LOL Ryan..it actually started as a joke. Josh, who lives in Ca, happened to mention time, temp and humidity.
I had to laugh. Being in one of my 'giddy' moods, I added temps/humidity/time here in IL, and commented, everyone on GW should add this info, (kidding of course,) when posting.
What started as a joke, is actually interesting. Hearing from people in other states, from nearby locations to 2000 miles away.
So, it's not mandatory..

Are cacti and succulents that picky? In a way, yes, depending where one lives. I've been running outside, through cold rain tonight, in a dark yard, trying to lug in as many succulents as possible. Temps are supposed to drop in the 40's. When soil is wet, and temps dip, the combo can kill a succulent.
Several years ago, I lost 2 Pachypodiums and a Sago palm when I watered late and the room was cold..Toni

Good evening everyone!
I'll have to stop by for a longer reply tomorrow!
Until then...

9:38pm, 66°F, 43% humdity
(High 80's for us all week)

Good luck with the plants, Toni!
I certainly don't envy you the late-night scramble!

Re: Dragon's Blood sedum
- It looked so wonderful flowing over a few pieces of granite...then the deer mowed it back. It's planted below an eucalyptus tree, with different kinds of lavender and alysum in the same area.
- Maybe I can get a picture of the Dragon's Blood that the deer didn't get...

Cheers!

Josh

Toni-- I see now...half joke but actually somewhat useful info... but really, if you want it to be a bit more effective, one might want to include dew point, too...after all, as the name suggests, this is the point at which the air experiences saturation (or can, as this is not always the case) and water goes from vapor to liquid on surfaces (ie your plants).

Here in Colorado we can see temp/dew points spreads so big that we'll have 6% relative humidity. And we rarely see humidity above 10% for any long period of time (for a few days or more). Compare this to some places like Florida where the temp dew point spread is usually fairly close all the time. Tonight is an exception... because we're socked in with fog-- but at...oh gees...3:48AM, we're at 45F, dew point 44F, which rounds out humidity at 97%! Ergo...fog! Which also means....rather wet plants outside right now. This is all due to what we call an "upslope" (an air mass forced up from lower to higher elevation that is then forced to expand due to lower atmosphere pressure, which means less energy per volume, which translates to cold and wet!).

I actually use the temp dew point spread a lot as it can determine a lot about weather and therefore how my plane's performance is affected by that weather (high humidity has a negative impact on performance). I've seen days here where the temps are in the 80s(F) and the dewpoint is below 32F...which you'd think that sounds rather strange-- but all it means is that we'd have to go from 80F to 32F before we'd ever reach saturation and have high humidity-- thank GOD that never happens, because then it would be frost! :o)

Anyway-- here's a link for the dew point . I figured it might be helpful considering cold-wet and cold-dry can mean life or death for some plants-- and the temp-dew point phenomenon really tells the story of what you can expect.

Hopefully i didn't bore you too much....but at now 4AM, maybe my messed up sleep cycle will let me go back to bed!

Since Toni mentioned Papaya, I just wanted to share a couple of pics of my trees(2). I planted these Oct 06. They are loaded with fruits, I am not even crazy about them, LOL...I will be bringing some with me to LV, my DS loves them! I removed two of those branches off (tree had too many)I was afraid the tree would topple over from the weight on a windy day, LOL...its 8:05am 80° 88% humidity

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Picture after I pruned one branch off
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Not sure what variety...two different ones
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Well, if Ryan insists... ;)

7:03am, 51°F, 46% humidity, dew point 37°

The air feels nice right now.

Doh...I'm not insisting... I'm just saying that in terms of conditions, humidity and the dew point spread kind of have to go hand-n-hand. I don't know much about C&S's...but I really do like them a lot and knowing many grow in arid conditions, something as simple as air saturation seems like it would play a big part in the growth of these plants.

And since I insist ;o) Its 1145AM, 55F, 46Fdewpoint and 69% relative humidity. So by Colorado standards, its downright oppressive humidity out there. Now if you compare that to my previous post from way early in the morning, our air has taken on even more moisture capacity (44F compared to 46F)-- which only means we actually have a good shot at a storm or two today.

I just realized my wife is right...I'm a a nerd. I love this weather stuff.

But this all ties into an experiment I have going on with my Port-Afras. Last year they came inside when it dropped into the 40's every night. This year they stayed out. I have not watered them as a result because I don't want their roots to suffer water log since the day time temps and the slowed growth doesn't wick the water out of the soil as fast any more. But I want my plants to go into a sort of dormancy and let them stay as dry as possible without killing them...and see if I can get them to flower. I doubt it'll work...but it would be nice to have high dew points so the plants don't need as much water in their soil.

1:05AM, 75.4F, 73% humidity.

Because the forecasters have been predicting rain, again, Fri, Sat and Sun, I've been hauling C&S's indoors..they're wet now, any wetter, especially if nights turn cold, and goodbye plants.

Josh, you know, Sedum root fairly easy..perhaps, between the leaves that fell on the ground, and those that the deer didn't get, will grow once again. Can you place fine netting over the area?

Ryan, now that IS interesting..No not boring at all..the only problem is, I'm not exactly the person who can figure dew points and don't points out..LOL..
Wish I'd have read your post before starting anew..I'll have to check it out..Perhaps it's a simple procedure..I add temp and humidity, and the computer figures it out?? That's my type of science.. :)
Oh Lord,another night owl..LOL..It's now 1:08AM, and here I sit, wide awake..gonna make a cup of herbal tea in a few, so that should relax me some..I'll tell you one thing, lugging plants in the house today made me hyper..NOt tired, hyper. You read correctly. I do work, and want to do more..make sense? Wonder if there's a computer program that can figure that one out.. :)
I will check the dew point site though, see what pops up..Thanks, Ryan.

Pug, those Papayas are something else!!! You don't like the fruit? Really? Here you have trees w/papayas, if I want one, they're 4.99 and up, that's for one..LOL.
How large will they grow? Would you consider those on your tree ripe yet, or is it too soon? Good growing, girl.

Ryan and Josh..LOL, you guys are hilarious. Ryan, I enjoy watching the Weather Channel..does that mean I'm a nerd? LOL..You know what I'd love to follow? A tornado..That'd be the greatest, well, as long as I'm not in the center, floating to the land of Oz..But to see a live, 'nado, swooping around would be great.
I'm not exactly following your weather expertise, lol, but I will check out the site..maybe read up on dew point..
There's one thing I know..living in IL, the humidity is low..w/o a humidifer, let's see, sometimes 5%..
The problem is, I not only grow C&S, but a good number of tropicals and semi-tropicals, like citrus, African Violets and gardenias. It's difficult keeping temps/humdity, just right, so all plants are happy..We're off to see the dew point, the wonderful dew point of all..lol..Toni

12:00am, 60°F, 60% humidity...
Golfed from noon to six, took in quite a bit of sun, still feel sticky and icky.
I loathe humidity...and September heat!

Howdy! Just a quick note, as it's an early morning of subbing mañana!

Toni, you mentioned that owl that makes a startling noise at night...I think it's a screech owl, which we also have here. I used to think it was someone's rusty screen-door screeching on its metal track. Then I started hearing the "screech" noise in the old oaks.

Did you know that the Rumanian word for "vampire" is strigoi? Well, that word references the screech owl directly, from Greek, "strix." You can see (or hear) how the screech owl, with its grating call, could inspire night-tales of a flittering sky-witch.

Re: Sedum
- Yeah, no worries, the deer eat it back every year.
It will survive...there's a lot that they didn't get, not to mention the well-established roots!
- I thank you for your encouragement!

Oh, yes, I was going to add - exercise will energize you. If you exercise regularly, you'll actually begin to sleep less; and, though you sleep fewer hours, the quality of your sleep improves. The human body is cutting edge technology!

