[IBC] Florida Soil: Didja wonder?

Bart Thomas

I have often wondered about the heavy sand-laden soil that I find in many pots with plants that have come from Florida.

Searching for some other info on Ficus, I found a Ficus Production Guide from the University of Florida at:

http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/Foliage/folnotes/ficus.htm

There's a lotta good info there, but among the other advice we find:

"The potting medium used will vary depending upon plant size and type. All mixes should have good moisture holding capacity and aeration. Potted trees are frequently grown in a medium with 10 to 20% coarse sand by volume added to reduce frequency of plant
s tipping in the wind."

Ah So!

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Billy M. Rhodes

In a message dated 8/11/2004 12:52:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
bigbart@OPTONLINE.NET writes:

> I have often wondered about the heavy sand-laden soil that I find in many
> pots with plants that have come from Florida.

Well, we have a very old joke here. A newcomer takes a soil sample to
the county agent and asks, "What does my soil need?" The report comes back in
a few weeks, "Everything but sand."
Much of Florida is make up of ancient sand dunes, not just on the
coast but for some distance inland. These ancient dune lines are frequently the
best building sites, regardless of what the Bible says. I have such a property.
Two and one half acres of old sand dunes. It is populated by "Sand" Pines
and "Sand" Live Oaks. The "soil" is mostly very fine yellow sand.
Organic matter added to soil lasts about six months or less before it
breaks down in our heat and humidity.
BTW, Mrs. Gopherhill says that every newcomer to Florida should be
required to live two summers without air conditioning. After that they could
vote and buy a house with AC.

Billy on the Florida Space Coast (A native Floridian, the child of native
Floridians and the husband of a Conch.)

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Jim Lewis

> BTW, Mrs. Gopherhill says that every newcomer to Florida
should be
> required to live two summers without air conditioning. After
that they could
> vote and buy a house with AC.

What a GREAT idea! That would cut down on the 1000 carpetbaggers
a day who are moving to Florida. I'll suggest it to my friend
the Legislator (who is, alas, a bigshot in the Chamber of
Commerce).

Jim Lewis - jklewis@nettally.com - Tallahassee, FL - Who lives in
the part of Florida with heavy red clay soil.

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Luke Tulkas

"Jim Lewis" <jklewis@NETTALLY.COM> wrote in message
news:002c01c47f9b$73f7e1e0$69102cc7@pavilion...
> > BTW, Mrs. Gopherhill says that every newcomer to Florida
> should be
> > required to live two summers without air conditioning. After
> that they could
> > vote and buy a house with AC.
>
> What a GREAT idea!

Does "newcomer" mean
1. a (wo)man who moved to Florida anytime in the past or
2. a (wo)man who moves to Florida (from now on == starting today) or
3. any (wo)man who lives in Florida but wasn't born there?

I'd like to see all those non-natives sweating it out over two summers. ;-)

> That would cut down on the 1000 carpetbaggers
> a day who are moving to Florida. I'll suggest it to my friend
> the Legislator (who is, alas, a bigshot in the Chamber of
> Commerce).
>
> Jim Lewis - jklewis@nettally.com - Tallahassee, FL - Who lives in
> the part of Florida with heavy red clay soil.
>
>
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****
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>
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****
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> +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail BONSAI-REQUEST@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM +++++

Alan Walker

Jim: When did you do your two years in the sweatlodge? ;-)

Alan Walker
http://bonsai-bci.com http://LCBSBonsai.org


-----Original Message-----

"Jim Lewis" <jklewis@NETTALLY.COM> wrote in message...
> > BTW, Mrs. Gopherhill says that every newcomer to
Florida should be required to live two summers without air
conditioning. After that they could vote and buy a house with
AC.

> What a GREAT idea!

Does "newcomer" mean
1. a (wo)man who moved to Florida anytime in the past or
2. a (wo)man who moves to Florida (from now on == starting today)
or
3. any (wo)man who lives in Florida but wasn't born there?

I'd like to see all those non-natives sweating it out over two
summers. ;-)

> That would cut down on the 1000 carpetbaggers a day who are
moving to Florida. I'll suggest it to my friend the Legislator
(who is, alas, a bigshot in the Chamber of Commerce).
> Jim Lewis - jklewis@nettally.com - Tallahassee, FL - Who lives
in the part of Florida with heavy red clay soil.

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Craig Cowing

Jim Lewis wrote:

> > BTW, Mrs. Gopherhill says that every newcomer to Florida
> should be
> > required to live two summers without air conditioning. After
> that they could
> > vote and buy a house with AC.
>
> What a GREAT idea! That would cut down on the 1000 carpetbaggers
> a day who are moving to Florida. I'll suggest it to my friend
> the Legislator (who is, alas, a bigshot in the Chamber of
> Commerce).
>
> Jim Lewis - jklewis@nettally.com - Tallahassee, FL - Who lives in
> the part of Florida with heavy red clay soil.
>

This is one native New Englander who will NOT migrate to the tropics when he
retires.

Craig Cowing
NY
Zone 5b/6a Sunset 37

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Jim Lewis

On 11 Aug 2004 at 9:01, Alan Walker wrote:

> Jim: When did you do your two years in the sweatlodge? ;-)
>
> Alan Walker
> http://bonsai-bci.com http://LCBSBonsai.org
>

Years ago, Alan. I first moved here in 1961 and lived in a little
house in a dumpy town called Pinellas Park -- with fans only.

Jim Lewis - jklewis@nettally.com - Tallahassee, FL - Nature
encourages no looseness, pardons no errors. Ralph Waldo Emerson


>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> "Jim Lewis" <jklewis@NETTALLY.COM> wrote in message...
> > > BTW, Mrs. Gopherhill says that every newcomer to
> Florida should be required to live two summers without air
> conditioning. After that they could vote and buy a house with
> AC.
>
> > What a GREAT idea!
>
> Does "newcomer" mean
> 1. a (wo)man who moved to Florida anytime in the past or
> 2. a (wo)man who moves to Florida (from now on == starting today)
> or
> 3. any (wo)man who lives in Florida but wasn't born there?
>
> I'd like to see all those non-natives sweating it out over two
> summers. ;-)
>
> > That would cut down on the 1000 carpetbaggers a day who are
> moving to Florida. I'll suggest it to my friend the Legislator
> (who is, alas, a bigshot in the Chamber of Commerce).
> > Jim Lewis - jklewis@nettally.com - Tallahassee, FL - Who lives
> in the part of Florida with heavy red clay soil.
>
> ************************************************** ******************************
> ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++
> ************************************************** ******************************
> >>-->> The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ <<--<<
> +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail BONSAI-REQUEST@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM +++++
>

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Billy M. Rhodes

In a message dated 8/11/2004 3:43:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
jklewis@NETTALLY.COM writes:

> 3. Any (wo)man who lives in Florida but wasn't born there?
>
My wife and I are natives, my children are natives, my parents (one
still living) are natives, three of four grandparents were natives. I lived
without AC in home, car or work place until I was 30 years old.
I get to stay. (I have one grandchild born in Georgia, but he gets to
stay. He is grandfathered in.)
The rest of you

Billy on the Florida Space Coast

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Ed Trout

I grew up in Key West. A/C, what was that ?? Window fans saved the day,
and night!! But, in all fairness, I don't think I would last very long without
my A/C now. I often wonder how my early relatives made it thru these summer
months. They were the pioneers!!


Ed Trout
South Florida-zone10 & hoping Hurricane Charly keeps moving west

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