Larry...although TC's are true cactus, they're epiphytic, therefore don't have the typical requirement of other succulents. TC's require humidity. That's where plastic comes in. Marjie, do you have a clear, plastic bag lying around? If so, place the pot inside the plastic. If you enclose the bag airtight, you may not have to water, but check soil periodically in case soil does dry. If you fear wrapping the plant entirely, you can cut slits in the plastic for air circulation. Either way will work. As I stated above...when a TC segment broke off mom, I tossed the cutting in a pot atop soil...with success..Didn't apply effort, no digging a hole then placing segment inside. But, during summer humidity is high so nature takes care of greenery. 'Outdoors.' There's no need to place TC cuttings in plastic during humid, summer months. Indoors, especially this time of year when air is dry, a different approach is needed. Don't fear using plastic. Think about it as a temporary green house. :) Toni

>>I'm curious, should I stop watering completely, or should it be misted once every few days? Do what you can to keep the sphagnum moist, but not soaking wet. The idea is to allow the water to continuously evaporate from the sphagnum and provide immediate humidity to the backbulbs. If the sphag feels crispy, then it is too dry. If it gets too wet however, then the backbulb could rot. That is why for the backbulb pots, I use different layers. Bottom layer (3/4th of the total height): either medium orchid bark or perlite. Top layer (1/4) of the total height: sphagnum moss. This way, I can water the backbulb pots with the same watering nozzle as the other plants. The sphag absorbs what it can, and any excess water flows down through the orchid bark and eventually out of the pot. I find that 100% sphag in a pot gets too wet for my preference. Using perlite as your bottom layer, combined with a plastic pot will make the pot top-heavy. So when I use perlite as the bottom layer, I use clay pots to keep the whole thing stable. Another benefit of using orchid bark as the bottom layer: Once the backbulb develops roots, all I need to do is gradually remove the amount of sphagnum moss on the pot as the roots grow directly into the orchid bark mix. One all the sphag has been removed, I top off the pot with more orchid bark. No need to repot the plant once they roots grow. Unless you really prefer to transfer them to another pot or mount them.

Like trianglegardener said..slow and deep but not quite as often as you think. Remember, in NC rhododendruns thrive in the mountains on hillsides where the drainage is terrific and nobody waters them. They are in full sun also. You may be inadvertently drowning the roots while the sun cooks the leaves before the plant has had time for the roots to establish. Dig down and test about 6-8 inches down and see what the moisture level is at that depth. If you can feel any moisture, it's enough. Loosen the soil up against the root ball so it can grow new tiny roots to take up moisture. Or, you can remove it, pot it up and put it in a cooler afternoon spot with just morning sun and baby it until you can replant in fall.

hi, i just wanted to add a little info here. the laurels grow very long tap roots and do not like to be transplanted more than about 2-3 feet from where you pulled them up from the ground. i would recommend starting them in a tall container before planting them in the ground. be VERY gentle with the root system, it is VERY sensitive and any damage during moving can cause stunted and delayed growth/blooms. also fertilizing for faster growth is unneccessary, faster growth can actually delay blooms by up to 3-5 yrs. some of these trees have been known not to bloom until they are more than 10 yrs old. they are slow growers and will often go thru periods of dormancy. im not sure what triggers the sleep or wakes them up. my guess is temp and water. remember, texas is green in the hill country but it is still a dry rocky sandy desert on top of old limestone. too much water or not enough heat can cause little growth and death. your best bet is to plant the seed directly where you want it or in a container that will allow for a 6-10 inch long taproot. alot of root will develop before the plants start to grow above the soil. if you planted the seed in the yard expect the root to grow as long as 2ft before the plant itself is 6-12 inches. breaking off any part of the root system can be detrimental during the first couple years of growth. if you are having trouble starting the seeds, drill a tiny hole in the top just into the flesh or score it thru the shell wih a file . the shell is super tough and may take some creativity to break into. ive heard of rubbing them raw with sandpaper if they cant be easily scored. afterwards soak them in warm ( simulate texas rain)water for 24-48 hrs. seeds that swell to about 3x size will grow quickly, others will take longer. you can place them with the hole/score side pointed up on top of potting soil, then layer about 1/2 inch of sand on top. this will mimick the dry caliche dirt in texas. i would recommend a bottom layer of whatever soil the tree will be planted in after it is removed from the pot to aclimate the sensitive roots system. these trees do not require watering most of the time. excessive water will kill them off. i would not recommend any pruning as it will inhibit blooms, most of the time the tree naturally grows into a rounded or umbrella shape. if you do decide to prune, leave the flowers and "snakes" ( i call them that too:). leave the seed pods on the tree until they fall off or most of the green has toned down toward greyish brown. the seeds need time to mature. you can take them out of the pods and grow them just as they begin to turn from light green to pink and this may help speed up the germination process because the shell is still soft and thin. it is not unheard of for a seed to wait 2-3 years to finally sprout. this is a SLOW growing tree that can be trained into a bush or tree art( like benches etc) it can be trimmed to have a single central trunk or multiple trunks. ive even seen one trained to be a trellis. i think they look best with 5-6 trunks, it helps spread the canopy and gives more flowers. they enjoy hot days and full sun the most. as for the bugs that eat them, try to find out what sort of birds eat the bugs and try to attract them to your yard with seed or homes. otherwise i would look for a biodegradable spray like lemon juice or vinegar or orange oil. make sure these dont hurt the tree before you go all out on them. if i remember correctly the best time to spray for pests is during july-august while its the hottest. this tree is a lovely plant and once established(3-5yrs)it takes nothing but time and patience to grow. make sure you keep the seeds away from small children, they look just like candy. in most cases the seed shell is so thick and smooth that it passes thru the body without harm. however if triggered it can generate a potent toxin that i believe is semi narcotic. this plant has a bonus to being poisonous however, deer wont touch it! i doubt that livestock would be much interested in it either. this plant is supposed to be very disease resistant but has been known to catch things (like cotton rot). if you live in a colder climate it may be more inclined to sickness and pests that are resilant to its toxins. also colder wetter areas may be hard on the roots. if you do plant north of texas give it a little hill so excess water can drain away from the tree.add a layer of dark, heat absorbing material to the base of the tree, i have seen trees in cold climates with shredded tires mixed with cedar for mulch and it did an awesome job of keeping heat and excess moisture. i wouldnt worry about wrapping it up in the cold unless you get one of the sudden death defying freezes mid spring. i lived in the texas hill country for 15 yrs and it never really got cold enough to do major damage. however areas prone to ice stoms might be a problem. you could try saving a budding spring tree during a sudden freeze by using the fruit growers trick. turn on a sprinkler before the ice comes in and let it wet the tree until the ice is done. this may help keep ice crystals from shredding the cell walls. however it could send it back to sleep for a couple years as well. here again drainage is super important. try placing some pastic sheeting around the base of the tree to divert the water away from the main roots. this might also help insulate the roots. i havent tried it yet as our new trees here in oklahoma havent been started. ill update yall next spring if they survive the winter. i hope this info helps! wendy