Well, goodnight all.

Josh

Thanks Toni,

Well its 11:35am 86°, dewpoint 75% and humidity is 67%, heat index feels like 96°...TMI, right?

Toni, those papayas are not ripe yet. They take almost 7-9 months to ripen from golf ball size, I think? I have made some pickle papaya(Green papaya) Sliced very thin, add vinegar, sugar, a little salt,I also add hot red pepper flakes, I like it spicy, LOL. Put it in large pickle jar and refrigerate...you can eat it like pickles, LOL...

My Sister cooks green papaya with chicken, she uses it like you would zucchini, only cook it a little longer because it is much harder. The recipe is called
"Chicken Tinola". I promised my sister I will bring her green papaya when I go to Vegas next month...

Good Afternoon. My indoor/outdoor thermometer needs new batteries..I don't know if placing the guage by the computer picked up a weird signal, or what, because last night/this morning when I placed it near the computer, numbers were jumping around...31F to 101F.
It seems to be okay now.

Time, 2:50 PM, 76.2, 86% humidity. I have NO idea what the dew point is..LOL. It's going to take major studying to figure it out.

It's been raining all day and supposed to continue until Sun. I PRAY they are wrong. A good number of sux are outdoors..I'm not concerned about tropicals.
Even the little happy/sad face on the temp guage is sad..he's saying it's wet..LOL

Wow, Josh, 60% humidity makes you feel sticky? I don't even notice 60%..lol. It takes much higher humidity, 95+% before noticable. Everyone's body differs though.
So you're into golf? Are you a doctor? LOLOL..j/k.
What is subbing?
It's funny, as soon as you mentioned Screech Owl, the door, and oak trees, old superstitions came to mind. Can you imagine what ppl thought back in the 1600's? Has to be a witch or warlock. Or, demons in the wooded area. Just two of many..It's great campfire talk, but back then, I'm afraid it was threatening, and worse, people were doomed when labeled witches. Believe it or not, I come from a family who to this day believe in this stuff..when I was a child, they'd scare the he** out of me.
To be honest, if I lived alone in a wooded area, and heard screeching, scratching, whatever, I'd be frightened, too..LOL. the boogyman, ya know? Too many horror books and movies, I guess, not to mention family beliefs.
Where did you find Rumanian word for Vampire? Wikipedia?

Josh, I assumed Sedum roots are shallow? No? IMO, shallow roots would be easier to pick, then again, it probably depends on soil. If soil is well-packed, plucking roots would require strength.
Do tips of your Sedum leaves redden with sunlight?

Josh, do you exorcise? The body and mind work strange. Some people tire after a days work, physical work, while others grow hyper.
Speaking of owls, I should have been born one. I am a night owl..Though I'd really like to get to bed early and rise with the roosters..11pm comes around and I'm wide awake..LOL.
I scrolled up to read how we started talking owls..were you referring to the bird that screams like a woman in pain? If so, that's no owl..These are tall birds, white or gray in color. Smaller than an adult heron but larger than, a breadbox? LOl..well, larger than owls around this part of IL. Good luck, I hope your Sedum make it, but sounds like they will.

Pug, how old are your Papayas now? They look fairly large. Problem is, most fruit shipped to Il are unripe, picked so early, we can no longer tell what's ripe. Lately, fruits..Melons are tiny..they look like Sugar Baby's, a melon that is normally grown in IL. We don't have enough daylight/summer for larger melons to mature, so they pluck and sell, bitter, unripe fruit.
I have never heard cooking papaya the way you describe. With vinager and hot peppers? Please excuse me,Yuck, LOL I can't even imagine the flavor and taste after cooked.
I think many meals are prepared depending on where one resides.
I can't imagine eating Papaya like a pickle..lol. Vinager? wow, that is different.
You said you didnt care for Papaya..I'm assuming you meant when eaten as a fruit, right? Do you like the taste when cooked with vinager, salt and peppers?
Send pics after papaya ripens..Okay? I'd love to see the difference..before and after.

Well, going to try lugging more plants inside..sigh. It's so much fun lugging in wet, dripping plants. Oh oh, forget it, it just started pouring again..sigh.

Have a great wkend...hugs, Toni

Toni-- don't worry about the dew point (which btw way, should be a temperature, not a %). But if it helps you understand the relationship, remember that "humidity" is really the "relative humidity," which means for the current temperature (ie 76.2), the air is holding 86% of its total capacity (if it was totally saturated, you'd have 100% relative humidity). Consequently, lower temps are unable to hold as much water as warm air-- this is why you will often see very low humidity readings in the winter. Dew point is simply the temperature where dew forms-- so if the dew point is 45 (which doesn't mean it "feels" like 45) that means for water to go from gas to liquid (fog, drizzle, rain, dew) it'd have to cool all the way down to 45-- which this time of the year is possible if a storm passes through. However, you can guess the dew point by figuring in the relative humidity-- at 76 and 80% humidity, the dew point is likely in the upper 60's and possibly lower 70s... therefore it should feel rather moist...even muggy (in fact, if you have a dew point within 5 degrees of the ambient temp, things will feel very moist-- within 3, liquid will form-- within 1-2 degrees, you'll see 100% humidity and likely a lot of dew and/or rain).

Now with regard to plants-- low dew points (lower than the ambient temp) equate to dry conditions-- ones succulents and cacti are likely to enjoy. On the other side of the coin, any high dew point will result in a moist feeling and its better for things like tropicals and broadleaf plants.

Anyway, none of this probably helped but just remember that whatever your temp is, you'll likely want a dew point that is 1/3 to 1/2 less than that temp (if 80, a dew point of 40 will feel comfortable and dry).

The only reason i know all this hullabaloo is because it was part of my training as a pilot. Knowing the effects and nuances of conditions makes it fairly easy to understand what one can expect at your destination without ever looking at a forecast. There is one disclaimer to all of this weather stuff, though-- any time you talk about a weather event or condition-- it is always referred to as a "phenomenon"-- because though we have witnessed and studied the weather-- there is always a percentage that is unexplained and unable to be studied. This is why weathermen (and women) can often be completely off. Sometimes Nature will just change things up and leave us clueless as to why things happened the way they did.

Cheers...Ryan (another phenomenon in of himself)

Hey Toni,

My Papaya tree is 2 years old this November.It grows fast.
The pickled green papaya I use to eat when I lived in a small island in Guam...My Dad was in the army, so I lived in the Philippines and Guam and learned how to eat unusual things...LOL. It is very good by the way. Cooked papaya taste like a little like zuchinni, only better,IMO.

I don't like ripe papaya very much, once in a while I will eat it but its not my favorite. Mangos I absolutely LOVE, that's why I have 7 Mango trees, lol. Just hope they all make it, I'm hoping for no frost days. But I know that is wishful thinking **sigh**. Well maybe just one wouldn't be too bad...Toni my Coffee plant has some beans on it. Do you know how long it takes before it starts to turn red? I won't be roasting it or anything, I was just excited to see beans on it for the very first time. I've had the plant almost 2 years now. I bought it at Wmart in an 6" pot.

Ryan, oops sorry about the % on the dew point, that was my error...Didn't mean to add that on there, lol...

7:51PM, 75.9F, 82% humidity, Dew Point, 'Unknown.' LOL
Ryan,,,WHAT? LOL..I went to the site you posted, unaware it was Wikipedia. I know not to assume, but did anyway, thinking the link was one you enter temp and humidity to get dew point. Or does temp and humidity reveal heat index? Dang it, it's raining and humid..LOl
If I state my temperature and humidity, would you know what the dew point is? Is the answer a mathmatical formula? I have an idea how it's done, yet can't quite figure the initial concept..
What I can tell you is, it's been raining since 8am, mostly showers, the air is thick, the sun has set. My succulents are probably very uncomfortable, yet, tropicals and subs are quite content.

