I used to use Alfalfa bits. Sold as horse feed. Problem is, it attracted critters into my soil. I did see some good results with my hosta but with house plants, it attracted bugs and flies. When I saw the herbal supplement, I got the idea of using this form. Being organic, it is mild and very hard to burn the plants. Too much can bring the bugs back.
Thinking what is good for root growth. Came to the idea of using potassium but I found no fertilizer with that high amount with out the other units being present which can cause burning. Then I found the supplement and figured why not. Just guessed on the amounts. Can't be used all the time. Law of life, something good = something bad also.

Tiffany,
I would be afraid of using bananas. Too much organic matter to bring flies and such.

Julianna,
Didn't get your email. sorry.

JB,
Your plants look like you found your own secert of growing great plants. Well done.

As Tiffany could tell you, my main love is Sansevieria, (snake plants). So far I have seen new pups sprouting and from breaking grond to being over 1 foot tall in a few months (Saim Silver). So far no signs of rotting or lose of leaves.
Stush
Even the fell off branches only a few months old are full in bloom!

Stush, they're pureéd into liquid, then diluted. It's not about adding bits of banana, just the nutrient content in liquid form. One could strain through a cheesecloth, but I wouldn't think it was necessary. There are no recognizable bits unless I put some peel in too. The smell of them does bring gnats and fruit flies around pots, for an hour or 2 until it dries, but that's cool since the anoles eat them. I do this while plants are outside (but didn't say that particularly, I wouldn't want to mess with it while plants are inside since they don't all get watered on the same day while inside. For that reason, I don't mess with fertilizer at all while plants are inside.)

Those Sans sound happy. That's how fast they grow in the ground over summer here, as you've seen.

So living in the south has various advantages, but seems to make TC blooms show up a lot later. How impatient am I? Very! By the time any of mine open a flower, the whole thing will be so played out.

Jacquie, I love all of those!

I need some advice and maybe someone on this thread can help me. I have an Easter Cactus that keeps dropping leaves and stems. I have even put a water gauge in its pot so I could see if it was being overwatered. I have no idea why it does this and I was thinking of trying to plant what falls off, but after it lays and should be getting a nice callous on it, instead it is getting "mushy" (not all the leaves but some of them). I am new to Easter Cactus this year and before I spend time researching about them I thought I would ask you all what you think the problem could be.
Thanks in advance. Have a good evening.

JB,
Can't help much on Easter cactus. I have the T.G. cactus and while out side, the pot was always full of water. I had to go out of my way to empty it. Same as my Sans. When it is hot outside, seems water doesn't matter much. However, my T.G. cactus pot sits just above the water line in the base. So any roots that grow out of the pot can suck up all the water they want. Seems the plant reaches a happy medium. When we bring them inside, every thing changes. That's why I started using this new way of fertilizing them.
Tiffany,
When summer comes, I use my compost tea. It smells very bad. Like a barnyard. I put my grass clippings in a 32 gallon can, which has holes punched in the bottom, with the lid on the bottom to catch the water dripping thru. I pure this on all my plants and it really seems to help. But not before they have to come in for the winter. Smell too bad. Guess I could use banana peals in the mix.
Stush

Jacquie, do you think it's rotting? I don't know why that would happen, I know you have a lot of other epiphytic jungle cacti, care should be the same for all. Though it's bloomed many times at various times over the last 18 mos that I've had it, my EC bloomed its' best so far hanging in an east window last winter. Since it can get in the 50's in here when it gets below freezing outside, I let it get much more dry in the winter. It hangs in a tree for summer, dappled light all day, some direct sun very late in the afternoon, watered every 2-3 days. Compared to TC, this is extremely slow growing.

Stush, I do that sometimes too! With grass, or Canna leaves. GMTA! Yeah, that's not a good smell. For the Canna leaves, it's a double-bonus since I put those in the water to drown the darn leaf roller caterpillars without giving up the OM of so many leaves. No OM leaves the property unless it's thorny rose trimmings or I find a sprig of PI trying to grow. (Overwintering these where not hardy might be a PITA, but at least those up north don't have to deal with those darn things, AFAIK.)

Tif, I just do not know. I am at a loss.

Well, me too! But the opposite is usually the only answer if the current isn't doing right. If it was being kept really dry, more water. If moist, let dry. If in the sun, back into more shade. I don't know what other variables you can control, but I don't feel like I'm saying anything you haven't already thought... sorry! Should we see it?

JB,

I thought Hatiora were known for being more fragile (Easter cactus species I mean), but it does sound a bit like rot.

Stush-- I emailed you back.

Holy Cow, there must be someone with a magic wand that could help me with this stupid plant. I am soon going to put it outside and let it freeze out of its misery. No, I can't do that darn it.

I wish I had a magic wand for you JB…Sorry…But it does sound like maybe overwatering. I did come across this that talks about 3 specific 'disease' problems with this Rhipsalis. http://mattslandscape.com/rhip...

Gee, I hope something here can help! Hate to see anything freeze out of its misery!

My Thanksgiving Cactus is finally budding!!! Guess I'll have some color for the Holidays after all!

Tara, that is a wonderful helpful link and I should have thought about going there for info. They are great with available information for so many things. I printed it out and will digest it when I have time. Thanks again.

Here are a few of what I have blooming now.

Orange Zygocactus


Peaches N Cream


S. Carneval Brazil


S. Parana Brazil


More to come.

S, Anapolis Brazil

Just a few more of the more common I have blooming.

Yellow


Zygocactus x 'Claudia'


Zygocactus x 'White Christmas'


Zygocactus x 'Zaraika'


That's about it for now. If I don't talk to you all before Thanksgiving I hope you have a wonderful day.

Thanks for sharing the festive, beautiful pics!

[IMG=http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/150x100q90/c/607/mki.gif][/img]

Those are gorgeous, JB! Especially peaches and cream!

Thank you for the nice comments. I love my plants like they were humans and I know you all know how I feel, so I wanted to share them with you. I love making people happy and what better way than with a beautiful bloom.

They are indeed gorgeous, JB. Beautiful blooms do have a way of making people happy. Have a bloomingly beautiful Thanksgiving!