November 10, 2017

ORCHITOP CLAY PEBBLES FOR SALE IN THE USA!!! NOVEMBER 2017

When Danny from YouTube channel MissOrchidgirl gave a test run of different growing media for her orchids, then decided upon one in particular ( a video wherein she further explained her discovery of and love for a product named SERAMIS) : the orchid world seemed lit on fire with a quest to obtain this new and wonderful media!

Thing is...she was using the large grained clay pebbles from a company named Orchitop. SERAMIS, its finer grained "sister" of sorts was also featured in her videos as well.  However...until now...this larger grained "Seramis-like" pebble was not available in the USA...until now!

I am here to report that after over a year of negotiation, research and planning, the USA website www.germandeli.com will indeed be offering Orchitop pebbles for sale to us orchid and plant fanatics!! As assured by the company's amazing president who has worked tirelessly with her team to accomplish this...sales should commence soon, starting with a trial size of the 2.5L bag!

Why the excitement?
Well for starters...this Orchitop pebble grain is larger! We can now have the perfect sized inorganic clay pebble medium for ALL our ORCHID and plants needs! Where as SERAMIS ( also offered by germandeli.com) provides the perfect media environment for finer rooted orchids and houseplants in general ( when used exclusively or when added to their plant specific  potting mix), the Orchitop brand is uniquely suited to all other orchids...especially cattleya types. With greater surface area ( larger grains), this media can even be used with some vandaceous types like Rhynchostylis and its hybrids, and all other plants that despise root disturbance like Clivia as well!

Bare in mind, as with any inorganic media---clay in particular, periodic flushing of the media is always required ( this involves a thorough watering of your plant's rootbase  until water runs through the pot) to ensure that salt build up remains at a minimum. 

Orchitop grain pebbles are suitable for semi-hydroponics and hydroponics as well. It offers the perfect soil additive for thick rooted houseplants that may otherwise suffer from waterlogging from the overzealous home gardener.

Use with: 
All orchids 
Hoyas
Cacti and Succulents  ( as an added media to sand/soil blend)
Clivia and all clivia relatives and so much more!

Comparitive Product Photo 
( Photo provided by germandeli.com)


Be sure to sign up for the German deli email product notifications to be alerted when Orchitop goes on sale!

***Thanks for reading!
For more updates be sure to follow my blog***


November 10, 2016

WHICH ORCHIDS Prefer SERAMIS?

When Seramis became available in the USA, the question that quickly followed for most growers who had gotten their hands on it was: "Ok, now what? Which orchid do I put in this thing?"

Taking cues from our European orchid growing friends and compiling information from YouTube and blogs alike, I quickly realized that the answer to that particular question was subjective. Depending on your own growing environment ( read: greenhouse or windowsill? High or low humidity? Growing zone? Under lights? Natural lighting etc) the answer to the question would vary!

So here is a log of what orchids I chose to grow in seramis.

ZYGOPETALUM Redvale "Pretty Ann" ( likely mislabelled and may be Revdale?)
Purchased from www.ecuagenara.com.
Arrived with plump bulbs but....rootless. They ( the plant packers) seem to trim off all roots for imports from this Ecuadorian seller.
As you can see..this orchid, though rootless in May 2016, has roots crawling over the side of the pot and is in bloom! 6 happy buds on display!
I was amazed at the root growth in this medium as my other 2 zygopetalum which I purchased at the same time, from different vendors---are not in bloom and have not thrived as such, despite having a better root system than Pretty Ann.
Was it the Seramis?

Enc. Alata ( left) and Tolumnia Genting Pink Lady ( right)

Enc. Alata also arrived rootless from Ecuagenara in May 2016. It has put forth new roots into the Seramis substrate and has a fantastic new growth that is almost to full maturity as of Nov 7. 2016. The new growth is also taller than previous growths!
I feared for this plant as it had a soft bulb, which I removed upon arrival but it has also thrived!
The TOLUMNIA was my very first orchid of that type: purchased from www.orchidsbyhausermann.com
It arrived with a completely desiccated root system. Hausermanns is a stellar USA based orchid nursery. So I notified them of the plant' s condition, I was promptly sent a replacement--FREE of charge. However... I decided to take a chance in Seramis. To be fair, Tolumnia orchids are not typically potted in such a media. Charcoal is preferred by many growers, second in choice only to mounting the miniature plants. So seramis--- which is rather moisture retentive-- was indeed a gamble!
Thus far, it is putting out roots! I was told to expect very little from an ailing Tolumnia...but thus far, this one is happy!