So, you were a pilot? For the military or a company? If you don't mind me asking.
You see, another problem. I have trouble following directions driving a car, so you wouldn't want to be a passenger if I were a pilot. If you wanted to go to Europe, we'd end up in Canada..LOL.
But seriously, your career sounds exciting. I would think you had to know dew points, knots, ect.
How does it feel flying? Since there aren't street/city signs in the heavens, how do you know where you are, where to land? Not direction-wise since a plane has a compass. What would happen if the electric went out?
What type of planes? 747's, helicoptors?
I've been on a few planes..when looking out the window, down below, all you see are what looks like childrens' miniature toys..I don't know how you guys do it.
Ryan, did you say you did or didn't grow plants?

Hey Pug..You have Mangos too?? Pots or ground? I enjoy mangos, but have you noticed, mango pits takes up most of the fruit, which means little meat, whereas papaya contains several small seeds, but quite a bit of fruit?
Do you have pics of your mangos?
You lived everywhere. It must have been exciting growing up, seeing different places. Are you bi or mutil-lingual?
A friend who lives in the Philippines during winter, and here in summer, brought pics of his property..the papayas trees were huge. Beautiful.
In my mind, and taste buds, zuchinni is a vegi, papaya a fruit. For years, I couldn't eat heated apples..that is until we stopped at a Cracker Barrel..After tasting the apples with they're brown-sugary syrup and cinnamon, UMMM. So, I guess it's a matter of experimentation.

How tall is your coffee tree? Is it in the ground or potted?
How large are the berries? If they're a little bigger than a dime, (diameter) they should start reddening soon..You'll first see pink..Like Clivia..do you grow Clivia? If so, you know how they berry after flowering? I think, change of color depends on light..the last bunch of berries on my Clivia were green until May..
In one plant book, the author says, a potted Coffee tree that berries will make 1 cup of coffee..LOLOL..
I wish my coffee tree would berry..Does yours have flowers? It should produce fragrant white flowers..Now you got me thinking about coffee trees..I have 3, one, a few years old, the other two, less than a year. I'm going to shape the newer tree shaped standards..the oldest is bushy..Post pics, Pug, please..Toni

It's now 8:52PM, Temp 77.2, humidity 77%, Dew Point, still unidentified..lol..

Hey Toni,

I am bi-ligual of sorts, I can speak, but understand better, the Philippine language. Although English is definitely my first language, LOL...

My Mangos are still babies, 1-1(1/2) years ago since I planted so I haven't had fruits yet, maybe next spring or the following? I have 5 in ground and 2 potted in 20" pots.
I posted a couple of pics below of my Coffee plant. It flowered for the first time ever this spring March? Then a few weeks later the beans appeared. They are not too big yet. My Coffee Plant is in a 14" pot. I will take pictures in a few months if and when the berries turn red?

Toni, if you go to Weather.com, type in your zip code on the location box, it will tell you your temp, humidity,dew point and just about all the info you want in your home town...also has the 10 day forcast...can't live w/out it.

Here's the pics...

Mango(semi dwarf) variety. Another one (right hand corner)
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Potted Mango
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Coffee Plant in flower
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Coffee beans...I have few of these branches with beans
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5:50pm. Accoring to weather.com (Thanks Pug) temp: 75F, Humidity 89%, Dew Point, 71.
Non-stop rain, flooded basement, door bell keeps ringing, no one is there..LOL.

Josh, if you're reading this, although the 'door bell' wasn't even a concept in the 1600's, can you imagine what people would think when a bell rang, yet no human was present. EEEWWWW..

Pug, I'm green with envy..dang. LOL. Do you keep the potted mango outside year round?
Your Coffee tree is gorgeous..How did you shape it tree like? Prune bottom stems? The berries look huge. Hopefully they'll redden soon, then you can start new plants..or make a cup of coffee..LOL

My coffee trees are outside in the rain. I hope they don't drown, this is the first time I've been able to keep a coffee more than 3 years. :(
Very nice plants, Pug...Toni

Thanks so much Toni...appreciate it :o)

I do keep my Potted Mango outside year round. I only bring it in when we have a threat of frost.

When I bought the coffee tree at wally world, it was already tree shapes, it was a 6" pot and the tree had one trunk, it wasn't a bush...I've repotted it 3 or 4 times since I've had it. It also seem to like being fertilized often. I took it outside and pretty much left in under some oak trees except when the temps got below 50°, I would bring it in at night. My tree didn't like full sun, I almost killed it right after I bought it. Didn't realize I placed it in full FL sun and some of the leaves burned. I thought I killed the poor thing. So I pruned it and it grew nice and bushy. So I started pruning it every 6 months... I always brought back out during the day. Temps during the day here is rarely below 70's even during the winter...Just a few days here and there when we get a cold front, and that is pretty rare here. Mind you the NIGHT temps get colder, BUT we can pretty much count on the day temps to stay pretty mild. The best thing about winter here in FL is the humidity goes way down...

Good luck with your Coffee tree, hope it doesn't drown, LOL...

Good morning!
8:42, 57°F, 69% humidity, dew point 47°F...
It's gonna be another hot one, too - 90°F predicted for today. And, of course, I'll be in a black suit for a wedding this afternoon. At least it'll be a Full Harvest Moon tonight....!

Alright, I'd better catch up on some questions!

"So you're into golf? Are you a doctor? LOLOL..j/k.
What is subbing?"

- I've only golfed twice in my life, actually! This was a bachelor party for my good friend, Jon. He'll be leaving for Afghanistan in December, so we're marrying him off before we send him to his Fate in that cursed, war-torn land.
- A doctor?! I wish! Alas, I'm merely a high school "substitute teacher," or guest instructor as I like to say. I have a degree in English Lit., but I teach everything. I'm biding my time, with a foot in the door, until an English position opens up. In the meantime, I also tutor (which pays considerably better), and I write!

"It's funny, as soon as you mentioned Screech Owl, the door, and oak trees, old superstitions came to mind. Can you imagine what ppl thought back in the 1600's? Has to be a witch or warlock. Or, demons in the wooded area. Just two of many..."

- Absolutely! The unknown, the mysterious, the powerful. A volcano, a great storm, a wolf that figures out how to sneak into the chicken coop...it all becomes mythologized in the primitive imagination. The Norse believed in a world of trolls and magic - as a result, they would "test" anything unknown with violence. This was called "the test of iron." If they attacked a creature, and it died, then it passed the test (and was obviously not a troll).

"Where did you find Rumanian word for Vampire? Wikipedia?"

- I'm a writer, after a fashion, and back in January of last year, I started a vampire story. Before doing so, I read as much as I could about vampire superstitions - I started with Bram Stoker's Dracula (Dracula actually calls his white wolf, strigoi), then I read accounts of Transylvanian history and superstition and stories about the wild wolves of Rumania. I looked into the history of Dracul, as well as the "Blood Countess" Erzebet Báthory, who is rumored to have bathed in the blood of six-hundred plus virgin servant girls.
- My background research led me to study everything from the flora and fauna of the Carpathian mountains, to the awful reality of the human slave trade in Greece, Rumania, Ukraine, and Macedonia. I decided to connect the slave-trader's "theft of children" as a kind of vampirism.
- Wikipedia does have a nice entry on vampirism.

"Josh, I assumed Sedum roots are shallow? No? IMO, shallow roots would be easier to pick, then again, it probably depends on soil. If soil is well-packed, plucking roots would require strength. Do tips of your Sedum leaves redden with sunlight?"
- The roots grow between rocks into dry soil, so they're protected....for the most part. Some roots were torn up, though. The Sedum is quite red, indeed. Full south-eastern exposure.

