| Big ups to Yates... | |
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+5Haga Hellonasty PD trigonus slim6y 9 posters |
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slim6y Calm and Collected
Number of posts : 176 Location : Cairns Registration date : 2008-04-26
| Subject: Big ups to Yates... Mon May 12, 2008 9:03 pm | |
| Well, I gotta say, if a company does something that's remotely good we should make some effort to praise them, because it's so few and far between. Some of you may remember I was after the Yates Cacti Seed Mix but I was having troubles finding it in the supermarkets, Bunnings or Big W etc. Cairns isn't the world's largest city, but it most certainly is one of the poorest stocked cities! So I wrote to Yates requesting the location of the seed or could I perhaps purchase it off them direct. A person replied some 24 hours later and said, sorry, I don't think you can get it in Cairns, you could order it, but in the mean time I have sent you out a complementary bag of seed! And today - just a few days after sending the email, it arrived. I have to say, huge ups to one of our larger gardening companies - personally that is really special! But perhaps a downer for another company named after an indigenous American spiritual leader... In early April I ordered 12 bags of seed of common(ish) cacti... and the package hasn't even been sent - in fact payment was only confirmed last week some four weeks after I paid! I thinks they've been eating their cacti :p I have just ordered $40 worth of seed from cactus-seeds.com as well - though that was Thursday last week. I still haven't heard from them yet either. I know the money went through, PayPal said so! I do hope they contact me soon with the promising news that seeds have been sent. And I do hope that the ones mentioned above get off their pipes and pack my seed to - very very slow! But, the big companies, who are usually the let down, I didn't even pay for the seed (though I did offer) and they sent it free and very quickly! ps - I do not work for Yates haha! But I do believe their good deed deserves another pps - come on other Aussie companies, get ya act together!!! | |
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trigonus Admin & Cactus Fiend
Number of posts : 879 Location : coastal NSW 1°C - 40°C Registration date : 2008-01-23
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Mon May 12, 2008 9:21 pm | |
| Yates gave me a fungus gnat infestion from there crappy "premium" potting mix, bastards! Never again. | |
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slim6y Calm and Collected
Number of posts : 176 Location : Cairns Registration date : 2008-04-26
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Mon May 12, 2008 9:39 pm | |
| Hmmmm.. one up + one down = neutral outcome...
Oh well... :p
I purposefully buy crappy potting mixes... | |
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PD Calm and Collected
Number of posts : 202 Location : Vic. Registration date : 2008-04-02
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Mon May 12, 2008 9:46 pm | |
| Hope they germ for ya slim6y. i got a packet of seed from a nursery the other week and none at all have germinated. They werent Yates seeds, cant remeber the name now, but they are crap anyways. Dunno why i went out and spent 6 bux on 15 bloody mystery seeds when i have far far too many tricho seeds that need my attention. | |
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slim6y Calm and Collected
Number of posts : 176 Location : Cairns Registration date : 2008-04-26
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Mon May 12, 2008 9:51 pm | |
| Far too many tricho seeds you say PD? Well *ahem* their valuable attention can be given up here in the warm tropics... It'd be like sending them on vacation. Give you some peace and quiet round the house.... I have a nearly empty shadehouse just waiting for holiday makers like your trichos haha... Well, I am certainly hoping for more than 0% success - even at 3% that's still be a few cacti but hoping for 10% or greater. It says germination may take up to 12 weeks but in some cases months! I have my heat cord al ready to go, my empty two footer fish tank and plenty of gnat free soil + home grown river sand (cooked to perfection)! | |
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trigonus Admin & Cactus Fiend
Number of posts : 879 Location : coastal NSW 1°C - 40°C Registration date : 2008-01-23
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Mon May 12, 2008 9:54 pm | |
| I have actually had some decent results from their seed mix, but i like to germinate rare and collectable seed and trichos too. I just think their potting mix is poxy, I use Debco premium cacti and succulent with my own additives or my own special mix for rarer stuff. They have some good products don't get me wrong, I just really dislike fungus gnats. Though not sure if they are entirely to blame for this. I think bad storage on the behalf of bunnings and nurseries is a factor in this fungus gnat scourge. | |
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trigonus Admin & Cactus Fiend
Number of posts : 879 Location : coastal NSW 1°C - 40°C Registration date : 2008-01-23
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Mon May 12, 2008 9:55 pm | |
| Don't worry slim you are getting some of those seeds in the mail this week mate | |
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PD Calm and Collected
Number of posts : 202 Location : Vic. Registration date : 2008-04-02
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Mon May 12, 2008 9:57 pm | |
| - Quote :
- I purposefully buy crappy potting mixes...
