Sandra, did you read any of the previous responses? They should have successfully answered your question. VC or any other very vigorous vine, if allowed to grow up into the tree canopy, can shade out the growth to the extent that it will not be able to photosynthesize and heavily affected branches can die off. It happens here in my area with English ivy!! As Tom noted, the vine doesn't actually strangle the tree but just deprives it of necessary light. If a very dense patch of vine, like the ivy is typically found here, it can also compete with the tree for moisture and nutrients. And if allowed to grow unchecked, the vine can also make the tree top heavy and more prone to wind damage. It is best to cut and remove.

"berryberry," please think whatever you want to off me, but you're apparently misreading. You claim that I wrote "half a dozen times about some darn refrigerator that she bought from Eurostoves and was replaced at her request with a different model that cost $600 less and she is sore about not getting $600 back." The fridge was non-working/damaged on arrival. It was attempted to be fixed many times. In the end, it was leaking water on the floor and the freezer had failed totally (wouldn't cool below 42 degrees). It was replaced with a different model than what I'd paid for, because Jade, the original brand, had gone under/changed hands since the purchase. I was forced to accept a lesser-value exchange OR pay to re-do my cabinets to fit another brand OR wait 12-15 weeks for the Jenn-Air built-to-order through my local dealer. (And to get the buy back, they would have already had to have the other fridge back during that 12-15 week wait. Why they couldn't help my local dealer get the replacement fridge in a reasonable time--so I could buy it from them--I never understood, but it was made clear that wasn't an option.) That's a HUGELY different scenario than "Eurostoves replaced [the fridge with another brand] at her request." The fridge I paid for had features--namely total stainless steel interior, glass shelves and more of them--that I paid that up-charge to get (I had looked at, and decided against, the Jenn-Air in the purchasing process), and now don't have. How is that fair? "berryberry," please think whatever you want to off me, but you're apparently misreading. You claim that I wrote "half a dozen times about some darn refrigerator that she bought from Eurostoves and was replaced at her request with a different model that cost $600 less and she is sore about not getting $600 back." The fridge was non-working/damaged on arrival. It was attempted to be fixed many times. In the end, it was leaking water on the floor and the freezer had failed totally (wouldn't cool below 42 degrees). It was replaced with a different model than what I'd paid for, because Jade, the original brand, had gone under/changed hands since the purchase. I was forced to accept a lesser-value exchange OR pay to re-do my cabinets to fit another brand OR wait 12-15 weeks for the Jenn-Air built-to-order through my local dealer. (And to get the buy back, they would have already had to have the other fridge back during that 12-15 week wait. Why they couldn't help my local dealer get the replacement fridge in a reasonable time--so I could buy it from them--I never understood, but it was made clear that wasn't an option.) That's a HUGELY different scenario than "Eurostoves replaced [the fridge with another brand] at her request." The fridge I paid for had features--namely total stainless steel interior, glass shelves and more of them--that I paid that up-charge to get (I had looked at, and decided against, the Jenn-Air in the purchasing process), and now don't have. How is that fair? "Add to that the multitude of times she has mentioned ordering the 2006 model to save money (based on her estimated house completion time of Jan 07) but when her house was delayed til April she was upset she didn't get the 2007 model." I've NEVER once said I purchased the 2006 Bluestar model to save money. That was Mr. Lawson's claim--that he did me a favor by having me order so early. In fact, we actually spoke--and I have it in writing via email--many times about me not wanting to be stuck with last year's model of anything. (He assured me he would do research and do his best to make sure that didn't happen, though he never guaranteed it.) By the time I ordered my appliances I knew Jan. '07 wasn't likely and I feared I was ordering too early, but again I listened to Mr. Lawson's advice. My point was that, if he hadn't mistakenly shipped my appliances in 10/06, when I didn't need them until 4/07, I would have received the new model AND wouldn't have had to pay extra to move the burners. There was no "savings" at all, despite Mr. Lawson's claim, AND I got an older product. As I said before, you are definitely correct that the fridge has nothing to do with this thread topic. And, again, I was using it only to clarify my problems with Eurostoves and respond to a poster who cited it as an example of why I should be dis-trusted. (Notice I didn't even mention it until MONTHS after the first posts.) "Add to that the multitude of times she has mentioned ordering the 2006 model to save money (based on her estimated house completion time of Jan 07) but when her house was delayed til April she was upset she didn't get the 2007 model." I've NEVER once said I purchased the 2006 Bluestar model to save money. That was Mr. Lawson's claim--that he did me a favor by having me order so early. In fact, we actually spoke--and I have it in writing via email--many times about me not wanting to be stuck with last year's model of anything. (He assured me he would do research and do his best to make sure that didn't happen, though he never guaranteed it.) By the time I ordered my appliances I knew Jan. '07 wasn't likely and I feared I was ordering too early, but again I listened to Mr. Lawson's advice. My point was that, if he hadn't mistakenly shipped my appliances in 10/06, when I didn't need them until 4/07, I would have received the new model AND wouldn't have had to pay extra to move the burners. There was no "savings" at all, despite Mr. Lawson's claim, AND I got an older product. Also, Mr. Lawson is well aware--because he was copied on the emails too; he even forwarded one back to me, just today--that I have emailed Bluestar multiple times and received no response. Because this entire thing has turned into he-said, she-said, I prefer to keep all communication in writing, since I have been, MANY times in this process, promised/told one thing on the phone and then told I was a liar when I repeated it back. If we do everything in writing, that can't happen, on either side. (Also, again contrary to Mr. Lawson's claim, Mr. Trapp never gave me his cell phone number--not that I think he should--but, Mr. Lawson is correct, because of what I said above, I haven't called. I will add that Mr. Trapp has always had my phone number too, and hasn't called me either.) Mr. Lawson also sent me a threatening email today saying he was if I "bite him" one more time, he's "done helping me." Whatever that means. I mean it when I say, I don't care if you agree with me--I respect your right to believe I'm a crackpot--I just can't help but be bothered when what you're saying I said/did just isn't at all accurate. I never once threatened anyone. I didn't say, if you don't do this, I'll post. I said I'd post if he did something good, just to let him know I'd be fair, and because Mr. Lawson has let me know he's hugely invested in what is written here about him and his company. I HAVE posted to try and get him to do the right thing, but only because I learned, the hard way, that unless you "shame him," as he once said to me himself, he doesn't do anything. I did say to Bluestar, when they said they wouldn't get my burners working (this was after months and months of round and round), that if they didn't want to deal with me, they could buy my unit back. (I said this to them directly, not via this forum.) That's not a threat, it's just the truth. It was only after the fridge debacle that I even knew such a thing was possible. From install in April to December 2007 I could only use three burners on my six-burner stovetop, and only one worked 100 percent correctly. We paid to have a gas company come out and make sure the line and pressure was correct (Bluestar insisted it couldn't be, even though they wouldn't check) and, even after that proved out, I had to sign a document saying I would pay Bluestar if the person who came out discovered my burners weren't right because of an "install error." It was NOT an install error, by the way, but I never heard a single word of apology, or anything else from Bluestar. I waited eight months--and wasted hours of my life calling, writing and begging, while they told me it wasn't their problem--for a fix that took about 35 minutes. Instead, after my first post in this thread, I got a nasty email from Mr. Trapp that basically said how dare I say anything negative about his company after they did me a favor by getting my burners working. All I've ever wanted--and I reiterated this to Mr. Lawson today--is the appliances I paid for to work, properly. To receive what I was promised prior to sale. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. Nothing special. Anyway, the reason I usually don't read or post here is because the whole thing has been hugely stressful for me and now I'm right back there in that bad place where I walk around all day feeling sick to my stomach, flabbergasted and confused at how people are so angry at me for telling my story--or how they can so totally misunderstand my comments and intentions. It seems like if I keep it simple and just state my broad complaint, I'm slammed for being vague, and if I then go back and explain my issues in detail, I'm told I'm "changing my story." I hope no one ever has to go through ANY of the things I have had to go through, with any vendor or product. -Susan W.