"Josh, do you exorcise? The body and mind work strange. Some people tire after a days work, physical work, while others grow hyper."

- I do! But I'm not exactly athletic ;) I do an abdominal routine and I do push ups every day. I also play raquetball when I can, and I hike (winter snowshoeing) in the foothills and mountains each week. Being out in nature, in the Green Chapel, is where I find my greatest release, a spiritual communion, if you will.

"Speaking of owls, I should have been born one. I am a night owl..Though I'd really like to get to bed early and rise with the roosters..11pm comes around and I'm wide awake..LOL."
- Me, too. I'm up late, and up early. Usually I turn in after midnight (1pm. or so), and I rise at 5:30 to start my day. If I go to bed any sooner, I run the risk of waking up too early....then I'm stuck being awake, while I wait for the rest of the world to join me....

"I scrolled up to read how we started talking owls..were you referring to the bird that screams like a woman in pain? If so, that's no owl..These are tall birds, white or gray in color. Smaller than an adult heron but larger than, a breadbox?"
- My mistake! I don't know what that might be...an egret, a loon?

And from yesterday:
"Josh, if you're reading this, although the 'door bell' wasn't even a concept in the 1600's, can you imagine what people would think when a bell rang, yet no human was present. EEEWWWW..."

- ;) Doesn't an angel get its wings when a bell rings? Ha! I can't remember where that comes from. Anyhow, I thought of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, and how that Narrator is terrified of the Visitor's "knock" upon the door.

Pug, thanks for all the colorful photos!
You have wonderful plants. Will you make coffee from your beans? That's something that I would love to try....I drink coffee often...right now, in fact.

Josh

Time: 6:40pm...temp 72.1...Humidity 78%. It's still raining..everyone is pailing water from their basements. Some had to evacuate. Our basement has 2' and counting.

It's unclear whether or not coffee trees are grown in direct sun. They're natives to SA and a few other tropical areas, outside of US..Read 4 plant books about light and you get 4 different answers..LOL.
Do you know if Kona is a species of Arabica? Are there different coffee plants?
Wherever yours is set, Pug, is perfect..even berried.

Josh, how did the wedding go? Black on a hot day..Fashions should change..how about a black T and shorts..LOL. Think you'd be noticed?

Your poor friend..what does his newly beloved think about him being shipped out? I feel for her. AND him. Aw, this darn war!!!
Will we see 2009?

Josh, you're a man of many talants. I truly hope you complete your manuscript. How long have you been working on it, if you don't mind me asking.
Ironically, you're the second person within a 24 hour period who mentioned writing. The other writes fantasy.

Too many superstitions. I come from a family who, to this day, believe wolfmen roam the earth. They say there's proof..LOL. I grew up believing, (as a child) in demons, wolfmen, vampires, ghosts (though I still believe in spirits, other than Casper) and demonic possession.

Do you think Poe's writings influenced Stephen King? The Raven = "Salem Lot." 'the blood-sucking child, scrapes the window pane..he cannot enter unless invited. Screech.'
I've never read Interview With a Vampire, but saw the movie. Anne Rice, author, was once interviewed on a talk-radio show. She discussed writing late at night, (mind you she lives in NO's.) in a huge, old Victorian mansion. She said, while writing well into the morning, winds howl, floors creak. She scares herself senseless, ends up going to bed with her husband and cats. LOL.
Do you ever get that 'eerie, feeling?' while writing? no nearby neighbors? If your cats start acting strange, tails and ears erect, perhaps a cross and garlic will help..the garlic, will also keep insects away from plants..LOL
Anyway, good luck, I hope you do it.

Lord, 4-4.5 hours sleep? Plus push-ups? How do you manage? I enjoy bike riding, (in the woods) but not in the rain. Moreso, after a man was murdered..and to think I'd sometimes go alone..
A few years ago, we were biking, in the forest, around sunset. A man walked by..I swear, he looked like the Count himself!! It was intentional, for sure..cape and white makeup. Talk about goose bumps.

We'd have to ask Clarence about those wings..:)

Should we mention succulents? Okay, I just brought in my oldest Crown of Thorns. It was started from a cutting in 1982. Soil is soaked. Hope it makes it..Toni

It's 8:55pm, 83° heat index feels like 91, humidity 80%

Josh, Thanks for the nice words, appreciate it!! I doubt I will be roasting my coffee beans, I might not even get a cup of coffee out of the beans, LOL...Way too much trouble to go through all that work myself. I love coffee too, but its easier to get it out of the can, LOL. I just grow it for fun.

Toni, from what I've read there is only one kind of Coffee plant, Kona Coffee is supposed to be the same as Arabica Coffee. But I am NOT a coffee expert, I just know I like to drink it and love the plant...Hope your Crown of Thorns is okay. I just recently received( a good friend) two small plants, I like them, mine have small pretty white flowers, once in a while.

It's a good thing this is your post Toni...We have covered a lot of differen topics on this post...Very Cool!!

1:05pm...68.4F, 67% humidity

Hi..my left shift key is sticking, (thanks to my bird) so don't know if I can use caps..I have to hit the right shift key to do so.

Pug, making a cup of coffee from a plant would be great..I have an olive tree..the nursery it came from, explains what needs to be done once/if olives grow/ripen. lol.. wonder how long that'll take. It be a fun experiment.

So far COT's are okay..thanks. a few leaves yellowed, but as long as the soil dries out, they should be fine..I hope..

What type of plants did your friend give you? COT's??? They are sooo nice, flower yr round. The Thai flowers are gigantic..and bi-colored flowers are sooo pretty.

Does anyone know how much light Caudex plants need in winter? Toni

Happy weekend, and good day!
5:30, 76°F, 35% humidity, dew point 46°F...mostly cloudy, with a delicious smell of leaves in the air.

"Josh, how did the wedding go? Black on a hot day..Fashions should change..how about a black T and shorts..LOL. Think you'd be noticed?"

- The wedding was excellent! And I looked quite decent, all told. I managed to hang out in the shade until the very last minute. The ceremony was brief, and the bride was beautiful....Armenian Russian (Georgian, technically), and all of her gorgeous friends were there, too!
- I drank exactly one rum and coke...but I probably smoked enough cigarettes to kill a small horse.

"Your poor friend..what does his newly beloved think about him being shipped out? I feel for her. AND him. Aw, this darn war!!! Will we see 2009?"

- Honestly, they pushed the wedding so they'd be married before he ships out. And, get this: he reports for duty two days after his 30th birthday. So fitting.
- None of us want to see him in a deadly situation, but we are proud of him. You'll be happy to know that he just called me from Maui to tell me about his sunburn ;)

"Josh, you're a man of many talents."

- Thanks! They call me the "Renaissance Man," and for good reason: one of those hobbies of mine is medieval swordplay, as well as making plate armour. I'm not a part of anyone else's group, but I am the leader of my own group of sword enthusiasts. We get together on the weekends to shape spear shafts, spar, hike in the woods, shoot bows, et cetera.
- Here's a pic of me that's dated...about five years old now...Enjoy! Some random shots of other things I do, too.

Me (if you were wondering about my visage):

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I like to shoot guns and hunt boar, as well:

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And I carve walking sticks (this one from ceonothus, or "buck brush" - seasoned four years):

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A couple of things I've made:

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And, occasionally, I'll even do a creepy sketch...

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Well, this has to be the most self-indulging post yet! Ha! I hope none of you mind my elaborate reply!

Continuing... ;)

"I truly hope you complete your manuscript. How long have you been working on it, if you don't mind me asking.
Ironically, you're the second person within a 24 hour period who mentioned writing. The other writes fantasy."

