Jerry sorry about the delayed response hee hee been way to busy to remember where I post, lol. Some things that need a warm cool warm season like helebores I started those in september but I wonder if I was to late for those. Most of my containers I have started on december 21st to february. I have several things I need to get going but sometimes life just gets in the way, hopefully I will have time this weekend to get in the dirt. As for information the winter sowing forum has a ton of info under the faq's and then Trudi has a website also it is called wintersown.org. There are a ton of people willing to help with any question you may have in regards to winter sowing for the first time, though pretty much you have the concept down. I use water bottles but most use milk jugs. I use whatever I have, whether it be cottage cheese containers or grated cheese containers to water bottles or juice bottles. I think I have in the picture one of those rotisserie chicken containers that is in use also even an ice cream bucket. I use my containers as I would a starting seed tray, just make sure there is plenty of drainage and of course ventilation. For the water bottles we just toss the lid for the cottage cheese or rotisserie chicken containers we just cut some holes in the top. I have even used a lasagna pan inside a comforter bag. I have drainage holes in the bottom and I cut ventilation holes in the top. This is the most recent picture I have of the lasagna pan, I think it was taken a few weeks back. As for the pictures I know there is a link somewhere how to add pictures. Though a simple way to tell you is upload your pictures to a third party photo client. I have been using photobucket some use flikr. They will provide you with an html code and just simply copy and paste the code into the message box. inside the brackets > insert height="500" width="600" for the size of pictures here in this message. I sure hope that helps. People on the wintersowing forum are extremely eager to help and extremely friendly, they love questions don't be afraid of them. They will welcome you with open arms!! Oh and there are several from canada that winter sow!!

Thank you for your responses; sorry I was so long in getting back to you. I believe the Aloe I have is the Aloe Barbadensis from the pictures I see on the web. I am trying to control my psoriasis with natural remedies rather than medical remedies. All the doctors have to suggest is to use steroid creams for the rest of your life. If you read up on steroid creams you'll say no thank you. I know using alternative remedies isn't proven by the medical field (I am a nurse) but many people have found alternative remedies to help them. I have purchased Aloe Vera from the stores, but from the reading I have done (and I have done a ton) the recommendation is to use the gel from the plant itself. I am still needing advice on how to keep this alive over the cold wet winter. Thanks Ginny

A 400-watt HPS light would probably work nicely. However, it will be tricky to place it so that the light doesn't shine out the window and disturb your neighbors, if you're a city dweller. HPS are more efficient and, as you say, you'll be getting plenty of natural blue light. However, MH is pretty close in efficiency and has a more natural, pleasant look; HPS are yellowish, like street lamps. They run off ordinary wall current and must be hung from a hook screwed into a ceiling joist (similar to a wall stud). They're very easy to set up. You'll need a humidifier and a small fan nearby. Even citrus trees need a period of winter rest, so reduce fertilizing now, fertilize very little or not at all during the winter, and don't encourage your plants to grow then. Ask on the Tropicals or Citrus forum about whether the light from a south-facing window, in a room kept fairly cool, is enough. If so, perhaps just try to keep your nighttime temps at about 60°, days around 65°, and make use of all that natural light. (This assumes that the sun isn't obstructed from shining in your window by nearby buildings.) Either way, reflective surfaces are a good idea. White-painted walls are quite reflective. If it's a large room, consider having a room divider lined with reflective material (Foylon works well); that will shield the room from the light and redirect both natural and artificial light to your plants. Here is a link that might be useful: Indoor Gardening Primer

Hi, Dave. I can see this is bugging you. ;-) The science, simplified: A higher degree of expression of the pigment anthocyanin (which expresses the color red or purple) in juvenile foliage is very common throughout the plant kingdom for a couple of reasons. First, even though the pigment absorbs light w/o being a part of the photosynthetic process, it plays a photoprotective role for new leaves that emerge under high light conditions - when they are in an ontogenetic stage that make them more sensitive/vulnerable to light over-saturation. If you were able to quantify it at home ..... the reduction in anthocyanin's expression would be seen to correspond with a decreased need for photoprotection, this, because photosynthetic maturation allows leaves to utilize higher light intensities. A major consideration (that occurs during photosynthetic maturation) is an increase in chlorophyll, the pigment often referred to as 'nature's sunscreen for plants'. In short the red coloration disappears as photopigment concentrations and leaf cuticle thickness increases, both of which would be occurring as mesophyll underlying the leaf cuticle differentiates into separate pallisade and spongy layers. Second (but probably not a consideration in F benjamina), the red coloration is also very often associated with an increase in phenolic compounds that serve as defense against insect predation or herbivory by making leaves unpalatable. It's also thought in many circles that the red coloration may make leaves more difficult for some insects and herbivores to see, and may signal insects that the affected leaves are a less nutritional food source than bright green foliage elsewhere, or that it would make a poor receptacle for ovaposition. Al