hairmetal - do you mind sharing the name of the nursery in Purcellville? BTW - went to Susanna Farms for the first time in donkey's years. OMG they are expensive. But being in MoCo like that, I can't really blame them. Charge what the market will bare. Oddly they had some wierd bargains that almost felt like they'd forgotten to add a 0 to a price. Unfortunately they were too big to fit in my car, like a nice Juniperus rigida pendula, that I think was only $79. It was huge. I really wanted to get something but just couldn't hold my nose tightly enough. I can understand pricing something like a showy Japanese maple high. But they had some little Trochodendrons that were no more than 20" high. Sure they are slow growing when small...but $120? Who's going to buy that? At that size they are about the most anonymous, bland, broad leaved evergreens imaginable. They look like scrounged up bunches of English Ivy. I maybe could have gone up to $65 out of the kindness of my heart, but, $120? Nope. But if they get rich suckers from Potomac to pay those prices, good for them. They do have a nice selection of what I'd call the standard upscale plants...which is getting harder and harder to find. For example also took a quick walk 'round Merrifield's Merrifield location (haha), was disappointed with their selection of similar stuff. If it's showy and marketable, like the Encore Azaleas, they make room for it. Otherwise, overall a more utilitarian, albeit slightly less expensive, selection. And still heavily pushing Leyland Cypresses which is a questionable business practice IMHO. This post was edited by davidrt28 on Wed, Oct 16, 13 at 23:46

A few days ago, after finding a large limb of one of our 'Lady Clare' camellias broken by a pine branch that had fallen during a storm, I spent a few minutes reading the chapter on propagation in one of my old Sunset publications entitled _Growing Camellias_. That chapter advises against moving rooted camellia cuttings except when they are in active growth. It says that if you move them when they are not in active growth, you will lose a high percentage of them.

Lou:Congratulation:I was Trading Marseilles vs black with you for LSU,gold,2 years Ago. Today I have 8 growing fruits on my young tree. I can see it will be one of my best figs,and the best,healthiest white, I have. White figs are less good for Cold climate,but this one is a winner. I know you also had good results with Marseilles vs black. All in all a very good trade.

Glenn, I have always girdled the bark according to the article by Everett Janne on Airlayering. I suppose it would work some other way but this is the way I have always done it. Elder, I have always used the zip-lock bags because that's what's been handy around the house and the quart size is perfect for the size of A/L's I make. You can use any type or size plastic bag. But what I do is I cut off the stiff zip-lock side of the baggie and discard it. Then I cut off the bottom of the bag. So what you're left with is a clear pastic sleeve. I thread this over the end of the branch. It's a little tricky but then I gather up the lower portion of the plastic bag and tie it snug around the branch below the girdled bark ring using string or tape. Then I fill this sack, so-to-speak, with moist potting soil and try to distribute it equally around the branch. I leave enough room to allow me to tie the upper pole of the bag snugly around the branch in the same fashion. What's nice about using the plastic bag sleeve is that there is no seam. You just need to tie off the two distal ends of the plastic bag and there's little risk for your medium (moss or potting soil) from drying out. Another trick I use to get the plastic bag over the branch. I stick my hand through the baggie sleeve so that the baggie is now around my wrist and forearm. I grasp as many leaves and any small stems on the intended A/L with the same hand and thread the baggie over the branch. I can prepare an airlayer in minutes this way. I never use rooting hormones either. You don't need them with figs. After I see alot of root growth through the plastic bag and the A/L is ready to be separated from mommy (usually 3-4 weeks), I prune it just below the lower end of the sack and methodically remove the plastic and pot it up. If you wish to mail an A/L like this, remove it in the same fashion but leave the bottom tie in place so that the plastic remains intact around the root ball. I snip a small pinhole in the lower part of the plastic wrap and soak the A/L in water so that the soil inside the bag gets refreshed for the trip. Then you can mail this A/L to your fig buddy as is (like a little potted plant)and let them remove the plastic on receipt. Hopefully they'll reciprocate and do the same for you! It'll save you some money by not having to ship a heavy potted plant. Here is a link that might be useful: Airlayering