- I certainly will finish this one! I started writing January 14th, 2007. I've written quite a bit of other stuff in the meantime, though. For example, I just finished a story called "The Mountain Witch," which I started August of 2006. The ideas have to germ for a while, then I'm hit with inspiration. I write what I can, then I let it rest (while I revise and make edits). It's a constant process, and I am blessed to have family and friends that read what I write and offer comments.
- Years ago, a friend of mine suggested that I write a Zombie story, a Werewolf story, and a Vampire story. I've finished the first two; but I knew that the Vampire tale would require the most craft, being the most subtle of the three.
- Here's a piece of insert-art that goes with it. This kind of thing keeps me focused....

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"Too many superstitions. I come from a family who, to this day, believe wolfmen roam the earth. They say there's proof..LOL."

- I agree that there are men little different than wolves who roam the earth... ;) I wish there were wolfmen, and wendigo....

"Do you think Poe's writings influenced Stephen King? The Raven = "Salem Lot." 'the blood-sucking child, scrapes the window pane..he cannot enter unless invited. Screech.'"

- Without question, Poe influenced Stephen King...heck, Poe influenced us all! "Salem's Lot" builds upon vampire lore, with a few twists, but I don't think it's directly connected to the Raven.

"I've never read Interview With a Vampire, but saw the movie."

- I've read it, along with many other stories by Anne Rice. Interview is one of the better ones. Worth a read.
- And an excellent movie. Probably a better movie than a book, as much as it pains me to say it.

"Do you ever get that 'eerie, feeling?' while writing?"

- Thankfully, no!
- However, I did become mildly nauseous and dizzy when I was reading Bram Stoker's "Dracula." It was the part describing the blood transfusions for Lucy. All of those plungers and needles and brass tubes and pumps...ugh, made me queasy. Funny, huh? Then I grossed myself out further by doing a bit of background research on the first blood transfusions....apparently, some people used *lamb's blood* early on, thinking it would be "pure" in some bizarre overly-literal biblical sense.

Toni,
you mentioned:
"...I have an olive tree..the nursery it came from, explains what needs to be done once/if olives grow/ripen. lol.. wonder how long that'll take. It be a fun experiment."

- Last autumn, I harvested olives from my in-ground tree for the first time. I collected both green and black/purple olives. I separated them, slit them, then began soaking them in kosher brine.
- I gave up after a while, worried about the mold on top of the water. I did, however, taste an olive or two before I threw them out. They tasted like black olives....but I didn't feel confident serving them to others.
Next year!

Josh

12:03, high noon, 81°F, 36% humidity, dewpoint 52°...

I've got a few succulent pics to share. I have a couple 'hobbit' jades that were frosted hard this spring. They lost all foliage, but I re-potted them when I saw growth from the trunks. I put them in this terracotta herb planter, along with a tip cutting from one of my very colorful jades, as well as a leaf from a 'hobbit' plant (torn off by raccoons!!!).

Well, I noticed that the single-leaf cutting had turned to mush the other day, and I thought it was rotten. Then I noticed the new plant just below....it appears that the sport has grown 'true' from the single leaf, which I was curious about, having heard that they'll sometimes revert (or is this only true of variegated?). Here's a series of the four little jades --- when the jades are ready for re-potting, I'll just cut them into squares and plop them in new containers.

All four together:

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The 'hobbits' that were frosted this March.

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Tip-cutting:

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Leaf-grown 'hobbit' jade. Such a cute plant!

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_______________________________________

In other succulent news, I received a few of these Senecios the other day. Although they tend to trail or weep, as the common name *Weeping Jade/Trailing Jade* implies, I'm going to try and trunk one of these. My sister's boyfriend and I have been experimenting with pinching these plants for a while, and we think we have a technique that might work.

This particular cutting had been in afternoon sun only on a shady porch (until a few days ago); however, these Senecios will turn a bright magenta-red in full sun. And they exhibit dense growth, putting on weighty bio-mass in a single season.

Senecio Jacobsenii:

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Josh

Very Cool Josh...those look like they are coming right along. Have couple of questions for you. The Senecio Jacosenii? What is the difference between this and Crasulla Jade, other than you said this will turn a magenta-red in full sun? From that picture it looks very similar to a dwarf jade, will the leaves change when it gets bigger.

I want one of these, anything that changes color...reds/oranges/yellows I just love in succulents...

Thanks Josh...

11:29AM 73.4F 68%humidity...going up to 89F today..Woopee!

Josh, you're an incredibly talented artist. Does your manuscript include wolfmen, zombies and vampires as a part 1 and sequel?
There's an author, William W. Johnstone, who wrote a book called The Devil's Kiss. Ever heard of him?
Actually, The Devil's Kiss is Part One of a trilogy.
Mr. Johnstone's trilogy includes vampires, zombies he calls The Undead, and agents of the devil.
When you mentioned vampires, zombies and wolfmen, it made me think about Johnstone.
Your sketching is excellent. What did you use? Charcoal?
Well, if you're ever discovered, Pug and I, and all those on GW can say we knew you when..:)

What is a Hobbit Jade? Are they rooting in ceramic/ornate window boxes? If so, that's ironic, I do the same. lol. There's quite a bit of room in your container..are cuttings directly in soil or pots? OOhh, just noticed the center photo. Is the mid-leaf red? Where on earth did you find it?

Pug, there's a seller on Ebay who has a Crassula called Sunset Jade. Its leaves turn orange-red when placed in full sun.. I'd like to get my hands on one, but I'm going to wait until spring.
Was it you who posted a plant I asked if it was Crassula Flame? The Flame also reddens in sun. I have one, but because it didn't get adequate light this summer, turned pink, not red. But in your location, especially outdoors, it'd be one beauty of a succulent.

I need to post two un-ID'd succulents. They're quite unique..one was sent from a friend, but she didn't know what it was either. The second grows similar to the first, except it doesn't have leaves like the first. I have no idea where the plant with leaves came from. I found it growing in a shallow container among other succulents. I'm wondering if seed fell at the nursery, and germiniated. Weird..Have a great day, guys..Toni

What type of plants did your friend give you? COT's??? They are sooo nice, flower yr round. The Thai flowers are gigantic..and bi-colored flowers are sooo pretty.color>

Toni, here is the pic of the COT with the small white flowers from a friend of mine,have no idea what variety it is...I have 2 small ones like this one. I love the cute little flowers...

Toni, I actually ordered a Sunset Jade bonsai from someone on ebay...its just in FL, I haven't seen the same colors that they are known for in CA...I'm hoping that when our weather gets colder, mine will get a prettier color. Right now its just mostly green, with a hint of yellow. I wanted it to look like the pictures on the net, bright reds/oranges/yellows.

I do have a Gollum/Hobbit that I found at H. depot that is yellowish, instead of green. I hope this one will get brighter colors too with colder nights...Click on the link

Sorry its a little blurry...
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Gollum/Hobbit Jade?
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Pug, I had a Hobbit...Last winter, when we got the pup, Coco devoured it and another suc..impossible to save it. I had no idea they grew off wood. I like it. It's different.

Do you still have the Sunset Jade bonsai? I'd love to see it. If you have a pic, please post it.

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The one w/pink flowers was started from a cutting in 1982.

Crown of Thorns are one of my favorite Euphoribas. Yours is a E. milii, smaller flowers, but blooms year round.
here's some of mine..

These guys, below are some of my bare root collection. Milii and Thai

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Thanks, Pug!
You know I love questions...!
"Have couple of questions for you. The Senecio Jacobsenii? What is the difference between this and Crasulla Jade, other than you said this will turn a magenta-red in full sun? From that picture it looks very similar to a dwarf jade, will the leaves change when it gets bigger."

