Yes! i just got a bag from Lowe's this morning! it's as you say "canadian spagnum peat moss. My bag was by Miracle Gro
It is very fine.
Lowes had all of its annuals on sale for 10 cents on the dollar. I got 4 flats of snapdragons for 30 cents each! Big hanging baskets of purple petunias & yellow lantanas for 10 cents! not that I dont have enough to bring inside for the winter!!lol!
But they will make nice gifts.
Tricks that you dont hear about
Bonnie and kivit, you are right in that Canadian Spaghnum peat moss which is very fine is what I was talking about. (I didn't even realize it was Spaghnum moss) I always associate the other kind of spaghnum moss with the 'stuff' you get wet and put on orchids, etc.
Sphagnum Moss: http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/articles/misc/sphagnum.html is actually the live growing plant: http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&resnum=0&q=sphagnum+moss&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title I use it for lining wrought iron baskets and moistened on top of the soil around certain plants.
Sphagnum Peat Moss: Is the after product, or rather the decomposed form of Sphagnum Moss that is used as a soil additive: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphagnum
I don't use the Peat Moss myself because it is water retentive and I tend to over water a lot of the time.
Thank you for clarifying all this, Lin.......................I knew the package had Sphagnum Peat Moss on it but wasn't sure what I was buying..................I used it indoors with perlite and it worked well.......but you are right in saying you have to be careful about not overwatering...........
some people start violets and streps and sinningia and episcias in spagnum peat moss
its supposed to stop rot,its never worked for me (streps) but maybe i had it too wet,
ill keep trying till i get it right,
JIM
Half decomposed peat moss and half perlite works very well.
Lynn
Lynn, where are all your pictures of your pretty plants???????? We love pics!
Ha!!....Gail,it could be a long time before anyone sees pictures from me ^_^.As I mentioned in a couple of threads,I am a former addict and grower of more than 300 Gessies.I no longer grow.I keep telling myself I am waiting until I'm retired.I still have my pots,my light set ups,stacks of AV magazine as well as The Begonian,Indoor Light Gardening,etc.
I also still have my log with all the names of my plants,my favorites,soil recipes,etc.It might be fun to post some of that sometime,just to see how many of the old 'hot' cultivars are still popular.I do have some old 110 photos,if they would scan up decently.I content myself now with playing "plant doctor' for my friends.I still have a lot of cacti and succulents and outdoor plants.
I wonder why I have never been able to bring myself to part with all of my Gessie things..........hmmm???
Lynn
If I didn't grow gessies, I would have to grow something. I do grow a lot outdoors................but growing is what keeps me sane...................
It's what used to keep me sane,too.Guess that tells you what kind of shape I'm in now......
I have more to do with plants today than I can possibly do.............but moving on.........
Here is one recent photo,just replanted and starting to bloom.
Ness' Cherry Smoke
I wonder who did that to you gail lol
JIM
OK>...........Jim, you asked for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look gals at what I have been doing today......lucky me for being so busy!
Here is where I am putting all these leaves in water at the bottom of the cut.........
I have one 38 cell full and under the lights. The other one I will be through before the Texas game is over with. (we are losing........so I might start sticking again)
Thank you so much, Jim!
i aim to please and remember you asked for all those hehehe
seriously im sure your haveing a blast with them
I loved making your box.because I knew you like it
JIM
darn it! I put perlite in the bottom and then the soil less mix..........got it too wet on the second tray...........so I am waiting for it to dry out tonight............I am sure the leaves are fine...........only a speck of water in the bottom..............darn it! I love each and every one of them!
Holy smokes Gail,Theres going to be alot of streps around here come spring! What a great box.
Jan, I counted today and have more than 10 trays of strep leaves planted (lol).........obsessive compulsive disorder that started at birth .........smiling...........
10 trays?!?!?!? How many leaves per tray?
38 cell trays......................but that is why I said 10 trays...........because I have several Park domes with only 15 or 20...........so it should total 10 trays. I also have two big permanest trays all domed with babies..........about 30 babies to a dome. It is called strep twister..........my mind is all twisted up with streps............
This isn't a 'trick' really but is something I use for a water reservoir when wicking small pots, 3oz solos, etc. I reuse yogurt containers and while not the most attractive, they are useful and practical.
Goldleaf, can you root episcias without doming.............or do you use the solo cup and wick with the yogurt container and still dome?
No, I never root episcias without covering, enclosing, dome, baggie, etc. This is a little rooted plant shown for example. If this was a stolon I wanted to root, then I would dome or place a baggie over until rooted.
These re-purposed yogurt containers are not the only thing I use of course but work nicely.. cheap, quick and easy.
thanks!
Have you guys seen this?: http://www.bloominjungle.com/browse.phtml?catid=146
I wonder if it would work. I wonder why pink wicks would make a difference?
Interesting. Jannich was talking about this type of system. She mentioned using foam board and making your own. I use plastic eggcrate cut to fit my PermaNest trays and like it fine. I only use community watering from plants grown myself from leaves or clean cuttings.
I got tired today of seeing the neem powder and cinnamon oil I had ordered just sitting there. So, this morning I mixed a batch of neem powder with the magic bullet and watered my two newest AV's and a strep with it. I'll give them a few days before I decide to do a few more . . . Tonite I made a small batch of cinnamon oil/dish soap concoction. Everytime I looked at my plants I'd think I had an infestation of powdery mildew or something. But, after I put some in the sprayer, I could only find one AV to try it on . . .