Enterotoxigenic00~~What, pray tell, are you going to do with all the babies? Not sure what I would do with that many. Go out of my mind for one! lol. btw, congrats on getting so many babies, my Mamma Spider isn't producing any, not even new shoots/stems. But she is healthy and for now I am not going to worry about it much. She's been thru a lot these past few months. She needs time. :) Ren_Flowers-- all my plants are outside in the shade, it is getting up to 100F here (in the shade) and so far they don't seem to mind, the only one I bring in is my baby Thanksgiving cactus,(over 90F) they dont like the heat much. But I was like you, indoors all the time, but once I put them outside? I could not believe how they all loved it and started showing it! Maybe just a few hours a day would do your plants some good... but it is up to you, of course. I am just wondering where I am going to put them all this winter! haha Sorry, we were talking soil.. my bad. As far as soil goes, I have a hard time with the 5-1-1 mix. I have tried it many times, but for some reason I can't work with that much bark. I do use it as a base, but it seems to come out more of a 2-2-1 mix, more or less. (bark,perlite,soil) and so far I haven't had any real issues with it. Some plants have more bark than others, but I don't think any have the 5-1-1 mix. They all drain well, seem to dry up fast enough, and it works for me. (by the way, I use fir bark from pet stores for reptiles) If nothing else, I have learned from this forum, is nothing is written in stone. Find what works for you and go from there. Yes, I am still learning. Trying different things and not being afraid to do so. This place has been great for me. And my plants thank you. ;) Marjie

I am not the expert here but i think the ratio is 1:1 of potting soil and perlite. Good Luck!

Thanks so much, Homebody! Although it has not ALWAYS been FUN, we have really enjoyed this house project. I hope your dream comes true very soon...and cannot wait to see pics of your home too! =) I have enjoyed hearing about this Beadboard Wallpaper. I am wondering if those of you who have used it think it will withstand the MAJOR moisture of our 2 young sons' bathroom??? Is this paintable so it can be sealed? I am worrying what the spattering and running drips of water near the pedestal sink will do to it over time if not 'sealed' with paint???? I am still curious about the 'rules' in my initial question as well as these points about beadboard wallpaper. Thanks for the input =)

There is no amount anyone can offer because container, soil mix etc. Rule of thumb, water until it is running completely through the holes in the container. Completely saturate every inch of soil. This forces out the used air and as it dries it 'inhales' fresh air flow. It's important to water this way because oxygen is the the best 'medicine' for the roots. It kills most pathogens and prevents root rot and a number of other common root diseases. By contrast improper watering sets up container bound trees for failure and future diseases. Far as your solvable fertilizers here is what I use. I have a container that I measured and marked gallon levels.... I mix it in that then just pour from the container. But I would strongly encourage to err on the side of caution esp as your new to this. You can't use too little but you can (and I've seen far too many people) kill their plants using too strong and/or applying too frequently. If you have small newly establishing trees a tiny amnt of fertilizer is all they can use.... if you over apply it can build up toxicity in the soil and quickly overwhelm, burn and kill the tree. I've lost count of new plant owners who accidentally killed their tree (or plants) by 'kindness'. Hope that helps :)