That is so cool about the calamondin, SSG! It's very pretty.

Holly, the ams are lovely.

My bulbs have all bloomed but most are not putting up additional scapes. Does anyone know what encourages the growth of additional scapes?

More of the Am's in Mom's pot have bloomed. These are more of last years bulbs that I saved and grew in the garden over the summer. There is another second tier of blooms coming on as well. About the time these blooms are finished there are at least 5 more that will open.

Also a better pic of Mom's huge CC

Lovely ams, Holly!

Pretty spectacular blooms there Holly!

Wow, they're gorgeous when grouped like that!

Yes they really are something to see.

The mint soap/alcohol spray really worked! My begonia is mostly free of aphids (or whatever it was) now. And it didn't spread to the other plants.

hooray! recipe, ssg? Aphids are back on my tropical milkweed

Hmm.... recipe... I really need to write down what I did so that I can replicate it later!

I used a bit of Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Liquid Soap (boy, that's a long name). And a splash of alcohol. And some water. I made sure not to shake the bottle, only mix it a bit. This is what google says: "Control: Add 2 tablespoons of Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap to 1 gallon of water and spray the bottom side of plant leaves." That sounds about right!

Apparently, the fact the Dr Bronner's soap is a true "soap" and not a "detergent" makes a different. I can't remember why, but I think it was @greenthumb99 who once said it has to do with their fat content?

I have no idea if my addition of the alcohol helped or hurt.

I spayed the entire plant, including under the leaves, and repeated ~ 3 days. It made a huge mess as the liquid dripped on the floor; it's a good thing I have tile flooring in the basement.

They only had large bottles of this soap at Trader Joe's and I only use it on plants, so it's probably going to last me a decade. Please let me know if you'd like a sample of it! I'll put it in a small container for you.

after all your work of instructing me- I had already got out my bottle and used a quarter cup each alcohol and water, and a drop or two of Murphys Oil soap. We''ll see. Thanks somuch for your details though.
I think one of tapla's recipes used Murphy's. 'Joy' is the only other brand I have seen specified for plant sprays.

SSG - Actually, I'm not your source of your information on soaps vs. detergents. Is a sense, however, the statement is true. Soaps are based on compounds called fatty acids, which are derived from plant and animal fats. Detergents are based on compounds called fatty alcohols, which are synthetic compounds derived mainly from petroleum hydrocarbons. Detergents have as a portion of their molecule something called a surfactant, which makes the detergent water soluble. It is this surfactant portion that renders detergents harsh on some biological systems such as plants, hence the decided preference for pure soaps when compounding insecticidal soap solutions.

Such good information!

My favorite houseplant right now is the Meyer lemon tree. It's blooming right now and the scent is heavenly.

oooh nice! What kind of place do you have for it? My lemon is in the corner of the utility basement. I'm so far just happy it has its leaves.

It's in my cool walk-out basement with grow lights on it for 12 hours per day. It's bright by the sliding glass doors but I think the lemon tree needs more light than that.

I know I have showed you this before, but my April Blush Camellia has been blooming for over a month now. She just keeps going and going and I adore her. There is not much of a fragrance, if any it is really a soft sweet....hardly able to tell.This old girl is years old and about five feet tall. I put her outside in the summer and inside a south window in the winter and she is one happy plant. She drinks lots of water.


this was taken in January, 2016


this was taken in February 2016

wow JB.

I think I've killed my favorite and oldest houseplant. It was a Aglaonema
Chinese Evergreen that came in a dish garden (remember those) when Jamie was born, 30 years ago. It survived on a window sill for all that time. It had been replanted into a pottery planter about 3"s across and 1=1/2" deep, so it became stunted sort of like a bonsai. It got moved to the GH when we were remodeling the kitchen. I had just repotted it about 2 weeks ago after 30 years, and it went into decline and slowly crooked. I'm so at myself. I know if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Eric, so sorry to hear about your plant!

JB, I've never seen camellia kept indoors in the winter like a houseplant. Such gorgeous flowers!

Eric4home said: I think I've killed my favorite and oldest houseplant. It was a Aglaonema
Chinese Evergreen that came in a dish garden (remember those) when Jamie was born, 30 years ago. It survived on a window sill for all that time. It had been replanted into a pottery planter about 3"s across and 1=1/2" deep, so it became stunted sort of like a bonsai. It got moved to the GH when we were remodeling the kitchen. I had just repotted it about 2 weeks ago after 30 years, and it went into decline and slowly crooked. I'm so at myself. I know if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Join the club of "I know betters". Why we do things like that is beyond me but we all do it and half the time it is just unnecessary and we should leave our hands off. So sorry for your loss.