I'm sorry, Rebecca, but IMO there's a lot of unsupportable information and conjecture in the advice you've received on this thread so far. Allowing the plant to dry down is going to cause leaf tip and marginal leaf necrosis (dead tips & leaf edges). The plant needs almost NO fertilizer indoors, so it's dangerous to the plant to fertilize one week with fertilizer 'A' and the next week (even the next month - especially "all through the seasons") with 'B'. With this plant, that type of fertilizing virtually guarantees greater leaf burn unless you are growing in an extremely fast soil. IF you were to adopt that regimen, you could only use a tiny amount of fertilizer in each gallon of water - a drop or two, or you should expect burn. This plant actually tolerates low humidity (to about 15%) IF the plant is fertilized properly and not over-fertilized. It's NOT the lack of humidity that causes leaf tip & marginal necrosis (though when the plant is over-fertilized, it IS a contributor), it's a high level of soluble salts in the soil that makes it difficult for the plant to absorb water that is almost always to blame. Over-fertilizing, as suggested, will simply exacerbate the problem. Alternating fertilizers with a bloom-boosting blend would also be very counter-productive. The plant uses about 6 times as much N as it does P, so there is no way to justify adding fertilizers with unnecessarily high levels of P to the soil that cannot be used by the plant. The added P simply causes more burning. Allowing this plant to go 2-4 weeks w/o water will force it into an 'environmental dormancy' as a drought response. This kills the top growth (leaves) which are making the food for the blooms in the next bloom cycle. I don't think that's what you need to promote blooming. IMO, Superthrive, used as a tonic is useless. (I'll provide a link to some experiments I performed if you're interested). Misting the plant, IMO, is also counter-productive and more apt to cause problems than solve them. It's generally accepted that the presence of 'real soil' in container soils is best avoided. It compacts, slows drainage, and greatly reduces the most important characteristic of container soils - aeration. I'm wondering why, if someone "... learned this trick several years ago. Alternate fertilizers. For instance, fert with an All Purpose one month or week, however often you fertilize, then use a flowering type fertilzer [sic] the next feeding. Continue doing this throughout the seasons." there would be this offering just a little up-thread: "... I rarely fertilizer PL's, though I'm not suggesting others do the same. Last year (2008) mine got one spring feeding, before that, they went two, possibly three years without. Other than once a month Superthrive and fresh soil, (true soil, not soil-less) they were on their own. Yet they bloomed, several times, in the last 3 years." That seems like a complete contradiction to me. May I suggest: A south window behind window treatments that diffuse a good part of the light or an east window. Keep the plant at 65-90* - no lower than 65*, very low doses of any 3:1:2 ratio fertilizer whenever the plant is growing robustly, whenever you water - water thoroughly and flush the soil of salts each time - then allow the plant to dry just to the point you notice the slightest bit of wilting and water again. Watering with deionized (distilled) water when you're not watering with fertilizer solution will go a long way toward curing the burn problem and you wouldn't need to flush the soil at every watering, either. Take care - wishing you well with your plant. Al

I put in mail order Fragrant Angel and After Midnight around May 19th. Both have stems that can't hold the tallest flower so first flowers on both didn't bloom. Were planted with Bonide transplant shock solution dosed twice at 7 day intervals. Ten days later lightly fed with dry organic watered in well. Have kept them watered since but not doing well. Found white powdery glop on stem and leaf juncture below tallest flower on After Midnight. That was same stem where last tallest flower keeled over and died at stem bend. Cut off entire stem down to base of plant. Fragrant Angel has same problem holding unopened flower on weak main stem. Since they're right next to each other maybe there's something in my amended clay soil that's doing them in. Two Liatris Ligulistylis from same mail order place developed black spot day after I got them. Was told by vendor to either spray with chemical or with nonfat milk/water solution and/or vinegar/water solution. I went the chemical route but one was yanked today since roots were dead. Second one looks like it's going same route. Found nursery about 40 minutes from here that carries Ligulistylis so I'll hike out there next week and get two more. These Liatris were behind the two echinacea that aren't doing well. Don't know if that's coincidence or not. Seems whatever deer/rabbits/groundhogs/moles don't eat above or below ground is either being overtaken by hungry bugs/insects or spots/powder. Thought I was at least "safe" with Blue Globe Thistle. Someone ate all the nice new growth of middle leaves out of 3 plants. What a bummer of a first attempt at gardening. Gardeners must have a higher level of tolerance for "nature" than I seem to have! On the bright side the Echinacea Kim's Knee High in the front garden is full of blooms. Someone ate the first two but must not have noticed the 11 new blooms. I suspect the part sun position of the two echinaceas that aren't faring well could be a big part of the problem. Write ups on both say they can take part sun but doesn't seem to be the case. Don't have any sunnier places on father's property to relocate them and other things in back of butterfly garden that I think need more sun. Just one tree would have to be felled and a second pruned a little to give me the sun those plants need. Unfortunately, it's a perfectly healthy tree and doesn't seem right to cut down a healthy tree. I'd do it in a flash, though, if my father agreed. His fig tree doesn't produce ripened fruit because of shade from same tree so maybe there's a chance.

