Use wet wick and humid soil, put a half inch of soil - make a circle out of the top part of the wick, cover it with soil, continue with the rootball. Put the finished pot in an inch of water for 10 minutes. If your wicked plants are sitting on the mats - the contact is better and they do not dry out. If the wicks are hanging through the eggcrate - you really need to to make it sure that the capillary action started. Good Luck Irina

From some of the info asked for and answered on the registration form, you can see how more than just the flower goes into identifying a named cultivar, so does the manner in which it grows, the leave shape, size and texture, the resistance to diseases and pests. These days with so many 'look-a-like' Brugmansia, you need to have total descriptions of the total plant to be able to tell them apart. Once you read the descriptions of a Brugmansia that have been registered for it, you should never have any doubt whether or not the Brug you have is the actual one whose name you have for it. Hybridizer First Name: Susie Last Name: French Country: USA Seedling Parent (Required when the cultivar has been raised from seed resulting from a cross made by someone else.) First Name: Ruth Ann Last Name: Tiedjens Country: Canada This Brugmansia is a three species cultivar and is a: Versuarea (includes all hybrid combinations of B. versicolor, B. suaveolens and B. aurea) Flower .... Shape: Trumpet Size: Length from the base of the calyx to the end of the flower\-35 cm average Width:across the mouth/skirt excluding the tendril\-14cm average Colour: Visibone color Chart Spring/Summer: \# 240,47,47 Fall/cool weather: \#255,122,152 Color change after opening: Opens white, then turns pale pink ( sometimes mottles pink and white) , but by the end of itÂs first night of opening it is the colors stated above. Form: single flower Position: nodding Tendril length: 7.5 cm average Tendril position when flower fully open (best in early morning): Reflexed Day 2....Coiled\-tightly day 4\-5 Calyx:\- one slit \- when the flower is open, not or hardly exposing the narrow basal most part of corolla tube Anthers: not attached to each other Leaves:\-midgreen and eliptic, \-mostly smooth edged with a few having ruffled edges. \-leaf texture is smooth with very little pubesence and is of intermediate texture. Plant Height: intermediate Reason for Registering and introducing this hybrid: \-grows well and easily \-resists natural pests and diseases \-pleasant fragrance and good lasting length of flowers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Persian lime's branches are still very much green and alive, they have leaves and push flowers, just have a gangly naked appearance from having dropped most of the foliage, so I don't think the plant is anywhere near death, simply acts like it's missing something (maybe needed more light, more nutrients or more balanced aeration/moisture, which the CHCs may be the key to). I think it's going to perk up being outside now that we have truly warm weather in our area finally, but it needs the re-potting desperately for a fresh start. I'll take your advice and give it some time once I get it into a better medium for the roots to grow in. I'd truly rather keep this one alive, as I wouldn't spend the money for getting a new one shipped here after the experience with the Meiwa (even at the decent prices comparitively speaking that Brite Leaf offers). Having citrus is more a novelty and a fun experiment for me, whereas figs are a passion and far easier to grow here in Indiana (they don't have to live indoors in winter, just dormant out in the garage). The limes and kumquat I have are a learning process for me, to figure out how to respond to more finicky requirements for healthy growth (kind of like my potted blueberries are), and with the Persian lime, I can tell there's some requirement not being met, which I'm determined to figure out if there's any way I can. I had a tree that lay dormant in a pot for six months, then suddenly explode with new growth - that was sort of my experience with the seedling kumquat, it was lazy for a while, and then started having more frequent and healthier flushes of growth. I decided it correlated with my being more diligent to add a soluble fertilizer when watering, plus being careful not to keep it too wet between waterings. It took me several years to find a system that works for me, but that it what makes it fun! The joy of growing citrus comes with the experience Yeah, I'd say that's exactly why I'm trying it - it's not like shooting fish in a barrel, there's some finesse to it. More of a delicate fine-tuning, rather than randomly paying attention once in awhile, citrus need focus and time investment (kinda like real relationships :-)). They are not kidding when they say "Patience is a virtue." oh I've got tons of experience in the Deferred Gratification Department (heh..) so waiting on good things is second nature - but the encouragement's definitely appreciated. I'll start with getting the roots in a more happy environment and then see how the plants respond from there. It's good being able to ask in here about mid-course corrections, thanks so much for the pointers. Sherry

Hi Kim. Nothing at all against using "biosolids", the preferred term these days, as part of a mix. Most typically, the biosolids are used as an ingredient in making compost, the other ingredient typically being ground up yardwaste. I was on a team looking into doing just this in my community a few years back. But my point is this: It's not the biosolids that give such a potting mix extra disease suppression, but rather, the compost itself, whether biosolids were used to produce it or not. Specifically, composts in which cellulosic materials (woodchips, etc) are a significant component. In the curing stage, these composts are colonized by actinomycetes and a few other microbes that do indeed show a disease suppression capability. I've been a composter forever and I'm all for the use of these "waste" materials. Did a bunch of looking at Van Pelts Blue, etc. Any of you guys know a good source for that variety? I suppose ideally that I'd like ten or fewer. Heritage turns out to be deciduous only. Looks like a good firm though. +oM