I grow mainly indoors, and I grow mainly bulbs... I also grow mainly in a rendition of the Gritty Mix. I have found that before I mix a batch, I need to soak the bark a bit so it's moist. If I do this, and I make sure I'm in keeping with the concept of the medium with regard to particle size, screening, etc... I have no issues following a re-pot. Also, aftercare is very important... ensuring that the plant has a good opportunity to adjust to it's new medium out of direct sunlight and winds. But if I fail to pre-wet the bark, or keep in mind the concept of the medium and aftercare, I'm doomed to failure. I found that there's no cheating when it comes to good preparation of the ingredients, using the right ingredients, proper aftercare, and that my habits in watering and fertilizing would change. I'd be watering more often, and feeding on a more consistent basis. One other thing I found is that not every plant will enjoy the Gritty Mix. There are a few that are happier in more moisture retentive circumstances... so I adjust for this using medium that more closely resembles the 511, or by adjusting the ingredient ratios or using different ingredients, creating a custom medium for the plant in question. Ambient temperature is a consideration in certain climates, too. Growing indoors, I keep pot edges from touching the window glass, and keep leaves off the glass, too. My preference is unglazed clay, though I do use a few plastic pots for certain plants more sensitive to temperature or moisture retention. One of the biggest mistakes I made in the beginning was not watering enough, and not ensuring the bark was pre-soaked prior to mixing batches of medium. But if I'm honestly doing everything exactly as directed, I have no issues, whatsoever. I think the keys are in understanding the concept, not taking any short cuts, adjusting my care habits, and understanding the limitations of my unique environment and those of the particular plant I'm trying to grow.

I ate so many perfect peaches this year and it didn't really matter too much the variety. Just if they are heavily thinned and was the peach picked from a well exposed part of the tree. To me, there isn't that wide a range of qualities between yellow peaches on a good year. I was surprised and pleased with the lemony flavor of Earnie's choice this year, something I didn't notice before so I wonder how it will taste next year and is this a common occurance. I have a Red Haven on my property that for some reason puts out a lot of perfect looking watery and bland fruit year after year but I even found a few perfect ones on it. I do like a tree with large sized peaches, deep orange flesh that bears over a long period, like 3 weeks, without the last ones mushing out. Jonboy provides these year after year for me. Earnie's choice seemed to be done in little more than a week. There are now some yellows coming out that are low-acid, so I guess they must be noticeably different but I like higher acid peaches so it's not likely a difference I will appreciate. Messina has great red and orange colored flesh and is a very highly flavored peach. I'm beginning to believe it is a standout in its season as there were very few duds. But this was only it's third year of fruiting so I want to see how it does when the tree is fully sized up. I ate a couple of Autumn Star this year that were promising- does have some acid to go with the sugar. It will have to be good to surpass Encore for a late though. Coralstar is a peach that seemed so wonderful when I picked the fruit from a small tree but now seems to be just another fine large fruiting variety without great distinction as picked off a full sized tree. Maybe that's what happened with TangO but I need a couple more seasons with that one. It is at least a very distinctive peach for its texture and even though I wasn't that crazy about it this year my customers go ga ga for it. Another one that seemed great from a small tree was Desiree- at least for such an early one. I will try to find room to put one where I can evaluate it as a mature tree. White peaches that I liked this year were Manon, which seems to get very high sugar and good size for such an early peach and Lady Nancy which got huge and is the best textured white I've every tasted- nice melting flesh. I loved having nectarines for most of peach season although most of the later varieties crack too much to be practical. Ambre was the exception but it's a young tree and didn't have a lot of fruit. I'm not even sure how much I like its flavor as it is a low acid type. Eastern Glo and Summer Beaut both seem almost as easy to grow as peaches and should be more widely utilized by people who want more snap than a peach is likely to provide. By the way, I think you can call the sports of Loring to be pretty much the same peach but ripening at different times. No important other difference between Jonboy and Loring that I can discern.

