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  SAFE HOMES FOR TROPICAL SHADE PLANTS
From: "Ron Iles" roniles at eircom.net> on 2001.05.01 at 22:39:51(6348)
In the tropics nowadays plants as well as mere humans are subject to
increasing threats to their existences. There seems to be argument for
separate "Arks" which can be safe from natural and manmade catastrophes.
Conventionall greenhouses are easily damaged by storms, difficult to heat
enough when it is very cold. In hot seasons especially in the sub-tropics
and in other areas of extreme climate variations, unless vented losing
humidity, plants are grilled or roasted. Greenhouses are good for
"eurythermal" plants which require relatively high light intensities and
which tolerate wide temperature and other environmental variations.

Spathiphyllum and other aroids, Marantaceae and so many other genera and
species are stenothermal i.e. they prefer and tolerate narrow temperature
and other environmental variations. Naturally they are sheltered by the
rain forest canopy in constant warmth but never roasting hot. They thrive
only in shade not much higher than 25% and commonly less than 10% of
sunlight. In these days of high efficiency lighting and space age
insulation and heating, it can be argued that ubiquitous tropical shade
plants can be grown safer, better, much cheaper but in enclosures without
sunlight not in greenhouses.

In England cold for seven months of the year I grew 10,000 Spathiphyllum,
other aroids and Marantaceae in such enclosures under fluorescent lights
which also provided controlled warmth for ten years. Here in Ireland if a
World Spathiphyllum Reference is able to be completed within time these
principles will be carried much further. The water plants will be grown
with submerged roots in rockwool in re-circulating streams. It is
interesting to observe the unfavourable paling of leaves of Spathiphyllum
grown in presumably shaded greenhouses in May to those even in February.
Observations of Peace Lilies and other "good" house plants in equitable
homes suggest they thrive in astonishingly deeper shade than those
recommended by greenhouse producers of un-naturally forced cultivars".

I hope these thoughts shared by a newcomer are not impertinent.

Ron

From: Rand Nicholson writserv at nbnet.nb.ca> on 2001.05.04 at 22:09:30(6369)
Hi Ron:
>
You wrote:

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From: "Ron Iles" roniles at eircom.net> on 2001.05.05 at 19:48:49(6374)
Hi Rand!

Are you THE major tissue culture fellah? If you are, you got over 21 US
cultivars I need to buy? Say "Yes"..........PLEASE!

Small, and 25 years old? Rather old, that's an understatement surely? 25
years...one plant becomes thousands and thousands usually. Is yours
plastic and you didn't realise?

Yellowing? I can only guess wildly. Is it pot bound and needing root
systems divided? Has it dried out sometimes so that the flesh can't
re-constitute and the rot sets in, doubtful. Spaths should NEVER have
direct sunlight. South West window, my God! If I was a Spath cat
particularly if I was old and my roots were constipated and blackened with
trying to survive your catfood, I'd scream "let me out of this pot", and
when I've spread myself about I'd like a good very dilute feed with trace
elements between total submersion, only every two weeks mind you, with NOT
TOO HIGH nitrogen please. Move me back into shade else I'll play dead or
sceam. Actually maybe I'm just hypochondriac and not sick even after 25
years in solitary confinement but I'll yellow a few leaves to shock him.
And I'll flower and fumigate him with my scent so he still wants me and
doesn't throw me out. Perhaps he'll email Ron and tell him my name but
maybe he doesn't know that? I do hope he splits me up so there'll be a lot
of children and I hope one of 'em will go to Ireland as its good there and
I'll have millions of European grandchildren. Put my little one's roots in
sphagnum and foil, wrap him in todays newspaper and cosset in polythene film
from the supermarket. (Have you seen the new upstart Spaths there,
shocking!). Then put him in a cardboard box and whizz him at the speed of
light to Erin. Wow! Or I could tell him to send a leaf or two in a
plastic bag to Unkl Ron and I'll know whether anything is really wrong.
I'm not old, I need to be great grandchildren that's all. Oh God I hope he
does something soon. TWENTY FIVE YEARS in prison and I'm innocent! My pot
bottom isn't even in water and if he did that now the ALL the roots would go
black and I'd crock. Don't he realise I'm immortal and that all my roots
should be wet, warm, white with plenty of room. And please keep me out of
the sun or bright light or give me double thick Mafia sunglasses. I might
need a bit of Magnesium or decent trace element supplement especially at my
age but don't do anything until I'm out of this pot. But when I'm so
constipated after 25 years blooming mad for him he complains without helping
me properly. Shocking, shocking! I wouldn't be like this in Fairchild or
Ireland.

Sorry Randy I don't know for sure but send a snippet safely and I might! Do
you have CERES or "Mini" or ANY other "common commercial" Spaths in your
local supermarkets or plant emporia? They are as rare as hens teeth over
here.

Serious chuckles

Ron

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From: "Ron Iles" roniles at eircom.net> on 2001.05.05 at 19:49:03(6375)
Sorry it was Rand not Randy! AND I'd go pale in fright and not want to
flower and fumigate you if you put me in South West sun in May even if it
was shaded a bit! Huh! Telling Unkl Ron about how you treat me! From
now on I'll stop smelling like pineapple and pretend I'm a corpse flower
plant. Twenty five years! Am I not the World Pot Record?

Ron (Irish Soc for Protection of Pot Plants)

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From: Rand Nicholson writserv at nbnet.nb.ca> on 2001.05.14 at 14:57:39(6439)
Hi Ron:

Ron Isles wrote from Erin at 05/05/01:

>| Hi Rand!
>|
>| Are you THE major tissue culture fellah? If you are, you got over 21 US
>| cultivars I need to buy? Say "Yes"..........PLEASE!

Sorry, I am not.

>|
>| Small, and 25 years old? Rather old, that's an understatement surely?
>25

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From: "Ron Iles" roniles at eircom.net> on 2001.05.14 at 20:08:50(6443)
Hi, Rand

At HER age, that pretty lil 'ole wallisii, must feel very satisfied at your
concern. Sweet! Glad you gave her sunblock. Now, apologise to her. Go
on! Do it! Ply her with enough water with magnesium and potassium. and
she'll come out in flowers all over. "Wallis" is Spathiphyllum "Smith",
much too common, most look posh or odder and have fancy names.

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