- The Senecio does not develop a trunk, really. It's a trailing plant with a very different form - which also means that it requires a lot of trimming to stay compact (otherwise it spills from its container quickly!). The leaves are quite similar to some Crassula, however, especially the larger and older Senecio leaves. The young leaves, though, tend to be flat with sharp edges. I've linked an image of an older plant that I found on photobucket. I'll have to take pictures of my sister's plants when I'm at her house next. The color is exceptional!

Josh

Oops! I forgot the most important part!
3:23pm, 92°F, 25% humidity, dewpoint at 51°F....
Yes, today and tomorrow are supposed to be warm.

Howdy, Toni!
Thank you for the compliments, as well as the questions.

"Does your manuscript include wolfmen, zombies and vampires as a part 1 and sequel?"

- Three separate stories, which share a common character. The werewolf story takes place in 1815/1816 (Pennsylvania); the vampire story takes place in 1817 (Rumania); and the zombie story takes place years later in 1849 (Colfax, CA, Gold Rush days).
- I am slowly concerting this "mythos" so that all of the details are consistent.

I haven't heard of Johnstone, but I'll look into his writings certainly.
"Your sketching is excellent. What did you use? Charcoal? Well, if you're ever discovered, Pug and I, and all those on GW can say we knew you when..:) "

- Haha! Thanks! I used a soft pencil on watercoloring board for the wolf sketch ("The Greeting," I call it). For the sketch of the woman ("The Pale Girl"), I used staedtler pens on bristol paper, I think...and a big Sharpie to fill in the background.

"What is a Hobbit Jade?"

- The 'Hobbit' jade is the sport that has leaves that are "open" on the top or bottom, as opposed to the 'Gollum' that has the closed tubular cup-tipped leaves, which are generally larger at the tip than at the base (trumpet-like). 'Skinny Fingers' jade often has cupped-tips like 'Gollum,' but the leaf is wider in the middle than at the base or the tip. There are also subtle differences in the trunk texture and color of each sport.
- When dissimilar leaves appear on one of my sports, I remove them to preserve the homogenous look of the plant.

"Are they rooting in ceramic/ornate window boxes? If so, that's ironic, I do the same. lol. There's quite a bit of room in your container..are cuttings directly in soil or pots?"

- That's an herb planter! Perfect, eh? Ha! I figured it would make a great nursery space, plus it fits nicely onto my windowsills so that I can get decent light over the winter months.
- The container is 8" long by 3" wide/deep - when I remove the plants, I guess they'll have a 2"x2" root-ball (approximately).
- The larger two 'Hobbit jades had roots, but lost all of their foliage during a freeze. I had them in a compost pile, ready to toss, when I noticed new little nubs. So I put those two in the herb planter. One of my other jades had a branch that was getting ahead of the others, so I cut it, calloused it, and rooted it in gravel, bark, and charcoal in a separate 2" pot. Then I added it to the planter. When the raccoons came through (another incident), they broke a nice big leaf off of my 'Hobbit' jade - so I stuck a third of the leaf straight down into the planter. Lately, I saw that the leaf had begun to brown and tip...then I looked close and saw the three new leaves, that mid-leaf red, and was delighted. Leaf-grown plants are very slow, in my experience, so I'm glad that this one's off to a good start. You can be sure that I'll litter this Forum with updates ;)

By the way, Toni, I see you have an impressive collection of non-Jades ;) Wow!

Josh

78° feels like 81°, Low 74°, 85% Humidity...75F dew point

Hey Toni, Cool Donkey!! Sorry to hear about your dog eating your Hobbit, its a good thing for our dogs we love them...or else, LOL. Your COT's are beautiful. Wow!! You have quite a nice collection of them. This is my very first two, I think they are cool looking, very sharp spikes on the trunks, though...but very cool! Thanks for posting those pics...Oh, thanks for letting me know what COT variety I have too.

Here is a picture of my Sunset Jade, right now I don't think you can tell its even a Sunset, it is mostly green. All I really did was put it in bonsai pot. Its not a Real bonsai, like the gorgeous ones you see other members here posts. Mine is like a bonsai wanna be, LOL...I found a picture of what it looked like with the pretty colors on it after the colder weather, so I take it back, I guess it should(I hope) change again for me in a few months. I had forgotten that I had a picture of it taken around Feb/Mar.

But as you can see in the last picture, in the summer, the sunset jade reverted back to just plain old green...I just hope it will get that color again in winter/early spring.

By the way, I am going to "Whack this Jade" next month. It is way too top heavy right now... I am going to do it around the middle or end of Oct, since that is when my Jades starts growing again, right now they are just about dormant...too hot/humid!

Josh, thank you for answering all my questions...I understand and see the differences now...Please do post a picture of your sister's Senecio in beautiful colors, I would love to see it. Thanks again!

Taken after several months of direct sun/cool nights
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Taken today...All Green
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Howdy...Time 2:55. Temp, 74.7F, humidity, 71%

Thankfully, the days have warmed up..night temps drop a bit, but not enough to worry about succulents getting root rot. If I'd have known temps would turn for the better, I'd have kept some sux out longer..too late.

Josh, so you prefer historical vs modern day? Perhaps we won't see you around much since you'll be spending a LOT of time researching.. Thank goodness for the internet, huh?

You mentioned you're a teacher? Do you teach HS or college? If you don't mind me asking.

Again, I wish you the best. Hope you know or are 'friends' with an agent who takes interest.
Have you noticed there is very little horror floating around? What happened?
In fact, new books normally deemed horror now read fiction on the cover. Seems like publishers are hiding the 'H' word. Is horror no longer a selling item?
King is the only author who can write 'anything' and get published. I prefer his older work to new. Shining, Cujo, etc. 'IT' was a better movie than book. That movie gives me the creeps..Clowns are scary, like our Il serial killer, Gacy. An evil man.
Although, Storm of the Century was fantastic. I ordered the book on Amazon..it's a screenplay..sheesh. I wanted an honest-to-goodness novel. Not: he said, she said.

Yeah, I know what the Hobbit is now, Pug posted pics. My dog, then a pup, ate it last winter..sigh.

Your container looks larger the 3"...where did you find it? Perfect size for succulents..does it have drainage?

Why do Racs, squirrels and rabbits eat our plants when there's a zillion greens in the wild to choose from?
You guys have an advandage. Longer and warmer days..if an animal eats off a succulent here in Il, and the plant survives, it takes much longer to fill in. Especially during fall through spring. Oh well, what can we do?

Josh, when you said you had a freeze, how cold did it get? And how long did it last? Was soil wet when temps dropped?
My Christmas & Easter Cactus, Kalanchoes, Azalea, Gardenias and Geraniums stay out until first frost..even as low as 34F. Soon after coming indoors, buds burst. So temp has a lot to do with flowering.

Josh, I wouldn't mind having plants in every family..lol. the problem is room and lack of sun. If only plants could stay outdoor year round.. sigh.

Pug, our pets are our babies, but it irks me when Coco's sitting in the plant room, nibbling on a plant..or plural.

Oh my plastic donkey..lol..There's a picture in the C&S Orthos book..a clay donkey holding a huge Donkey Tail..Since I'll never find or afford to buy one as ornate and the one in the book, the plastic donkey was purchased at the grocery store, and has to do.
For the time being, I have two, ceramic donkey and carts holding Donkey's Tails. One DT grew 4' long, but had to be cut back..people and pets were bumping and knocking off foliage.

Wow, your Sunset looks great..Why whack it? How long does it take to regrow the size it is now? What's the purpose? I have problems pruning, lol, let alone whacking a plant that's been growing more than 10 yrs.
Do you keep it in full sun?
The sad thing is, somewhere among my plants lives a Sunset Jade..because it doesn't get appropriate light, it doesn't redden.
Pug, I'd think twice before whacking. I'm missing the point. There are several posts regarding whacking, but I don't understand the reason. If a plant grows sparse, it'd make sense, but when one is compact, well, I just don't get it.

