I repotted in september because I noticed bad drainage during the summer. The plant thrived, the summer heat probably makes it ok for it to be soggy. It's a couple years old and pretty big (didnt easily fit in the doorwall). The soil is miracle gro potting mix and I added extra perlite. I had a pineapple plant in a 1 gallon pot, but as it became enourmous it could not stand itself up and tipped over...it was upsetting because it was a sucker from my neighbors' parents' garden in India. Strange things seem to happen to my plants.

No problem. Those plants look very nice. Did you plant them out already? I made the mistake and waited two weeks before I planted out my last set and there was some rot. They all have survived thus far but I think they would have established faster not for the rot. Also, be careful when removing them from the test tubes. The first time I pulled on one and the leave popped off. Now I stick something down the tube to break up the agar before I pull on the plant. I think I might try tissue culturing myself one day. They sell tissue culture kits available online. Anyone in the forum ever try to micropropagate plants?

In Central Florida near the East Coast we have a big problem with fruit flies both the Caribbean variety and the standard fruit fly. I have a home orchard with two guava trees. One is a Ruby Supreme guava and the other a Barbie Pink guava. The Ruby Supreme was under incessant attack by the fruit flies. Nothing I tried including spraying or using traps with apple cider vinegar and dish soap could eradicate them. Actually, the latter seemed to be effective against the Caribbean fruit fly but not against the standard fruit fly. To make a long story short I uprooted and destroyed the Ruby Supreme guava tree. It was painful because I love guavas but it's just too much trouble dealing with those pesky critters. The Barbie Pink guava is still in my orchard but I have noticed the fruit flies attacking it. So I removed all the fruit and threw them away. I will most likely destroy that tree also later this winter or maybe repot it into a half whiskey barrel planter. It might make a good gift for my sister if/when she buys her own home. Or if I could get a greenhouse installed in my yard then I could isolate the tree from the flies. I also have the feijoa selliowana (aka the pineapple guava) tree in my garden. The 5 of them are in pots and I had thought about making a hedge out of them. They don't seem to tolerate the blistering summer heat of Florida so they need to be in shady spot during the late afternoon hours. I am not sure if the fruit fly can attack the pineapple guava because it seems they have a much thicker peel than the ordinary guavas. A thick peel is the best line of defense against fruit flies I hear. I was hoping someone on this forum could confirm if they are resistant to fruit flies or not. But it has to be a report from someone who lives in an area that is prone to that sort of infestation.

Well, some things are so serendipitous. I sent the photo of my quilt to my sister, just to show her what I've been up to. She thought it was beautiful. This morning I got a text from her. She and her guy have just rebuilt an older home in Connecticut and are in the process of decorating. They want the quilt as a wall hanging for a wall that they've been trying to figure out what to do with. They are so excited. They are both artists, and they love the lack of symmetry and the way the pattern just runs off the edge. They love the idea that it was made of bits and pieces of leftover fabrics, just the way quilts used to be made in the past. So, my little quilt has found its home. Now I just have to finish it. Char, the pattern is free on Bonnie's Quiltville website. This is the tenth scrappy quilt I've made from her free patterns.