Mostly, runts doen't get better. And Rose Mosaic Virus problems contribute to down hill slides. But there are a few instances: Vole damaged roots. If I can save even part of an own root plant, it will recover. Fungal infected canes: sometimes the canes are just unhealthy and if I cut them back totally, the spring new growth comes back healthy. Well, the exception was last spring when the new vigorous growth got killed by the Easter Freeze and there was no second coming. A found rose that I thought was a goner, only to find that it had hung on, surrounded by grass/hay until it mustered enough whatever it takes for it to grow well. But that was an old survivor with patience built into its genetic code.

I'm just reading this thread for the first time. I've never seen cyclamen mites but I, personally, see no reason to ever look to see them. They show themselves by their damage. On gesneriphiles, some years ago, someone posted that they searched and searched for them, and finally found them under the skin of the plant, inside rather than outside. I don't know if this is the case, but I certainly have heard lots anecdotal commentary that they are very hard to see with magnification. So, my methodology is to concentrate on damage, as that is much easier to diagnose. African Violets are notorious for cyclamen mite susceptability. A late friend of mine, who for a while was commercially growing mini violets, found he had to spray frequently to keep them under control, although thrips were probably even more difficult to control. Now, in a greenhouse mass-propagation situation bugs become much more of a chronic problem than in a small collection. They come back fast whereas in our collections we can get rid of them for a long time between infestations. But, what I have noticed, having a mixed gesneriad collection with a small part being AV's, is that cyclamen mite damage has always made itself apparent first with episcias. In fact I noticed that episcias will get quite a bit of obvious damage before I see anything on the violets. So, keep your episcias happy, so that when they get mites, you will be able to quickly ID the situation. Once you suspect or actually know you have an infestation, then treatment is simple and effective. I have had three or four infestations in the last five or more years. Each time I sprayed with one application of Avid, and had complete and lasting supression of the mites. The badly damaged episcias showed recovery by putting out new crowns from the axils of the leaves. Stolons sometimes were dead, and sometimes recovered. Violets that didn't show damage, did not later develop damage. They just regained normal vigor. I would go as far as to suggest, that if you think you have mites, you have two options. One--you can wait until you are certain that the conditions you are seeing are from mite damage, and then spray. This methodology will result in more damage, and a longer period for recovery; but it will teach you first hand what the damage looks like, and what the pattern of damage and time frame of development is like. Then, at least, the next time you will know more about what is happening with your plants--whether a problem is mites or something else. The second option is to spray if you suspect damage. Then if the problem continues you will know that it isn't mites. But, if the plants soon begin to show increased vigor, and lose the problem foliage that concerned you then you can suspect that mites might have been at fault. Either way, you will have dealt with mites and succeeded. I found Avid was very effective. It has an odor, that is apparent and not too dissimilar to some natural plant odors--Kohleria allenii comes to mind. It is something like the natural scent of Nematanthus albus too. It shouldn't be objectionable unless you are especially susceptable to changes in room odors. A small quantitiy of Avid will last a long time. One shouldn't need to use it very often (less than once a year, mol), and a quarter teaspoon will make a gallon, which is about four times + what one would typically need to treat two or three multi-level lightstands. So, that is my methodology, Jon

"a bunch of people claiming to be "green" chatting away on their computers made of plastics. no, it was the person who complained about the SUV's in the bank drive through while he/she was waiting in the drive through line. Or is it the people who don't realize that trees can be grown as a crop, much like corn, only it takes longer." Funny. Apparently to some people, environmentalism is an all-or-nothing situation. Apparently you either live naked in the woods and eat twigs and berries, or you support wasting as much of everything as possible. FYI, it's not the plastic that goes into computers that's the problem -- it's the power that they consume. And tree farms are major hogs of land and are nearly as poor at supporting diverse ecosystems as conventional farms are. Anyway, as for my worst recent example? I recently received two ram chips and 6 SATA cables (each flexible and perhaps double the size of a piece of linguini along each axis) in a 1'x1.5'x2' box.

Meyermike, LaQuillo is where I fell in love with Coconut palm trees...I was so impressed on how large and how green the trees were!!! As you know...as the years go by they don't seem to be as lush and green as they were 20+ years ago...probably because they sold the plantation and noone is there to take care of the trees!!! That's a bummer but they still look great to me. My kids love that beach...it's the first place that they had local food cooked by the road in those fryers...where the local ladies slapped the ingredients together with banana leaves...I'm glad that I didn't look to closely in those vats of oil!!! LOL...but it was truly delicious...whatever it was!!! A long time ago when it was a local secret, we found our way to the large waterfall swimming hole...That was so much fun...Now they have the path partly paved and with hand rails at certain spots...That was a little depressing because part of the experience was to see if you could handle the trail and the joy of making it down and to find the falls!!! Not to mention having to climb back up after you swim and dive all day!! I enjoyed hearing the "Coki" frogs while on the climb down to the waterfall...I love El Yunque!!! I hope you are receiving some sunshine up in MA...we just had a great downpour..but it only lasted 15 minutes!! We need more rain here in VA... A job down in Disney sounds like a great idea!!! Maybe Pooh Bear or sleepy could be fun... then you could prop up your feet under a few shady palms and play up the character...sounds like a plan!!! LOL Laura