Rafed, I think they are leaves but its been about a week now and no more growth. I placed the cuttings back in my greenhouse since it was a cool night, 49 degrees and a high of 69. Heat is what will make the buds swell and pop into leaves. My Dark Green Greek and White Marseilles have "popped" and leafed out. They don't like the cool weather either so I placed them back in my greenhouse for a few days. Temperatures a getting back up to 80 on Tuesday and will stay there till Summer. How bout those figs!!!! cheers, Dennis

Venom ER is a neat show but I suspect it gives a very skewed view of snake bites because it selects the most dramatic cases that are the most interesting to watch. It is a bit like getting an idea of what being a police officer is like by watching one of those "world's wildest police chases" shows or getting an idea of what an average day field herping is like by watching Crocodile Hunter wrangle a few cobras and not see a single harmless snake. Venom ER doesn't show the boring cases where someones thumb swells up and he needs an aspirin because we as an audience aren't going to be that interested in the mundane cases. Likewise police shows don't show motorists pulling over and cooperating and Crocodile Hunter doesn't show us a day where he catches 4 ringneck snakes and nothing else. Boring doesn't sell on TV even though it is more common than the dramatic outside of TV. But I agree that Venom ER is a good show for getting a sense of what the more dangerous and dramatic effects of a rattlesnake bite can be.

I'm not sure I'd want to use buckshot of any kind because of ricochet concirns, but there are rounds made for a .22 cal pistol called snake rounds. They have 150-175 very small pellets that do a pretty good job of dispatching snakes, scorpions and the like. Although I haven't had the opportunity to try it on a snake, I've known other that have and they supposedly work well. I have used them on scorpions with wonderfully interisting results. Because the pellets are small it's very effective at close range, but is no threat at longer range (such as the unintended stray shot) or from ricochet. Just google "snake round ammunition" to find a place to get them. Obviously, check your local laws on their use and possession and discharge of a firearm of any kind. BTW winged mammal, all animals protect their selves, most protect their family and territory (home). Often times one animal will intrude on another animals space and conflict ensues. I, and I suspect most of us don't go out of our way to kill anything we don't intend on eating, but like all animals, we may move into an area and stake our claim to our homes, protect it and our family. That's natures way. We are a part of nature. Republican? Well, we all have to choose between two evils. I tossed my coin and it came up heads. I took that to mean that I was not supposed to choose the party represented by an ass. :) .........Sorry, I just couldn't resist. :)

The link will take you to a holistic Overview of Good Growing Practices, which has a strong emphasis on grow media why a grower's choice of a growing medium can have so much influence on how rewarding the growing experience turns out. Also, I wouldn't be too concerned about mold as it relates to the plant's well-being. Plants live in perfect harmony with thousands of species of fungi with only a few capable of causing infections with potential to jeopardize the plant's viability. Al