Bradarni There several reasons I give them these hormones: 1) I have an endless supply of them 2) If Ahnold, our guvernator, got to be Mr Universe 6 times and fearless leader of our state twice, on the back of massive amounts of steroids, these powerful hormones may do some good. 3) Some of our senior members, who have been growing orchids longer than they have been alive, think it's a good idea. 4) Yours is the first intelligent comment I have had about the practice. If you are certain they do no good I'll stop as I have zero evidence it's beneficial. I don't think it's doing any harm either so it's similar to some of the Vitamins we spend billions of dollars on, they make for expensive urine, my OCs would make expensive run-off if I had to pay for them. Since our government subsidized Pharmaceuticals are paying for them I have no problem with expensive run-off. Seriously, as I said I have never had an intelligent Nay or Yea on the subject until your post. I am sure I do many things that are redundant this probably being one of them. If you think plants are unable to benefit from the mammalian hormones I will stop using them and add them to the drinking water of my 11 year old grand daughter instead, she is beginning to take shape much to the horror of her father. Thanks for the info. On a different subject, I am amazed at how many people believe in 'stuffing long roots back into whatever'. To me long roots like that are a sign of a healthy plant and I encourage it. I remember a heavily rooted Phaeli, which when it got unpotted, had not a single healthy root inside its pot. They were all outside. There is a message there. My Vandas have a long beard of roots and I like it that way. I don't think anyone has argued that adding the Spanish Moss will do anything other than to allow the roots to stay wet a little longer. With the same amount of watering this should lead to a benefit or one could water a little less often. Nick

Hi Gonz and Lisa, Thanks for the interesting links. Now I know where the name came from. Also another very interesting pice of information from Gonz's article: Why Moss is Desirable for Stuffing: No known insect will attack moss fibre, eat, destroy or live within it. I wonder if the same applies to the living moss, and if so, could it act as a deterrent to insects if it is draped around the top of pots containing broms? For those who don't know of Lantana, it is a real pest in Australia as the description from a recent A.B.C. Gardening Australia fact sheet explains: "Lantana camara might look like a strikingly attractive plant and in some respects the foliage and flowers are quite beautiful. The species is a genus of the verbena family, native to Mexico, the Carribean and Central and South America. But it is now known as a weed of national significance and is regarded as one of Australia's worst weeds. It's invasive, it has potential to spread and it is impacting on the economy and the environment. Lantana was first recorded in Australia in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens in 1841, and a few years later it had spread to gardens up the east coast of the country. By the 1860s it was reported as a weed in both Sydney and in Brisbane. But in spite of its weed status, a few specimens are located in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. Botanica calls lantana the "Jekyll and Hyde of plants" because it's reviled in warmer, wetter parts of world, where it invades pastures and forests and is poisonous to stock, but in cool, temperate parts of the world it forms quite an attractive shrub. Lantana is a problem because it forms a dense thicket. It usually invades disturbed land and river margins, particularly open, sunny areas. Given the right conditions, it spreads quickly. Lantana is a lalopathic, releasing chemicals into the surrounding soil to prevent seed germination, notably of the native flora, so that it eventually takes over native bushland. As with other successful weeds, lantana can spread in different ways. It layers - that is, it produces roots from where the plant touches the ground, and that produces new plants. But more importantly it's propagated by seed. These are ingested by birds and foxes, which spread them through their droppings. This means it can spread over a distance very quickly. But perhaps more importantly, it can produce up to 12,000 seeds from one plant in a year. No wonder it's become a problem weed." I know it's a bit off track but just out of interest for other GW members, I once had an orchid growing mate (about 40 years ago) who had a cousin who owned a farming property in Northern NSW and on his property Spanish Moss didn't grow on the trees, but instead was prolific in amongst the Lantana bushes. Most Australian farmers will quickly eradicate any Lantana on their property but my friend said his cousin preferred to leave it there because he liked the look of the enormous clumps of Spanish Moss hanging from it. It worked for us too, because every time my mate came back from up north, he would bring a large bag full of moss with him which we shared and hung above our orchids, and that is where the Spanish Moss I have in my garden today originally came from. I know it's a useless bit of info., but there it is. All the best, Nev.

some interesting information and yes this forum is for sure not onlyh informative but makes you feel good hearing what others have to say and what people are doing in their gardens and around their property or community Ritaweeda I do have quite a nice car but it does seem forever I am picking up something or other and my trunk usually is kind of messy Looking for Moss yesterday I as well found this really neat old wagon Has a broken wheel but I have a neigbhour who can fix it up or maybe I can give it a try myself. I like to look for rocks and often have a few in the trunk by the time I am back home. Is a luxury really having a car or truck and the gas to put in it and the time to take the road where you will and just poke around Melissa that is interesting that the Moss is Tillandsia And you know in one big piece of it I pulled down was quite a neat Tillandsia plant growing in it I do have some other Tillandsia and that is in fact why I was looking for the Spanish moss Bromeliads really do well for me here in Florida. I have some in part shade and others in full sun. I picked up three long cedar rails that are weathered but dry. Thought to make them into a tepee shape in a mostly shady area. Then attach some orchids or bromeliads wrapped sort of , loosely ,in some of the moss to partly at least cover the rails. Don't know if the moss would grow or just stay as it is. well better get out there and get some work done before it gets to warm today Perhaps being a Canadian and down here half year, maybe your blood is thicker or whatever and then I am getting older as well but the heat and humidity do bother me Love it but best to work in the morning outside.

all gone. Thanks!