What Pam said ^^^; and, the most significant factors in determining whether or not a grow medium is appropriate are whether or not the soil contains anything phytotoxic and particle size. Container media do not wear out, even though this idea is often suggested. Soil particles just become smaller and smaller, which increases the amount of water a medium can hold while decreasing the amount of air porosity. There is no question it's better to err on the side of more porosity and water more frequently than to err on the side of too little porosity and see the planting suffer from poor root function or even wrecked root health. One cannot take a quart of fine material, like peat, coir, or sand, and "amend it by adding coarse materials like pine bark. That practice actually DECREASES o/a air porosity until the fraction of coarse materials becomes so large there is no longer enough fine material to fill the larger spaces between the coarse particles. Two observations about mixture reaches the "threshold proportion", which occurs when there is exactly enough fine material to fill all spaces between large particles: 1) It will have less aeration and be more difficult to grow in than peat, coir, or sand or a mix thereof. 2) Adding additional coarse material to mixtures at or beyond the threshold proportion such that the coarse material becomes a very large fraction of the medium (around 80%) quickly increases o/a air porosity. Container media is all about structure and its ability to retain that structure for the expected life of the planting. So, as Pam and I mentioned, there is little sense in reusing a medium, the structure of which is inappropriate. That seldom ends well. Used media can be used as the much smaller fine fraction we might add to coarser material when putting a medium together, but even then, particles of slightly larger size 1/20-1/10" (about the size of coarse ground pepper) would be the better choice. As in life, our growing experience and how much reward we're able to realize from our efforts is a product of the decisions we make. There's no judgement to be made about what a grower does or doesn't do, we all order our priorities differently, but that doesn't change the fact that what the grower chooses will always have an impact on how the plant responds. Al

Doing a search I found this...sounds familiar? (see link) soo...besides the coinsidence of the question and answer: I think this is what you have: Interior Live Oak Mealybug BUT I can't find any real information on it. The reason that I think it is this mealybug is through process of elimanation. Nothing else seemed to fit. I couldn't find out how harmful it is or anything else. I am going to assume that since there is very little information that it isn't much of a problem. You can try doing a search and maybe find something I didn't. If no one else steps up to the plate to help you on this forum then you can call the extension office @ 744-5519 Here is a link that might be useful: white stuff

Hi...I have found that if you get mealy bugs they are everywhere... I had them on my hoya hindu rope....and I could not get rid of them so I took everything apart and they were on the underside of plant stand, in the rope hanger the plant was in, under the rim of the pot...and the pot had a tray and they were in that....I read some where that mealy bugs don't stay on the plant they go off the plant...and that is why its hard to get rid of them, you treat the plant and then the bugs off the plant come back on, and on and on...so I bought some, 'Bug Max', bug spray and I sprayed the whole plant and washed every thing and waited a week and sprayed the plant again, waited a week and sprayed again....I waited a month and there was no bugs and so I rinsed the plant down with plain water.. and cross my fingers and knock on wood they are gone finally.....linda

Hi Meg, Thank you! I'm thinking of hand picking off what I see, then rinsing each stand in an alcohol solution. Most strands have dried out about an inch or so at the soil line and it all needs repotted/ rooted anyway. This plant is going to make me crazy trying to find out how often to water to keep it happy. LOL! Most of my collection is outside. This was hanging in the house, with one other plant about 4' away, I hope it's just the string of pearls affected. Good luck to you too! I know these things can be a pain! JoJo