Hi Ron, I've only been growing violets for 33 years so you've got me by a few years. I've relocated 5 times. I agree with you about keeping everything clean. Where we live has much to do about the culture we can provide our plants. I know what you mean about thrips, but to be honest, I haven't had them in 9 years. We do have a rash of red spiders each spring, but even if they make it into my growing room they are easy enough to eliminate. I really think that removing the roots and soil a plant arrives in does lots to elimate thrips! I sort of agree with Irina about soil mealy eggs though. I think they can stay dormant for years, and then they just show up. They do show up unexpectedly for me from time to time, but are easy enough to control with marathon. Wish, I hope you are taking this all in. I read the whole thread again tonight, rather than just the replies. And feel I do have to reply to question 5. Horticultural charcoal is good to add to your mix, but make sure to sterilize your mix by baking it if you do. Charcoal does remove impurities, but it can also hold fungus and mold spores and release them into the mix unless you take the proper steps. I use charcoal, and some dolomite lime in my mix, because we have acidic water where I live. Russell

Hey, thanks! All questions are fair game.... First, you got it! That dish is for my cats. I keep a dish of water on the front and back deck. Also, that dish was the drip-tray for the original glazed pot that the Chainfern cracked. Back on topic, I have *not* refreshed or changed the 5-1-1 mix at all. What you see above is the same mix from May of 2009. Even when I dig down into the mix a bit, the particles are still discernible (though more moist and interlocked with roots). Now, let me clarify about this mix: it is different than the traditional 5-1-1 recipe. First, I've used *uncomposted* bark (which greatly adds to the longevity of the mix). Also, I've used Perlite and red Lava rock (Scoria) for structure, drainage, and moisture retention. Lastly, instead of using peat moss to bind the other ingredients, I simply added back in some of the bark fines that I'd screened from the bark. At the time, I did not have Dolomitic Garden Lime for calcium/magnesium, but I have fertilized infrequently with Foliage Pro 9-3-6. So there you go, full disclosure. I found the half barrel at Target for $13 at the time. I wish I'd gotten another. Josh

Bernard, I'm sorry you lost the orchid. Don't be kicking yourself around over this. If any orchid grower tells you he has never lost his/her fair share of plants, they have probably been growing only a few weeks. We all have. Your primroses, and tillandisia's do not require the same culture as orchids, so loosing them probably has nothing to do with why your orchid perished. I am really surprised that your orchid started out looking so well if it had been growing for so long in a room where the lights stayed on for 24 hours a day seven days a week. Are you sure they did not go off for some time during the night? Plants are not like people, they do not hang on to things (blooms). When the bloom's lifetime is over, it drops off the plant. Four months is not a long time for blooms to stay on a Phal. I just picked the last four off one of mine that started blooming in January. I know sometimes you think you get conflicting advise form people on this forum, about orchid culture, but understand there are no hard fast "chiseled in stone" rules for growing orchids. We are basically offering advise, and we have probably all "broken" every rule we suggest many times (I have). Sometimes we get away with it, and sometimes we don't. I suggest if you really want to learn how to grow orchids, go out and purchase another one and give it the old "college try". If you can find a commercial greenhouse that actually grows orchids it would be helpful for you to actually see how they handle the plants. If not, try to find one in a "big box store" that is fresh.....not one that has been on their shelf more than a week, and try again. There's a bunch of us here ready to help when and if you ask for it, we would really like to see you succeed at this. Bill

After reading this thread, I realized I have a chinesis aloe. Lol. What brought me here though was because my whole aloe turned a light to medium brown. I recently (about 2 weeks or so ago) re.potted the thing into a bigger pot. He was in the small 4 inch plastic container that I bought him in over a year ago. So I did that. I fertilized him right away, which was the first time I’ve fertilized him this season.... it is spring here going into summer now. (I’m in zone 5b-6a (Western New York) depending on the map) anyways, I used potting soil and LOTS of perilite. The thing is, the soil feels very compacted. I even have poked a bamboo skewer into the soil to try to U.N. pack it some. Not sure if this is normal at first? The plant seemed to be doing okay, until I put him outside for about 4 days in direct sun (he was previously sitting in a south facing window sill in the house and did really well) I was told he needed more sun light by an avid Gardner so I put him outside. It’s rained on and off here for the past few days, so now that it’s brown, I’m not really sure what caused it because I did so many possible things that could have caused it. I mean, he was bone dry the other day before I watered him..... I was trying to let him dry out completely as I was worried about root rot. So I watered him thoroughly, but then it rained the very next day lol so was it under watered or overwatered? It was it because of too much sun? I’m so confused! Lol I don’t want the little bugger to die on me. I’ve grown quite fond of him! He’s a smaller guy, hasn’t grown much over the past year I’ve had him, and after reading this thread, I now know why..... these ornamental ones grow slowly. Can anyone help me? I’ve since brought him inside and out of any source of sunlight. I should add that it’s very hot and humid here during summer, as I’m right on the shores of Lake Erie