cb, links to juniper care: http://www.shbonsai.com/care_juniper.html http://www.ehow.com/how_2341770_care-juniper-bonsai-trees.html link to pruning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjHQnoYXTDA enjoy your bonsai. JMHO Aloha

Man, if I had known row covers would help with mites, I would have had them at the old house! I did not see much sign of them here this summer, so maybe that's one I won't have to worry about. Glib, I think I'm using the term "row cover" more generally than you; your tulle and hoop house probably would both come under my idea of "row cover". I have never yet put any sort of barrier over my veggie plants, but it has become clear that I must. Especially if I wish to work in a larger scale, to help cut down on work (like constantly picking off looper and eggs from cabbage). I think maybe in the spring a floating row cover might be a good idea, maybe a little extra heat, but also to help keep the birds from destroying tender seedlings.

I would root prune the parent plant, a couple of times a year. The first time will be the most difficult. Take a sharp spade, seriously sharp, and insert it into the ground, straight down, in a continuous circle around the plant, as far out as you want to allow volunteers to grow. Go down at least 12", more if possible. This will cut the rhizomes, and should prevent any new shoots outside the circle. If it's self-seeding, you need to cut off the seedheads before they can set seed.

I read the word aggressive twice in this post and wanted to be sure it was stated that Miscanthus Strictus is not aggressive, it is a very defined sized clump forming grass. It concerns me when plants are called aggressive simply because they are grasses. Grasses can seem aggressive when purchased as a 2 ft tall 3 gallon pot and it grows into the 7 ft clump it was destined to be. Miscanthus Strictus (Porcupine grass) will grow between 5 and 9 feet (I've seen it in all these ranges as a mature grass), depending on conditions. Like most perennials, it will die out in the center and not perform as well after some years, hence the possibility of future division. When spacing grasses, look at the mature size...it will reach it within 2 to 3 years, so don't plant according to the pot it came in, but according to tag (or research). As a general rule of thumb, whatever the mature height, give it at least half that in planting space. So an 8 ft grass would need 4 ft of space minimum, more if you want it to appear as a specimen planting. Its a nice miscanthus...enjoy it!