PNBrown, great, our Costata are just at 12 inches, so we'll keep them that size. And thanks very much for the offer of walking onion bulbils, I may take you up on that. I'll email you through GW! I appreciate it! Planatus, I have some Remay fabric I could cover them with, do you think that would work for the Packman? I wonder what this winter is going to be like, after last year. A nice warm long fall or a short one -- guess we shall soon see. Good idea with the dill and cilantro, do both and cover your bases. And thanks for the thumbs up for the walking onions. :-)

Always keep at least one basjoo inside as insurance for the six years I've grown basjoo. I bring mine in my classroom, set it under the normal flourescent ceiling lights, and it always does fine. Pretty tough, although mine have a little more spce between each new leaf, whereas outside they come in closer together. For mite I use soap spray or windex. I've even used the spray you use to clean dry erase boards which is mostly water and alcohol. I haven't had one left in the ground for two years now after rotting my 'big momma' so this year I've put them everywhere since I had so many new pups on my potted one. I'm going to cover a couple, but the others I'm not going to touch... just to see how they do. I'm even going to plant one at my school this spring for the kids to enjoy. Chris

FWIW at this time one of the few vendors with planting garlic for sale for spring shipment is Burpees, but not cheap and the selection is already reduced! FWIW II I have found that dried out bulbs often have a plump clove or two while the rest are partially or completely dried out and shriveled. Those grow just fine. The bulbs do not dry out uniformly, not on the varieties I have. Also for eating do not throw out bulbs with cloves only dried out. Those make a very nice, rich garlic powder (after all they are just naturally dehydrated), and what plump cloves are also there are often a godsend if one has to do spring replanting.

I have a smaller crape of adifferent variety than Tonto and it is under 4 feet and does fine, but the blooms are not as dramatic as this particular plant. It gets about 6 to 7 feet tall and is about 18 inches at the base and about 4 feet wide at the top. To stake it would most likely take some type of center support due to the weight. Not sure how to drive a stake through the center of its roots though. If I can keep my husband from digging it out, I'll try something next year as a last ditch effort. We have not fertlized it at all other than when originally amending the soli when initially planted about 4 years ago and it is in a place will relatively poor, clay soil.