Re: helpful hints

From: BREWER__CHARLES@ecomail.damneck.navy.mil
Date: Fri Mar 28 1997 - 08:53:38 PST


Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 11:53:38 -0500
From: BREWER__CHARLES@ecomail.damneck.navy.mil
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg1171$foo@default>
Subject: Re: helpful hints


     Jay,
      I have only used the vinegar and water method for 3 months with great
     results. As you know, "we folks" on the East Coast have a lot of
     difficulty with "slim algae" and every spring, summer, we are always
     fighting this monster.
      As for the ground up pine straw/needles. I feel this is a faster
     method. You just sprinkle the pine straw power on the affected area
     until you can't see anymore of the algae then forget about it. Sounds
     kind of goofey doesn't it, but for some reason, it works. Sometimes
     you may need to apply a second application of power pine straw for
     really heavily affected areas, but it will eventually do the job and
     the plants seen to enjoy the extra mulch as well. I have used this
     method for three years now and swear by it. As far as the white
     vinegar treatment goes, this treatment seems to take a little longer
     with the same results. I really was looking for another solution that
     just about everyone could use no matter where you were living. The
     vinegar treatment usually takes a couple of weeks to work, but it does
     the job just as well. The vinegar treatment also turns any living
     sphagnum moss white, so be careful if you are using some nice "short
     crop" sphagnum moss that you want to keep. I have not tried this
     method on every plant I have. I would be careful and only use plants
     that you can afford to lose. So far, I have not killed one of my
     plants, but some sundews may be more sensitive to this treatment then
     others
      While as I have your attention, I have tip I would like to share with
     the group. I start a lot of CPs from seeds(sarr's). I seem to over
     seed my pots and I end up at the end of the year with a clump of brown
     looking pitchers. I would carefully go in clip and remove every little
     dead pitcher with the utmost care. Boy, was this hard on the old eyes
     and time consuming also. I got tired of picking off these little traps
     and now I take a long "fire place propane lighter" and torch the
     seedlings. With in a couple of seconds, the job is finished. As I burn
     the old pitchers, I rotate the pot keeping the plastic side from
     getting to hot. Once finished, I spray the whole pot down with a
     little water just to ensure that everything is out. I did this with
     about 12 pots of seedlings and so far, all seedlings are growing like
     a weed this year. As far as the other plants that were sprayed with
     vinegar water, most of them are also growing like a weed and some are
     even sending up flower spikes, now if only I could fine out where I
     put them there orange condoms.
      Hope this answers some of your questions. Always glad to help.
                             Charles Brewer
                            Virginia Beach, Va.

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Author: L235@aol.com at smtp

Ok, now we've moved from extra small condoms to CP douching
(equal gender offender) :).

But seriously, Charles, how effective is the vinegar and water
on slime algae compared with your previously discussed method
of chopping up pine needles? Still can't convince my wife to
lemme use her spice grinder (though I tell her it would taste
just like Rosemary) and I can't justify (yet) spending $20 on
a Braun pinestraw mincer.

If the vinegar solution is as or more effective, I'm gonna try that
this season, to keep the slime from gobbling up my low-growing
U.S. Droseras (brevifolia, capillaris).

Jay Lechtman (L235@aol.com)



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