PAPHIOPEDILUM vinicolor and Encyclia Cordigera Pink.

The paphiopedilum is a purchase from www.orchidsbyhauserman.
It was originally a very healthy plant, purchased in spike in Dec.2016. With it's fleshy, hairy roots-- it is a moisture lover. I planted it with a few top roots exposed ( not a good idea as they ended up drying out) but it has LOVED Seramis! It put out a lovely new fan (a.k.a: " new little plantlet/leaves) after it dropped its bloom in April and the fan seems almost fully mature!

The encyclia cordigera ' Pink' was also virtually rootless after its arrival. ( another import from Ecuagenera). Seramis seems to provide sufficient, balanced moisture to the plant's few roots that it had and within a month, new roots and a new growth could be seen. It is a little way off from being able to bloom but it is definitely thriving!

HOYAS!
Here is H.Multiflora and H. Tsangii/ DS70 ( both purchased from www.violetbarn.com)

These are young, rooted hoya cuttings that are planted in a mixture of Seramis and perlite. Many hoyas prefer a gritty mixture that is free draining and will not keep their fragile root systems overly wet. Seramis did the job! I have a few hoyas in orchid bark mix and perlite. I even have a hoya Australis ssp Tenuipes in a soil/ bark blend that is doing well. But at the next repotting I'll be switching them to Seramis because fungus gnats do NOT LIKE SERAMIS! And that, my friend is a major plus!☺

Lastly...
My seedling Sharry Baby orchid.
Another oncidium that loves moisture and will let you know it has been kept waaaaaay too dry with its pouty display of wrinkled leaves. Et...voila! See wrinkled leaves?

Seramis holds water well...but it dries perfectly well too. So for those forgetful ones that may miss a watering day...or two? The media will go light pink= bone dry.

SUMMARY:
Seramis has worked out well for me and my houseplants. Oncidiums, phalaenopsis, paphiopedilums, zygopetalums and tolumnias are thriving for me in this media.
Orchids fine/ fragile systems, like onc. Twinkles, and tolumnias will appreciate even balance of moisture. Phalaenopsis will enjoy moisture ratio but would benefit from plastic containers instead of pots--- since combo of clay and Seramis would keep their root systems cool in temperate climates. Cool growers like Nelly Isler and masdevillas would potentially love the combo of clay pots and Seramis too!

For reference:
I am a windowsill grower in zone 6. I use supplemental grow lights as well. I water once a week and fertilize weekly, weakly; flushing the media the 4th watering.
Some people may be hesitant to put cattleya orchids into the smaller granuled Seramis. But in the spring of 2017, I'm hoping to try my luck with cattleya in the smaller granules. Barring that? Keep your eyes locked on the germandeli.com website because here's hoping they are able to stock large granuled Seramis type media...soon!
Fingers crossed!

The Grow lights I use are perfect for windowsill growers and those using shelves.I have one t5 2bulb from www.htgsupply.com. I also have a 4bulb t5 set from Amazon.com They can be found here:




**HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BLOG POST: If you did, please leave questions and comments below. Thanks for reading!***

May 14, 2016

SERAMIS IS BACK IN THE USA November 2016!

Edited: November 4. 2016
Germandeli.com now has a larger sized bag of the Seramis substrate. Previously stocked Seramis in the 2.5L may still be unavailable but they now carry a 7.5L bag with a shipping charge of $13. Order arrives complete with complimentary, authentic German haribo gummy bears***
Please show your interest by leaving reviews or requests! They are a friendly company and willing to help☺.


If you are an orchid lover....let me make a public declaration right here. The much talked about Orchid media: Seramis is INDEED AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE in the USA.

