Well, spent till dark fighting the good fight. Digging away, hand spade by hand spade. Each shovel was looked thru on a big white plastic bag. Where there is one there are always two.. probably more. All dirt was moved into a bucket. I'm going to keep doing this till I have done this bed. I'm going to remove what plants I can and rinse the roots. I know I can't get them from in the stand of tall iris, and I don't want to damage my Maple tree, as I grew it from a seed and it is almost my height now. I am going to try and screen the soil best I can and re-fill w/ this and garden soil. It's at least worth a shot. Mad_Gallica, I totally agree that knowing what it is doesn't help! I can't believe that it has been up your way for that long. I have never, ever seen it before, yet I have been told on many occasions I am extremely observant of things. I have begun to see it everywhere now. My method last year: long, thick screwdrivers, used to get between perennial roots and deep under the stands of bulbs. I'd pry a bit and then get my gloved hand underneath somehow and discard the whole lot filled with bulbs. Needless to say I have lots of low spots now. Oh, and I lost several screwdrivers that way too. LOL! Borrowed my moms metal detector twice to try and find 'em. Unsuccessfully, BTW. I just told Dear Boyfriend that they would turn up come fall or winter! PFT! I'll have to look into adding an asparagus fork to the arsenal. Camp, I'd stay clear of these for sure. So many better choices out there. Catspa, how did you find the reference to the 1935 thing? Was it somehow on that site? I know, it's sad to see escapees like that. I don't envy your plight either. I've been hesitant to dispose of these things myself. I imagine a landfill topped with fields of Pinelllia! But honestly, I see no other way than to bag them up in recycled grocery bags (always check for holes in the bag first!!) and send them to the city dump. I keep reading they regenerate from rhizomes, too, and root systems, but I think it is the bulbs only. I try and not leave any roots behind, but they are short and don't break too easily. Either way, I'm afraid of squashing them and trying to compost. No Way!! They are so prolific I can only imagine every squashed bulb producing multiple, mutant squash-up shaped new bulbs. SHUDDER! I only gave away one tub of Black eyed susans last year to the across the street neighbor, for fear of spreading them. I took hers from a "safe" spot and tried to go thru the roots for signs of it. Before I gave them to her I called her over to point out the nasty stuff and give her the run down to be extra careful if she sees anything like it pop up near the BES's. My due diligence, I guess. Best I could do.

Hi Plllog! "That is, I know it's possible, but might not be in your budget." See, there's the crux of it. This little beverage center idea of mine was not in the original budget. (Nor, alas, were new drywall in the livingroom and halls, the gorgeous walnut top on my used cabinet island, the matching gorgeous top that will soon be on the new media cabinet and the near full gut of the bathroom.) And we're still determined to get through remodeling our ugly duckling without taking out a loan or dipping into savings. Conventional wisdom says: Wait until the coffers are full again but that's so hard to do. First off, I'm a cheapskate. Even if the goose who laid the golden egg waddled up onto my deck and built a nest, I'm not sure I would willingly pay someone to mess up the walls I just paid to fix. Second, I'm not quite cheap enough. My new kitchen is starting to look pretty good but, gosh, it would look so much better if the microwave and coffee maker didn't take up so much room on that one counter. I'm willing to spend a little bit more to change that, especially since I'm going to have a piece of countertop leftover that should be just the right size. Still, it's nice to know that it's possible. Maybe when the coffers ARE full again I'll put a tile counter outside on my deck to shade the golden goose should she happen to wander by ;) Thanks for your help!

I agree. The soil has likely broken down and compacted around the roots. The plant is not getting any water because the roots have died. When you repot, use at least 50/50 mix with perlite or grit with fresh soil, preferably a cactus and succulent soil. The soil around the jade looks like it is pulling away from the side. If that is the case it may have gotten too hard and will no longer absorb water. This happens with peat based soils. Try to remove all of it from the roots.

but can't find it.... just wanted to let those who live in South Florida there is a rose show at the Mounts Botanical garden the 29th and 30th. It is free to enter and to go. There is also a plant sale the same weekend, There is cost for that... but people should enter there roses and.or go. It is nice to see others who enjoy our passion.