Hey Mike..Today it was 97F w/95% humidity..I love it. LOL
When outside heat is high, hosing foliage helps a lot.
It's been a long three days..Tues, it finally warmed up enough to take plants outside so citrus were the first to enjoy summer outdoors.
Today I got most plants out, but still have a few left..next comes fertilizing, ES's and ST.
It's fairly windy, so don't know what to expect tomorrow morning..don't you hate when plants tip over?
Anyway, enjoy summer, becuase before we know it, Halloween will be here, and plants come in..sigh..Toni

You so funny!!! Yes I hate it when plants tip over!! In fact the other day I had 3 palms on a table and the whole thing blew over. One of the palms fell completely out of the pot, and wouldn't you know it, my best one where the roots were exposed to the sun all day until I got home!! uurrgghh. Murphies law!
It is always great to hear from ya. I love the heat too. We were suppose to get it 2 days ago, but once again the weathermen were wrong, along came our infamous 50 degrees sea breeze that brought clouds, drizzle and cold all week until today. Now it is suppose to jump to 93 degrees just like that tommorrow..lol..We have extremes here. No more consistant temps!! Oh well..lol
Think I will wear shorts tommorrow and jump undr the sprinkler along with my plants!!
Hey toni!!! NO BUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for now....Nice ha.
I dread fall, in fact Christmass will be here before you know it!!!Haha
Take care friend, hope we chat soon. Mike

Hey Mike, I enjoy talking to you, too.
I have a palm question, (even though this IS a citrus forum.) LOL..Do you place your new palms outside? I set mine out for the first time, but worried they'll burn. If you do, what type of light do you set in, after adaption? Shade, medium bright or sunny?
Do you pot palms in soil-less mixes too? If so, how often do you water??? Also, what type of fertilizer do you use? I can't find palm fertilizer anywhere. (only stakes, I don't care for them) There's a seller on Ebay that has two types of palm ferts..organic and chemical. I asked if the chemical could be applied to potted palms, he didn't sound optimistic..In fact, he was unsure. He said, if I bought it, apply very little, which tells me that brand is mainly used for outdoor palms.
Oh that's awful about your poor palm...it really must have taken a fall..how did the plant slip from its pot?
Remember we discussed one palm you bought that has red fronds? Are they still red? I forget which palm it was.

Temps are hot today, and quite humid..so far, about 85% of my plants are outdoors..The problem is, my citrus keep tipping over from the wind..I've been out 4 times already, set them upright, and just noticed 3 more fell.
Hey the weathermen/women make guesses, it seems..most of the time they're wrong..They say rain, it's sunny, they say sun, it rains..
I love rainstorms, don't get me wrong..thunder, lightening, wind, but we need sun. It looks like it's going to pour..they predicted sun today..NOT. lol

I'm happy hearing you got rid of your bug problem..WINTER..blah. Did you spray or did they die since brining outdoors? It's amazing what a little fresh air will do. And air IS one of the biggest problems.

Oh yes, you're right..before we know it, we'll see Halloween decorations on display, which is a ridiculous..I love Halloween, but seeing ghost and goblins in July is a bit much..can't they wait till Sept??

I'm still waiting for Fl's ban to end..it seems to be an ongoing thing. I talked to one seller and she said, the government is about to sign a release, and sellers will be able to ship citrus from Fl to other states..that was 3 weeks ago..LOL I feel terrible for citrus sellers..

Well, gotta get back to cleaning..It was between working in the house or working the garden, but since it's so cloudy, I'll work indoors, then hopefully tomorrow, the sun will shine..I need some tan..LOL..take care, Toni

Hey...wow...I have about 85% percent of mine outdoors too!!
With most of them, I support them with bricks around the pots or on top in the big ones,,,lol
Do you know I have had most of the Palms under a shade cloth for weeks now. I am so afraid to stick the babies in the full sun! But I did set some in places where they would get morning full sun and then by the time the sun reaches full strentgh at noon, the sun has moved over some bushes which blocks the hottest part of it from beating on those little things..Brilliant ha..
I gotb 7 different types of Palms fertilizers and I am still not sure which one to use. They are just sitting on a shelf unopened! Want one?...But I have been using Dyno-gro and Foliage Pro, since they have all the micronutrients they like. If I start to see a diffenciency, then I might look into using the others. But I figured if Logees Plams look awsome and all they use is dyno-gro, I will use it too then... I do have back up though, just in case this does not work. They look good though. Toni, the key is for me, not to water my palms with faucet water! I avoid leaf burn and yellowing from the salts and chlorine in that water. Also ph can change. I collect rain water in a bucket and use only that. If it is winter, and I can't anymore, I buy spring water. The leaves are so green. Not one tip of a frod is bad, GREEN TO THE END..lol..Oh ya, I hit all my plants with Neptunes Harvest once in a while. Do not know if this benefits anything though.
Yes they are in soiless mix. I guess I need it considering it likes to rain here more than be sunny outdoors!! It is still cold, raw and damp..What's up with that. And it is supose to be 95 tommorrow..CROAK!!! That is what my plants and I will do tommorrow!! Talk about a shock to the system. 100 by Monday!!
Hey look at Four Winds Nusery for citrus!! I am thinking of getting a Moro Blood Orange!! They sound so good. Some here love them!! Also look at the description of the sour oranges for their fragrances...Hum..More trees means more bugs in winter!! I may have no room for anymore in my house by the time they come in!!lolol
Take care for now, and enjoy this weather!!
We will catch up soon...Mike

Y'all are so funny. My 10 day forecast has the lowest daytime temp at 87*. July and August will be HOTTER. My calamondin, Key lime and Ponderosa lemon all sit in full sun. Citrus trees love sun but they need water to go with it. Winter in the Florida citrus belt is dry but cool (60s-70s). Summer is hot (90s daily) but it rains frequently, like almost every afternoon. You citrus can handle the heat if you keep them watered. Slowly introduce them from shade to full sun over a week. During my hot and often dry summer, I water every afternoon.

