's never mixed any concrete!)! You'll see when you get here.

No pooling water, the sand should help with drainage. Guess I should add a concrete mixer to my Christmas list.. I can hardly wait to meet you and see your set up and your MONSTERS!

Deb you are 2 zones warmer. Lucky you.

Yeah, sorry. I know, I shouldn't complain in front of Zone 6'ers. At least I don't have to dig up my EE's and such.
But in my zone it's stil too cold for my tropicals; its depressing to drag the giant BOP pot inside. And it's still a verrry long and verrry dark season. So thank goodness for DG!
Deb

Deb you are so correct.

So thank goodness for DG!

"its depressing to drag THE giant BOP pot inside"

Deb! I'm north of Linda, you're 3 zones warmer. I "drag" 6 25 gallon brug tubs, 10-12 hibiscus, 4 big ferns, 6 small ferns, countless ears and caladiums, voodoo lilies, passionvines, pipe vines, cactus, cannas, bat plant, flowering maple, baby brugs, house plants........... Drag in the BOP ;P (I'm getting MORE! - and I took Plant trading OFF my favorites!) lol

Try planting your tropicals in the ground in Spring,then dig them up and prune,repot and debug,then drag them into the greenhouses,several hundred!!!!!
But I love every minute of it,just hate getting old,each year the body takes a toll!!!!LOL

OK, go on and make me feel small. Ya know,... it's not just the giant BOP, it's just the hardest one to bring in. :)
Having said that, you definitely have a lot of draggin' to do! LOL!
T'man....hundreds??

You should throw a plant moving party. Invite all your friends and promise them food and drink for hefting a few pots. Hmm?


You guys have my total sympathy! I really shouldn't complain. I guess. ;>
Deb

When I get everything in,I'll take pics.
I give lots of plants away every fall as well,just don't have the room for all the pups that come up during the summer.
I have 6 palms that I will leave in the ground this winter,so not everything comes in!!!

Deb,I really didn't think you were complaining,but you living in a higher zone you don't need to bring in all the things that we most likely will have too!

Deb! I'm teasing you! 8a seems tropical to us up here. I AM too old (or too run down lol) to do the lifting so I have a couple of my kids and a family friend that does it. My pointer finger has started working pretty good after doing everything myself all these years.... my property is on a hill, so we (they) load them on a Polaris and drive them around the house, down the yard and to the garage door which is part of the basement. I lift the small ones around but I know my limits. I've started (they have to help here, too) sinking some in the ground, especially ee's cause they do better, so now I con them into planting and digging too! But they all like the tropical effect so they don't mind helping me. Winter is coming, no matter where you live and I guess it's a "ritual" for us all. No matter how large or small, but we love our plants so I guess it's all part of the cycle. Sorry I was so "hard" on you Deb, you know I luv ya! Wonder if Linda got her Lauterbachs from LariAnn..... my smaller one IS putting out a new leaf, too.

I haven't received it yet, I look for the Lauterbachiana to arrive today or tomorrow. Today is girls day out. There is 6 of us ole retired women that get together on the first Wed. of the month to play Keno. It's a card game. We each buy 2 $2.00 lotto tickets and use them for prizes. It is a game kinda like bingo but we use pennys to cover the numbers when they are called, and who ever wins gets everybodys pennies. Plus a lotto card. We go out to eat lunch, and sometimes we wax our hands and feet. It is just a day to get together with each other and play and gossip. You know how old hens do.

You chicks have a grand day, Linda. That is so cool.. Ladies' day out! Enjoy!

AuntB: Cool ! New leaf coming. So it must be adjusting well. :) Mine seems happy. (I love the speckled stems.)

