OK Ken - back down :-) I was composing my response while the OP responded so missed the part about fertilizing to offset shearing. Agree that is not a valid reason for fertilizing but to completely dismiss the need for fertilizing, especially if the garden (therefore the plant, any mulching and the soil) has been neglected for an extended period of time is not valid either. Soils often need to be refreshed with nutrients, either via a good organic mulch or with fertilization - necessary nutrients are not present endlessly in unlimited quantities. They become depleted overtime, especially with a mature but untended garden. And "renovation pruning" is not a panacea for all shrubs. Generally that method is used in reference to deciduous flowering shrubs - broadleaved evergreens seldom respond well uniformly to that method and hedge plants in particular are typically approached differently with regards to pruning. Not trying to be contrary, merely accurate :-))

bad.. you post has nothing to do with the TEN YEAR OLD ORIGINAL ... next time.. start a new one.. with an appropriate title.;.. i dont know why you would want a weed grape.. on a fancy arbor ... i would suggest you invest $20 mail order .. on a named variety.. that will provide you with sublime grapes.. for the rest of your life .. for the purpose you want to accomplish ... and i would suggest.. you visit the fruit forum..and quiz those experts on what to grow.. for what purpose.. in your area ...or talk with a local winery in your area .... as west MI is rather well know for their fruit crops ... if you want a concord grape.. then buy a quality named concord grape... not some weed grape that shot out the butt of a bird... and may or may not end up a valuable grape for making.. lets say jelly ... or wine ... i live over in adrian MI ... home of the raisin river ... the indians and the french used to eat wild raisins found along the banks .... and with hundreds of miles to harvest ... the 1/2 inch grapes were worth something ... again.. let me suggest.. they might not be a great crop.. on one arbor.. in one backyard ... and unfortunately .. you will have invested 5 years in growing such.. before you find out ... invest in a quality cultivar.. and you will be rewarded ... good luck ken ps: you might also want to research the strength of your arbor ... as a grape vine.. left to ramble.. can crush.. many a structure ...

Just as a sideline to this... has anyone looked up the good Dr. in the phone book? I did. There is a Danville Veterinarian Clinic but I did not find a listing for the actual vet Laurinda Morris. For the record, I think that the items that have been posted on the web concerning this matter have been very convincing when you read them. I do think if you stop and read the articles a few times through you will see that they are not backed up by hard evidence. Yes I am a skeptic and am a very analytical type person. Have I taken the advisory in to consideration? Yes. Does that mean I will change my habits? No. Has anyone considered the possibility that these dogs were allergic to the grapes/raisins? I can tell you as someone that would die if she ate a green pepper that just because I would, does not mean that you would. I have very violent changes in my blood chemistry when I even breathe in the fumes. It seems to me that the lack of evidence presented would make us all wonder what the truth in the statements would be. It is my opinion that the ASPCA advises to not feed grapes because they suspect grapes and not because of factual evidence. If they did not advise against them and they suspected them and someone lost a pet to it they could be legally liable. But that is my opinion not fact. All I have to say is as consumers and pet owners we have to look at all the facts, be informed and make decisions based on what we learn and be aware that many articles can be written to sound official without having an ounce of fact behind them. That is my 2 cents for the day.. I will get off my soap box now. Lorie

Sean, I'm glad you like the sick and dying plants thread, despite its morbid title. You've made a great start by digging into the details and coming up with a plan. As for whether your ficus will be okay if you don't take drastic measures right away, all I can do is repeat my experience, because last September my ficuses were still in five year old peat based potting soil and were so rootbound that it took two or three tries to get my thin dowel past the mass of roots to check the soil moisture, and their mite infestation had weakened them. Things would be different if your ficus were circling the drain, as Al puts it, but it's not even in the drain's neighborhood. Like you I wanted to repot all of my plants right away once I learned what I'd been doing wrong, but I took the advice to try to build up their energy reserves first even though I wasn't really sure it was even possible. But after doing the stuff on that list they perked up, and within a few months had grown enough roots to put out a slow but steady stream of new leaves. By the time they went outside they had already started backbudding and had maybe twice the leaf area as before in the form of big, shiny, supple leaves that might as well have come from a different plant. In short, I'm really glad I waited. Aside from giving the ficus a head start before repotting, waiting until June will give you plenty of time to decide which mix to use, find ingredients, and read up on repotting details. Meanwhile you'll spend a few minutes every time you water examining every new shoot and leaf, admiring its progress, and musing about all the different ways you can start to direct its shape when you finally get to prune it next summer. As for me, I've decided to use a variation on Al's 1:1:1 mix for my trees to make it retain more moisture without reducing aeration and drainage. Summer daytime RH in Salt Lake City is about 15% to 25%, with 90-100 degree highs, constant breezes on my porch, strong high-elevation sunlight, and pretty sparse monsoon action (not that the porch would get much rain during storms). Even the non-rootbound plants in Miracle Gro Moisture Control get bone dry within three days of a good soaking, and the plants in 5:1:1 mix desperately need water every other day, so I believe a straight 1:1:1 mix would put them in danger if I didn't check more than once a day. I've decided to use an adjusted gritty with a 4:3:2 ratio of turface, bark, and grit that Al recommends in this thread. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/4195423/adjusting-gritty-mix?n=13.  I don't know if Denver is dry or hot enough to need more water retention than the 1:1:1 mix, and there are other ratios that are less of a departure, but in your elevation and climate I thought you might want to know about the options as you continue to think about all this stuff. Lenore