Hey Mike!
Hot enough for ya? Gotta love New England- forget consistency!
My Red Grapefruit tree is finally happy! It loves being outside! I have new buds on my Meyer Lemon tree. I have Calmondin and another Lemon tree outside, and they all look better (spider mites...finally cleared up!)
Bugs- I don't want to hear it. I've got Scale insects on pretty much everything- my new battle. Once it cools down a bit, I'll spray everything, after I hand pick what I can see of the stinky little buggers. I have some Safer's spray, but I haven't exactly been consistent. *sigh* and so the saga contimues...

Hey Jeelli,
Sure is hot enough, and just like my plants..I LOVE IT!!
My trees are all doing great too. What a difference when they are outside ha...
I hope they enjoy their vacation from the indoors, because it sure flies by fast...lol
Poor thing....Scale...I have never had that, nor do I ever want too!! I hope I never see it...
I am bad. Once my plants go outside..ASAP, I spray them up with chemicals..Yup. I don't eat the fruit though. I use systemic Rose disease and insect control that you attach at the end of your hose and spray. WORK WONDERS!!!
Ok, I know some are dissapointed at me for using the toxic stuff. Probably mad too..Sorry. To some, this can be a taboo. Is there an eaisier method where you can hit tons of plants at once with an organic pesticde that really does a great job?
I only use organic sprays indoors, which I seem to have no sucess with, but it is safer indoors.As one member said in another post recently, "seems like when I use anything organic or a non-chemical method, they party in it like the scene from gremlins". I really think they are immune to even neem oil!! lol
Lastnight, we got a rare thunderstorm, after the Celtics game at midnight, and boy am I tired from watching both! This am it is so beautiful! I think the heatwave broke. Today it is in the 80's with dry air. The next few days in the 70's with our famous sea breeze.
You are so right, never any consistancy in our weather, not like the old days!
Take care:-)
Hi tsmith!!

Hey - its been while since I've been on the site - good to hear that you all are still here.

Down here in Virginia - I left my lime tree neglected to tend the flowers! It doesn't seem to mind, although I leave it out on the sun and rain - i had to chase some birds from using the twigs for a nest.. Its doing ok - nothing special and no big growth spurts. Still an ugly tree from nearly dying this winter.

I have a feeling that your tree is going to end up in the woods if it doesn't do something fast for you by the winter!!lol
Good to see you back!!:-)

Binion, one more thing...Get your tree out of the soil it is in asap if it is not in Al's soiless mix !! Your a perfect cannidate for his soil because of where you live and because of the fact youv'e been ignoring your tree...lol
Remember the one I told you about, when both of us had a tree that had lost all it's leaves and seemed destined to die?
Well, mine is growing new growth on every sinlge node, or spot where every single leaf fell off. It was just sticks, now, it is reborn..lol
Take care!

Hey Mike,
I forgot about this thread..LOL..
Oddly enough, I just bought Dyno Gro via Ebay...Flowering and All Purpose. Do you use AP DG on palms? I'll give it a try..it's between DG and a citrus fertilizer that says, good for Citrus and Palms..Otherwise, there's nothing on the market, other than stakes..and I won't use stakes. I'm going to add Epsom Salts, too.

Temps are HOT..but who's complaining? There's nothing like summer..Fresh air, sun, humidity, sun, and sun. LOL
Last I heard it was 92F w/98% humidity.
We have tornado warnings or watch, whichever, but right now the sun's blazing..sure doesn't look like any storms I'm familiar with..It's supposed to rain tonight, tomorrow, Sun, Mon and Tues..We've had more rain this June, than the whole of spring.
Oh Mike, I'm too afraid setting palms in full sun..Mine are sheltered against the house, in an east exposure..
Citrus are growing like crazy, too..It's feeding time, along with Superthrive and Epsom Salts..the problem is, if it rains as they're predicting, everything will be leached out of soil..You know?
It has to be worse for you since you're now using soil less mixes..I don't have the energy, time, or inclination to water and fertilize so frequently..Not with 300+ plants and outdoor gardens..no thanks..LOL.
Your palms sounds like they're doing great, all green, and no bugs on citrus trees..Yay!!
Mike, last time you wrote, you said you had 85% of your plants outside..did you make 100%??
One thing you can try with water is, (this is what I do) save old milk containers..keep filled w/water, hide. Then when you're ready to water, voila, no chlorine. It works great..since using saved water my Chlorophytums (spiders) tips don't brown. If you have an aquarium, its water is fantastic..filled with nutrients and again chlorine-free.

Jeelii..You may or may not want to try this.. The best organic killer and preventative against scale is Fish Emulsion. My plants had major scale infestation one year when bringing an olive tree home..I was told it works by a woman who runs a citrus nursery in Fl. They use it. 1 capful of Fish Emulsion to a 16oz or so sprayer of water..Spray thoroughly..The entire plant/s...Any neighboring plants should be sprayed too, since the little buggers travel. One application works, but two wouldn't hurt..Fish Emulsion is an organic fertilizer, and a fantastic scale/insecticide. Give it a try. Oh, a Warning..Fish Emulsion has a fishy odor. They do sell an odorless type, but I've never tried it. I'd think it works the same,...if your plants are outside, it won't matter..If indoors, the odor may annoy you..But it's worth it. In autumn, before bringing plants back inside, every plant gets a through spray.

