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Post by vraev on Feb 17, 2009 12:54:45 GMT -5
Thanks for the concerns guys. It is truly heartbreaking for me. Personally I haven't lost plants due to faulty culture apart from 2 weak VFTs and a sarr during dormancy. I have always tried to provide my plants with whatever I can in my power to help them grow. Its just sad that now a pest is affecting my collection sooo drastically. I guess the honest confession is that I have put soooo much into these plants...I can't bear loosing them due to my fault. Its a personal responsibility to take care of them. They are not just plants for me...they are pets, they are the companions.
I really appreciate you taking the time to dig up the recipe for me Lloyd. I am going to go shopping and get some of those other ingredients that I don't have. Thanks soo much. Fingers crossed and hopefully it works. At this point I have nothing to loose.
BTW...what is mineral oil? Can I get mineral oil and eucalytpus oil in a pharmacy or grocery store?
thanks Lloyd. Truly thanks man! I will keep you posted if it works.
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Post by lloyd on Feb 17, 2009 13:02:50 GMT -5
Mineral oil is a non-odorous, non-toxic petroleum distillate. Used for constipation and ear wax as well as for wood furniture. You can get it at any drugstore including the ones at Loblaw's, etc. Eucalyptus oil at drugstores or health food stores. You really only need the eucalyptus oil for spider mites. Eucalyptus does stink a bit in a mediciney sort of way. The detergent and mineral oil help to disperse the Neem which is a fat or oil so you can reliably spray it in a fine mist to get to all the little guys.
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Post by vraev on Feb 17, 2009 13:13:58 GMT -5
I love the smell of eucalyptus. When I was a kid in India...we sometimes used a drop or so of eucalyptus in like a gallon of water before taking a shower. its sooo refreshing. I have been to a eucalyptus forest as well in the popular sight seeing place "OOTY" in India. The environment is just fantastic....cloud covered mountains with eucalytus trees and fresh smell...just amazing.
Thanks Lloyd...I will check it out. If this indeed works...u will be a life saver.
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Post by dvg on Feb 17, 2009 13:31:37 GMT -5
Lloyd do you know what the eucalyptus oil does to deter the dreaded red spider? Does it kill them or just keep them at bay? That could come in handy for my cacti. Red spider is the bane of cacti growers.
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Post by lloyd on Feb 17, 2009 13:35:20 GMT -5
www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119105241/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0Good old google. Makes sense that the eucalyptus tree would produce secondary metabolites for a good reason-to keep down the buggies. By the way, have you tried taking the cactus out of the soil and dipping the whole plant in alcohol? It used to work wonders for mealy-bug for me. Course it's not practical for BIG plants.
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Post by dvg on Feb 17, 2009 13:42:44 GMT -5
Thanks for the link Lloyd. I suppose Koala bears might be pretty clean critters then.
No I haven't tried the alcohol dip on my cactuses before. What strength/proof alcohol were you using for that application. Did you rinse with water afterwards?
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Post by lloyd on Feb 17, 2009 13:54:14 GMT -5
I think I used the 70% isopropranol, the only one available in my cactus days. I don't remember washing it off, it evaporated pretty quickly.
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Post by dvg on Feb 17, 2009 14:41:42 GMT -5
Thanks Lloyd, so are you finished with cactus or do you still have a few kicking around? Some of the rarer, more difficult to grow species are being germinated and grown in tc, with good results. I really like Ariocarpus and Aztekium, but they are incredibly slow. By contrast to them, CP's grow like corn in the rainy, hot summer.
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Post by lloyd on Feb 17, 2009 21:21:28 GMT -5
Funny you should mention that, the two I have left are a Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus and a Leuchtenbergia princeps. I love the weird slow growing stuff. I also may get back into Lithops.
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