I do quite a bit of cat trapping, and sometimes I get other species. I've never caught a skunk, but I've learned what to do from people who have, and have some suggestions below. But I don't get all whacked out about skunks. They aren't very aggressive, and if you leave them alone, they usually leave you alone. They only spray if they feel threatened. They're also useful, as they eat mice, and will dig up underground yellowjacket nests (esp if you mark the spot at dusk with some cheap dollar store syrup). Yes, they can carry rabies, but so can raccoons, dogs, cats, rodents, bats, sheep, llamas, cows, horses and all other mammals. If you think an animal is rabid, immediately call 911, your sheriff's department, Fish/Game/Wildlife, and your county Animal Control. If you had a dog, you wouldn't have skunks, as they don't hang around dogs. Even a small house dog will leave doggy urine and scent around. Your skunk may well have babies under the house, since they breed from April to early June. If you catch or kill her now, they will die, and possibly stink as they rot. If you wait and watch later in summer when the babies are mobile (probably just before dusk), you might be able to watch them leave, then immediately close off access to the places under the house. I don't know if they are as insistent as raccoons about getting back under the house. You could wait until late summer, and attempt to trap her, but you would need an open pickup truck for transportation. DO NOT put a trapped skunk in your car trunk, or you will never get the smell out, and no one will buy it. Buy or borrow a trap, but it absolutely must have a V type 'door', where the outer flap or frame of the V can be anchored down. When the trap is set, this part must not be anchored down, or the animal can get out of the trap (which is what you want after you have transported the skunk, but not before). The ones with solid door(s) are best with skunks, as you won't be exposing yourself to a direct hit if you keep it between you and the skunk when you're releasing it. (NOTE: the people I've spoken to who have trapped skunks said none of the skunks sprayed while inside the trap. They suspect that it may be because they feel they can't raise their tails high enough, or they can't get their hindquarters off the ground. BUT don't depend on this! Your skunk may be different! This is opinion, not documented fact.) Bait the trap at dusk with canned cat food with a little honey or syrup drizzled over the top (skunks like sweets). Pull up the flap and set the trigger. Place the bait on the far side of the trip plate. If you think you've got a smart skunk, lay a long, narrow, single piece of newspaper on the approach and on top of the trip plate. Make sure that outer flap/bar/frame is NOT anchored down. Place the trap near where it comes from under the house, but not right up against the house. Give yourself plenty of room to maneuver. Check the trap first thing in the morning. CAREFULLY. If there is a skunk in the trap, get the brand-new blue plastic tarp you bought for the occasion and open it up. Approach the trap while holding the tarp in front of you, totally covering your head and body. If you can have a helper positioned at a distance who can give directions, it will help. Try not to peek around the tarp if you don't have to. Skunks can hit a target 15 feet away with extreme accuracy, and over 6 feet high. (They will stand on their front legs and lift their back legs entirely off the ground to get proper aim.) When you get to the trap, settle the tarp over it and wrap it around and under it as best you can. Then put the trap in the back of the pickup truck and put up the tailgate (this is not the time to leave it down to save .000002 gallons of gas). Make sure the tarp is secured against wind. Transport the skunk at least 5-8 miles away to a wilderness area, NOT to another residential area. Set the trap on the ground where there are no people around. If you're smart, you won't have any stupid fools or small children with you. If you can put it on a narrow slot between two bushes, that would be good. Carefully remove the tarp from the end that you will release the skunk from. Leave the rest of the tarp around the trap. Press that panel/flap/frame against the door and fasten the latch and QUICKLY get away from the trap. Watch from a distance and see if the skunk finds that it can now push open the door and squeeze out. If it doesn't in a few minutes, you may want to assist (or not). I hope you've brought another tarp. Use it to protect yourself as before, and approach the trap at the rear (the end you want the skunk to exit is the 'front'). Gently lift up the back end of the trap and hopefully the skunk will slide out the other end, its weight pushing the door open. It should just leave. Raccoons and opossums just run or amble away. (If this seems too tricky for you, just take a book, get back into the truck, and wait for the skunk to find her own way out, then retrieve the trap.) This is not the time to let your attention wander. Keep it on the skunk. If you get sprayed by a skunk, use the following recipe to get it off. DON'T pre-wash with anything, even water! Mix it in a plastic (not metal) container. (Personally, I would take all the ingredients in a plastic bucket with me to the skunk relocation point, just in case.) 1 quart unopened hydrogen peroxide (unopened is crucial) 1/2 cup baking soda 2 tsp dish detergent (Dawn, Joy, etc) Wash all affected areas with this mix, and let it sit on your skin/hair for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Use ALL of the mix -- it can't be saved. If you put it in a closed container after mixing, it will explode. DON'T DO IT! Keep this mix out of your eyes. Don't waste your time with tomato juice, vinegar or any of the other old home remedies -- they don't work. If you have a large drugstore and want to keep anti-skunk supplies on hand, get the large econo size hydrogen peroxide, and ask if they have Tricotine concentrate douche mix. This is the only other stuff that will remove the smell. Tricotine is safe for use around eyes, and on faces (people's and pet's). Both these are also suitable for use on skunked pets. Info on skunks linked below. Sue Here is a link that might be useful: Info about skunks

Yes, Jeffrey; I've used Neem. I purchased it, initially, to control spider mites on some bonsai, but also used it on tomato and pepper plants, and zinnias...all to control diseases. (Contrary to Kimmsr's statement, it has very little affect on insects and other critters that do not feed on plants directly WHEN USED PROPERLY. Do not spray neem products on the eggs or larvae of beneficial insects (say, ladybugs), though it will have little to no effect on the adults.) Neem products vary in their ingredients. Some are mixed with an assortment of different oils and additives. phytotoxicity. I'm guessing that the problems you've experienced are because of the formulation you used. It's more than a little likely that the directions might not have been thorough, as well. I do follow the directions when it comes to appying in the middle of a hot, sunny day as well as any other caveats. I Damage can be caused by almost anything if we're not careful.