Binion, once a GardenWeb addict, always a GardenWeb addict..Right? The forums are a great way to learn, give advice, and meet some of the nicest people around..Well, is it not true most plant lovers are nice?? LOL.
Glad to see you back. Stick around..

Mike, you may have left for vacation, so I'll see ya when you get back.. Have a great time, and be safe..Toni

Hi Toni,
I hope you read this....How are you? I have gone and come back from vacation 3 weeks ago..Look how fast time goes!! I hope our poor plants don't feel that way when we put them outdoors!lol
No, I still have plants indoors...The low light ones..Especially my Kentia Palms...I still need green indoors...;-)
Hey, not to change the point, but have you read the forum in House Plants...." About men liking plants"..What a great and yet funny one....You should see what rhizzo said! I never laughed so hard. Someone thought you were a man...lololol
Now back to this one...Yes I do water my Plams with Dyn -gro...No salts yet though...I figure if they look good now, why fix what's not broken.
Hey. You seem to really have faith in spraying emulsion for insect. In fact you told me to do this to rid of my insects, and I never listend..Bad me. I have been seeing you say this all winter and yet never tried it. I think it's time!!In fact, I talked to Four Winds Nursery yesterday, I seem to have made a friend there who has invited me to work for them if I should ever move out that way...right....,And he says they spray with fish too. A product called, Maxi-crop! That is fish emulsion or seaweed. But he says it feeds them through the leaves with lots of nutrition for flowering too. I guess there is a two fold effect, nice:-)
You know what, I do the same as you, I save water in gallon jugs and hide them..lol I have tons with rain water just ready to go, hidden.
I have a bit of advice, if are concerned about nutrients leeching out of your containers, just add some slow release fertilizer to the soil, and supplement with a quarter strength of Dyno-gro everytime you water. Home Depot has a great one for the first time I ever saw....It is called, Osmocote with minors! Great stuff. Great stuff!
I remember when the only way to get that stuff was through a nursery supplier at 79 dollars for a 25 pound bag! Must be good stuff! The nurseries all use it along with water soluable fertilzer.
It has been doing wonders for me...They are never starved. They are the greenest I ever saw them. In fact before I added the slow release, I noticed signs of defficiency, and within a couple of weeks, wholla, nice and green.
There is the fine line with soil holding too much fetilizer and salt build up, but if your soils are draining fast, and your are giving them a constant very week feed,EVERYTIME you water, until the end of summer of course, you will find the balance for proper nutrition!

P.S. I am still afraid to put my Palms in full sun too, because they are so little, so I am still keeping them under a shade cloth. They seem very happy!
By the way I ahve an experience to tell you about all my 25 Clivia plants, let me know if you want to hear it ok.
Take care for now all of you, and have a great weekend...Mike

Alright - Ill try ONE MORE thing for this tree - but i'm pretty sure the batch that the nursery got from Morovia was bad - there are no more at the nursery from this batch - when I saw them, they all had bugs, and leaf drop. I think the nursery gave up on them, or sent them back.

Mike - can you email me the soil-less mixture recipe? now(at)gmail.... com

Thanks! - oh ps, yes I don't think the tree will last through the winter at this rate.... I should get a replacement now...

Hi Toni! Thanks for the advice- I'll try that. Anything. My plants are outside mostly, so no problem. I had sprayed my Lime tree, Calmondin, and my Mandevilla Laxa with the Safer's. You should have seen the Scale on the Calmondin a week later. Like I fed the buggers steroids or something!! Ugh
I bring my plants in during thunderstorms (Mike- we had a tornado watch earlier this evening- fun!!)
I have a lot of small plants, and while I know tropicals love thunderstorm, I don't want them blown to bits, so in they go. then back out. then back in. Lot's of thunderstorms lately- tis the season. it's fun, I swear.
I store water in old wine jugs. A friend helped me out with that! I collect rain water and C/air exhaust water during the summer. When we move we'll have well water- I'm not sure how that will work with a softener, although chlorine will no longer be a concern. Salt will probably be an issue.
I think I'm going to get some Osmocote. I use Dyna-Gro, but I tend to hold back fertilizing in the summer because I want the plants to be dry when I do it (water with liquid fertilizer, I mean) but then always it rains, and I don't want root rot, so I end up fertilizing infrequently.
If I use Osmocote, I don't have to worry- the rain will get it done.
So fish emulsion it will be. How about Superthrive- where does one find that? And Algoflash? no one seems to have heard of it in the stores- even at an upscale garden center I visited. Is that an online only thing?
The fertilizers stump me. Logee's says Dyna- Gro, but a lot of people on these forums (I visit Fragrant Plants too) swear by either Superthrive or Algo- Flash. Any advice?
I just wanna do the right thing for my "babies"! ;0)
Thanks already!
Jen

Hi Binion!
I hope you got my e-mail? I sent you one ASAP when I got back to work on Monday..I havn't heard from you, but in due time I am sure I will if you got it...Take care:-)

jeelli, what state do you live in..You would be so lucky...Everytime a storm heads my way, they die out before they even reach us.. and I mean just 2 cities over from us!!I would be lucky to see one an entire summer!! Call it my own local High pressure system that blows them away from my direction!! I am a thunderstorm fanatic who chases them with my friends to watch them!! Call it dangerous I know!! That is what happens when you are thunderstorm deprived for the past 18 years!! Things here have definatly changed ever since the towns in my area have been deforestated!:-(

Mike, you're back??? Oh my goodness, I thought you went last week..LOL..yes, time goes too fast, which worries me because, well, soon we'll be hearing Jingle Bells..
I hope you had a nice trip..How was it? Didn't you go to some island? See any nice plants? Animals? Nice weather, I'm sure, right?