After much searching, emailing and endless dead end hunts on ebay and even Facebook ( yes, I contacted THE Seramis Facebook.com page as well) only to hear the same thing..." No we do not offer our product for sale in the USA".

Well am here to say. It is here. I have gone on a personal campaign to locate this product here and am presently emailing the president of Germandeli.com back and forth to expand the product line!


Wait...did you miss that? Ooops!
Yes. It is available at germandeli.com!
I am not in any way affiliated with germandeli.com. Nope...I just happen to LOVE ORCHIDS!😊

So if you've been hunting for Seramis...hop on over to that website. Leave feedback or contact them by email and let them know what product from the Seramis line you would love to have!
*** Currently they offer for sale, the finer granuled Seramis substrate. As well as a few moisture meters. Am presently asking them to stock their store with the larger granuled clay pebbles. So please...call/ email or contact by letter and let them know what YOU would like!***

Happy Orchid Growing!🌸

June 23, 2015

BOYCOTT THE BACHELOR/BACHELORETTE For Change!!!???

Image from: blogs.vancouversun.com

The latest June 22 episode of ABC's The Bachelorette was eye poppingly squirm-worthy and sad, all at once. It was all together an embarrassing amalgamation of slut-tastic skankosity laced with heaping piles of bull excrement....
Yes...it was rubbish. And stinky rubbish gets tongues wagging apparently...

But the truth is...and made up words aside... ABC Network and their crafty producers and casting coordinators are simply serving up what the diners have requested the most!

Huh? Exsqueeze me?

Yes...
The show has gone down the rabbit hole of rot and rubbish because...quite simply put: THATS WHAT THE VIEWERS WANT.
Whether consciously ( tuning in each Monday night, watching live or bogging down the DVR as I do) or subconsciously ( watching...and hating the downward spiral by voicing TOTALLY IRELEVANT OPINIONS on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter...like I do as well); we are ALL supporting the weekly TV Detritus and letting the network know that we want MORE of said crap...by watching it!!
Holy Batman-CompoundSentence!

Think about it...
Lets reminisce...
Remember in days of yonder...when the chosen Bachelors were well-to- do Entrepreneurs with Ivy League educations? There was a pilot and a Prince? A doctor, a lawyer? Remember the charming suitors? Teachers and sweet nurses without Hollywood agendas? Men and women, just starry eyed from wonderment and glowing from real suntans and the sparkly hope of finding real love?

You can barely recall, right? Yeah...me too.

They were all buff and bronzed and the ladies were all classic beauties in their own rights...but does anyone remember when the "Crazy Girl" was simply the one who cried in the outros after getting sent home? Followed distinctly by the crazy girl who hyperventilated her way to an ambulance after being sent home? And then the crazy girl who would plot before being sent home....
Which elapsed into the crazy girl who was ushered off set for drunkenness and near-suicidal grief about being sent home...
Then the crazy girls simply weren't sent home?
Then the crazy girls were all they had...then the actual crazy girl was/IS the Bachelorette!???

I am on the wings of a tangent here...
But does anyone not wonder WHY its all gone to that hand basket in Hell?

Its because we watch it.
We keep watching it.
Every week. We. Watch. It.
So the producers...whose currency and gauge is numbers...viewership ( numbers)... Have no way of knowing that people are displeased! We keep watching so they keep doing the same rubbish every season now! They aren't reading blogs it seems...they aren't reading the Facebook posts it seems... ( Is anybody OUT there!??!)
And short of stopping Chris Harrison at his local grocery store and begging HIM to pass on the message....they have no way or getting the accurate message that THIS MESS EACH WEEK....SUCKKKKKKSSSS!

Unless we boycott The Bachelor and Bachelorette.
Unless we quit watching. Quit DVRing...
Its the same way shows get cancelled every season...viewership matters.

Its hard though...
This season there is Kaitlyn Bristowe... Her sweet looking smile masking obvious low self esteem and dwindling self worth...
The poor girl doesn't seem to know which way is up and can't see beyond the flattery of words and the glow of polished muscles.