haha, yeh but some are REAL crappy. big freakin sticks and crap. I expect potting mix, i get pine bark. Im just a cheap arse, but some of them 2 dollar bags are really good | |
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slim6y Calm and Collected
Number of posts : 176 Location : Cairns Registration date : 2008-04-26
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Mon May 12, 2008 10:09 pm | |
| Actually I had been fortunate PD - until this weekend.. i got rocks... neigh.. Boulders in my potting mix!!! HAHA! As well as the usual assortment of sticks! But that adds to the character of a real cheap potting mix... | |
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slim6y Calm and Collected
Number of posts : 176 Location : Cairns Registration date : 2008-04-26
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Hellonasty Admin
Number of posts : 1824 Location : NSW Registration date : 2008-04-04
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Tue May 13, 2008 12:56 pm | |
| I also received a nice fungus gnat infestation from bunnings Such a nice mob | |
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slim6y Calm and Collected
Number of posts : 176 Location : Cairns Registration date : 2008-04-26
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Wed May 21, 2008 7:52 am | |
| Also now big ups for Vlado and his cactus-seeds.com site - awesome package and a great price! I was planting up some cereus yesterday from him, and I accidentally sneezed I think i recovered most of the scattered seed - but unless they start germinating on the wooden floor I don't think I will find them all (haha). Still... I am very pleased with the seed. Can't comment on quality yet - but even if I get 20% success (that's my minimum aim) then I will be doing very very well! Better get in before the temperature and humidity rises too much up here - ahhhh thank you for a tropical winter! | |
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Haga
Number of posts : 17 Location : A-Town Registration date : 2008-04-16
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Wed May 21, 2008 7:40 pm | |
| vlados seed is normally pretty good. fresh and good germ rates. | |
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Brettix
Number of posts : 20 Location : Nowra/nsw Registration date : 2008-04-28
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Wed May 21, 2008 9:14 pm | |
| Yeah i use Debco cati mix for everything. It has quartz chips in it and the quartz brings out the colours in cacti. | |
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trigonus Admin & Cactus Fiend
Number of posts : 879 Location : coastal NSW 1°C - 40°C Registration date : 2008-01-23
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Wed May 21, 2008 9:20 pm | |
| Debco is pretty good stuff. I have found recent batches to contain far too much pine chips though. I sieve these out and quite often add a bit of extra course sand. Really depends what I am potting up though. Searles is meant to be good, although I have never seen it in Sydney before. | |
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parrotsheaven Calm and Collected
Number of posts : 464 Location : Corio. Victoria Registration date : 2008-05-14
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Wed May 21, 2008 9:28 pm | |
| I use Debco but usually mix it half and half with my mix. Course sand, el cheapo potting mix and coir. I am trying coir out with a lot of my plants now. Especially my fat-plants. I just wish I could get hold of some small scoria to put in my mix, can only get the bigger stuff here. I got lithop seeds from Vlado a few years ago and swore I would never go back for any more seeds. So interesting to hear how everyone is going with his seeds now. | |
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trigonus Admin & Cactus Fiend
Number of posts : 879 Location : coastal NSW 1°C - 40°C Registration date : 2008-01-23
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Wed May 21, 2008 10:40 pm | |
| - Quote :
- I just wish I could get hold of some small scoria to put in my mix, can only get the bigger stuff here.
Some decent scoria would be nice. How would the larger stuff go if you pounded it with a hammer? I smash up bricks with a hammer to add to my mix, also I do the same with terracotta and slate, maybe I am just mad, but the results are pretty good lol. While we are talking about mineral content for potting mixes. Anyone know where to get decent pumice for a resonable price? Preferrably available in Sydney or over the net if the postage isn't too prohibitive? | |
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slim6y Calm and Collected
Number of posts : 176 Location : Cairns Registration date : 2008-04-26
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Thu May 22, 2008 7:25 am | |
| HAHA - Pumice - Go to Taupo in the North Island of NZ - the Desert Road - not a normal desert - instead of sand it's all pumice and ash - very good for the soil With scoria - if you have the ability heat it up first (BBQ is a good idea) as it's full of air pockets - let it cool slightly (or throw them in water) and they'll break up into even smaller pieces. Pumice - I am sure you can get bags of the stuff in Bunnings. I used scoria (aussie stuff) once in a Hangi I had here - and the whole lot exploded sending shards of hot scoria flying around the house! | |
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hornet
Number of posts : 112 Location : brisbane Registration date : 2008-04-26
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Thu May 22, 2008 8:22 am | |
| i love taupo, we used to go there everytime we went over to nz. Lol at hot scoria flying round your house | |
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parrotsheaven Calm and Collected
Number of posts : 464 Location : Corio. Victoria Registration date : 2008-05-14
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Thu May 22, 2008 8:27 am | |
| Pumice - what's that ????........................ if only Bunnings stocked here in sunny Mildura they never have anything I want, probably think its too far out in the sticks for anyone to want it hehe | |
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slim6y Calm and Collected
Number of posts : 176 Location : Cairns Registration date : 2008-04-26
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Thu May 22, 2008 8:44 am | |
| Pumice - It's a very light volcanic rock that actually floats on water!!!
I am positive you can buy pumice at health shops too - you use it to rub off callouses I think (haha). | |
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parrotsheaven Calm and Collected
Number of posts : 464 Location : Corio. Victoria Registration date : 2008-05-14
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Thu May 22, 2008 9:06 am | |
| Yep I have that one good for the heels in summer (lol) but its just impossible to buy the chunky bits for my soil mix where I live | |
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watertrade Calm and Collected
Number of posts : 260 Location : Canberra Registration date : 2008-05-16
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Thu May 22, 2008 10:23 am | |
| aren't some brands of cat litter just ceramic/stoney bits? I seem to remember it been used in homemade mixes. I will try and findout where I got this info from., | |
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parrotsheaven Calm and Collected
Number of posts : 464 Location : Corio. Victoria Registration date : 2008-05-14
| Subject: Re: Big ups to Yates... Thu May 22, 2008 10:56 am | |
| I have heard about cat litter, but wouldn't it hold moisture???? | |
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