Pam, I'm not sure what you meant by that but i think you're missing the point. It's about developing better root system regardless of where you plant, what the climate is and what tree species are. Better root system means better/faster establishment. It is a pain in the butt dealing with one long tap root that get circled around in the container. You have to mess with it to get it straightened out and not to mention more digging to get it deep enough. You don't have to worry about it with rootmaker's way. You just simply dig a hole and drop the tree in and move on. Here is the info from rootmaker website about seedlings plant out.. Question: Do you have any information on the use/success on the out planting of container seedlings grown in RootMaker II containers directly in the field for conservation/reforestation type projects? Answer: Tree seedlings in RootMaker® II propagation containers are routinely taken to the field when they are 12 to 16 inches tall and 3 to 4 months old. This has been done by hundreds of nurseries across the country. Most do fall planting  September or October and some have drip irrigation and others do not. (Drip irrigation assures nearly 100% survival. But even without drip irrigation, the success rate is quite high, except for the occasional severe drought immediately following planting). The primary reason for planting tree seedlings at a larger size is that in the small growth stage, telling seedlings that will make winner trees from culls is tough and the cull rate may be as high as 25 to 30% or more for the oaks. In one gallons, the cull rate drops to 7 to 10% and with 3 gallons to 2 to 3%.

Compost and celebrity? Well, here's a few examples of past connections made, from the MM files: * Lloyd (pt03) once snailmailed me compost, which is now in my garden of course, along with the healthy energetic Manitoban microherd it contained. * Annp (Annpat) once snailmailed me compostables, including lobster shells and homegrown chicken poop, which went immediately into the worm bathtub and thence into the garden of course, along with the healthy energetic Mainer microherd, etc. * At Annp's personal request, I once helped to re-enact the famous Hendrix-touching incident, for a small party of good friends of course, late one night in Maryland. * While this may not immediately appear compost-related, I once made Marshall McLuhan laugh. (The medium is the message.) All the best, -Patrick (madmagic) Here is a link that might be useful: Amusing Idiots You Have in This (i)Village

I have no idea how these separatists got here in the comment section but I can tell you that the northern extent of the range of Spanish Moss is in between Newport News and York county Virginia in the forested area that is in between Grafton and Newport News and Harwood's Mill reservoir and Lee Hall reservoir and the only reason that that Spanish Moss is still there and survived the poachers to last to this day is because of the ethnic Qarsherskiyan tribe fiercely defends it from would-be poachers. Qarsherskiyan people consider Spanish Moss to be sacred. Spanish Moss used to grow as far north as Eastern Maryland and Southern Delaware, where the first Spanish Moss holotype was collected in the area by the upper reaches of the Pocomoke River. The European colonists logging the primordial forests is the reason for the decline of Spanish Moss that began several hundred years ago and begin pushing its range back, much to the dismay of the ethnic Qarsherskiyan Tribe. They fiercely defend the northernmost remaining patch on the Virginia peninsula. One time a woman with Quebec license plates was trying to haul trash bags full of Spanish Moss that she stole, into the back of her vehicle, and some Qarsherskiyan people came with masks, out of nowhere, and sliced all her tires and shot fireworks until all her windows shattered. She couldn't tell police because she would also get in trouble for taking plants from park property at Grafton ponds so she just drove all the way up North again and was never heard from after that. The Qarsherskiyan Tribe illegally installed trail cams hidden on Newport News Waterworks property and in Newport News Park and used walkie talkies to guard it 24/7. It's making a comeback in the Qarsherskiyan neighborhood in Colony Pines, as well as Huntington Pointe which is downwind of there.

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? BOTH - sorry! Egg Nog w/ nutmeg or Hot Chocolate w/ a shot of Butterscotch Schnapps. 2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap! & he always seems to know what color's we've decorated in that yr.! 3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White in various sizes & finishes. I would like to do the house in colored lights just one yr. though. Not the tree though! 4. Do you hang mistletoe? I keep meaning to! My Nana ALWAYS did! 5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually 2nd wk. of Dec. although I'm finally getting it together & we've already begun! 6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Hmmmm.... My mom's corn pudding. But her mashed potatoes are perfect. Her Ham is too. Did I mention her cherry pies?! 7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Well.... It's not my favorite but my family discusses it & laughs about it every yr. at my expense. When I was little I would get so worked up, excited & anxious about Christmas Day that on Christmas Eve I'd start getting sick & w/o fail every Christmas morning until I was 8 or so, I'd throw up as soon as my feet would hit the flr. Everyone would wait for me every morning while someone took me to the bathroom as soon as I woke up. 8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? When I pulled the beard off of Santa & made all of the kids start crying. My mom always reminds me of how I yelled "YOU'RE NOT THE REAL SANTA CLAUS!" & yanked his beard off. We were asked to leave. 9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes, it was the only way my mom could get my nerve's to settle. DH asks me every yr. if I need to open a present on Christmas Eve & I always say 'No thanks, I'm a big girl now!' 10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? In gold. Also with ornaments that look like old mirrors and old Russian icons. Okay - that sounds really pretty!!!! This yr. I have a red whimsical tree in the LR, I'm aiming for an elegant woodland tree in the office & I'd like to do a small cars, planes, trains & boats theme on a small white tree in the playroom. 11. Snow: love it or hate it? LOVE IT! But I'd better be inside enjoying that doctored up hot chocolate by a fire. 12. Can you ice skate? Nope. That'd mean I'd have to go outside. 13. Do you remember your favorite gift? There are so many great gifts, but last yr. my sister who lives out of state & doesn't have much money to spare, put together a small basket of her favorite things. It makes me feel like we're together during the yr. sharing & introducing each other to new things. You can't beat that! 14. Whats the most important thing about the holidays for you? The shear magic, wonderment & joy of it all. My heart just sings - it feels like anything is possible! 15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? My mom's cherry pie. 16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Watching It's A Wonderful Life w/ a bottle of red wine w/ DH. 17. What tops your tree? Usually a finial but I just found a great angel that I hid in the back at Bombay. 18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Totally giving! In my family we look all yr. long wherever we go for each other & we never ask for lists. You never know when you'll find the most perfect thing at some little dive on a wknd. trip in August & it was probably under $10! DH's family seems to always ask for lists & go at the last minute. Then they never get me anything off of it! It's taken me a long time to get used to the whole list & generic wrapping/ bag thing but I finally have. 19. What is your favorite Christmas song? Holy Night by Bing but I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas is a real close runner up! 20. Candy canes??? Sometimes at DS1's insistence. He always wants you to have what he has. 21. Favorite Christmas movie? Either The Santa Claus or Elf. 22. What do you leave for Santa? In our family -- we ALWAYS leave out the Best Scotch and shortbread. Mum always says that Santa will need a "warm-up" by the time he gets to our house ...... even when I was very little -- Santa always got a crystal glass of The Best. Milk & cookies but I think we may be starting a new tradition this yr.! Thanks Teacats!