Hi Kim...Don't be all worried...This thread is not meant for that..:-) It is just to keep our friends well informed and to teach others what to look for and be aware of, and up to us to decide what to do with it.. We just deliver the news and the public choses what they want to do.. If I were you, I would be more worried of not knowing what could possibly cause harm to your plants than to find out too late, possible after throwing a plant away after it's demise the way many I know had to do in the past. Now you are armed with information that will help you stay ahead of the game in case it happens, avoid future problems, and if you should have any problems from not taking precautionary steps, how it could of started, and what to watch for when you do visit places that sell plants or when you receive them from any source.. I would just keep a close eye on them, and if you notice any strange happenings with your plants, check your cultural habits.Be informed about how to care for them as best as you can learning from these forums.. Learn as much as you can about those jades and what keeps them healthy and happy..Visit the Cactus and Succulents forum..There are jade threads galore.. I would defiantly have a magnifying glass available, and this thread at your disposal if your plants should ever encounter the problems associated with pest's spoken of here.. Josh...My sister loves the point of peat moss you brought up..She says thanks! I say thanks for your advice too.. Rhizzo..Good point..Thank you for that and your offerings!:-)))) Danny: Fantastic points and thank you for what you added to this thread..Your comments mean a lot ..Thank you much. Hi Pug....You are the best! I can only hope that many of us never have to deal with "citrus minor" and other hurtful bugs your way..Do you have enough good predators to combat these type of insects, or do you have to treat your plants? Thank you Nancy... Linda..We learn something new everyday, don't we? That is what I love about these forums and one should never be afraid to freely express what they feel and think about their plants and how they view, handle them..Better to be informed than to withhold from each other what could other wise hurt/ harm their plants..Good job, Bo: Happy growing to you too..Thank you for your input and your words..I hope your babies are doing good.. Mike:-)

I'm assuming you're referring to annual geraniums - ? This is about the time I start potting them up (I store in paper bags in the crawl space over winter). I will take them out of storage, trim back severely, and pot up in potting medium, water (no fertilizer yet) - DH refers to them as the mummy plants at this stage LOL! Under the grow lights they go. In a short while growth will begin (if it hasn't already - often they will be showing growth when I pull them out of storage). I fertilize with water-soluble fertilizer after steady growth begins, and they grow on under under the lights until daytime temps warm up. When daytime temps warm up (usually mid to end of April), I will start taking them out on the sunny patio during the day, back in at night - that bright sunshine makes a world of difference, it's worth the effort. I keep that up until temps are warm enough at night, then leave them out, bringing them in at night if a cold snap is forecasted overnight - same as with any annual before planting time. If yours are potted already, just trim them way back, water them well, and follow directions as above. I've been overwintering the same geraniums for years and they are HUGE, they get bigger and better every year, it really is worth the effort as far as I'm concerned, I couldn't afford to purchase geraniums that big every year.

Thanks pitandiego! So, 9-10 months means the fruit won't be mature 'til March - April '08? Ughhh! Your temps are far more suitable to nana-growing, so you may not have my answers! But I'm assuming that these fruits are *not* going to be happy w/freezing temps... Presently, our nighttime temps are hitting the mid 40's (daytime temps are mild, mid- to upper-70's). Growth has slowed, of course - but the fruits are still hangin' in there! Late Nov, I think we'll be hitting mid-30's at night. Mid Dec is when the 20's arrive (Brrr!). And I think that's when the nanna plants got "hit," last year, and looked dead. Should I wait 'til the afternoon before our first predicted frost, and try to cut the flower stalk down (and the nanna plant as well - leaving the pups)? Or do they stand a chance, if they remain on the plant? Bearing in mind, he's appx 15' tall and there is NO way for me to throw anything over them (nor can he come into the house or GH, unfortunately. Saba is just *toooo* big!) If I do cut the stalk down, what do I do then? Do the fruits stand a chance of ripening? (i.e. put the individual hands into baggies w/apples, or whatever). Leave 'em on the flower stalk and move 'em someplace warm? Or am I pretty much S.O.L.? (I'm still thrilled that it fruited, but I was hoping to be able to EAT something!) Thanks for any advice! -Nancy

A little bleach will not hurt the lines. They are polyethylene and designed to handle chlorinated water supply systems. A good trick to get Chlorine in is to make a bleach solution in a large pot or bowl, about a quarter cup of regular Chlorox in a gallon of fresh water and mix it up in the bowl. Next, grab your hookup hose you intend to use with the fridge and submerge it, one end first, in the solution, moving it around until all the air bubbles are out and it is filled with the bleach solution. Keep the solution in the hose by holding your thumb on one end to form an airlock while connecting the other end up. Next, connect the other end to your water supply and turn on the water. It will force the bleach into the fridge. If the filter has been in there for two years I would just replace it. AFTER you get all the bleach rinsed out of the thing. Be sure to discard your ice for a couple days. By the way, I think Brickeyee's idea is fine, too. You can get away with just flushing the thing out really well, but some bleach just adds a bit of confidence that you have sanitized the lines. I use a similar technique to flush my RV water lines in the spring. They are also made of polyethylene.