Re: [Aroid-l] commercial mixes- get real, learn how to grow!

From: "Mike Bordelon" Bordelon.Mike at NMNH.SI.EDU> on 2005.12.19 at 15:28:21(13628) Hi everybody, I agree with Derek about watering and also agree with the other comments about drainage, soil composition, pot size, shape, and where you are growing.....Experience is important and is something we all will get sooner or later as long as we keep trying. When I started growing over 30 years ago, the first thing my boss at the large wholesale-retail nursery, Leo Bicknese told me was " The most important person in the operation is the person with the hose". Words of wisdom from a very good grower. Mike Bordelon +More Botany Greenhouse Smithsonian Institution 4210 Silver Hill Rd. Suitland, MD 20746 301-238-1060 >>> derek@horticulturist.com 12/17 8:55 PM >>> With all due respect to the companies and researchers who have done such valuable work, all that matters is that you learn how to water. If you get that wrong, you can blame the mixes, blame the weather, blame the size pot, but it is you who are to blame if things go wrong. A good commercial grower knows that it is his/her most experienced person who should be holding the hose. That said, the value of the research work has been in developing mixes that allow us to slack off in our observation of what is going on with the plants, and give us a little slack. Read your plants, learn how to water and if you only have time to grow six plants properly, don't try to outdo your neighbour by growing two hundred. I know, I killed off a bunch of my beloved gingers after switching to a coir-based mix, and not realising what a bear it was to water properly. Derek -----Original Message----- [mailto:aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com] On Behalf Of hermine Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2005 1:29 PM To: Discussion of aroids; Aroid list Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] Let's talk commercial mixes, eh? Thank you for your indulgence! -Ken Mosher (deep curtsey) Ok Ken, it is I who thank you and ask in advance for permission to post your findings here and there on various lists where folks kvetch about their soil mixes, as an ongoing issue! We also wonder if we need to crank up the concrete mixer to make soils. i believe that all the locally available soil mixes are some form of pulverized garbage, TV sets, dead lumber and detritus, and dyed different colours to indicate what "natural" substances they might contain, based on my requirements. (ie, dark brown dye for leafmold, and so forth). hermine _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

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