We use a combination of Nickel Plus and K-Phite. It's working great. We spray with both, using a sticker-spreader we got at Tractor Supply. We also add their blue dye now, because it helps us see where we have missed a spot. It isn't very easy to see through goggles, with sweat pouring down in your eyes. Just avoid spraying any blossoms, unless you are really desperate for a blue daylily. We were advised to spray once a week for 3 weeks, then wait 3 weeks before spraying again. I've only sprayed once this fall, since it has been raining off and on ever since. Occasionally, I will have a plant that shows sign of rust, but nothing like it was before I started using the nickel. I wouldn't use anything else. Well, let me take that back. I am going to try some Actinovate on just a few isolated and unimportant plants to see how it works. The only thing I don't like is having to don all that protective gear, but I wouldn't have it otherwise. I'm very cautious. We use goggles, a special pesticide mask we bought at Lowes, chemical gloves (also at Lowe's), rubber boots and a yellow rain slicker. My hubby and our yardman refuse to put on a garbage bag drawstring skirt, but if I'm doing the spraying, I wear that, too. I'll have to get my hubby to take a picture of me in that fancy outfit so everyone can get a good laugh. When the weather is warm, we get very sweaty in all that garb! We start very early in the morning while it is still cool. We have a big tank sprayer on wheels we pull behind our riding lawn mower. It runs on the lawn mower battery. We got an extra length of hose so we can cover more territory. One of us drives the lawn mower while the other sprays. I could do it by myself, but it takes longer to have to keep stopping to move the mower ahead. We wash the tank out thoroughly after spraying and run clear water through the wand when we have finished. Aren't you cold climate people lucky??? Nancy

Pixie Lou, I love those pond shots. You get such a range of critters visiting, and the green heron is especially nice. It has finally warmed up enough that Jane's least favorite critters are emerging in my garden, the snakes. I found a small (8") red-bellied snake that ended up in some grass clippings I moved to the compost after we hayed the lawn between rain showers. I was surprised to find him in the bottom of the garden cart, and tipped him out before I thought to photograph him. My reading tells me that they don't get much bigger than a big night crawler, so he was full grown. I was cleaning out the bed around the back patio where I so often see garter snakes, and had the company of this guy for a bit until he decided that I was interfering with his basking in the sun and left.

Sorry to hear Chammi's having a tough time recuperating. Red Bank is excellent. My sister has used Red Bank for chemo for her late pug and was very pleased with them. We usually use Garden State Veterinary in Tinton Falls- our vet has a good working relationship with them. Spencer the chocolate lab and Katie the shepherd mutt are sending doggy tail wags for luck - and we've all got our fingers and toes crossed- lots of energy flowing here for Chammi. Helene (always glad to find more than one - we Helenes know how hard it is to get our name pronounced correctly- but that's material for another thread!)

I'm 35 dad left and spent his time in the correctional institution. My mom has raised me up til 13. My big sister however raised me until she no longer did. My big sister was my best friend even 11 years older. She had 8 or more kids that took the frustration away from the fact I cannot have kids myself. Years of memories come to pass until one morning she left for court, then cps came over under my supervision and removed permanently all children. By the way the oldest had gotten upto age 10 and with all her effort her only baby girl birthed had just been taken from me. Remind you my sole purpose since 13yrs old is to be an active force within my family unit. My sister spent a year incarcerated while i attempted attempted to individuate my future as a young girl. Iv since been alone. Besides the monsters of chosen men whom iv been deceived by. Total of 5 monsters that have taken a tole over my years of grief. Yes grief because my niece was in a drounding accident in care of foster families and lost her 4 year old life. My sister is a shell of her old ,drugs and her grief combined. Haven't spoken to her in 3 years. My mom is scratching lotto tickets in effort to save me and my dogs out of the nightmare of domestic alcoholic mistreatment i fell a victim being for this monster. I honestly cry randomly to my mom to save me and how much i miss being in a safe place next to any blood relative i have. I'm the last one left. Felt the pain for 3 years of domestic violence without smiling yet. Missing my sister. Missing the children. Iv cried my heart out for momma and been left hanging. My counselor says she won't end our sessions because I'm in trauma environment, so she and my dogs are all that matters. There who claims to stick by my side. Ya know, it's really hard to just get the simple answers in a day too. I've spent so much time to locate adult ged for someone like myself who is limited to isolation aka virtual classes. Or a yearly check up. When growing up consistently evolved around kid stuff...I fell right into survival mode right after childhood. Now isolation as a reality against my wishes. Never shown or been taught how to survive, winging it thus far. My heart is broken for everyone having to feel what I do. We don't have kids we don't have community initiative. Told the monster I could be killed and who would notice? My phone doesn't ring bout 1 time a month.