Chelly, do you remember that old Florida ad campaign, "Things are different here"? Well, they are in gardening, too. Have you dug a hole and timed how long it takes to drain? Call your local ag center and ask them about the possible effects of your 7.6 water on your soil and what you should do to find out how well your soil drains. I'd be surprised if it's slow draining. Mine looks like compacted mortar mix with streaks of white clay, but it drains extremely well. Yours could be very different, so do check. If it drains really well, more organics are needed because they simply leach their way to China. For your amendments I would suggest more than just compost. I would get good topsoil, too. I've gotten it in bags or bulk from my handy-dandy local rock/mulch vendor. They have topsoil that's beautifully black, something else they call potting soil that has ground-up tree material in it, I think. The topsoil has minerals in it. The compost does not, neither does the sand, and neither might your clay. I've bought Pine Fines Soil Conditioner in bags, but some places carry it in bulk. It's acidic which is good. Also, I dig the whole bed (at least 2 shovel-heads deep), not just the hole and amend all of it. If your soil does drain fast, you can put cardboard or thick newspaper in the bottom. The last bed I did, I put lots of nutrients in the bottom of the bed in hopes that they leach down deeper before the roots get there. I also use lots (cups & cups) of alfalfa pellets, milorganite (feeds the plants and the earthworms and won't burn), powdered sulfur (not lots) if your pH is neutral to high, RoseTone or HollyTone or any organic rose food, and sometimes banana peels in the hole if I remember. Our soils have virtually no nutrients in them, so you won't be overdoing it. Our plants grow fast and are under constant stress due to heat and humidity and night temps that stay above 70. Manure compost and mulch on top are good, too. Load it up but it's recommended not let it touch the stem of the plant (do as I say, not as I did). Have fun! Sherry Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

You are lucky indeed to have so much space that you can have six big bulbs in one pot. Pot space is a huge issue here, so all bulbs that tolerate it are raised to their limit. The Jamaican doesn't care. It have good paper layering. Well, it was twelve scapes. I hit a 3? Hmm. Anyway, a full adult bulb is not as large as the biggest amaryllises I have seen in bulb size, but it like a very big onion. So I mean from one bulb. I keep an adult with its myriad little offsets in a pot. And the rest, the money part? This bulb has gotten around. It was brought in in '79 as I remember, and hase been given away many many times. My friend wanted it to run free, not to turn it into a money thing. So I hold to his spirit. If I create something which is free-flowering, good-looking and hardy as a horse I'll spring it on him. See what he thinks. As for the Jamaican, I'm sure others have done who knows what with it.

Just wanted to update everyone on the plants in the tank. I've changed some of the plants around and now the plants in the tank are: Fittonia 'Red Anne' Sansevieria trifasciata ÂGolden Hahnii Baby rubber plant Ludisia discolor (Jewel orchid) Macodes petola (Jewel orchid)- I've researched this one and it says it only reaches 18 inches at the tallest) Philodendron ÂPrince of Orange Silver Philodendrum Goodyera pubescens (Downy Rattlesnake Orchid) Mounted Resurrection fern I have grown the Ludisia discolor for several years before putting it in the tank and it doesn't seem to be a tall growing orchid. Also, I've had the Macodes petola for about 2 years and it doesn't really seem to be one of the taller growing ones. The Philodendron 'Prince of Orange' is a hybrid that only gets 6 to 8 inches tall. I don't know if the baby rubber plant is the minima hybrid that stays small so that might have to be taken out if it grows too tall. Jewel orchids do like to remain slightly on the moist side. Actually, plants in my tank have to like soil that stays slightly moist because my soil in the tank always seems to remain on the slightly moist side so there really is no danger of my frog dehydrating. The jewel orchids have been in there for a month or two and are really thriving in the soil. I will try using the fruit flies that can't fly (they won't put larvae in the peat moss soil in the tank, will they). Another problem I had with the fruit flies was that the culture kept getting bad and killing the flies. The reason I don't want larvae getting in the soil is that last year I had to change the soil and wash off all the plants due to some baby recluse spiders showing up in the tank through infected plants (I now wash off any plants - roots and all - before they come into the tank) so I'm kind of wary of any critters living in the soil.

Welcome on GW! 1. Watering depends on what type of soil you used. I water mine when potting media is completely dry (estimated by lifting the pot and feeling if its heavy or not). Then I give them a good drink, let the excess drain away and let them be for a good 2-3 weeks. These plants are succulents, so they can go for months without water. 2.Decorative rocks are okay, if the soil is able to breathe underneath. Again question is what type is the soil. 3. Stump look okay, calloused. It may leaf out by time. If you don't like the look, you can cut it off. 4. Leaning can have 2 causes. First is: the plant is not anchored well, top heavy and leaning a bit. You can fix that, keeping it in place until roots are able to hold it upright. 2nd cause: plant is reaching for light. Place the pot closer to a window or provide supplemental lighting. Now my questions :) What type of soil did you use? Does the pot have drainage holes? Which way is your window facing? Are those brown things fallen/shrunken leaves in the pot? How often do you water?