I concur with the 16" recommendation. Not only does it fit better, I found it provides just the right amount of extra area over the 14". I've cooked on 36"+ woks so I might have a different point of view than most but I find my 14" to be a bit confining. When I was just cooking for myself and maybe one other person, 14" was fine but now I'm typically cooking for 4-6 so 16" is just right. I have a drop-in cooktop so I don't have the option of removing the inner grate ring. Just this weekend, I took one of the grates and cut the 4 "fingers" off at a 45 degree angle leaving 8 points of support. Cooked on it already and it's perfect. Heats up fast, stable, and perfect height. Only thing was I had to put a strip of aluminum foil (folded over a couple of times) between the burner and the nobs to keep the knobs from getting too hot. This is not an issue but had the burner on high for over 30min straight. I wouldn't bother with that to make just 2-3 dishes. The Wok Shop (http://www.wokshop.com/) is a great place to get a wok. Great selection. I'm local so I went in and picked out the wok I wanted. They import direct and have a huge selection. The variety in the store is more than they offer online so call them if you have any special requests. Get a hand hammered wok. I've had both the pressed iron and the hand hammered and hand hammered has better non-stick qualities and has a slightly different feel. I ended up with this one http://www.wokshop.com/HTML/products/woks/wok-our-hand-hammered.html . I didn't particularly care for the "hammered" dimple design but I wanted a single handle hand hammered which is a limited combination. I found one in the store but it had a riveted handle and in my experience, they just don't last as long as a good welded handle. The owner of the shop was in the back searching for 30 minutes. She was extremely helpful and willing to go out of her way to help find what I wanted.

It spreads very well. She was recently mentioning that it's spread into her beds so much that it's saved her a bunch of money- instead of buying more flats she can make plugs from what has overgrown her pathway to finish off the space she has to fill. Your area looks well contained, hers does not have any edging to keep it in. Her system is set up to water for 15 minutes twice a week right now and will change back to three times a week when it warms up.