WOW!!!
The postman just rang my bell and handed me a box. I couldn't wait to open it. It was from "The Strep Pro" gessiegail. Inside the box, Gail had packed a shoebox, perlite mix and her special strep potting mix. But wait. That's not all. Also in the box nestled in there were three little strep plants: Space Dust, Roulette Azure and Night Beacon. Roulette Azure is blooming with a pretty blue flower. The other two have buds. Oh my! They are so cute.
Also inside the box were strep leaves. There are eleven of them. I'm so excited. Right now I'm going to follow Gail's instructions to the letter. I've added a little water to each baggie of leaf. Tomorrow it's going to be potting day for me. I can't wait.
Gail you are 'someone special'. Thank you so much for this wonderful box of goodies. I'm thrilled. I'll take pictures tomorrow after I've got them in their new home.
Another Christman! but in March this time!!!
Congratulations! Now you know how how excited I was when I received my special box ^_^. Aren't we lucky there are such wonderful people here!
Lynn
Wonderful!
That's great Eileen! We have a wonderful bunch of people on the AV/Gessie forum! Good growing to you.^_^
is that not great? How sweet is that.
bonnie
How much fun!!! Gail is indeed an awesome and generous person!!
That's what makes DG so good...the generosity of the people on here. Have fun with your leaves today!!
I am so happy you got a wonderful surprise in the mail... It is always nice when we get something other then bills...LOL We are a bunch of good people...
Hugs
Susan
WAIT EVERYONE!!! I am embarrassed with my measly small trade............look what Eileen sent me! I owe you big time, Eileen....you can decide if you want hoyas or streps.
Hoyas:
compacta variegata 'Regalis'
Cumingiana
2 of Hoya heuschkeliane (sp)
Carnosa 'Krimson Queen'
Obovata
Brevialata (sp)
and to top this off...................a Cymbidium orchid........my first cymbidium
I forgot she also sent Dischidia..........and a sinningia speciosa
I better hear back from you as you were going to send 4 things.........only..............
Gail, the red spots on the obovata are from being in the sun. The hoya are all outside and get the morning sun. Our sun is very strong. If you are so.Texas, your sun is also strong.
"YOUR TRADE WAS NOT MEASLY". I'm going right now and take pictures of what you sent to me. I'm thrilled. I've got the leaves all nestled in their bed and the three little streps are so cute. I keep going back to look at them and see if the buds have opened.
I'll be back. I'm going to get my camera.
Here is the shoebox with the leaves ready to send up babies.
And here are the three little streps. Gail also included the shoebox, a bag of perlite, and a bag of her 'special potting mix'. for those little leaves. I've set them in the tray of violet babies to take the picture. Now I have to go put them in their new home.
What a terrific trade. I'm thrilled.
Fun!! I can't wait to see your babies when they come along!!!
I have a mix I use on my hoyas to keep them green and yes..........we have the hot summer sun and I think I am going to keep all my hoyas on the porch this summer. Last summer I hung them in the trees and they almost burned to death along with the strong winds.......
I will copy and paste the mix I am changing to......only used one time and can see a difference......
A big change in less than a week with the following:
1 can reg beer, not light
1/2 cup epsom salt
1/2 cup ammonia
2 cups water
3/4 cup molasses
4 tbls of bloom buster type fert.
500 mg vit. B-12 crushed and dissolved
1 tablespoon to a gallon of water
You can also spray this mix if you wish to.........
And then I have one for my orchids that is great for greening up and blooming, too!
1 Can of Beer
1 cup of Epsom Salts
1/2 cup of Ammonia
2 cups of water
Use 1 tablespoon to a gallon of water.
I paid 29.00 on line to get these recipes and found out everyone on the brug forum even had them listed (LOL)
I
Ok, now Gail . . . fess up . . . is the Can of Beer for the mix or the mixee?
whoooohooooo--Beer^_^ I have one that is slightly different-- but the result is the same-- I got this one off Dg marketplace from a lady I got some philo's from:
Combine:
2 C water
12oz can beer
1/2 C ammonia
1C epsom salts
3Tblsp Tea Tree oil
1/4C unsulpured molasses
1/4C liquid seaweed
Dilute 1-2 Tblsp to gal water for a foliar spray 2-3 times weekly
You really can see the difference overnight!
I will be copying your variations down too Gail!
Thanks for this one as I have liquid seaweed in the cabinet. What is Tea Tree oil??
