Howard, I've know, from reading this forum, that you're a teacher in orchid culture. My honor to have you talking to me about my orchids! I keep all my orchids in a "shade house", covered on top with transparent plastic sheet and on four sides with dark plastic net (?). So the plants get diffused light all day, all year. The temp we have here is lowest 60 and highest 80F throughout the year, no snow, no frost, humidity is about 75-85 (I don't have a meter so I cannot tell. I just "feel" the humidity on my skin!) I bought this big cym last year, in late November when it was blooming with 6 spikes. It was in a 12" cheap plastic pot and was looking like it would bust! So I put it into a bigger pot without disturbing its roots or anything after it finished blooming last season. Now I see 3 spikes on it so far! (The spikes are just beginning to emerge from the medium, but you know I'm so watchful I spotted them already LOL!) My other smaller cym bloomed in about August/September 2006. I repotted it (stupid me, I didn't know much then) in Spring 2007 and now I see one spike. So, I don't know if this is common or not but I'm very happy :-). I don't want to mess with them so that they might abort the spikes. Please educate me. Many thanks for your advice. Xuan

It may be too soon to really know which canes are dead. Some people wait until June. Regarding the fertilizer, I'm always cautious. I'm using Osmocote for the first time this year and I have lots and lots of buds. But maybe I would have had buds anyway. I've never fertilized before, but I do use lots of compost as mulch. Whether or not you get any blooms might have more to do with the variety of hydrangea you have and whether or not it blooms on new wood and/or the severity of your winter.

Remember when you called me and I also told you that the baby heucheras, sold as starter plugs, should be started in small pots? I still think that is what you need to do to have any success with them. The hostas should probably do fine in spin out bags but I don't think putting starter plugs of Heuchera into a 5 gallon spin out bag will help them to get started. If you are putting things in the spin out bags I don't quite understand why you would also be continuing to amend and till the soil. Baby heuchera do not need to be constantly moist. Let them dry slightly between waterings and then only water them lightly. They don't like wet feet and don't like clay soil. You want to encourage them to get new roots without rotting them away. The hostas will like more water than the heuchera. I would still recommend, like we discussed on the phone, that you pot up the heuchera in a well draining potting soil in small pots (about 4" deep and about 3" wide) and tend those that way until they are rooted out. If you were to plant directly in the ground I would recommend adding a lot more soil amendments to the garden and then rototill that all in and plant the hostas that way. If you are worried about root infiltration and are going to try the spin out bags then just dig the holes big enough for those bags, I believe people fill it with good garden soil, then plant the hostas in that. But like I mentioned I don't have any direct experience myself with the spin out bags. Lots of people have given what I think is good advice but I think you are getting confused by all the different things being suggested. And while I hope you do have some success with some things there be prepared for some losses as it can be tough figuring out a new garden situation like this and what will grow there. Chris

Don't worry about the seedling. But after you transplant it, check the bag of potting mix that you use. It should state how long it should be able to supply the plant with nutrients. Usually 30-90 days. I think anything beyond maybe 60 days is just a marketing ploy though. Once you transplant it, if you put it straight into a full size pot (3 gallon or bigger), then I would probably start adding fertilizer after about 60 days. A general tomato/vegetable fertilizer is fine. Miracle grow is cheap and easy to find and will be a good solution. Don't overthink it and don't over love your peppers. And first and foremost, be careful not to over water your peppers. That is one of the most common mistakes new growers make. If you stick a wooden stick such as a bamboo skewer into the soil and it comes out with potting soil stuck to it, your soil is plenty moist.