Most were repotted last year. The tea plant is in a 9x9x9 pot, it stands 7 or 8 inches high, but it has only one stem, no other shoots. The coffee plants are in a 7 1/2 inch x 7 1/2 inch pot, but there are small stems next to the main stem. I found no ball at the end of any of them, but I have to say by the way the roots look brown and easy to pull away, I think they are dead. The stick sticking out of the dirt didn't turn black and break off, but it's just sitting there in the dirt. I found a bug about 1/3 of an inch that looked like a pale version of a rolly polly bug. Don't know the name of it, but could it have killed the plants? I didn't find anything else living in any of them, just one bug. All seemed dry even though I soaked them earlier today, what makes a plant drink water like that?

Put the coffee grounds down whenever you have them. I don't find them partucularly effective as a pest control but they do add organic matter and feed the plants. When to use compost tea, or Neem, depends. What are you using the stuff for? Compost tea to keep fungi at bay can be sprayed anytime, except during the heat of the day. Neem oil used for pest control is best sprayed when the target insect is present, Neem oil sprayed for fungi control is the same as compost tea. But be sure your soil is well amended with organic matter and is well balanced with nutrients so your plants grow strong and healthy and you won't need the rest of the stuff since the plants will simply not get bothered by most pests or diseases.

Caryscott, when I make tea in a mug at home, I have a tea infuser that sits in the cup and fills almost the whole mug. It is similar to the Bodum YoYo, but a different brand. It allows the leaves to float around freely and brew with the water like they would in a pot. They aren't squished together as in a tea bag or small infuser ball. The results are the same as when I brew in a pot and I don't see any reason to have a separate vessel when I'm only going to drink one mug. My husband even made a tea cozy for my mug so that it can keep very hot while brewing on a chilly morning. Mtnrd and nutherokie - I agree about the serving of coffee tainted water for tea! I'm at hotels for meetings at least once a month and so many of them do that. Occasionally, the water is even slightly brown. Most of the time, it is clear but has a distinct stale coffee odor. Yech!

Carol its easily -50 windchill just a few miles from you! LOL I am speaking in my direction! Thermometer is reading -14 right now and the wind is blowing harder than it has all day! DH's wind gauge is showing steady 45mph most of the time. How much snow do you have over there? I thought the very eastern part of the state wasn't supposed to get this, but I saw Fargo on the national news tonight, looked worse there. Bismarck area had 11.5 inches at 6 am this morning. I know we haven't got near that (thank goodness) only maybe 6??? Thats a guess, its too blame hard to tell! We have a drift waist high in front of the house. Shoveled 3 times for the dogs so far, betcha its gotta be done once more before bed.