Psylocke

Chlorine is a gas that dissolves in water. Bleach is chlorine + naoh. Used to disinfect water. Oxidant.

Chloride (Cl- ion) is not the same as Chlorine (Cl2 dissolved gas). Chlorine is an oxidant which can cause degradation of some organic compounds. Chloride is an ion and will not degrade any organic compound. There is no chlorine in your saliva or stomach (unless you drink tap water).

Go to: www.thekratomforum.com Ask for help there. There is a way out.

What method did you use to take the cutting. I've heard that air-layering is the best way for Argyreia. Or can I just chop a piece off and stick it in some soil

The standard method is to mix 1 part soil and 1 part water, mix for 1 minute by shaking, then let the soil settle out for about 10-15 seconds, then measure the pH of the water above the soil. You can use more water if you end up with mud instead of soil/water mixture. Soils with lots of clay will require more water.

I always here that it is very important not to water too much to avoid rot. I know this to be true with mature plants, but what about seedlings. I have lost many seedlings because they dried out. I always use a very well draining soil mix for planting seeds, and have found that I need to water them daily to avoid the seedling dying from drought. For very young seedlings, I even have to put a humidity dome over the pots that they are in to avoid having the soil dry out between waterings. I typically have to do this until they are up to a year old (longer for very slow growers). Obviously, it depends on the species. I am most interested in Astros, Arios, Gymnocalycium, and Trichs. Any advice? I am hoping to try some grafting in the near future, but I need to build up some stock first. Even tossing around the idea of tissue culture.

Living in a small apartment, it is practically impossible to mimic natural conditions. I was forced to resort to using humidity domes, etc. since I have lost most of the seedlings that I have ever germinated. Then I realized that they were dying because of lack of water and not rot. Arios are indeed the most difficult, and I have never successfully raised an ario from seed to maturity. I have a couple of seedlings still alive now, so we'll see how it goes. Grafting is an attractive option, but I hear that arios are very hard to degraft successfully.

Anyone know where to get a bumblebee clone in the US? Edit --> Never mind, should have googled first. duh.

Nice! The sand dollars are some of my favorite cacti in terms of appearance. I hear gibberillic acid can be used to promote hybridization. Worth a try.

Spider mites seem to love lion's ear. One of the reasons I have decided to stop growing it. I don't want the blasted things getting on my other plants. That damage doesn't really look like spider mites though. Do you see tiny webs on the plants? Maybe it is aphids. Also look for caterpillars. Are the plants outside? A good dose of neem oil should clear them up for a while.

Is there a faster way to propagate these species than by seed? I am mostly interested in vegetative propagation. I'm guessing tissue culture would be the fastest way, but not sure if I want to go there. Is it possible to propagate by cuttings, or do you just have to wait for pups?