pistilo, actually Katrina, and even more so the several hurricanes before Katrina, did hit the tropical plant industry REALLY hard. I work for a professional interior landscaping company, and some plants simply became unavailable, or they were so scarce that the prices were outrageous and the quality lower than normal. The reason is that almost all of the tropical foliage on the east coast is produced in Florida. Some plants were damaged by the hurricane itself. Many of the other plants are grown under shade cloth for protection from the intense sun, and the hurricane ripped away the shade cloth and perhaps knocked down the supporting posts too, so the plants burned. Plus the power went out for days, so they couldn't run the irrigation systems, and the plants dried up as well. It took many, many months to be able to get decent big plants again. Some of the huge ones that take years to grow up still aren't available at all. I believe some of the growers are considering just giving up, because they are tired of rebuilding and getting knocked down over and over again. Plants are also produced in California, and some overseas, but shipping costs make it prohibitive to send to the east coast.

I think you can proudly call yourself an oldtimer if you joined AVSA under the name "Mrs.Robert Jones". If not - you are a newtimer. I talked to Pat Hancock (Buckeye's violet hybridizer) on Raleigh Convention - and she mentioned using green sand, dehydrated manure, I think bone meal and a couple more ingredients to mix in your soil and let the batch sit for six months to settle - and than it is pure gold. I am it is sure something to make violets big and strong. On the other side - I saw Tom Greer's violets - and you cannot imagine anything bigger and brighter - and he grows them with a modern technology - he pressurizes his growing area with carbon dioxide. So - there is more than one way to spruce them up - may be using reverse osmosis water if you live in a hard water area... There is a lot of things you can do... A great grower in FL makes his soil mix out of perlite, vermiculite and rock wool. No organics - and his violets are superb. For him - the secret - good fertilizer. But - just regular repotting, good light source and grooming - works miracles and it is free. No need to buy $1500 worth of equipment to pressurize your living room with something you do not want to breath. Barbara Spofford shared her experience with a nursing home resident growning super symmetrical violets by turning them on a windowsill every day by 15 minutes (7.5 degrees???) Barb - correct me if I am mistaken with the degrees of a turn. EverYoung Irina with memory gone south, hair dyed blond and teeth...what teeth..

Hi all Thank you all for your kind words. This Gymnocalycium was purchased from a mailorder catalogue and it was labelled as friedrichii. I had a look at the link and found it very interesting, does that mean I should change the name tag to G. stenopleurum. I have a few other unknown mihanovichii, stenopleurum and freidrichii plants so I will have to post them when they. Thank you all Michelle

I do not always have access to pumice so I mix it up with whatever grit I have hanging around. Expanded shale. , washed 1/4 Decomposed granite , course red lava sand, perlite. I am not anal retentive. I am more of the "what's in the frig" kind of gardener. I do not know if you are in Florida, California or Texas. The quantities will be important to your location and how humid you are. I know Floridians who grow in 100% grit, and inland Californians who use more humous in the mix. Its a mixed bag here in Texas as U sit under the remnant of Hurricane Harvey who might be leaving 20" on me. I have also gone all summer often without summer moisture. Not this year.