Ohh, I'm like you, Mike..just love thunderstorms, but like Jen, do not enjoy chasing plants down the street, which is basically what happened Sun morning. While asleep, a sudden wanna-be tornado wiped out several trees, poles, etc etc. This town was shut down. Closed..Everything.
I'm talking mature, in-ground trees, (not to mention my plants, sigh) A 20-25' branch was ripped out of the tree out back. Yes, I love T-storms, thunder, lightening, wind, but when I'm indoors, reading a good mystery. It's the best!!
Mike, now I'm curious..what happened to your Clivias? Hope they're okay..please don't tell me the wind got them..Tell me the story.
Oh yes, Fish Emulsion works for scale..I don't know anything about Safer or other insecticidal oils because I'd never used them. I was told to try Fish Emulsion specifically to kill off scale by a pro, a woman who owns a citrus nursery and uses it to keep off and kill any wandering scale looking for a home..I took her advice, and voila, gone. Not one wk, but the next day..didn't even need a second application, but I did add half dossage a week or two later, to be SAFE. Yes, Fish Emulsion is an organic fertilizer. In autumn, before bringing plants back inside, I spray with Fish Emulsion. Since the year of the 'scaled-Olive-Tree' never did I again see scale, and hopefully don't..they're gross..
Mike, I'll try Dyno-Gro on Palms..and ES's, just to be sure.LOL..I agree, if it's not broken, don't fix, but it's like this..Like I said about spraying FE in autumn? Even though plants haven't any scale, etc, they get sprayed as a preventative..they're not broken, nor will they GET broken..:)

Hey Binion..Not long ago, someone had mentioned they were having problem with a citrus from Monrovia. Hmm, strange.

Jen, what happened when you used Safer? The scale looked like they were on steroids? What do you mean? It 'fertilized' them? Sheesh..They didn't die?
If this is the case, please try Fish Emulsion..If you can't find it locally, (though I just saw some at Walmart) you can buy it on Ebay..other online nurseries sell it too, including www.homeharvest.com
Jen, did the tornado touch down near your home? Wow..did you see it? They're fascinating but scary and destructive. What day did this happen? Was it Sun morning?
Jen, do you know you're not supposed to fertilize dry soiled plants? It can burn roots. It's stated soil should be at least moist before fertiilzers are applied.
Don't worry about salt buildup after rain..in fact, when you fertilize, then rain hits, a lot of fertilizer is leached out of soil. So, instead of fert'ing less, do so on average, but do NOT over-fertilize either.
I'm a firm believer of Superthrive..some ppl think it's junk. I've had success using it, with plants I thought dead, or just sad looking. My flowering plants burst with flowers when using. But the decision is up to you..The best deals are on Ebay. Home Harvest sells it too.

Mike, what happened to the towns near you? Did they knock down forest areas? Oh that irks me. Why ruin nature??? Better not get started on that..

Have a great week people..Toni

My goodness toni, Did they knock down the forest? In everytown from here to about 40 miles out west and north and south. I feel like I am begining to live in a concrete jungle. It disgusts me... In the name of progress, they detroy our enviroment and cause climate change within our own areas. Called micro climates. You could get me started too. I ticks me off to never be able to take a ride anymore without seeing thousands of trees come down just weeks after I took a ride out on the same road when it was forested.
Instead of using old buildings, they are building new ones in fresh forests...Now as the weathermen discuss with me on a regular basis, they have taken down the very trees that our summer storms need to survive the treck from the western suburbs to the east. They dry up, fizzle out before we ever get them, because of lack of moisture to sustain themselves the trees give, causing drought every summer lately.
Now, I feel better!!lol
Merry Christmass!! oh wiat not yet..lol
I am so glad your ok, after that storm you had...I am bad..I would love to see one, though ,if I could be guareenteed that I would be safe.
My clivias? They were all stunted in growth for over 2 years now. So I wondered why. I took them all outside and examined the roots and found that EVERYONE of them had roots half dead and some alive. I called a clivia expert and he asked me what they were growing in. I said potting soil. He said.." with peatmoss/"...I said yes.
He told me to get them out of that junk and put them into a soiless mix without the moss..I transplnated all my plants all spring except for these because I keep these in my basement under good lites. I couldn't beleive how many dead roots I pulled off my poor plants. They have been in a great soiless mix now for about a couple of weeks now, and what a difference....!! Already growing new leaves, and the older leaves stopped yellowing up. NICE
By the way, I got fish emulsion the other day, and now I will be ready and armed to " fix what's not broken to avoid the brake".lol
I went to St. Johns and snorkled, and even chased crabs! Yes I took pictures of the yellowing palm trees..lol,
ate fresh mangos too. Boy I wish we could grow those.
Hope to chat with you soon, and take care everyone. By the way, the heat wave we had, has now turned into a cold wave. Our temps are 10 degrees colder than normal all week. Only in the low 70's all week when it should be in the 80's!!
Keep smiling...Mike

Hi Mike and Toni!