OK< Syrumani, one beer for me and one for the mix. They do come in six packs! (LOL)
Is this a mix you can use on any plants, or just hoyas and orchids?
People use it on everything (but I am afraid to try it on streps yet). I did use it on my aesychynanthus and they are blooming even in the house!!
Here is a recipe that was on the list I got off of the 'paid' on line............for roses and all flowering plants. I will definitely keep using the orchid mix on the orchids, but for the hoyas and everything else blooming, I can't decide between the one I printed above with molasses or this new one I just got:
Epsom Salts are simply superb for everything in your yard-trees, shrubs, flowers and especially your lawn. Epsom Salts contain 16 % magnesium and 22 % sulfur to deepen the color, promote new growth , and even help strengthen stems and roots...................
Now..............here is what he said about flowering plants:
Many store bought fertilizers are available, but making your own may bring better rose results, bigger blooms and in general, a more healthy plant. How to make your own flower fertilizer:
11/4 Cup beer, 1 tbsp. honey, 2 tbsp. fish sauce (?), 2 tbsp. ammonia, 2 tbsp. liquid dish soap, 1 1/2 tbsp. hydrogen peroxide, 4 tbsp. instant tea. Mix it all up with 2 1/2 gallons of warm water. Feed your flowering plants every two weeks.
My cousin uses this on her roses but I am tempted to make up the one I printed above (molasses, etc).........and only use the orchid one on orchids although my plants on the front porch got a dose of it and they are the darkest green foliage and blooming.
Fish sauce is ingredient in food sauces in thai, philipine, vietmamese recipies.
I may just have to mix up one of these recipies, and try it on ugly plant.
Could he have just been confused when he wrote fish sauce and he actually meant fish emulsion?
I don't know . . . it may actually be right, what with all the other "food" items in the recipies . . .
Here's a link I found for Fish Sauce: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_sauce
This message was edited Mar 5, 2009 5:42 PM
Wow! It looks like they are the same thing!
such awesome recipes!! Tea tree oil is an herbal preparation of Meleleuca that has topical antiseptic/antibiotic & some say antifungal properties (walmart has it in the vitamin section). It is used for bites etc.
Now I have to decide which recipe other than the orchid one...............
Thanks Nichole..............and thanks Gran for the information on tea tree oil..............
I've copied and pasted all the recepies and saved them in my Gardening file. I'm going to try one on my hoyas first. They have tough leaves and can take quite a bit. I've seen the recepies posted on different forums, but never tried any of them. Nows the time to do it. I'm tired of spending all this money (prices keep going higher and higher) on store bought.
I got here on DG, I think someone posted it on the Epiphyllum forum a couple of years ago and I think it was on the hoya forum last year. I bought all of the ingredients except the beer, cause we don't drink beer, and I planned on getting one from a friend. Well ... you know me, lazy gal that I am - all ingredients are sitting out in the shed .... still! I have yet to mix up a batch!
I use a shampoo on occasion (from the hair salon at Wal-Mart) which is a Tea Tree shampoo ... smells awesome!
The Meleleuca tree is native (I think) to Australia but it has been introduced to Florida and is very invasive in the southern part of the state! It has taken over and killed out a lot of native plants and trees.
i got batik today , should have a few other boxes coming soon
what is batik?
If it's Strep. Batik ... sure is a pretty one! http://www.streptocarpus-info.com/tableb.html
Oh my goodness, Jim................she is another of Thompson's great ones. I keep looking for the older Thompsons on ebay and can't find them. Night Edition went for almost 16.00 the other night. I wanted it so badly. Oh yes..............you and I are verrrrrrry good friends! ^_^
Thanks, Lin!
i might have it Gail,just need to check
I can't wait for your spring to come either!
im getting a few boxes in the next few days,and im reallly jazzed up,id say in a few weeks we can set something up Gail
JIM
OK..........I better quit cutting so many leaves............to stick myself.........but I have plenty of leaves for you!! All I do is stick leaves..............running out of space (never!)
you know which one i want the most dont you?
NO?????
franken ???
Jane Elizabeth I just remembered! i told you she only produces 2 blooms at a time...........but they are verry pretty!!
yes maam
Well, I went to the store and got some ammonia and a large can of beer. I figure I'll use Gails orchid recipie on a few plants that I have hanging up out on the patio . . . the move has been hard on them, and are looking a bit sad . . .