Greg, to tell you the true I'm not sure what to do with the semps. Do you just cut the baby of the main plant and pot up? Do you have to wait for the little one to make a few roots.

I'm not the best person to ask, I usually cut them off, but thats because the majority of my semps are "rollers" and it doesn't take much to break them off...the rest of mine won't have chicks until this summer, so I'll know then I did read that if they're smaller than a dime its best to leave them on the parent, if that helps? The 2 oddity that I'm giving you will be about the size of a silver dollar (so really not very big, I got them in Dec. but they do have good established roots so they'll be fine. And I can bring it in a 4inch pot, so you won't be rushing to plant it. I hope they let me bring a plant into the show? I'll have to check that out.

It's not like a concert, no frisking. If you just put it in a bag they don't check.

Oh, okay! Good!! And glad you got a kick out of the question! (for some reason I thought they went through my backpack last time I went, but now that I think on it, that was a soccergame :rofl:!)

Good morning all.

Spring, that looks like crushed oyster shells, which are good for chickens, not sure if they are good for semps. They may have a lot of salt.

This is what I use from our local farm store: http://www.cherrystonegrit.com...

Or you can use 1/4" -10 crushed gravel. Should be able to find this at a local building supply store.

Sure looks like calcium. Good morning Lynn, are oyster shells that thick? Chicken grit should have calcium for the bones and shells if they lay eggs.
Now here comes the funny part, what is lime stone?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...
and what is cement?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C...
What is your gravel composed off?

Regards,
Arif.

The oyster shells here in the PNW can be quite thick.

Granite, which is a mix of quartz, mica, and feldspar.

Arguing with you can be quite fun and you took me to my mining days. Yes, granite is best. Narrows down the choice also.
Greg, how about a aquarium pic and which fishes? Seawater or fresh?
Regards,
Arif.

Lynn, this is small peices of rock. I will look for your product. Do you get it at home depot or lowes?

Where ever you get building materials you should find builders sand. You should also find crushed stone 1/4 to 1/8".
Regards,
Arif.

I get my chicken grit at a feed mill.

Lynn I do not understand, why are we looking for inert material like quartz(natural glass). Either plants like acidic conditions or alkaline, why inert? Inert in leaf mulch still is acidic in nature not neutral. No nutrition value.
Regards,
Arif.

Arif, sorry if you thought I have fish :sad:, I don't ...I remembered reading something about people using aquarium gravel in their semp beds and this seemed like a good alternative for me, city dweller with no easy access to chicken grit. I can special order it from local nursery, but its pricey that way - still may do that though!

Also FYI, I'm noticing that the semps don't seem to like the cactus soil that I used for second bed, the first bed using regular cheap soil mixed with perlite is looking so much better. I will be replanting all my semps later in the spring (mixing regular soil in the 2nd bed)
Cheers

I have noticed that my succulents do not do as well in the pre-made cactus/succulent mix as they do in my custom soil mix, also Greg. The premixed bag I used does not absorb water well and I have noticed my plants do not thrive as well.

Exactly...Serse, I treemailed you

Greg no river or storm water drain near at hand? You should get well washed either granite or if lucky silica(flint) sand. Check the aquarium sand composition from the dealer before condemning the idea. These fish lovers can be very choosy even more so then plant lovers, maybe he stocks quartz or silica sand or some other inert thing.
I use granite or white silica because plants prefer it. I asked Lynn because maybe she knows the theory behind it. This feldspar that she mentioned quite casually is not easy to explain. I remember a feasibility for a glass factory on a deposit that i was sitting on while going after marble. It is alkaline and has calcium but of a hard variety.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F...
If Lynn potters in from her garden, must be sunny and her beds are over grown with weeds maybe she might answer or she might have eaten a chocolate bar and quietly gone to bed like I should. I feel that she is pottering.
http://dictionary.cambridge.or...
Regards,
Arif.

Dump in organic material in the shape of leaf mulch for water retention.
Regards,
Arif.

I'm doing that today too! I should already be on my way, yet here I am on ATP! I must look for crushed gravel, I do have "pea gravel" but the pieces are too large they basically pebbles in the bed, not a top dressing!
Cheers...I'm off until this evening!

We have to be very careful her with leaf mold, not the best thing to use in our semp beds.

Granite rock is made up of several or more elements within the rock. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G...

I have not had very good luck using the cactus mix. I have tried it for some container grown semps. Ended up redoing the containers with my usual mix.
I use either Miracle Grow or Happy Frog. From there I mix in other things. I prefer the Happy Frog since I have used it. http://foxfarmfertilizer.com/c...