My new plants just came in..A variegated Afro and a Jatropha curcas. The Jatropha has started dormancy..one leaf, but the trunk is firm, so it's alive. Now I have to figure pot sizes..Do I pot the Afro in a small container or let it grow wild???
Have a great day, guys..
It's now 3:44pm, temp 75.9, humidity 66%..Toni

2:59pm, 96°F, 22% humidity, dewpoint at 52°F...

Just a quick note....I'll be back later with a few more pics! Ha!

Josh
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Time: 6:47 Temp: 74.5 Humidity: 66%

Josh, Please don't think I didn't believe you..I just meant the container looked larger than 3"..but photos usual do.

It's a nice container and a perfect size for succulents. Do you have clay shards inside? Toni
Time, 6:58, Temp, 75.6, humidity 65%

8:57pm, temps: 77°, humidity: 77%

Toni, my sunset jade is in full sun at least 6 hours a day. The purpose the "whacking" is to give it a fresh start, clean slate if you will...If you notice, the leaves are very large and it is very top heavy. By whacking it, the leaves grows a little smaller, compact(in turn is not as heavy) keeps the plant from being weighted down, possibly breaking the stem...I actually don't take too much of the height off, just trim all the leaves off. Plus Norma had mentioned that sometimes, this triggers blooming. Probably won't get that lucky, but I'm willing to try it. I have never had any of my Jades(Crasullas) bloom, that would be cool...My jelly beans did bloom once for me though, very small, tiny yellow flowers(almost missed it) was so small...

I whacked my reg. Jade last year and I love what it looked like after all the new leaves filled in. I think it took about 8-10 weeks from start to finish...

Hey Josh, looking forward to more pics...

11:59 72.5F 71% Hum

Pug, how big is your JellyBean..I didnt know they bloomed..Too bad you missed it..
Do you have a pic of your JB?? Does yours redden??

I guess I see the reasoning behind whacking, lol, but don't have the heart to do it.
Jades bloom from autumn to winter..when do you plan on whacking? I'd wait..don't you think spring is the best time to trim? I'm not telling you what to do, Pug...it's just that when Jades are sold in flower, it's always from Sept on..so if by chance your Jade was to bud, by trimming you may cut flower stems..
Whatever you decide, good luck..and if you happen to have a pic of your jellybean, please post..they're one of my fav sux..my 2 are babies..
Would you say they're slow-growing??? One of mine is 2 yrs old, hasn't put out much growth..one is a cutting, the other bought at Accents.
Oh how large are each 'bead' on your jelly bean? Mine are the size of a pea. Is that normal? Toni

11:59 72.5F 71% Hum

Pug, how big is your JellyBean..I didnt know they bloomed..Too bad you missed it..
Do you have a pic of your JB?? Does yours redden??

I guess I see the reasoning behind whacking, lol, but don't have the heart to do it.
Jades bloom from autumn to winter..when do you plan on whacking? I'd wait..don't you think spring is the best time to trim? I'm not telling you what to do, Pug...it's just that when Jades are sold in flower, it's always from Sept on..so if by chance your Jade was to bud, by trimming you may cut flower stems..
Whatever you decide, good luck..and if you happen to have a pic of your jellybean, please post..they're one of my fav sux..my 2 are babies..
Would you say they're slow-growing??? One of mine is 2 yrs old, hasn't put out much growth..one is a cutting, the other bought at Accents.
Oh how large are each 'bead' on your jelly bean? Mine are the size of a pea. Is that normal? Toni

89 posts in one thread? Complete with photos? Even my high speed connection had difficulty with this one-- sheesh!

I stopped by to read up on some updates and found you guys have been awfully busy!

Josh-- congrats on your port-afra-- I think you'll really enjoy it.

Toni-- Yes, I am a pilot, I did fly for the military, though I don't now, and flying is as easy as eating a piece of cake, provided the cake keeps moving. And to sum up the feeling of flying is like describing the detail of beauty. Some may see flying as very mechanical and a means to an end only-- but it is so much more to me. My favorite times in a flight is when I just advanced the throttles, hearing the engines roar to life and the long runway ahead of me, and of course, the awesome feeling of when you flare the plane just before touch down...mmm...heaven.

As for getting around, we have lots of tricks in our trade. The older versions are VHF omni-directional stations or VORs, that essentially broadcast very specific directions or "radials" to our plane-- so we can orient ourselves in relation to the station. Some planes are much more sophisticated, as most commercial jets are now, that use systems that include a very precise and high speed gyro connected to a computer. You tell the computer where you are on the planet and it will detect the slightest of movements, thus making it possible to navigate without the aforementioned VORs. Lastly, we have GPS, which is revolutionary in its own right, allowing not only lateral navigation but vertical navigation as well, improving safety by leaps and bounds. I recently completed an FAA check ride for commercial operations and thankfully did really well-- but this alone brings some changes for me as I'm changing companies and having to move.

And so that brings me to plants-- yes I have plants-- not many by most people's standards here on the forums, but I have plenty. I have three port-afras that are being trained as "bonsai" and they're doing really well. I also have two other jades but I don't know what kind they are. Pics of a jade that turns red in the sun posted above might be the same thing I have for one jade plant. Here in Colorado, we're at 7K feet and get loads of sun-- and my plant is pretty pink/red. Its very heavy, though.

When I was dating my wife, I always brought her flowers because we were stationed (in the military at that time) in a cold, cold place...and so it helped brighten her days. But we always felt sorry for the flowers as they never lasted long. So I started growing her flowers instead. Having grown up on a farm in Hershey PA, I had the green thumb so I ended up getting her plumeria, lots of amaryllis bulbs and now a clivia. We also have the run-of-the-mill house plants...but I also have a few apple trees training as bonsai as well. I love plants...and succulents/cacti really amaze me. So hopefully my new place, which will be an apartment (boo!), will have at least the space I need to set up lights to help them. We can't sell our house because the market is trash.

Anyway, thats a little about me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to pack some boxes!

Ryan

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." -- Leonardo da Vinci

Good morning!
10:48am, 81°F, 21% humidity, dewpoint at 37°F...

Toni, I just wanted to include that photo for scale. My macro shots are always deceiving....it's so funny: my big plants end up looking small, and my small plants end up looking big, go figure! Anyhow, that's a pretty tiny herb planter (meant for a slim kitchen windowsill, I think). My mother bought it for me a few Christmasses past. After the basil and oregano were done, I tossed the soil and added my own mix. No clay shards - only perlite, gravel, charcoal, and bark component from orchid mix. Good drainage.

"Josh, so you prefer historical vs modern day? Perhaps we won't see you around much since you'll be spending a LOT of time researching.. Thank goodness for the internet, huh?"

- I prefer historical, definitely. I grew up on Tolkien, so my brain tends to delight in that high Epic/Romantic mode.

"You mentioned you're a teacher? Do you teach HS or college? If you don't mind me asking."

- Substitute teacher, technically ;) I teach High school, which is the level I enjoy most. I've worked in a few middle schools, but I think my talents are better spent impressing upon older students. I have a degree in English Lit. and a fully cleared teaching Credential, so I'll be subbing until the next round of summer hiring (when, hopefully, a full-time English position will open up!).

"Have you noticed there is very little horror floating around? What happened? In fact, new books normally deemed horror now read fiction on the cover."

- I've noticed that, too. I call my stuff "Dark fiction," since it is indeed dark - relying on black humor, et cetera.
- The vampire story, however, I call "A Transylvanian Horror," and it is. A crescending blood-bath. But I digress....

"Josh, when you said you had a freeze, how cold did it get? And how long did it last? Was soil wet when temps dropped?"