Begonia, Repeat after me_I AM NOT SCARED!!! I swear plants know when you are afraid of them and will take every advantage to die on you. Confidence!!! Now on to your questions: Your soil mix is appropriate for wicking. Some people use a thinner wick for smaller plants and vice-versa. I do not. I like my reservoir go dry for a day or so before I re-fill it to let my plants dry a bit. If the plants become too dry, watering from the top will get the wick going again. You will have to experiment but as you are a confident plant person this will not scare you. Just stick your finger in the soil-if it's soaking, it's too wet but I don't think you'll have this problem. (Spraying the stem is unnecessary but not harmful). And you will have to pat your soil in somewhat. Just don't go at it like you're punching down bread dough. You do not need fancy grow lights. Go to HD and get a warm white and a cool white. Your fixture should have a reflector. (I have been using this combination since 1972.) I think the warm is labeled daylight or sunshine. If you want the reason for this, let me know. It's rather lengthy and it's very late so...you'll just have to trust me. (I can also rhapsody for quite a while on soil mixes in case you are interested). But...I digress...) I replace when my tubes get a dark ring around the ends, (very noticeable) or when growth and blooming start to slow. Be careful with new tubes. They are very strong in the beginning. As you have learned, plants of a genera are not all the same . Each cultivar and even each individual is different and will respond differently to your growing conditions. Just follow good AV growing practices and don't be afraid to experiment. And don't be discouraged when you lose some. We all lose some. Some plants are just naturally weak, some won't like you or your conditions and some are just suicidal. Just chalk it up to experience and move on. A plant that dies gives you room for something new! I have been at this plant business my entire life and there are still violets that refuse to bloom for me. Ex: Gillian. Grows like a weed. Will not bloom. I don't obsess over these non-bloomers. I give them to my neighbor and let her obsess. Instead of individual containers-why don't you get a tray-the kind annuals come in-with no holes. Add egg-crate and place your plants on this with the wicks extending through the egg-crate. This takes care of humidity (Question 4) and you won't have to figure out what containers to use (Question 5). It also makes it much easier to care for your plants when they are all together and all you have to do is water the tray. Let me know if you have more questions! Linda

Ken - thanks for the mulch pointer, I never would have thought of that but it certainly makes sense! Food for thought for next year I guess. ctopher - that sounds very smart, I guess if I'm constantly watering the roots won't dig down into the soil to search out more water. We've had a ton of rain in the last few days which was definitely welcomed. I just went outside today after it stopped raining so I could take a picture of the same hosta I have planted on the other side of the walkway grown in more shade that is doing way better, maybe this will help to decide whether this is really paul's glory or gold standard. I had these both last year and they were identical so I know they are definitely the same plant. While I was taking a picture of the one doing better I noticed some new leaves coming up on my little fried guy so looks like he's not dead yet! Thanks for the comments everyone. Here is the same type of hosta on the other side of the walkway in more shade (to note: it had a lot of top growth and eyes at time of planting vs. the fried guy. And here is the hosta in question fighting back and sending up some new leaves