Mike- I'm your "neighbor" in Connecticut. We were up in Agawam at Six Flags today- we got rained out!!! Every year we go there and this happens- but usually it's quick thunderstorms.
Toni- no tornadoes, but just the warnings. The thunderstorms move in from New York State. They can be pretty nasty- downdraft's, hail, heavy heavy rain, lot's of lightening... The last time we had significant tornadoes in Connecticut was in 1989. It was an outbreak that hit western Connecticut. I missed it all- I was visiting a friend out in Iowa. Kind of ironic.
The thing about the scale- I sprayed the Calmondin twice- a week apart, with Safer's. I checked on them recently, and the Scale were huge- it was almost like I did them a favor!
I'm not sure how I got them in the first place, to be quite honest. I hadn't gotten anything new when I first noticed them on my Mandevilla Laxa. I had sprayed that with Neem Oil spray until they seemed gone, but I think by then it had already spread to my other plants. (I had isolated the ML while I was treating it.) I was wondering why things were so sticky!!!
Tomorrow I'd like to check out Walmart and get the FE. (and Osmocote). Then I can spray them after the sun sets. I'd like to see the end of them once and for all! I've been hand picking them off with toothpicks.

I love Connecticut!! I drive through there all the time to go to New York!
I also love logees!!! What a greenhouse. If you have never been there, check it out.
It is nice to know I have a neighbor that can share sucess with our citrus especially in the best months of the year...the winter months...lol

Hi Mike. I think it's disgusting how man is destroying the earth. Chopping down trees, building malls and more huge appartment complexes. Where are the wildlife going to live? I feel so sorry for them..they WERE here before man. Man is killing everything off, slowly but surely..Progress my a&&..Sorry,, but this topic upsets me. Not only are they chopping forests down, but spraying everything with harmeful chemicals.
USA is over-populated. Illegal aliens taking over..why are they here? More people means more buildings.
Climates have changed drastically over the years. Everything is changing..Why doesn't man leave things be. People got along fine before, why can't the old ways continue?
How many malls do we need? You know? People aren't spending like they did anyway. What about Walgreens? They're everywhere..they knock down stores, only to rebuild newer Walgreens buildings. God only knows how much they spend building a new store 50 feet away from the older building..It doesn't make sense.
Same is happening in IL...the midwest was known for farmland..most farmers ended up selling their homes and land, homes that were handed down from generation to generation. Do they not feel sad?
With gas problems, they're talking about adding more corn fields again..Well, duh, why didn't they leave those that were here, be? Corn prices are going way up.
It's too bad we couldn't get enough people to sign petitions to stop this nonsense.
I bet it was devestating seeing a forest one day, then brick and mortor the next. How sad.

Since you like watching tornados, ever think of riding along with tornado hunters? LOL..That'd be so cool. I would love seeing one, but like you wouldn't want to get hurt or property damage.

Well, everyone has their own opinions regarding the care of plants, including the person you spoke with who suggested using soil-less mix on your Clivias..What type of soil were they potted in before?
Mike, I'm NO expert, but I've had my Clivias in the same mixes for yrs..My oldest Clive was started from seed in 1982..it's huge. Plus I've two little guys. One variegated the other will one day bear yellow flowers.
I'm still a soil old-school gardener..LOL..Look at it this way? Soil-less mixes are, lately, a new idea..I can't say how long, but before all this talk about how well plants do in soil-less mixes, think of our ancesters. They used whatever soils available, grew everything from outdoor veggies to house plants. Don't get me wrong, I add soil-less mediums too, Sand, Perlite, and Peat. But IMO, sterilized soil provides nutrients non=soil-mixes doesn't..but that's just my opinion..who's to take my advice..LOl..
As long as your Clives are happy, that's all that matters..if something works, continue using. If not, stop..the end.
Did you remove dead roots on Clives? Did you not notice a sour odor? Usually rotted roots emit a bitter smell.
I'm happy you caught it in time though..
Mike, what condition were Clivia 'leaves' in before? Were they green and healthy or dying?
I rarely repot Clives..the babies need repotting 1-2 yrs. The largest repotted approximately 3-4 yrs. I wonder how tall a mature clive gets..do you know? Besides, Clives like being rootbound.
I agree Clivias don't need Peat. I only add Peat on plants that need acidic soil. (Citrus, Gardenia, Azaleas, etc)
Mike, do you have a website? I'd love seeing your plant pics.

Why were palms yellow in St. Johns? I would think they'd be green and vibrant on a tropical island. Wow..
It sounds like you had a great time. Did you see any unusual plants? Too bad you couldn't find seeds..Is transporting seeds illegal?
I'm glad you had a nice time and got to do all you did. I've never been overseas, but am sure I'd love it..just looking at plants and birds. Do you know anything about birds? If so, what type did you see?
I've heard snorkling is fun..what type of fish did you see? So, you caught crabs..LOL..NO comment. LOL. j/k.

I'd love growing Papaya..they're sooo tasty and sweet. When I worked at a nursery, one guy from the Philopines brought back pics while vacationing there..his garden was fill w/papaya trees..they were huge and loaded w/fruit.
Mango would be fun too..did you ever try growing one in a pot? Many people are now into container growing.. veggies like tomatoes, green peppers, ect. That'd be nice for someone who lives in an appartment w/a patio.

I wanted to mention, we went soil shopping..finally found Vermiculite. Bought a box of slow-release fert for Evergreen, trees and Shrubs, 14-7-7. I asked the 'plant expert' lol, at the store, if it'd work on Palms, but of course he didn't know. I'm going to try it. Just a little. I'll use a measuring cup, sprinkle on soil..(away from trunk) Add more soil and water. We'll see what happens..directions say to use once every three months, but I'm going to divide into thirds and feed once a month. I'll let you know if/how it workds.

