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Joined: Aug 2007
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Several gardners have helped me tremendously with my Jade drama trauma.
One of the links provided (courtesy of afgreyparrot...a tip of my hat)
read that I need to mix sand in with my potting soil for proper drainage.
My question to you my fellow plant lovers is this...What kind of sand do I use to do this ? Regular sand that I find on a baseball diamond or construction site ? or does the sand have to be a specific kind or special treated ?
Thank you all who have come to the rescue. Caring and providing for plants has made a positive impact in the ways that I think of myself and the way I think of those around me.
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Yes, coarse sand. I get 'traction sand' at a local hardware store, sift, and wash it. This keeps me out of trouble on beautiful sunny days when the plants are all doing just fine without me. I also use sand from a very sandy patch of dirt on a vacant lot near by. Again, with the fine stuff sifted out and thrown away, and washed. Just be careful of where you get environmental sand from, as it can have contaminants you don't want; chemical as well as weedy. Pet stores sometimes have appropriately fine gravel in the fish department.
"Caring and providing for plants has made a positive impact in the ways that I think of myself and the way I think of those around me." Having something to love and learn about usually does. Good for you! And now that the 'plant-bug' has bitten you, have you thought about growing a ... ;)


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o.k... have I thought about growing a what?

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O.k. got a question about the sand and one question about the water.
potting soil to sand ratio ? 1 soil to 1 sand ? 2 parts soil to 1 part sand ? what do you think ?
and about the water. I have been gathering rain water to water my plants. Rain has been scarce lately. I have used tap water and the plants don;t seem to like boohoo badday If I can't get rain water, what's my alternative?
Thank you in advance.

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Originally Posted by randymanorlando
o.k... have I thought about growing a what?


I want to know the answer to that one, too!!! nervous


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growing everything!!! Aloe, begonias, crassula, ..., xerosicyos, yucca, ZZ plants, just to mention a few.


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For a jade, probably 1:1 would be good. Is your tap water chlorinated? That's a big problem for plants. You can fill containers leaving a good amount of surface area for the water and let them stand at least 24 hours before using. If your water comes from a water softener, it has traces of salt in it. This is also a big problem for plants as it builds up in the soil. You can use bottled water every time (the plastic galon jugs aren't that expensive) or flush with distilled water every 5th of 6th time you water. This should help.


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Also on the topic of water....
You can use a peroxide (a little splash of 3% in you watering can).
It is amazing stuff!!! All peroxide is-is water with an extra oxygen molecule (H2O2) so it is unstable and wants to turn back into water right away!
So the extra oxygen molecule will bind to anything foriegn to release itself, which turns out to be VERY good for plants! It will kill any fungus or larva in your soil and as it does all of this it releases its oxygen deep down where it is most needed (especially if you have pot bound plants or poor drainage. It also binds with the chlorine in the water to neutralize it instantly (as if you left it exposed to air for 24 hours). And it won't hurt the plants (just never exceed 8 %). Most plants even enjoy being sprayed with a 3% or less solution, and that will stop mildew on the leaves!
Like I said AMAZING STUFF!! (and exciting too).
I use it soooo much that I have to buy big jugs of 40% and dilute it.
It even helps seeds to germinate!
ps. thats why plants love rainwater! it picks up some extra oxygen as it passes through the O-zone in the air!


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