[aroid-l] Amorph Blues

From: "G. D. M." <doji at interpac.net> on 2004.07.05 at 01:16:48(11717) Neil, Be very careful in using vinegar around plants. I use it straight from store bought (cheapest) as a spray that top kills weeds almost immediately - within a few hours. If you continue, test a drop on a small section of leaf to see if a dead spot appears at your dilution first. If so, keep diluting or just save for salads! I agree completely with Dan that the critical factor is the pH of the applied insecticide. Check with your water supplier, they test water quality and constituents constantly and will give you the pH of the water, as well as lots of other things, for the price of asking. Or invest in some pH test strips that will give you a number that is close enough. Here in Hawaii a lot of plants coming in like, bananas, are required to go through a hot water bath of 140 F for up to 20 minutes just to kill whatever might be in them. Surprisingly, most survive. On tiny geophytes a much shorter time would be needed. Then cool off in room temp. H2O 'till the corm/bulb/tuber/rhizome is back to ambient temperature. I'll try to remember to do this this winter with some A. konjac offsets when they go dormant and report the results back to the list. Gary in Hilo, where it rains every day, and in the winter it rains all day.

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