Good Morning! Thanks for all the input! Al~ I had to laugh at your post! I was so tired last night that for the life of me, I could not remember buying a Euphorbia.(I'm used to thinking succulents when I see that name) I had to go out and look. LOL! Yes, that is the plant I just got. ;-) And I was thinking of giving it to mom, which means it would be in with petunias and mums and maybe a Lobelia or 2. I wanted to add the zinnias to the back to give it height. I was thinking along the same lines as you Al, but just thought I'd ask. For myself, I wouldn't worry, but I want it to be nice for mom. ;-) It makes sense that as the PWT drops so would the need to separate plants. I totally agree with looking at this with the same "raised eyebrow"! I have basil seeds sprouting in a 10" pot right now! lol.. so that shoots the "overpot" theory all to heck. lol. Now I would have never thought about the dry dormancy. So thank you for that! I'm aware of it where succulents are concerned by never would have thought about it with flowers and such. ;-) ""I should try an experiment where I grow something like one of the Coleus varieties that will tolerate some sun, in the same container with a number of succulents. If I remember, I'll do it this summer - just for grins."" LOL! Your starting to sound like me. I do alot "just for girns" and you can't forget the giggles. lol. ;-) Jodi~ I agree we are open to more options when using the free draining mix that we do! And I take tag/growing instructions with a huge grain of salt! Now that we have the internet, I much prefer to look up the growing care! And will gladly accept the help and advice of a few close friends. ;-) I'll try and get a picture this evening of the herbs I mixed. Al, we'll have to remind each other to get back here and post pics of what we experiment with. ;-) A Very Happy Easter to everyone! From me and my rock bunny. ;-) JoJocolor>

I was wondering where they were to be planted and was thinking you were amending outdoor soil. I've never ordered cuttings this way, but I would think the cut ends would be adequately hardened off by the time you receive them. You'll want to plant them in your mix and not water until they have roots, maybe a couple weeks. If you like, post a pic of the cuttings you get before you plant them and you'll get feedback from experts (not beginners like me).

If you know for certain it was root rot, you could re-use it. If there is any chance there was some sort of pathogen, I wouldn't. Perhaps get a cheap plant and put it in the GM and see if it develops the same condition, if not, give reusing it a go.

Yes, and using mixes specifically for 'potted' plants can be quite tricky to say the least. A balancing act too that is one does not master, your growing experience can be quite limited or very rewarding. For me it's all about sacrifice's, sacrifices made in order to attain the best possible growing experience possible without sacrificing the integrity of the mix and the vitality of my trees and their root systems. One has to be able to foresee any potential issues before deciding what to use. What might do a great job in the 'summer' might be the death of your trees in the 'winter' months. For instance: One could use a mix that hold much more water for the summer while in the end could kill your trees holding too much water come the winter and shorter days. One could use a mix that holds PWT that can be used to your advantage and disadvantage if it rains too much, stays cold for long periods of time, or gets worst as the mix break down. One could use a mix that dried out very rapidly, almost too fast for the summer and in the winter and then in summer loose their trees to not enough moisture. One could also use a mix in which you have to check the moisture levels quite often in each and every pot, for some hundreds, or use a mix that you can water every time you water for all at once without fear of root rot without having to check to see if they need water. The 511 to me is a good balance. You can add just enough smaller particles to keep the soil mix moist longer in summer while reasonably dry out in the winter in a good amount of time. You can use it on all your plants and water all your plants at the same time whether they are still moist or not. The 511 also allows you to store your trees at very cold temps, even though the pots are still moist without fear of rot. The 511 also dries out evenly and holds its structure much longer than peat or fine particle based mixes.. So If I were to match up the 'pros' with the 'cons'. I'd say the 'pros' far outweigh using a 511 mix or the like in my favor. It might be a great idea for each of us to decide what you are willing to sacrifice in the winter or the summer and find a happy medium that will work for ALL seasons to save yourself a lot of headache and certain trees their demise. What is forgiving in the summer time or in a nice warm brightly lit greenhouse structure might not bode so well for trees in less than ideal conditions come shorter colder wintery days indoors. MIke