( Does anyone still wonder why she didn't just ASK who had actually chosen HER from the 1st night? But that would mean the poor gal was a clear thinker...)
Ohhh the train wreck.
I wish her the best...and I keep watching...hoping it will change. Hoping that her redemption draweth nigh...and that a wake- up call will come prancing in on the wings of a flying golden pig...
And while I am wishing...I hope that in the hunt for a husband, she will most assuredly Find Herself ...like, fast.

And there you have it...
The audience...critical lot that we are...we are STILL hopeless(grousing) romantics..hoping that ABC would change this craptastic formula... Hoping that poor Kaitlyn would get a clue, close her knees, open her eyes and shut her mouth....
We're all still watching....hopelessly.

Thanks for Reading!


June 3, 2015

CHEAPEST SUPPLEMENTS FOR (PROVEN) HAIR GROWTH!!!

Here's the long awaited follow up to my most read blog entry on hair growth!
(Link to first hair vitamin blog: http://atshanasplace.blogspot.com/2012/03/best-supplement-for-faster-hair-growth.html )
 And why did I take THIS long to publish a "sequel"? Well...hair growth, proof in pictures, genuine trial and error ALL take time!
I chopped my waist length, healthy type 4 relaxed hair ALL off in May 2013... then I started a new journey with different products and of course, 100% natural hair.  I captured it all on camera and am ready to report what many may have already unknowingly tried! I hope you enjoy my findings!

Good prenatal supplements DO WORK! But which ones? Here's my honest account!

May 2013: THE BIG CHOP.
Last relaxer Sept. 17. 2012.
I am 6mths post partum here. I have minor hairline shedding as is common after a baby.

December 2013: Applying Heat to bang area for the 1st time since September 2012
Hair is coarse, VERY thick. I am overwhelmed and proceed to ignore my hair mostly... Am taking...
One A Day Women's Prenatal Vitamins, 60+60 Count




March 11. 2014 ARM PIT LENGTH
Switched to Expecta prenatals (am 12 wks pregnant with baby #2)
I am VERY bad at caring for my hair still. It is never deep conditioned, rarely washed and rarely moisturized.
My hair however grows regardless... and grows FAST (this may be genetics...I swear)
I have researched bioavailability of vitamins and their nutrients and have switched vitamins in an attempt to supply baby AND my body with more nutrients  ... Hair growth takes off on ...
Rainbow Light Prenatal One Multivitamin, 150-Count Bottle


Removing braids/length check Oct 2014
(using Rainbow Light prenatals. 1Mth Post partum)

Blow dry.  Am Waist length by January 2015.
My hair grows VERY fast at this point despite being postpartum (where women generally lose a lot of hair)
Using Alive womens multivitamin.




SUMMARY


I still believe that genetics plays a HUGE role in your hair's rate of growth. During the post partum period that followed the birth of my second daughter, I lapsed into an entirely unprecedented lazy spell with my hair. I went a total of 5 MONTHS without washing my hair. Yes....gross. In my defense...my very VERY thick, coarse type 4 hair takes HOURS to do. I simply haven't got the time most days...erm..."weeks". As a result, detangling is often a nightmare. I have since learned that conditioning goes a long LONG way. I am able to comb through my type 4 hair most easily when blow dried (as you see in the pictures...which I am able to do once or maybe twice a year). I now use a homemade blend of pureed bananas, honey and aloe vera juice at every wash to detangle. It works VERY WELL! My hair is resistant to damage it seems. I Now spray it with Oyin hair dew and Juices and Berries spray when it is in braids or under a wig. I still do VERY low manipulation (my code words for neglect) but my hair thrives. I did not go on the natural journey for hair length goals or for vanity...I simply got tired of relaxing (though I only relaxed 2 or 3 times per year before...since age 13).

This is MY story. My results. I hope that these results can help alleviate some of the concerns with hair care. I also hope that utilizing the use of certain vitamins can help YOU on you hair journey. Mostly, I hope you do treasure your hair a LOT more than I myself do! I still remain a very LAZY NATURAL. :-)

Other Products

Oyin Juices and Berries.
Oyin Handmade Juices and Berries Herbal Leave-In Hair Tonic, 8.4 Ounce


Also consider Trader Joes Multivitamins if seeking an affordable option to Rainbow Light as they almost identical in ingredients and are therefore perfectly bioavailable as well!

