Auctions at meetings

[JMLenke]

I actually need to know some of the information that Aaron was providing at the auction's (only been to the one at Dave's house). Basic light and pH requirements should be enough, as well as typical position (fore, mid or background). That information can be provided pretty easy, it is when people don't pay attention and you have to repeat it that it becomes bothersome. Once i learn more about the plants, I will change my vote to skipping this information

Mike, I dont know latin (I took it in high school 14 years ago). I know roughly that X plant is relatively easy or Y plant isnt...

Hygro, 99% easy to grow
Erio yeah thanks Ill pass.
Anubias yes please
HC I dont kill but it doesnt grow either.

[ingg]

Some of it is rather learning the basics of plants.

Stems
Rosettes
Rhizomed
Mosses/floating
Umm.. what do cryptocorenes fall under?

And then some major classifications

Stems - hygrophilas, rotalas, ludwigias, etc.
Rosettes - Echinodorus, Saggitaria, etc.
Rhizomed - java ferns, bolbitis, anubias, etc.
Crypts... well.. are crypts....

Then realize.

Most stems grow forever. They never stop going vertical, need to be trimmed. Light needs here can vary inredibly widely, as can fert needs.

Rosettes are sword plants, and grasses, in various heights. Tenellus micro gets 2" tall. Val nana gets 3' tall. You don't trim them, they grow. Smaller they are, the more light they typically need. Swords are also rosettes, and are huge in variability.

Rhizomes are typically low light plants, with the exception of maybe some Lagenandras. They grow by the rhizome growing. Cut the rhizome to propogate.

Crypts are crypts. I know they have a little rhizome stick, but I think of them as their own class. Almost all are low light.


Here is how I learned it.

I looked up easy to grow plants. I used plantgeek, and aquaticplantcentral, and plantedtank.net

I got decent at making them grow.

I looked up intermediate plants. Same sites. I tried some.

I looked up difficult plants. I killed most of them.

But by the time I'd gone through them, in under a year, I know most of them now. I know in general names for me to stay away from for me specifically - and I know what I grow passingly well. I know what plants I can try in higher light setups - like, I WILL be growing out Aromatica when I get the right setup for it, as well as downoi - and I know now what people mean by high light, fert needy, etc.... because I tried some, researched some, and yes, killed some.


End of the day - what I'm saying is do a little leg work. It really does help. Then, odds are, if you don't have a clue what the plant is or have never seen it - you'll probably kill it, but also probably learn from killing it. Baby steps.

[ingg]

That was a total hijack, sorry.

As one who knew squat all about plants under two years ago, and who did the leg work himself, I am rather stubborn about asking people to do some of that leg work, too.


Back to subject at hand -

If it is easily coded, an online registration of plants would be a great idea. I'd back it assuming it was voluntary for people to use - I think a lot would just because.

I almost want to say we should like make flash cards.

Low light, med light, high light.

easy, intermediate, difficult.

And have someone holding them up as the plants are called out for auction - just so we don't continually sit there saying....

Ludwigia Repens, not too light demanding, easier plant to grow....

Eriocaulum II, higher light, everyone except Ghazanfar can grow it...

Downoi, medium light, really wants ferts so is demanding...

[JMLenke]

Great Dave, you want to do Semaphore now at the meetings?

Are we calling the navy or landing aircraft?

[B Considine]

Some of it is rather learning the basics of plants.

Perhaps this should be a meeting topic, or a portion of a meeting.

[JMLenke]

Some of it is rather learning the basics of plants.

Perhaps this should be a meeting topic, or a portion of a meeting.

or Googlehttp://www.google.com/search?source=ig& ... gle+Search

even easier
http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/plant-list.html

When I first tried to have an wet green thumb there was little in the way of easily accessible info on the web regarding what plants were good bad or indifferent. It is almost too easy now to get the info for any plant you can think of.

[krisw]

I certainly agree that there's a wealth of information out there on the web, but few things turns people off faster than responding to all of their questions, "search the web." A huge part of GWAPA's mission is educational, and while we have to balance that between redundant teaching and no teaching at all, as the club gains new members, they join with many of the same questions. One of the board's directives this year is to gradually build up a resource for those new members to instantly go and answer a majority of their questions. The Algae resource is the first.



For the auction, saying "plant name, light requirement, co2 requirement" takes no time, and actually encourages people to bid. We don't want a super fast auction where no one bids, either because they're unsure of what's for sale.

[B Considine]

What if the auctions were broken into sections of like plants, say "low light, low tech" which would include the usual ferns, anubias, mosses, etc., a "medium light stem plant" to include the easiere to grow stems, and a "high tech, demanding plant category" for the exotics? That way, the basic information would only need to be disseminated once per auction?

1) Provides basic information for those requesting. Point questioner to the web for details.
2) Cuts down on repeating basic information for every bag up for bid.
3) Allows those members looking to specific plants to know when to "tune in" to the auction.

Blaise

[maddog10]

That seems like a pretty good idea. A little more organizing before the auction starts, but reasonable.

[Ltrepeter2000]

I like this idea. It would make it more organized but again this would be something that the auctioneer or the editor would need to set up before hand so that we would have a plant order. I think that its doable but Kris would need to let us know if he could regen things to be sold that way.