Anyway, I'm happy you had a great time at St. Johns, and arrived home safe and sound..
The temps are crazy here too..like your area, one day it's 90, then drops to 70. Not to mention tons of rain. It's a daily thing. I worry about succulents. Don't want them to rot, especially new bare-root Adenium and Euphorbias..They need to be inspectedd and water dumped every couple days, otherwise rain sits in the saucers and can cause rot. Last summer we had a lot of rain, similar to this year..I had a 2 year old, Thai, Crown of thorns that stood 2'. Flowers were bi-color..got the Crown locally for 15.00. After days of rain, it rotted, soil was well-draining.
Now they want 67.00 for the same size Crown..which is one reason I'm now into bare root..

Hi Jee..Oh that's awful you got rained out at Great America..don't you just hate that? Were the rides closed all day or for a period? Did they offer free tickets>?

Iowa is having problems now..flooding..I couldn't believe how bad it is, watching the news..What's going on?

Well, like I said in an above post, I never tried Safers or any insecticidal oils/soaps, other than Fish Emulsion.
It's possible the ML had scale..you know how bugs hide, lay eggs, and some plants are more susceptable to insects than others. In fact, ML are bug magnets which is one reason I no longer have one.
Please check all neighboring plants near the scale infested tree..Actually, it wouldn't hurt to spray all your plants with FE. It works as an organic fertilizer, and won't burn leaves/roots. The thing is when spraying to do a thorough job..Top and bottom leaves, stems, trunk.
Do you know how much to use?
What exactly is Safer? Is it an oil, soap? I can't believe it actually helped the scale..Sheesh. I'm thinking it wasn't the Safers but instead, the scale ate off your tree..Filled their tummy's and grew larger. Even after spraying w/Safer, it didn't work which is why you're still finding scale. Are they brown or white scale?
I hope your Walmart sells FE. I've only seen it for sale once. Every so often HD carries it, too. Mose local nurseries have in stock.
If worse comes to worse, you can get it online.
We're stopping at Walmart tonight, so if they have it, I'm going to buy another bottle in case I can't locate it elsewhere..But honestly, Ebay has great bargains on FE, ST, and other items.
The reason leaves were sticky is scale secrete honeydew..The dew attracts ants. Seems the two work together. :(
LOL, how do you handpick with toothpicks? LOLOL..Anyway, I hope you find the FE, before those buggers take over your plants. 1 capful of FE to a 16oz (or so) mister. Shake well, and spray. You'll see the difference fast.

Mike, I used to be a great Logees customer..perhaps going to their gh is different, but ordering via mail was a disappointment. Plants are overpriced and in smaller pots..smaller opposed to the size they were 5 years ago. Shipping is ridiculous. I once ordered a variegated lemon tree..HA..they sent a 2-3" cutting that died within the week..it sure looked nothing like the pic in their catalog. They claim not to have a record of that purchase..Right.
Have a great wkend you guys..I should do something other than sitting here online..gotta get started and it's late..I'm beat from BIG house cleaning and some yard work yesterday..but sitting here isn't going to get anything done..talk to you guys later..hugs, Toni

Hi Toni!
I still have to get to Walmart to find the FE- either that or Home Depot (nothing at Lowe's)
I'm sorry to hear about all of the flooding out west. They are saying that all of that flooding will add to the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico- all of the nitrates leaching out of the farmlands and down the Mississippi River...
That thing about Walgreens knocking down old buildings and building new? I hear that. The buildings they knocked down here to build a new store survived our flood of '55, but down it went anyway. I won't shop there, even though it's closer.
I grew up in a city with a historic district (I lived in the historic district)- the city itself sucks but the architecture is beautiful. They've done a wonderful job preserving many buildings, as hard as it is. Where I live now they seem to care less. Our downtown is the prime example. You should see historic photos from the fifties. The Post Office, The City Hall... Greek, Federal, gorgeous!
Then came the sixties and all of that was gone, including half the beautiful buildings on Main Street for a mall that they just tore down!!!
btw- My hubby studied Meteorology in college- last year he wanted to go storm chasing for our ten year anniversary. Someday!!!

Can I go with you guys jeelli?....lol
I have been trying to get friends together for a long time now, but they are all scared to death to go!! I have always wanted to do this. I love the majestic sounds, the winds, and the clouds of storms! As long as they don't destroy things...right..lol
Hi toni,
It was so good to here from you!! I think the palms down there are all yellow ,because, they lack the nutrients they need to be green. I tried in vain to look for a perfect green one, and found none, especially on the island of Puerto Rico...Wouldn't suprise me if it was because of developement and pollution. Now when I fly over that island to the airport compared to 10 years ago, all the mountain tops have houses, and yes, SUPER WALMARTS!! Lots of malls, even in what use to be all farm land in the country. Weird ha...lol
I say we should start our own club,,,,the Enviromentalist Protection Club for Greenery Agency...lol
Beside plants, yes I am a pro at breeding birds, especially canaries and finches!! I had over 70 at one time..Sold them all though!
Come to think of it,unless you go to Logees in person, your right, you get small plants that disappoint you for sure..
Please don't tell me your an old school grader...I thought you were a very young person...
Yes, soiless works for me, I stink at growing anything in peatmoss..lol
I saw barrcudas, beautiful coral, and tons of the most vibrant fish..The best!!! I even saw alot of nudest!! You don't do that do you?lol Now that is being in touch with nature!
I did do something stupid with a couple of my clivias though...urgh...I forget to shade a couple from the sun...You know what happened right?...two of my favorites BURNT!!
Well, I need a vacation soon again. But in the mean time, I will continue to come here for my great escape whenever I can..:-)
Take care for now, and keep in touch!!!

