Thanks Suzie for the link! Very interesting! Are you sure my grapes would not do well for you in CA? I believe they are good to zone 9 atleast. I ordered them from a place out that way I believe. I should have plenty left if you want to try some. I had an idea. Since my fridge is in a cut out type cabinet, I cannot really get the cuttings up there. However, I do have a heat mat that I use to germinate tomato seeds. It is a very low heat. Do you think they would be good on the heat mat? I remember when I was rooting figs for the first time (figs, my first love!), someone had suggested using a heat mat. How do you feel about this? Well, they are all wrapped in their garbage bags. Hopefully a few will make it! I did use rooting hormone on some of them. I had so many, I figured I could experiment. Well, all 3 vines are in the ground. I planted them yesterday. Hopefully they will take. I also dug up a rose bush that was at the house that my mom planted when I was a baby. I do not know how that will do. I did re-plant it here at my house, but the leaves were already limp. I wonder if roses can survive that. I also took a few cuttings from the branches, only about 4. I read to stick it in rooting hormone then into dirt with a soda bottle on top of it. They said to keep a few leaves on them, but the leaves are already pretty limp. I do not know much about roses, so I do not know if they will survive or not. That would be a shame. Although this bush is over 30 years old, it was cut way back, almost to the ground a year or so ago, so it was not as big as you would think it should be. It did have this huge, deep, long main root that I had to cut at one point since it was down so deep. Well, I will update on the grapes, and also the rose bush. thanks again for all the info! Christy

Don't move it until the fall (Late November) otherwise you can lose a lot of the branches because of the heat and dehydration. By your sunset zone, i assume you are in southern Cal (?) so i would guess that you get limited frost, if any at all. If you are prone to get a couple of frosty mornings in the winter, move it in the spring. A stressed plant is more likely to suffer from frost than a well-rooted one. Whenever you do dig it up, a large amount of roots aren't necessary. In my experience, they don't mind root disturbance as long as temperatures are cool (ie fall or spring). I have transplanted large brugmansias with just the bare roots before. They lose all of their large leaves but recover fast. Just remember the key is to do it when temperatures are cool. Just my two cents. I also have a brugmansia that i will be moving in the spring. It is eight feet tall and six feet wide. I'll be moving it is because it's roots are too invasive for the dwarf citrus trees planted nearby. The citrus are very shallow-rooted and dislike any root competition, which the brugmansia's aggressive root system gives plenty of.

By the structure of some gingers & heliconias plant cells , they do not store the water and therefore do not support to be moved without damage - cut the old foliage and just be patient until new roots grow ! Its why most of ginger & heliconias grow well near by the stream !

Dean, I've grown quite attached to 4 habs that are emerging from their *second* overwintering. I intend to see them through to old age :-). They were never in the ground - so I can't address that part of your question - but they've done well under 40W floro growlites. They do more than barely stay alive - they actually grow a bit and even produce some very tiny fruits in the winter. Granted I also have a heater that keeps them around 75F during the day.. Agree with ncage about the aphids - they will be a problem. I tried a lot of things and had mediocre results -- until I bought ladybugs. I finally got the peppers in an enclosed space downstairs so let some ladybugs loose last fall. I haven't seen a single aphid or whitefly since (7 months). That is quite amazing to me; that isn't pest 'control', that's utter and complete annihilation. Chuck