A quick and cursory web search for "soil testing in South Africa" produced a large list, many of which may not be what you want. A quick and cursory search for "Agricultural schools in South Africa" produced this "Formal agricultural training is available at five different levels, i.e. at primary schools, secondary schools, colleges of agriculture, technikons and universities." as well as a fairly long list of such schools. Some places to start to find out about the soil pH and nutrient levels. These simple soil tests, 1) Soil test for organic matter. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drainsâ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. may also help.

This got really long way too fast, and I did not even get to tell about my new Cycnoches chlorchilon! Oops! I did! It has just got a nubbins of a spike, and I think my rather confused Rhynchostylis gigantea is putting up a spike too. Very exciting times here in the north! I did a little bit more reading too on line and much of the text espousing the wonders of H2O2 is from the hydroponic and aeroponic growers. I have given this some additional thought and have hit upon a theory of sorts. And more questions. A funny side note, many of the indoor growers that are using some very hi-tech and sophisticated systems and nutrient solutions are not growing Orchids, or fruits or veggies for consumption, but in fact are growing vegetable matter for combustion. It strikes me as funny that in my youth the persons most likely to indulge in this recreation were that last ones you might suspect as having the mental horsepower to put together these kinds of growing systems. Do not even ask about the plant genetics discussed in some forums, and one site had what looked to be a doctoral dissertation on the molecular biology of a very particular part of the plant, more specifically on the plants production of the compound that makes this plant an item of interest in the first place. I was fascinated and humbled, but will continue to grow orchids. As a final humorous note, several of my sons friends (college age) have seen my grow lights and set up and suggested that the orchids are just a cover for growing this particular "other" indoor crop. I digress. Howard, the resources I saw suggest using only the 35% food grade H2O2, and diluting it to around 1%, and then using this 1% solution anywhere from 1 to several tsp per gallon of water. A ratio of 1 part 35% H2O2 to 11 parts water is alleged to yield about a 1% solution, but I have not checked the math on that. The reason for using the 35% food grade is that the typical 3% stuff from the market of pharmacy has several compounds added as stabilizers to prevent degradation of the H2O2 during storage that may theoretically reduce the availability of the H2O2 and may be outright bad for the plants. Modest quantities of food grade H2O2 are cheap, but make no mistake undiluted 35% H2O2 is a liquid to be treated with reverence. Since this amount of a 1% solution added to a gallon of water makes a pretty thin soup it is not hard to see how undiluted 3% might be very hard (or deadly) on plant roots. I am betting the cuticle on leaves offers some margin of safety when 3% or less is applied to a crown or diseased plant tissue topside. My speculation(s): The growing conditions the roots of hydroponically grown plants are in very different conditions than plants in soil, bark or other media. Semi hydro as it is often called is not really the same situation either as I see it. The hydro people are also using higher concentrations of H2O2 as washes to keep tanks hygienic, and some sites suggested that having low concentrations in the re-circulating solution might prolong its safe use by reducing the rate of growth of plant pathogens. The roots of plants grown in soil or soil-less media have the potential for exposure to both helpful and harmful microorganisms. One bit of sand in the Vaseline for me is that H2O2 is as noted previously just a dumb bomb, killing in general as opposed to killing only the harmful organisms. In this light it could be helping on one hand but disturbing the balance of important microflora in the immediate root environment. So, if the benefit is in cleaning up the bad stuff (plant pathogens = bad stuff) at the root, it may give not a net gain if it is also killing off the good stuff too. Now bear with me here, I am not being argumentative, that would be my 16 year old daughter, I am just thinking out loud and asking some questions. The secondary hypothesis is that the release of oxygen near the root is itself helpful to the plant directly. What I am wondering is how the oxygen near the root is helpful to the plant? Roots are not primarily respiratory organs in most plants. Roots are important for absorption and transport of water and micronutrients, anchoring of the stem to the substrate, in some cases the storage of "food", and in more specialized cases active energy production through photosynthesis. We are for the time ignoring the "Ghost" orchid. In a non-photosynthetic root one could wonder what need it might have for oxygen at all. Why then do we consider oxygen to be good to have around the roots? Also the role oxygen plays in plant physiology and "respiration" is quite different than how we think of oxygen and our breathing. In truth on a quantum level it could be argued that there is little difference in its function, but you would really be splitting hairs there. Plants both use oxygen and generate it as a byproduct. We think of them as "making" oxygen because at the end of the day the plant has made more oxygen than they have used while living. Food for thought is all, just food for thought. PS: Urea has a little nitrogen in it too, though it may not be the most available form to the plants.

Karyn, when I tell people how easily my skin breaks out in rash when I experiment with different creams, lotions, deodorants, shampoos, conditioners, etc., they always say "you have such sensitive skin" as if my skin was "delicate". Bottom line is I have lousy skin so most likely Prep H would also make me break out and not remove one single wrinkle, LOL! I know some say Prep H is good for puffy eyes, but I haven't tried it or personally know of anyone that has. Good one Hong, LOL!

Bekados I bought some ginger to use in cooking late this past spring. I used some and left a half-palm sized piece out on a raised kitchen counter. After a month or so, I noticed a small sprout, like a potato eye just forming. After a week or two longer I could tell it was green, and after another week or two it grew to about a half inch high. I watched it get to about an inch. By that time, my wife was curious, and I suggested to her that she might get more ginger if she planted it. She found a six-inch pot and put some really awful potting soil in it. Terrible stuff. Mostly sand and charcoal, I have no idea where she got that junk. Anyway, she planted the ginger just under the soil surface, and put the pot in bright shade near the kitchen door where we could watch it. It took off. Sometimes we could tell a difference overnight (!!) It is now almost three feet tall and starting to send up a second shoot. I guess it's time to put it in the ground. But since I still don't know whether it prefers sun or shade, I think we'll have to move it around a little to find out.