Rainy (yay!) and warm/humid today. Doesn't feel at all like winter's coming. We probably won't have even seriously "chilly" weather til sometime in Nov. So, I'm leaving my tropicals out as long as possible. I do have one less palm to drag this year - a Queen palm that I put in ground in the spring. I'm pushing the zone with it, but it did fine on the porch with a few warming lights last winter.
Linda: Sounds like a good day. Maybe your plants'll be there when you get home.:)

I gotta say, if I did live up there in Z5 or 6, I probably wouldn't have many tropicals. My back can only lift so many big pots and I have no minions to press into service. ;->
I admire you all for giving it the effort you do.
Deb

I'm soooooooooooooo thankful for my minions! Gonna test the Queen palm, huh? I love it. The fact you are pushing zone 8... I'd keep some blankets and warming lights handy, just in case. (hmmmm?.... I can lift blankets and warming lights... ) Thanks, Deb!

AuntB: I do have lights to warm it and something to cover "Queenie" if need be. It grew alot over summer so I'm hopeful. :)
Deb

You were right Deb they were sitting on the front porch waiting on me to get home and unwrap them. They really look great. I watered them and now they are sitting and catching there breathe. I will take a couple of pictures in the morning after I repot them.

The stems are neat looking. So different. I like them. I am glad I let you girls talk me into getting them, or twisting my arm I can't remember which one it was, but thanks a bunch.

Happy to be of use.
;->

Linda,

So glad to hear the lauterbachs arrived safely! Enjoy them in good health. I've still got more, for anyone else who's looking.

LariAnn

Here is a picture of my new lauterbachs, I just finished transplanting, I wish I had the next size pots but will leave them in these until they need a larger one then transplant them.

I would advise anyone wanting one of these to get them from the same place I got mine, they are excellent looking plants.

Will okay I do have one more picture, you know how us parents are, we do like to show the pictures

Wow, NICE! What a perfect ending to your day, Linda... I just love the shape of the leaves and the difference in color from front to back... Suppose all of who got them this fall will have them grow as big as T-mans next spring??? I hope so! Who was the enabler that got us started? DebinSC?

Deb's not here right now.
;->.

OK, I take full responsibility, but what a good outcome?
Now we all have cute little lauterbachia that'll grow into big strong ones.
I like that.
Deb

Yes we do, all because of you! Thank you very much for being SUCH a nice enabler. (((((((Deb)))))))) :)

YES Thanks

I just went in and left a very negative feedback for Black Jungle Terrarium. Now my next course of action will be to get with PayPal and see if they can get my money back. I did send Black Jungle another e-mail and I included a copy of the feedback that I left.

The following is the feedback that I left:

On 9-15-07 I placed a order with this company for 2 Alocasia lauterbachiana in the amount of $21.28 including shipping. These were paid for by using PayPal. About 2 weeks later they called to inform me that they were sold out. I wasn't home at the time they called so they left a message on the phone asking me if I wanted to order something else. I called them back and had to leave a message as well and said I didn't want to order anything else, just give me credit back with PayPal. It is now 5 weeks later and have not received my credit. I have called them about 6 times leaving a message for them to call me that I wanted my money back. I also have send them e-mails and have not heard anything from this company. 10-25 I called them again and left another message stating that if they didn't call me back today I would be going into Daves Garden and I would leave them a very very negative feedback.

If anyone is thinking about buying from them I would really reconsider. A company that owes me money and they will not call me or answer a email is a company unworthly of my business.

2pugdogs, thanks for the heads up on Black Jungle. Sorry to hear about your situation.

Yesterday, I ordered an A. lauterbachiana from an Ebay seller here in FL. Reasonable prices, so of course I ordered some other stuff too....

I'll post when it gets here to let others know about the seeler/plants. I think the website said they had 5 more A. lats in stock if anyone must have one!

Cathy

Edited to correct a name!

This message was edited Nov 10, 2007 10:45 AM

Got the A. lauterbachiana yesterday. It was exactly two weeks from order to arrival. All the plants I ordered were happy & healthy. They came in 2 1/4" pots, tha taller style, all carefully wrapped, with small stakes holding them all upright. Very creative packaging.
The Kleim Gardenia plant I ordered has a flower bud on it.
Going to transplant and label them all now.
Cathy