miracid

Barry Meyers-Rice (barry@mips3.as.arizona.edu)
Tue, 16 Aug 1994 23:09:28 +0700

Terry sez:

>I'm growing some from seed so they are still quite small. I'd
>still like to know what the ingredients of Miracid are so I can
>find a substitute. The manufacturer/distributor's name might help

Terry, I'm looking at the box right now. Made by Stern's Miracle-gro
Products, Port Washington, NY 11050 USA

The stuff is a mix of various chemicals, the breakdown is 30-10-10.
TheNitrigen comes from Ammonium phosphates and Urea (3%, 27%). The
Phosphoric acid from ammonium and potassium phosphates. The potash
from Potassium phosphate and muriate of potas. There's other trace
compounds such as Boron 0.02%, Chelated copper 0.07%, Chelated Iron
0.325%, Water soluble Manganese 0.05%, Molybdenum 0.0005%, and Chelated
Zinc 0.07%.

0.0005% Molybdemum!!?? No, I didn't misplace the decimal on these last
percentages.

>I'm a bit confused by all the _Heliamphora_ cultivation notes I
>read. All books seem to suggest that they are likely to die if

I'm confused too.

Ivo sez:

>My plant of S.flava is going to flower. Isn't it strange at this time?

Ivo,
I've got a flower of S.flava, leucophylla, and rubra right now! Yes it is
the wrong time, and I think that it is because it is so hot here sometimes
they get confused.

FINALLY, David Purks alerted me to something interesting. I sent him some
U.graminifolia `Japan', and in a discussion with Ivo, Ivo asked him about
this. See, Ivo was confused because U.graminifolia is not supposed to
be in Japan. I opened my copy of the Gospels according to Taylor, and
sure enough---it's not listed for Japan. Boy is my face red. The plant
surely is graminifolia, but the `Japan' tag is probably in error.
Everyone I've sent this plant to, cross out the word `Japan'! (Or maybe
there's still more to this mystery?)

Barry