- There were several freezes, truth be told. The freeze that stripped these little 'Hobbit' jades of their foliage was at 30°F, and it lasted for several hours. I thought they were goners, so I tossed 'em. Then I saw new growth and rescued them.

Okay, pic time. Not a very clear shot (there was a bit of shade, and I'm notorious for my busy backgrounds) - but here are three of the most common Jade sports, for comparison. Left to right: a mostly 'Skinny fingers,' a 'Hobbit,' and a 'Gollum.' The 'Gollum' was nearly destroyed by zealous raccoons, but it's putting on new leaves and straightening its back. Only time will heal.

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And here are a few more of my small Jades mixed in.

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Josh

Thanks, Ryan!
I'm going to separate and re-pot the stems of the Port-afra this weekend. Then I'll be on my way to having a single trunk bonsai. I'm very excited after seeing the awesome plants posted by the folks on this Forum.

Temps are slowly rising...
11:00am, 82°F now, 19% humidity...

Josh

Ok-- I'm tired of pulling things out of storage and I hit my head really hard on a beam! So I'm taking a break....

Josh-- yeah these things can look pretty impressive. This is one of my trees-- growing like mad with minimum training as I'm allowing the trunks to fatten up. It recently got a trunk chop to increase taper but that is not shown here. The plant next to it is an Olive.

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These are the bulbs I mentioned before-- amaryllis bulbs
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This is one of the blooms...named Elvas, with Picotee in the background.
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Great pics, Ryan!
(I think my Port-afra is the white and green leaf type...variegated?).

And what type of Olive is that?

It looks to have smaller leaves than the typical garden variety....

Oh, by the way, sorry about the beam to the head. Nothing more infuriating than a solo injury ;)

Josh

Josh-- it is a olea europaea, dwarf form, from evergreengardenworks.com Brent is the man there and he has some great stock of many different and rare trees. These olives, especially in the full summer sun, keep their leaves quite small. I have two of these olives.

Thanks for the sympathy on the head injury. At least now I can use that as an excuse for the apparent brain damage ;o)

Ryan

Very Nice Pictures Ryan and Josh...love the quote from Da Vinci...Ryan that is a HUGE P. afra, Wow!!

Toni, I will prune my jades around the middle of Oct. that is when I see growth on my jades/succulents. By the time spring rolls around in FL, it is already starting to get very warm and the jades growth slows way down, and by summer it is completely dormant. So fall/winter for me is the best time to prune...

My new plants just came in..A variegated Afro and a Jatropha curcas.color>
By the way I meant to ask you about your new plants...Love to see pics of them, I am not familiar with those?

I only have a small Jelly bean, it is a very slow grower for me. This pic was taken right after I bought it, nice color, by spring it started losing its color but it did flower(super tiny). Now it is completely "green".

Taken Feb.
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May...almost all green but has very tiny yellow flowers...
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2:15pm, 90°F, 20% humidity, dewpoint at 43°F...

Got over to my sister's house yesterday, but the sun was setting and the day had been cloudy (though warm) anyway....not the best for pictures. Still managed to take a few of her Senecio jacobsenii ("Trailing Jade"). The Parent plant (pictured first) has been allowed to grow freely; the other has been trimmed to stay compact. Thought Pug would like that one!

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Josh

10:35 am, temp is 77°, humidity 66%, DP 63°

Josh, thanks for posting those pics. You are right... IMHO, the compact way is the best way to grow these...I just LOVE the 2ND and 3RD Picture, those reds are so nice...Thanks again!

I whacked(trimmed mostly) some of my Jades, I noticed that some of them have these black dots? I wonder if they are scale? Is there such thing as black scale? I can post a pic but that close might be blurry...Any other ideas what this might be? Main reason I cut most of the leaves off to get rid of this...I have used Bayers systemic a few months ago, but I did not want to treat it again, since it does have fertilizer in it. I am trying not to fert too often, as I think this might make them even more green (from the nitrogen). Since I wanted to get more compact growth from them anyways, I went ahead and did it alittle early. I hope its okay to it this early. But in a few weeks, our night time temps will start cooling off, which will help the growth along...Appreciate any insights.

By the way here is the picture of the suspected "Scale", the more I look at it the more convinced I am this is what it might be? Any treatments that you can suggest w/out harming or causing the leaves to yellow/fall off? Thanks again!

Toni, By the way, maybe you can start a new post, something like Jade Crassula Tree, potting part 2...Like Ryan mentioned, this one is getting so long, even with my high speed internet it is taking a while to load, LOL...Thanks!

WOohoo! I've got the 100th post-- sweet!

I haven't much to say...but I'd like to thank God and my family oh and the Academy for this honor.

On topic, I finally moved into my new place and just in time as we're suppose to get a pretty fierce front moving through this weekend. All my jades are on the patio and seem to have made it through the move without issue. I moved them dry-- their leaves were wilting and flimsy in hopes they would take being jostled around better...I think it worked.

I already miss my garden!

Wow, did someone add Superthrive? This thread has grown! lol

5:30pm 58.5F 44% humidity..

I don't know where to start..So much has been written.

Ryan, your job as pilot has to be exiting, but I still feel safer on land..lol. Still, it's quite an accomplishment.
I love your plants..your amaryllis are gorgeous..Was the pic taken during winter, or now?
That olive is amazing, and you call it dwarf? What size pot, and what type of soil do you use?
Someone told me to plant my olive in Alfalfa, which is strawy, soil-less. It's doing fine, but slow-growing.

Pug your Jelly Beans are THE Best..they're sooo red..do you set them in direct sun? The foliage is twice the size of my guys..darn..lol..Next spring it'll be kept in direct sun..more sun than previous years..Do they have to be a certain size before turning red?

Josh, your sisters plants are gorgeous too. What do you guys do to your plants? They're all so red. I must learn your secret. lol.
I want to move!!! lol.
One problem, the front gets a lot more sun than the back, but I'm worried someone with sticky fingers will come by and help themselves. Which sucks!

Ryan, congrats on being the 100th entry! Too bad there's no prize, huh? lol
I must have missed you said you were moving..you lost your garden? Do you have a garden where you're now living? I hope, before leaving the old place, you took cuttings..

Everyone's plants are lovely, and I'm green w/envy..

Does anyone here shop at www.gosucculents.com ? They have some beautiful, red succulents. Some are 4.00. I've ordered from this nursery before, got nice-sized, compact plants..They sell cactus and succulents. luv the place.

Pug, I didn't notice you posted a link w/suspected insects..after sending this post, I'll come back and check.

Green with Envy, Toni, who lives in Il w/o sunlight..boohoo

Pug, I checked the link before..sheesh..
Did you try scraping? If so, do the shells wipe off?
Pug, please use Fish Emulsion. It won't harm your Jade. Toni

Ryan,

Congrats on your 100th post!! Also on your new move!! Glad to hear your Jades made the move w/out incident.

Toni, thanks for the Fish Emulsion suggestion, I will try it!

I'm not really sure if its even scale, might be? I can scrape it, but it leaves a little mark or (imperfection) on the leaf afterwards?? It's driving me crazy. If I have to I will just remove the affected leaves after I spray it with the FE...Thanks Toni

By the way I ordered from gosucculents.com several months ago. I got a small(2")pot variegated jade and a hobbit. They are pretty small, but they were a good company, except for shipping charges...I hate paying shipping!!

Toni,Maybe you need to start a new thread, LOL. This one is too long. You can call it:

Jade (Crassula) Tree, potting Part 2

I also have a jade, however mine does not have as many stalks coming up from the soil.. Did you prune yours?
Mine has just one \"trunk" with long shoots going out from that. However I would like to "help" it along to look more like yours.

ANy suggestions??