ice cream ?
 

I uploaded some pics of one of my ice cream mats . This plant is real fat and short and has blue waxy p-stem . This week it started to put out twisty leaves that do not unroll uniformly resulting in ragged leaves . I don't believe this is an ice cream at all . about three weeks ago it started pupping like crazy . Any input greatly appreciated.




I placed a chair in one pic to show the size of the plants .
My soil is clay amended with rice hull and bark compost . I added lime about 2 months ago .

Re: ice cream ?
 

Looks like it very well could be...
How did you acquire it?

Re: ice cream ?
 

It looks similar to one of mine that I think is an Ice Cream. I think you will have to wait until it flowers to really know.

My ice cream pups like crazy. I had two plants put out over 6 pups in the last two weeks.

Re: ice cream ?
 

I bought this one from a roadside nursery in southern Mississippi . They always have great deals on plants and this one was 6' and cost $14 . I also bought a goldfinger for the same price. The thing is they were not marked on the pot but had plant stakes in them and these things get moved around all the time as people shop for plants .

Re: ice cream ?
 

....how much? and what fert. are you using on them?
They look great!

Re: ice cream ?
 

It actually does look like an ice cream to me. The leaves look right, kind of a light green with a whitish underside. And the chalky substance on the stem looks right too. And the overall shape of the plant looks right. Mine is about 7 feet tall now, it didn't have a pup on it at all until last week, then it shot out two in just a couple of days. So if that is typical, that sounds on target, too.
Here's a picture of mine to compare yours to. But it looks like an ice cream to me!

Re: ice cream ?
 

Thanks Y'all,
I just treated this mat with some compost tea and it is responding well .

Re: ice cream ?
 

Pete,
I think the Ice Cream you sent me misses its occasional dose of Compost Tea. :ha:
Not growing yet, but not rotting. I got some Basjoo from Randy(randy4ut) and they rotted because stupid me put them in the low spot of the yard. All the water went straight to them and now they're gone. :mad:
Oh well, fool me once...
You know how that saying goes.

Anyways I am trying to turn a nice black plastic drum (like in Pic) into a nice compost bin. My brother has the welding skills to make a spinning base of some sort. Any ideas?

Re: ice cream ?
 

Taylor,
Sorry to hear about the basjoo... BTW, who "fooled you once?"

Re: ice cream ?
 

There are a few threads about bins here . I have had no luck with them . Plus , I want the worms and microbes to be able to work on their own .

A freind gave me a pile of manure , well aged , and full of the longest nightcrawlers i have ever seen . This stuff was like rocket fuel for my plants (and weeds). Since then I 've contacted other horse / cattle folks and asked for their manure . almost all were willing ,more than willing , to let me take their manure . I just pile it up and let the worms find it . in a few months its perfect !
Zoos and daries will often outsource their poo logistics (waste management ) as well .

I spread out a pile the other day and planted some seedlings directly into it . They really took off !
This is just temporary..till I get more dirt brought in for beds .

Re: ice cream ?
 

Randy- I just mean that I put them in a spot that water collects in and they didnt do well, so obviously, Im not going to stick any other Bananas there because I have learned my lesson.

In other words:
Put Bananas there once and they rotted, it isnt my fault(not asking for replacement), put more nanas there, I need some common sense or something.

Ill see what happens with the basjoo from my neighbor:drum: I put it in a high spot.



Pete- That really looks great. I live in the heart of the city, but out in the wonderful place called Pungo(still in VB), they have tons of farms. We have Yoder Dairies here but I think they get their milk from Pungo too, just shipped to the city area. My father got manure from a farm one time and put it in the vegetable garden, and everything grew well. It is truly a proven method.


Taylor

Re: ice cream ?
 

I totally forgot to address the drum issue. Pete, what drum did you use? (picture maybe?) I agree that it can be done naturally just as well, just slower. We got a large mulch pile in the middle of winter, and in the center, it would steam and be around 90 degrees. Dont quote me on that though, it was a few years back. Have yall had that experience? Now the mulch doesnt exist, just dirt :2221:

I know Jarred has had success with the drums/bins. he has 3 of them!

Re: ice cream ?
 

I had the homemade 55g drum set on bearings . It was given to me and did a good job as long as i added some soil .

I like to make huge quantities though and vermicomposting has it's advantages IMO .

Re: ice cream ?
 

Pete,
Thats true. It only makes small quantities. I think that is also a reason Jarred has three.

Taylor

Re: ice cream ?
 

The main reason I have three so I can stager the cycles, but yep it really helps with the quantities as well.
:2140: