First get a book on bonsai and read it. Your tree may well be a ficus, there are many types. If it is, it is one of the few bonsai you can keep inside and should be kept inside when the nights start going below 50 degrees. If your tree is a store bought bonsai you will need to change the soil first thing. If the surface of the soil is hard water can't get through it. Everyone has their favorite bonsai soil so check this forum for one you can make. Good luck and enjoy. Zack

> I've had one Hoya from the big box store that has been a breeze to care for, although it has never bloomed. Let me guess. Hoya Carnosa? :-) The most popular one by far, but relatively stingy with blooms. Sources I've seen say it needs good light and needs to be around 3 years of age before it blooms. Mine has lived with me for just over 2 years, but soggy soil and lack of light for a while set it back, I suspect. Now that both those things have been corrected, it is shooting a long shoot pretty fast, so I am glad things are moving. I do not expect flowers for a couple more years though. > If I get fluorescent tubes, what kind should I get, how many, how close to the plants? T5 high output fluorescent fixtures are pretty much the thing for fluorescents. There is a LOT of debate about other lamp types MAYBE being better, with some people religiously defending some types (LEDs primarily). LEDs are more expensive and relatively new, so I went with the tried and true T5HOs. The top fixture in the picture is four 4-foot long bulbs. The bottom picture is 2 bulbs, but that was only because of the depth constraints of the shelf unit, otherwise I would have gotten another 4-bulb one. I've gotten a TON of new growth with these lights. Things are growing even now in the winter, which is really nice, 'cause I need the entertainment. I recommend this kind of setup, no comparison with results on my shady window sills. > What varieties would be scented but also good for a novice Hoya grower? Check out this list: http://srqhoyas.com/GUIDELINES. Denise mentioned this site, and I've bought cuttings from her (Joni) and am extremely satisfied. I bought 12 cuttings first, then 18 more. 100% of them are alive. You can buy cuttings by name, or you can buy cheaper "bundles" (http://srqhoyas.com/CUTTINGS/BUNDLES), and in the comments specify roughly what kinds you'd like. > Any yellow or orange blossomed ones? I thought I might even try to get one scented, one yellow or orange. See if Joni can take these instructions - or choose from her pictures if you definitely want to have particular hoya kinds. I've bought several cuttings from Denise as well. Denise, they are all doing fine, by the way - australis ssp australis is full of roots but lacunosa is definitely taking its sweet time just like you warned me. It looks great above ground though, so I am not worried. > can Hoyas ship in the winter or should I wait to purchase in the spring? You should mention in your profile which agricultural zone you are in. It's helpful in replying to questions like this one and also to understand people's comments in context of their plant culture. Hoyas have different temperature tolerances, but I would not subject them to under-50 temps in shipping if I could help it. Joni and other sellers can include a heat pack, but that is not a guarantee. I'd wait till spring or consult the seller you are considering. This post was edited by greentoe357 on Fri, Jan 3, 14 at 12:24

No question about it - the best starter kit you could buy him would be a book on soil science and one on basic botany. Those two topics constitute the major bump in the road every budding bonsai artist runs into and few get by. Without a working knowledge of these topics, the frustration inherent in the inability to keep your trees alive/healthy enough to work on leaves the grower feeling unrewarded for his efforts. Al

In all honesty, full sun is best for many veggies, especially in zone 5. Part sun varies from 2 hours or so to over 6 hours. For many heat-loving veggies, the more, the better. For things like tomatoes and peppers, you will want at least 6 hours of mid-day sun since early morning and evening sun are less intense since they are filtered by the atmosphere. Leafy greens are much more tolerant of a bit of shade, but I haven't ever tried growing in part shade, having always had full sun available. Hopefully others will weigh in. Choosing types bred for our shorter, cooler season is helpful, and the farther north from Boston you are, the shorter the season tends to be, especially further from the shore and at higher elevations. For instance in my location, just north of Concord, NH, I have found just two varieties of peppers that grow really well, one bell (Ace) and one mildly hot (Hungarian Wax). So I plant those every year since I know that they will deliver a great crop regardless of heat or cool temperatures. I may plant another type or two, but I don't count on them. I usually plant the shortest days to maturity type of cherry tomato I can find since then I will have some most years by mid-July. I don't know if you are planning to start from seed or buy plants. Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, etc.) are best started from seed and planted in succession with a new row or two planted every couple of weeks since they tend to go to flowering and get bitter when they get older (called bolting.) I would suggest that if you will grow tomatoes (if you have enough sun) that you buy plants of a few different types to see which you like best and which do well in your location. Some general advice: If you get down to soil with the upcoming warm weather, now is the ideal time to send in a soil sample since you will get back the results sooner. I usually lightly mulch the ground between my rows or plants to reduce weeds, but I also keep a stirrup hoe out in the garden to remove weeds quickly before they get large. Be sure to have an available water source so you can water as needed.