I don't think you understand how a soap-and-oil spray works. It only kills the insects that have actually been coated with it. If you don't spray it on, say, a ladybug, that bug will not be harmed. I don't know how much a deterrent it is once it's on the plant if it's just plain soap and oil with no garlic (see below.) It's true that while I'm spraying for spider mites, I can get some lacewings, but quite frankly, if the lacewings had been doing their jobs, I wouldn't have spider mites! The garlic is supposed to repel spider mites and aphids. I don't know if it does, but it definitely doesn't repel ladybugs, mantises and bees. It definitely DOES repel mosquitoes. There is an organic anti-mosquito spray on the market made only from super-concentrated garlic that is very effective for mosquitoes but has been proven to be harmless to all beneficial bugs, bees and birds.

Wow those are sunny warm conditions. Of outside you might be able to do it every other day. Really depends inthat mix. Unless anyone has better advice just do it enough to keep the soil moist to dry side of moist, not wet. Digg 2-3 inches down with ur finger to really tell. Te top might be bone dry but it could still be moist half way down where the roots are. If in doubt, go dry.

Every day, if you have it. I use knee high stockings but only after I've been seen with them in the garden of course. 3pr/$1 at the $1store. Remove both ends of a can, inserted into the stocking while you add a pound or two of compost/manure. Use your fav search engine for many thousand more ideas. Then compile your very own 'recipe'. I don't think you'll go wrong. Good Luck, Gumby_CT

That PLs are usually found in riparian settings (streamside or in boggy environments) where they naturally occur is absolutely no cause to believe they will do well in boggy soils. They adapt well to various types of water culture, and perform very well in fast-draining, well-aerated soils, but should be expected to perform poorly when asked to make the transition in soils from lengthy periods of significant saturation to times when the soil has dried down and become reasonably well-aerated and more hospitable to the plant. The reason, as has been pointed out, is the fact that the plant will grow roots structured to allow the plant to deal with one or the other set of conditions, but not both in a cycle that starts with a long period of saturation transitioning to the more appropriate moist (rather than wet or soggy) medium. How well a soil drains is determined almost exclusively by the size of the particles it is comprised of. While the arrangement you have with the pot sitting above the effluent in the collection saucer is commendable, it has no impact on how well the soil drains or its level of aeration. 1. How often should I water? Intervals will vary with season, light load, amount of air movement, ....... Unless you use a soil that allows watering on a schedule as opposed to on an 'as needed' basis, and yours doesn't, you should absolutely stick to watering only when the plant gets dry to the point it needs water. In fact, in spite of the stress it would create, it would actually be better if you waited for this plant to exhibit signs of the first stage of wilt before you water than to water before the plant need it. I'm not advocating using drought stress indicators to signal the plants need for water - just trying to establish a feel for the idea that a little under-watering is less limiting than over-watering. For this plant, marking your watering date on the calendar and OCCASIONALLY waiting for the first signs of wilt to establish appropriate intervals between waterings is a reasonable strategy. If you'd rather, buy a wooden birch dowel rod (1/4 or 5/16") from a hardware or big box store. Cut into appropriate length pieces for your plants, sharpen the ends with a pencil sharpener, and use the pieces stuck deep into the pot as 'tells' that will let you know the moisture conditions deep in the pot. If they come out wet or stained dark from wet soil, withhold water until they come out clean. MUCH better than "watering gauges/meters". 2. What else can I do for this plant? The answer to that could easily fill a book. You could try reading this (click on link). I read someplace that liquid fertilizer once a month is good too. Yay or nay on that? To be meaningful, any advice regarding frequency of fertilizer applications has to take into consideration your soil choice and watering habits. For example, if you water in small sips to avoid your MG soil remaining soggy too long, a one month interval at the regular rate is an automatic problem for more than one reason, and the type of fertilizer as well as its NPK %s both play a part in determining the criticality of the issue. If you're using a soil that allows you to water at will w/o the need to fear consequences centering on the fact the soil will be saturated for a length of time measured in weeks, you can actually fertilize at low doses every time you water, which is how I choose to fertilize all my plants during the winter. One type of soil (those that are very water-retentive, like yours) make it almost impossible to maintain control over effective nutritional supplementation; other types of soil that support little or no saturation make establishing and maintaining a sound supplementation program monkey easy. Al