I don't think the grit size of sand is too important. I use a few different
sizes, depending on the texture of the mix I want. My workhorse sand is
builder's silica sand. Very nice---it comes in 100 lb bags for just a few
bucks at the local builder's supply place (Home Depot if you have them).
The thing that is important is that you wash the sand thoroughly. You never
know if it is salty. Also avoid sand that is smooth edged, like little
cobblestones. Get the sharp sand.
I looked in my bucket of _U.gibba_ yesterday and was not too thrilled to
find a dead 4cm long stripe-tailed scorpion in the water. These things are
nasty (not deadlly) and I'm not too thrilled to learn of scorpions in my
greenhouse!
Flowering for the first time in the greenhouse is some _U.nana_ and
_G.repens_. I was able to verify the ID on the _U.nana_, but the
_G.repens_ has a slightly distorted flower so checking that one will have
to wait. _U.nana_ has an interesting way of holding pre-anthesis flowers.
TAYLOR shows the plant holding seed pods this way, but I think he may have
mistakenly been drawling pre-anthesis flowers.
B