Since the weather guys got it wrong again and were off by nine degrees Thursday night, I'm hoping they'll be wrong again tonight and tomorrow night and that it won't really get nearly as cold as predicted! Needless to say, I'll be dragging out all of my frost covers today and covering everything for the next two nights. poncirusguy, that's what happened to most of our pears around here last year and this time, it's a peach tree I hope to protect. But trying to cover it with plastic isn't practical since I don't have covers made for anything but my citrus trees, so I'm hoping the frost cloth will help. So depending on how big your cherry and apricot trees are, I'm sure you'd benefit by trying something like what I do for my citrus trees; especially since you know it's going to happen so often. But if you get snow, as I think you might, you'd probably have to do something more for support across the top, so I'd have to think about that a bit before seriously recommending it. Okay, I came back with a thought about that--you could make a four sided frame using elbows as connectors and sized to coincide with the outer dimensions of the frame (probably a couple of inches less all the way around to allow snow to slide off around the edges) and lay it on top of the frame, securing it to the top by some means--perhaps those plastic pull tie things. Hopefully, that would provide extra support so the snow won't pull everything down or rip the covers. Again, realizing all other gardeners have to deal with in such colder climates just makes me more thankful that our issues aren't nearly so challenging. So I really admire how much you all have to do to enjoy our hobby in your frigid climates! Patty S., I want to add dwarf banana trees to the mix this year, but know they aren't going to fruit very often if I can't keep them warm through frosty weather. So IF I could figure out how to use Christmas lights under frost covers, how much of a temperature difference does that make--of course, I know that will also depend on how cold it gets. Or does anyone else have any ideas about that? Since I'm thinking about getting just two of them and getting power to them for heat won't be all that challenging, I have more options than with my citrus trees. Also, as you noted, storing the frames when not in use was a definite consideration when I designed them, as well as how easy they are to expand as the trees grow. But I might leave them up around the bigger trees, even though I know they'll be ruined by the sun over time; yet I'm sure I'll still get several years of use out of them and they'll be easy to repair/replace as needed. I hope all of you and your treasures stay warm through this next cold spell and have a great weekend! BB in FL

I think I might be the only person who hasn't added there stuff yet so here goes. I really don't like summer at all. IT's hot and muggy and I get sunburned everytime I walk out the door. Oh and did I mention it's hot. Then there's the fact that the kids are out of school and drive me completely nuts the whole time. I love'em I really do but I am so glad when fall comes and they go back to school so I can have a bit of a break. I love the fall and the winter it's my favorite time of year. I hate coffee, tea, crystal light. I like lemonade but usually only the fresh made stuff. I love absolutely love flavored hot chocolates. As for fabric I really go thru stages of what I like. Right now I am collecting reds and blues for a red white and blue quilt for my bed. bright ones, that pop, not the darker tones that go better with tans. Oh and I also love homespun plaids, or really any plaids for that matter. I would love some tan or cream on white plaids I have such a hard time finding the light plaids and I could use some for mixing with the darker. But I like pinks and blues and yellows too. Really I don't have anything I really favor, I just love what ever I am working with at the time. Oh and I am not really a novelty fabric kinda gal. I like some florals but most of what I pick out for myself is blender fabrics, like marbles or mottled. Hope all this helps my partner. I love to cook too. But simple stuff. It needs to be fast, with 3 boys I am usually hoppin trying to keep up with them and need stuff that doesn't take alot of time. We do grill out alot so grill recipes are always good. I don't do really any other crafts. I do hand quilt as well as machine. I love flowers and hostas. I like to have a garden but I don't do to hot at growing it, but my DH does so I just pick the weeds for him and he grows me the flowers. Right now we have petunias, roses, lantana, pansies, verbena, tomatoes, mums, some suculants, hostas, star gazer lily's, some day lily's, and another flower that I can't remember the name of right now but they look kinda like a gerber daisy, oh and some Vinca's on my balcony upstairs. So seeds are always good, I love trying to grow new flowers. I think that's about it. I really hope all this helps my partner put together the perfect swap gift for me. Amy