I have 18 roses in containers. My climber is in a 15 gallon plastic container and the rest are hybrid tea roses in 5 and 6 gallon containers (5 gallon plastic and what I am calling 6 gallon are terra cotta pots that are bigger than 5 gallons but not by much - they could be 7 gallons). My roses started bare root (with 2 exceptions - 1 pulled from the ground and 1 purchased already potted) 6 years ago. Obviously it's better to have a bigger pot, but I haven't had major problems with this size pot. I have changed the soil once so far just to keep it fresh. I fertilize every other week at 1/2 strength with liquid fertilizer similar to Miracle Gro and once per month I fertilize with fish emulsion and an organic slow-acting fertilizer like alfalfa meal, blood meal, or Grow More. I never apply all of this on the same day, so that usually means a schedule similar to: Wednesday Week 1 Organic granular fertilizer Saturday Week 1 Weak liquid fertilizer Saturday Week 2 Weak liquid fertilizer Wednesday Week 2 Spray fungicide Saturday Week 3 Weak liquid fertilizer Wednesday Week 3 Fish emulsion Saturday Week 4 Weak liquid fertilizer Wednesday Week 4 Spray fungicide (I try to do the nasty things like spray chemicals and smelly fish emulsion during the week so that my neighbors and I don't have to deal with it when we are BBQing and the like on the weekends.) I spray for insects when they become a problem, except that I do proactively spray all of my buds with spinosad because thrips are the bane of my existence. For instance, I don't think I sprayed an insecticide at all last year. Most years I end up spraying maybe twice. I don't want to kill the praying mantis and hover flies that I get. Fungicide is a different story and I spray every other week (the week I do not fertilize). I use Immunox alternated with Mancozeb/Banner Maxx. When I do use an insecticide I use one mixed with yet a different fungicide just to switch it up. That's about it. Here in CA I usually prune in January, although I pruned in February this year. We usually get 3 flushes per year, although I had 4 this year with the mild weather. The biggest challenge I face growing roses in containers is keeping them watered. A rose in the ground can withstand even the fiercest heat for a few days between waterings. My container roses need to be watered every day when the temperature is above 90 degrees and when it's 100+ sometimes I water them twice if they look sad when I get home from work. If I miss a day the roses don't die, but the new growth gets crispy and the flowers I work so hard for burn up. Luckily, this is usually just for a couple of weeks in July or August. Otherwise, I water 2-3x per week. Right now with the rain I am watering just 1x to supplement Mother Nature.

I have grown Crassula ovata for the past 20 years recently. Take them out of the pots and examine the mix and roots. Cactus mix is not good for Succulents or Cactus. It holds too much water, and I am going to repeat my self, Succulents are from Africa, they grow on rocky outcrops, they do not like water, unless it drains fast. How much white stuff is in your mix? any rocks, if not put some stream rocks into the mix. "Jade" grow by the thousands on Rocky Hills sides, so the rain goes down rapidly through the rocks, they grow into the cracks. They do not get the care that you are giving them. In the summer they lose leaves, they don't like the heat they are winter growers. I have a wonder full book from Charles Glass and if you don't know who he is your are a beginner. Fianl words from his book. It's just plain common sense. "There is an illusiion of comfort in rules such as 'Water when dry" (what is dry?") 'Full sun" CA sun or New York Sun. African Sun'" Water ever two week, in CA we must water once a week. We have low humidity except this week. here are no rules concerning good culture which may not and and occasionally whould not be broken; there are principles and guide-lines which when followed with interest, Common Sense is the most important factor in growing plants." CActi and Succulents for the Amateur. Jade leaves are not supposed to crack, the plants are not supposed to ooze. I use Saffer's Soap, which is nothing but soapy water, and not detergent, with maybe some alcohol added. You can wash off the spider mites, if you water on a regular schedule, and get rid or soil mealies. When was the last time you changed the soil, perhaps the roots need to be cut back 1/3 and theh plant topped 1/3 not now but the first of October, just remember rules are just guide lines and use them as such. How large are your Jades ? When is the last time they were trimmed, soil changed? Does your hair fall out. So do their leaves, are they getting good air circulation? Are they getting cool nights and plenty of air circulation. I wash mine down once a week because it makes sense to me. I follow how the Huntington Gardens takes care of their plants, it workds for them and it has always worked for me since I was a child. We use no pesticides for the 100,000 plants that we have documentated growing in one green house and outside on benches with no heat. The proof in in the plants. The above suggestions are excellent I would listen if I were you. All of us have tricks in growing. Good luck, love your plants and they will love you. Randy I didn't even need to look at the photo, you are right on and so are the rest of the suggestions from others. Norma