Hi bloomingaddiction, Welcome to The Seed Exchange. Actually you can access the link to update your profile, Member Page, or trading list from the Member Pages link found at the bottom of every GW page. I am sure this is the wrong place to aske this question, Actually any questions, and just chatter, is to be posted to the (off Topic) Conversation side of the Seed Exchange. The link to Conversations is found just above the list of threads here on the Discussion Side. Oftentimes GW will move threads that are not trades over to the Conversations side...so if you don't see your thread here, check there (Conversations.) hth. Happy Trading! Sue...chemocurl...resident busy body

OK - if Token is counting that way for zone 7 I'll count as Pvick suggested for zone 6. (And while I'm close to the zone change, I am definitely zone 6.) Zone 5 has floodthelast sowing like a crazy lady so her bumper crop of containers should help them catch up. That is, if she hasn't already sown too many to count. :) This container counting thing should be fun. I've got so much sowing to do that except for the sprinkling seed part it risks feeling kind of like grunge work at times. I fill 28 pots, sow them, haul them outside and then repeat and it's in the middle of the soil mixing/filling part that it sometimes starts to feel endless. Planting out is going to be even crazier. I'm sure I'll end up overflowing the front yard and we'll need to plant out into the hillside and road frontage as well. But by June or so things will taper off and the framework of my dream garden will be in place. I should be able to drop back down to a recreational level of WSing in future years - unless you all end up posting photos this summer of plants that I just have to add to the garden! So container count - Token-style it is. Lynda

Mehitabel wrote the following post entitled "One season's lessons about growing gardenias" Posted by mehitabel z6 MO (My Page) on Wed, Sep 24, 03 at 20:20 What I have found is that gardenias for the most part are vigorous plants that get fat and happy in pots if conditions are the least good. I wanted to share my experience with them this summer, because I was very much hesitant to even try one after reading all the stories of slow decline. But my experience has not matched that, except with a couple of plants, and I hope this will encourage other people to try them. The blooms are beautiful and fragrant, and cut well. The one I bought from HD (the first) has not done well, but I attribute that to the source-- several plants in one pot forced into bloom for valentines day. These are bound to drop buds, sulk etc when you get them home and maybe never get going properly. I found the best plants for getting established quickly as pot plants are vigorous varieties like Belmont or Miami Supreme. Also, potbound plants are harder to get established and you need to check the rootball to make sure they are getting their roots into the new soil. Naturally, in-ground plants would be another matter. Put them in a pot no more than 2" bigger than the rootball. Use a clay pot if you can. They keep the roots cooler, and I have always found roots in clay to grow much better. Let the roots fill up the pot (but not potbound) before repotting. You can tell because it starts to need water more often. A good peat based potting soil (I use moisture control miracle gro) with timed release fertilizer and dry ironite in it gives it a good environment. You can add peat, but I've had some without added peat that did fine. The timed release fertilizer evens out the fertilizer, and the dry ironite gives a lot of micronutrients and prevents the leaves from getting chlorotic. You can give it some bloom-booster (10-50-10) maybe once a month or so. I also give mine epsom salts (source of magnesium) and liquid iron chelate once a month or so to supply micronutrients. You can give it oftener than that if you need to. Keeps the leaves beautiful. Outside in summer, they get just the right amount of humidity and will thrive. They happily take sun til app 2 in the afternoon all summer. If you get aphids, just hose them off every couple of days for 3 or 4 times. Or just wash off with soapy water. Be careful of overwatering, overpotting and overfertilizing. I tend to overwater, so I use a moisture meter to test need for water, or stick your finger in and water when the soil starts to dry. But don't let them get too dry, either. Gardenias are susceptible to root disease, and any of the above no-no's can get it started. Inside in winter they are going to get stressed because the humidity in the house and perhaps the light you can provide is too low. The way to deal with this is to keep them outside as much as possible. They can be kept out at temperatures below a light frost, so they can stay out probably a month after the first light frost, and go out in the spring about when the crocuses come up, or about St Pat's day. Indoors, give them the sunniest window you have. In late winter, watch out for bug explosions. Aphids give birth to pregnant young in spring, so populations can explode in a few days. Wash these off. You don't need poisons. So far this year, I have successfully grown Grif's Select, Miami Supreme, Belmont, Shooting Star. I killed August Beauty (never thrived) and Four Seasons (root disease, but not sure how I triggered it-- repotted too soon, maybe). I also have some small ones I bought a few weeks ago, too soon to tell. This is probably not a complete summary, just an outline of what I have discovered. But summing it up: NO, they aren't hard if you give them exactly what they want (moist rich soil, warmth, sun) and keep the pests and root disease at bay as outlined above. I hope this encourages someone to try them, or try again. Good luck

Hi Bethany. It’s not watering that kills succulents, it’s sitting in water too long that does. It rots their roots. I have both cacti & succulents sitting outside, where it rained for 3 days last week. I did move the cacti under covered porch on day 2 just to be safe, but none died. Remember, in the desert, when it rains, it’s often like torrential rain or a cloudburst. All of my c&s are planted in unglazed clay pots & in a “soil-less mix” of chicken grit (manna pro chicken grit from Tractor Supply), coarse-grade perlite, sifted to remove dust & small particles & turface, also sifted for same reason, in equal ants of each. Turface is calcined clay & can be found at most landscaping places . it’s used alot by sports teams b/c it soaks up water, like so baseball players can play after a rain w/o the field being a mud pit. Rina enlightened me to this soil-less mix. I had to learn to water some c&s more frequently in this mix but b/c of how quickly it dries out, they aren’t likely to rot. My bears paw & echeveria seem to like a little more watering in this mix, as in about 1x/wk in summer. I don’t know what climate you are in. it was 91F here today, good thing I watered yesterday! Also try to keep your pot sizes no more than about 1/2 - 1” bigger around than the circumference of the plants rootball. If you think there is enough ”good” left on your plants to save, you can repot them. Rinse off old soil & lay them out to dry a few days before potting up into the new, more rapidly-draining mix. If you can’t find any of the ingredients I mentioned, a lot of people just pot their c&s up into pumice only. I can’t find any here in the Midwest. its also recommended to use your existing soil that you just bought, buy a bag of coarse grade perlite, sift or rinse it & mix it in at least a 40-50 ratio w/ your soil. I personally think 70-30 would be better, especially if you live in a wetter climate like FL or pacific NW, but if in a drier climate, the 50-50 mix should work well. whatever soil you end up using, please check it for moisture at the bottom of pot before watering again to make sure it’s dry or nearly so. I stick a bamboo shishkabob skewer down to bottom of pot (I get at Dollar Tree for $1USD). If skewer comes out wet, I wait a day or two to water then check it again. Hope this helps!