Hey Mike - I missed your email! I want to try the soil-less mix.
I'm headed to the islands this weekend for a week - i hope my tropical porch will live through my trip - the dog walker/ plant feeder is a seventeen year old girl who has more on her mind than feeding plants!

Guess what - my lime trees are doing well, some new growth although no flowering yet (you said JUNE Mike!!!! Hahaha). anyway, Im feeling like I can handle another plant - maybe a lemon????

Ahhh the pain - I can feel it already!

I was in Colorado a few weeks ago and had a large 1 mile wide tornado rip the town apart - crazy. My inlaws house was four miles from it and didnt get a scratch. when the National Guard finally let us in, the place looked like Bagdad...

Hopeful Author - I feel your pain on development... Im involved with the US Green Building Council here in DC and were trying to get things moving in the right direction... Sadly - it will take a lot of work even it time like this, when people are forced to go to WalMart for economic reasons meanwhile the Earth gets hurt even more with the lack of local resource support...

Hi Jeelii..I'd love to come along on your tornado hunt. Cool. It'd be like the Wizard of Oz. Since we're inexperienced, (you too, Mike) would love hunting a 1 mile wind, though we'd probably end up in Oz..LOL.
As for Walgreens, why in the world do they need so many stores? They're everywhere. And to knock down a sound building only to rebuild makes NO sense. I think they're trying to outdo CVS..I've heard CVS has numerous stores, too, but not many around here..there's two in a 30 mile radius. Walgreens, on the other hand, are located every mile..What's going to happen if people start shopping elsewhere? Especially when you hear there are inexpensive pharmacies. Because of our insurance, we haven't any choice but to use Walgreens for prescriptions, (HMO) but not all insurance companies are not like mine.
What irks me is the old, family-owned pharmacies are gone..there were two in Brookfield, they'd been around forever. Once since the early 1900's. They had pics on the walls of their Grand Opening..newspaper articles regarding house-bound ppl who couldn't get out and had their meds delivered to their house..Can you imagine Walgreens doing that? NOT.
I sympathize with you..They sure don't construct buildings like the old days..that had to hurt watching 100 yr old and older buildings being torn down. Sturdy old buildings to boot. That's horrible. Progress my a&&!! Sorry, but this topic upsets my stomach.
At least they preserved some old buildings.
A similar thing almost happened here..They were going to knock down the original RR building, but the community declined, voted against it, so they decided to keep it. Talk about historic. The RR building is a lovely, charming old place, though some say it's haunted. :)
I'm like you..prefer old buildings to modern..in fact, I detest new office buildings that look like they reach the clouds, windows don't open, and buildings sometimes look like they're leaning..no way..
Same with old homes, big, old homes..they're charming and ornate. It seems since the 60's or 70's, modern buildings/homes popped up everywhere..
I surely hope you find the FE..HD used to sell it, but because of summer they're focusing on annuals/perrenials, have little indoor stuff. We went to 4 stores before finding Vermiculite, the last had 1 bag left..
Are u afraid to order online? There are several nurseries that sell FE..I used to fear providing info over the net, but w/Paypal, I feel safe. If you can't find it locally, try online..I'll help you look if you need assistance.
If your citrus/plants have scale, the sooner you spray the better..plant bugs are like rabbits..LOL. They breed and before you know it, you have an infested plant/s.

Hey Mike. I've been sooo busy working outside, between rain storms, lol. Many plants need repotting. Besides citrus, I'm also into AV's and succulents, and Palms..LOL..
I got a Travellers Palm on Ebay, going to plant in the garden. Though it's not a palm, it's related to Bird of Paradise. I think Musa, banana too, I'm curious what size it'll be by autumn.
Hey know what I did? One of my citrus died over winter. I saved the rootstock which is quite healthy..then planted in the yard..going to mulch in autumn. I did this before and the stock lived more than 4 yrs..some idiot stepped and broke it one winter..after that it never grew. If you have room, why not try it?
Mike, I agree about storms not destroying complete towns..You should have seen it here two Sundays ago..What a mess!! And we didnt have a tornado, so I can only imagine how it'd have been if we did.
When I think of islands, my fantasy doesn't involve Super malls..That's horrible. Sure, ppl need shopping areas, but nowhere near as many that are being built.
The only advantage is, more stores equal jobs. I'm sure there are many w/o work. Other than that I see no logical reason..in the meantime, trees are chopped, and wild life have no where to go..
Wow, you bred birds, too..Great..Did you hand-feed? My male, Mystic, a white-face pied, is 10 yrs old..This week alone, I discard 4 eggs..I hate doing it, feel guilty, but people aren't buying pets like they did. I have 4 birds now, don't need more. Also, more birds means less attention we pay to the parents. I'm quite fond of my birds, especially Mystic. He's jealous to begin with..LOL
What sizse eggs do finches have? What color?
I always wanted a canary, but never got one. The males, pure yellow, are gorgeous. Still, my male tiels sing Andy Griffith and Jingle Bells. They try talking..Mystic's son, Sparkle says HI..lol..
Before birds, I bred fish..all types, live and egg bearers..My favorite were Bettas..they're beautiful, especially males. Also bred Jack Dempseys, Angels, Guppies, and many others..After moving to the burbs, I lost contacts at pet stores, so gave it up..I kept the remaining fish till they went to fishy heaven. Including 2 huge Oscars and a 5lb cat fish..can't spell it, something like Pletcosomus.

