I recently got a few Aloe Vera plants. The first 3 aren't doing so well. I have a baby one that is in a small clay pot and two that are the same size(about medium sized). When I got them, they were almost on deaths door, and I haven't been able to "cheer" them up. They are all still limp and mushy. They are in my livingroom in front of a big 6-7ft window. When I brought them home, I put the soil(reg. house plant soil), and put about 2 cups of water in the larger plants and about 1 cup in the smaller one. I have had them about 4 weeks now, and no change yet. After I got the 3 news ones(which look healthier), I put about an inch to 2inches of rocks at the bottom of the pot before putting the soil in it. They are out on my back patio, which I hope they will do better than the ones in my living room. I was wanting to know if I am doing the right thing for them. This is my first time having Aloe Vera plants and just wanting some information. Thank you for you time!!!!!

I have 9 Thuja GGs planted along the north side a Privacy fence, which is only 5 feet just north of a Brick, two story house. They receive mid day and full afternoon until sunset direct sun. In the winter mine stay green and do not show any bronze color change of the leaves My native soil is a dark, slightly acidic Clay. These trees benefit from the entire length of the fence area being slightly sloped upward and The soil along most of the fence has some builder's sand that had not been cleaned up by the workers who built the neighbor's house. This area is in the north east corner of my lot. My trees started out as one gallon pot sized trees, which were 12-15 inches tall and very nicely shaped and filled out when I planted them. These trees have been very happy, have grown to a height of 9 feet tall in Summer of 07. I watered them often especially in drought times, but did not begin feeding them Osmokote until the Spring of 07, which was early in the 3rd year since I planted them. When I was not feeding them the previous years, they sent up very narrow shoots of new growth each spring and fall. This new growth never seemed to fill out very nicely and by the time they reached 5 feet tall, they began to look pretty unbalanced. Once I started giving them the Osmokote, though, they began growing faster and all the very thin top half of the tree began to fill out more quickly. This made the trees appear much more balanced and more like one would expect the trees to be. Since my trees were watered, but not fed for the first two years they only grew about one additional foot the first year, and two feet the second year after I first planted them. When I began giving them the Osmokote, they not only grew more filled in tops; they also, grew an additional 5 feet in one year. I have a friend whose trees are planted in clay with out the benefit of added builder's sand, and they are planted on the South side of a privacy fence, which slopes from west to east at a fairly significant grade. At least half of her trees have needed to be replaced due to them sufficating along the lower part of slope, where the clay soil remainded wet for extended periods of time. They were never in standing water. The problem happened because runoff water kept the soil too moist for too long of times. The replacement trees she planted lived, and it appears they lived under the same conditions due to them being 5 gallon potted sized trees which were already 6 feet tall, when she planted them, and so we figured large of a tree needs more moisture than the original 12-15 inch tall ones, which died for her, needed.

Please allow me an introduction, My name is Elizabeth. I live in South Central Idaho; my elevation here is 3,670 ft. Annual Precipitation is 10.4in. Our mean snowfall is 31.3 in. the high temp in July of this year was 90.0 and our low temperature for January was 18.6. Snowfall distribution is affected both by availability of moisture and by elevation. Annual snowfall totals in North Idaho have reached nearly 500 inches in the past. The greatest long-term (1942-56) seasonal average was 182 inches at Mullen Pass(which is over 5100 Feet), while the greatest snow depth (also 182 inches) was recorded at that station on February 20, 1954. The major mountain ranges of the state accumulate a deep snow cover during the winter months, and the release of water from the melting snow-pack in late spring furnishes irrigation water for more than two million acres, mainly within the Snake River Basin. I desperately need the taste of fresh figs on my tounge. My question to you knowledgeable people is...Are there figs trees I can grow here?

I received a great box from Heidi. She made two adorable angel ornaments that are now on my tree. She also included a mix of candy and several packages of seeds. These all came inside a cute holiday box. Heidi also made a card with a poem she wrote inside. I want to share it with everyone. She is a very clever writer. It read Winter Soltice Twas the night before Winter solstice and all through the garden The air was quite cold, the ground starting to harden I had just sat down to a nice cup of tea To look through the seeds I had gotten for free When out on the lawn, there arouse such a clatter I jumped from my chair to see what was the matter The snowflakes were fallin' the wind was a blowin' "My winter sowing containers!!" down the street they were goin I threw on my boots, took off at a run I could already see this was not gonna be fun I collected the containers and tied them up tight So much for seed sorting on this crazy night I put on my PJ's and snuggled to bed While visions of winter sown flowers danced in my head I swear I heard my husband snore as I drifted off to sleep "Happy Winter solstice to all, and don't plant your seeds too deep" Thank you Heidi, I really enjoyed my box and it did bring a smile to my face. Margo