November 15, 2014

NATURAL, AFFORDABLE STAIN REMOVER FOR BABY CLOTHES!

Hello Readers! Just another tip I thought I would share!



Quite by accident, I stumbled upon a wonderful tool that I quickly added to my arsenal of stain fighters for my household (I am a mommy to a young toddler of not quite 2 years, and a 6 week old).

See, I have struggled with acne for years. After purchasing every product on the market and fruitlessly spending thousands (at least two thousand anyway!) on facials and microdermabrasion, I joined the "natural products " bandwagon.

The Shea Moisture African black soap was very soothing to my inflamed skin and I realized it was quickly helping my face clear up during my first pregnancy!  It was then that I also started using the soap to eliminate stains.

At first, I used it to wash out my white face washcloths in the mornings when I was pressed for time. Scrubbing the bar gently across my makeup stained rag, I watched in amazement as the brown set in stains from my foundation, quickly and easily rinsed out!
With this in mind, I used the soap on my newborn daughter's cloth diapers (and on her poo stained clothes after blow outs: see pics below) and watched as the mustard yellowish poo stains, easily washed out!! Astonishingly, it worked better than the pricey stain removal sprays!!! It also left my cloth diapers and prefolds, sparkling white!
I then went ahead and tried it on fresh ink stains, spaghetti sauce stains, grape jelly stains and numerous other food stains and it worked very well!!!

So if ever you are in the market for an uber affordable stain lifter that also happens to be a great face/skin bar soap and is also cloth diaper safe...try it out!

Fresh poop! Ewwww....


Just scrub away until the dark color is gone!

Voila!
Of note, I must mention that I have had great success with Biokleen's Bac Out on my cloth diapers as well as on my babies' clothes . So if you are in the market for skin friendly, gentle yet effective stain removers, try em' out too! 
Please share YOUR stain lifting secrets in,the comments below!!!
You can get Bac Out at www.amazon.com





March 24, 2014

BEST DIAPER CREAM FOR SENSITIVE ALLERGY PRONE BABY SKIN!

Image courtesy of Amazon.com

 Back in 1981 my mother used the good old classic, Zinc and Castor Oil, a blend used in Jamaica where I grew up!

The tried and true zinc based creams, like Desitin are by far the most used diaper creams on the market! For good reason too, since for many moms and many baby bums alike, it works!!

So I found myself smiling in reverie when at my own first baby shower, for my first born daughter, back in November 2012, the Desitin gifts ran aplenty!!!

But then baby came along and well....you know where this is going. I wondered what I was doing wrong at first! I had the Pampers Naturals! I had the Huggies too! But once I got home from the hospital, baby girl's butt was not a happy camper...glowing red and angrily rashy as the hours went by, despite frequent diaper changes!

Thats when my hunt began.
Round the bend and through the woods!
Baby girl's butt survived the test drives of A+D Ointment, Aquaphor (a true gem for her eczema patches later on---just NOT her diaper area),  Boudreaux's Butt Paste (and excellent second in the long run!) and BabyGanics Protective Ointment (a non petroleum based diaper rash prevention and all purpose balm that was pretty awesome too!
And then there was.... the winner..... Grandma El's!






Where had this stuff BEEN all my life! (ok, dialing down the drama...I had only been a mother for  few weeks really when I had found this gem!)
But I am here to say: if you are leery of petroleum based creams, or if your baby simply is NOT responding to the zinc masters like Desitin and the like ,then please give THIS cream a try! It is awesome for those who are cloth diapering as well! (I still cloth diaper with my 15mth old first born daughter and plan to do so with our new arrival, later this year in September! 

What diaper creams have worked best for you and your loved one? Can you recommend any cloth diaper friendly diaper creams that have worked for you? Please share below in the comment section!

***Note: You can find Grandma El's in stores like Target or on Target.com, and Babies R Us but your best bet may be the trusted online giant, Amazon.com!***




Huggies Pure & Natural Diapers, Size 3, 70 Count (Pack of 2) (Packaging May Vary)