I think a lot of plants have the most energy right when they start to spring back to life this time of year. That you can do all sorts of torture to them now and they will recover just fine because they are so pumped up and actively growing. But there is this touchy period when digging and dividing or potting up upsets the balance. There is basically no way to determine when that magic moment is - so I say, if the sprouts look healthy go ahead and dig and pot up. If the plant looks weak, leave it alone unless you would rather go ahead and replace it. In my fruit area I have plenty of doubled up plants, because I thought one was dying so I cut it back and planted a new one only to have the original plant return later and now I have two of them growing side by side (when they get bigger, one of them will have to go).

Wish I could say I have holiday traditions, but that's not the way with my family. We never were what you could say 'close' and or 'traditional', us kids were pretty much on our own from the time we could walk. But I do have some fall traditions that I have made for myself. Maybe that counts in this thread. One of my favorite fall traditions is fried green tomatoes. I know in the south you can buy green tomatoes year round, but it seems to be a northern thing, especially with northern males, that no tomatoe shall be picked unripe until there is absolutely no chance it will ripen. These past couple weeks I have been stuffing myself on fried green tomatoes, I want to get sick of them now because I know that I won't have them again for another year. If anyone is interested I do have recipes for green tomatoe pickles, I just never learned how to can so can't use the recipes, but have them because I collect cookbooks and read them like novels, lol. Another fall tradition is the collection of black walnuts. I only have one tree, but since me and the squirrels are the only ones eating them, that is more than enough in most years. Right now I have them laying in my driveway, it is easier to get the husk off after running over them a few weeks with the cars. But please, only do this on a blacktop driveway, they will stain concret something aweful, it will never come out, don't want anyone coming after me when black walnuts stain their driveway, lol. Soon I will be cracking them, drying the meats and then it's black walnut cake and cookies. Most of which I freeze and eat in bits and pieces since black walnuts is an aquired taste, I know very few people who love it as much as I do. Another fall favorite is the ornimental chard I put in just because I think it's pretty, namely bright lights. Just before it's about done for the season, I cook it the old fashion southern way, wilt it in bacon grease (all southern cooks have a container of bacon grease in their fridge) and add some vinegar. I also have some flowering quince that actually produce fruit from time to time. It is too bitter to eat as is, but simmer it in some sugar water, kind of candy it, and it is a tasty toast spread. And in years I am able to garden, I grow my own pumpkins and use them to make real pumpkin pie. Do you know that most canned pumpkin you buy in the stores is not real pumpkin? It's mostly squash because that makes a prettier color. My real pumpkin pies may be lighter in color and have more texture than what most are use to, not all like it, but there are some who beg me to make them a real pumpkin pie, don't want anything else once they taste mine. Oh yea, and there are the late ripening apples that I have learned to appriciate, namely Mutsu, makes about the best apple pies. Again, anyone who wants about the best apple pie recipe you could find, ask, has a special twist to it. Dang, got myself in a baking mood, might have to take advantage of all the cheap pumpkins around and make a pie or two or three or four, no problem getting rid of them, lol.

All species tulips are well behaved. I should think most people would like them to spread and self seed far more than they do. Without knowing where you are located and your growing conditions nobody can tell you if they would succeed in your garden.

Jupidupi, I see popcorn balls every year! They are always in the same aisle as all the trick or treat candy! I have seen them this year too. NOT my favorite but I appreciate the tradition. Jasdip, I always try to have some savory treats as well. Pretzels or chips in small bags. And always cheez balls. My non-candy treat bowl has a variety of savory and sweet stuff. Both because I know some people don't like sweets and because I know that a lot of these drivers that come through here have probably not been able to stop and eat all day or all night, and sometimes they just need a snack to hold em over until they can stop for a real meal or go home for one. As for my candy decision, I will likely do what i did last year. That is, I WILL leave some candy here on my off days. If, when i come back after that first set of nights off, and there is little to no candy left and it is reported to me that the candy bowls were not CONTINUALY stocked, then I will flip my witch switch and only bring it when I am here. That woman actually had the nerve to blame "those greedy truck drivers" for eating all the candy and snacks when I was on my off days last year. Clearly, she was too high on a sugar rush to remember that my SO (one of those truck drivers she speaks of with such contempt) would come in there 6 days a week, and would tell me that when i was not there, all 3 of my treat bowls were always empty, but her desk and face were FULL of candy. But I always give her and the others a FAIR CHANCE every year not to be a greedy pig. If they blow it, well, no more candy for you swine. To his credit, the other night minion usually buys a few bags of candy and puts it out on the nights he works. He is meaner than me though. He will wait until she comes in to relieve him, then will walk over there, get the candy and lock it up in his locker right in front if her. Another funny story. Last year, I did just that. When I left for my nights off I took all my candy with me. The other night minion brought a big bag in and locked it in a cabinet. (He did not do THAT in front of her.) Anyway, when my SO came in to load one morning, she confronted him and told him to tell me that she FOUND where I hid the candy! She had noticed the cabinet was locked, surmised that there was candy in there, found a screwdriver and TOOK THE HINGES OFF THE CABINET to get to the candy, open the bag and binge. And then when she saw me she confronted me quite aggressively about it and asked me why did i hide "the" candy. (As if its community property) I DID start with a reminder that if a decide to lock up any candy that I buy, that is my decision that should be respected. But, when I told her that the candy that she detected like a truffle pig was not mine, but the other night minions, her face was quite priceless. They do not get along you see, and she was quite embarrassed. Why she wasn't embarrassed by such behavior if the candy had been mine I do not know. She and the other night minion are on shift when I am off. MY day shift counterpart does eat some candy, but not nearly to the same degree. And that's fine. The candy is for everyone, but with the understanding that my candy stash is NOT a food pantry, and as adults, its expected that you would be able to control yourself. If they cant do that, well, I cut em off! This woman (the hinge remover) was my partner in the weight loss challenge, BTW. And I agreed to be her partner next year. I hated to lose the contest but took pleasure in the knowledge that I whooped her behind to the tune of 11 pounds, as I lost 17 and she lost 6, even with her weight loss surgery. ( I know I am TERRIBLE)