I only add Peat to plants that prefer acidic soil..but it's mix with other mediums. I remember about 10 yrs ago, when plants were sent through the mail or while shopping at local nurseries, all plants were potted in peat. Nurseries got away with it because they kept sprinkler systems running every 15-20 mins thoughout the day. (over tropicals, not succulents) Pots didn't have saucers and water dripped on the ground. All I know is, plants were beautiful. We who live in cold, dry climates can't get away with that.
Then again, IMO, I honestly believe most plants need black soil for nutrients. I don't have the time to water 300 possibly 400 plants every 2-3 days. Not to mention fertilize more than I do now..It takes 3-4 days to fert, Superthrive and ES..forget it..LOL.

It sounds like you saw some wonderful sites and nature on the islands..you are sooo lucky. It's ashame about the Palms though..maybe pollution is the problem. But why would islands like PR have polltion? Are there a lot of cars? Factories?
Too bad you couldn't bring Coral home..LOL
You saw nudiest? LOL..Where, walking down the street or at the beach? No, I can honestly say, I"M NO nudiest..LOL.
In this day and age, w/all the perverts, I'm afraid to wear shorts and tank top.
I dont know what you mean about the 1st grade thing? You've never beem to my website? My pics on there..you tell me how old I am..LOL..women do NOT reveal their ages..

Mike, don't toss your Clivias..you didn't, did you? Please tell me you didnt? Even if every leaf burned, and needs removing, with care they should produce new growth.
When I first got the gh, I set my oldest clivia out there..one winter night, the coldest night of the year, the darn heater went out..Many Clivia leaves died. I brought in the house, vowed never to set outside..it's grown new leaves and huge. So, don't give up. Remove dead foliage, add Superthive..because it's stressed, add 10 drops per gallon of water..Keep in medium light the rest of the year. I guarantee it'll grow in..
I love talking to you too..We really have to hunt down tornados one day though..LOL..
Have you bought any new citrus?

Binion, buy a Meyer's or Ponderosa..they're fairly easy to grow, and fruit year round. Especially Meyer's. These two are my favorites.
I prefer standards to dwarfs, but confined to pots, it makes no difference as far as size..Kumquat is also another ever-blooming/fruiting plant..

Thank God your inlaws home wasn't hit by the storm..Wow..bet it was windy since the tornado was 4 miles away..did you get to see it? LOL

Binion, what exactly is the US Green Building Council? It sounds like an environment program..yes, I agree it's going to be a long time before, like you say, things move in the right direction. The EPA's been around how many years, and although they've accomplished quite a bit, our air/water needs a LOT more work before it's breathable and drinkable.
Trucks alone put out black, stinky smoke..not to mention all the vechicles on the roads. Stacks let out a good amount of smoke, too. Black is the worse. I attended an EPA test in Sprigfield. Got one wrong out of 50 questions. Not bad, huh? LOL
More and more trees are being chopped down. Soon, it's going to be illegal to grow greenery the way things are heading..it seems that way.
What many call progress, I call damnation.
So much needs fixing..gas prices for one..I feel for the next president..he's got some job ahead of him, whomever he may be. We'll know soon enough.
Maybe the Amish know something we don't..(S)
I hope your agency rights the world again, though it's going to be rough.
So many people are apathetic; they don't care about anything. How many times do you see ppl toss trash out of their cars? Or worse, people dumping car ashtrays in parking lots..that's disgusting!!
Talking about this reminds me of an email I got yesterday. It regarded stopping dog fights. There are actual sites that discuss all the money that can be made by training dogs to fight. There was a picture of two dogs in battle..one dog had blood all over his face..Oh God, it was sad..The link led to a guy who is involved with dog fighting..he boasts about all the money he's made by raising vicious dogs..What the hell is wrong with people? Who wants to watch and bet on dogs ripping each other apart? Sorry, didnt mean to rant, especially since it's a citrus forum, but talking about the environment led me to think of the email.

Let's stick with plants, maybe look for tornados..:) I think most plant people are compassionate and want to save the environemnt..Toni Let's get together..

Toni, my granfather told me that in his day when he was a kid,,, Squirrels could find their way to Florida skipping from tree to tree all the way down. I wonder how I weather has been affected without all of them now? Hum. Hi. How are ya?
I kept my Clivias...But I am looking at burnt leaves still and didn't know what to do..Mind you, my favorite variegated one too!! Go figure.Toni,come to think of it, just yesterday I ran into the nicest VARIEGATED lemon meyer trees at the nursery..3 feet high to. I have one that is only 3 inches high, and has been like that for a whole year! I wanted to buy this one, and throw my little one out!! It was loaded with flowers!!! What do you think I did? knowing I have no room for them when they all have to go indoors at the end of summer?? I left empty handed..Proud of me?...I think of the lack of room and the insect problem potential, and then I say...NO way!! lol

Toni....What is your website? I didn't know you had one!!!

You know what gets me, when I drive into towns with vacant buildings right next to forest they are taking down to put new buildings right next to the vacant ones!!ARG
By the way, for the first time I did run into the ocean..lets just say not dressed..I always wanted to..It was dark, no moon, no people, lots of trees, and the ocean looked like oil!! It was just me and the stars! That is the only way I was brave enough to do so...lolol
By the way,,,tons of traffic on that poor little island of Puerto Rico. Lets just say that it takes 3 hours to take a 20 minute drive from the ocean to the country to my house at rush hour.POLLUTION to the max!
Overcrowding.
Well everyone else and you, have a great weekend!! If you know of a tornado, chase it for me..:-)
Keep in touch ok...
Talk to you all soon. Mike:-)