I don't usually trade plants, just seeds. But I'd like to get some red irises in my yard. True red, or deep red/burgundy. Ruffled or not, short and tall, I'm open. I would like to see a photo or get the name so I can look it up. If you have some available for trade, please look at the list of plants below, or let me read your wants list. I have my garden and two others I can raid if the following list is uninteresting to you. Plants I have available: Bearded iris, not ruffled, medium yellow, 24" tall. (not yellow flag, which is deeper yellow) photo available Agastache foeniculum, Anise Hyssop Agastache Honey Bee Blue Black-eyed susan Verbena Hastata Ladies Mantle A. mollis Starry False Solomon's Seal Horsetail, 18" tall, probably Equisetum hyemale or variegatum Geranium sanguineum, name unknown, fuchsia flower, forms mound 1-2 high by 2 wide. Creeping thyme Oregano Roman Chamomile (perennial) Feverfew, single and double Lily of the Valley Lamium, looks like Silver Beacon (silver leaves, pink flowers) Lamium, chartreuse Sedums, unknown, I can take photos Sedum, variegated, ~3" cutting available Hosta: Aug-Sept blooming, narrow leaved green Celandine poppy, Chelidonium species Astilbe, unknown color Siberian Iris, unknown color(s) We can negotiate what size plant/how many plants you'd like for your iris(es) And, I have many many seeds available, including heirlooom tomatoes. If you're interested in trading for seeds and some postage, I'm open to that too. Thanks for reading!

Hello! I'm growing my first crop as a Greenhouse/Nursery student this year and we do Point Trials for some breeders. Thought maybe you'd be interested in seeing some new cultivars and their progress so far, so I'm posting a link to our site. Never was much of a fan of points to be honest, but I'm having TONS of fun with this!!! I've developed a huge appreciation for them, it may not develop into a passion for me, but I am enjoying it for now. I'm also very excited to see your drive (and success!!!) to do this from home!!! Kudos you guys!!! The "Pointsettia Trials" Tab at the top of the page takes you to the list of what we have. Each cultivar has weekly photos every Friday and we will write up bios on each one here pretty soon. You can also look at completed trials from '05 and '06. Feedback is welcome! Janelle Here is a link that might be useful: SCC Greenhouse/Nursery Program

I wouldn't use any of the moisture control potting mixes for anything. I've only grown citrus in containers and used redwood in place of coconut husk chips. You want to stay away from sphagnum peat moss, at least in container grown trees, not sure about inground citrus. I've also added a neutral aquatic plant mix (almost like a gravel) to help with drainage. I've bought a couple of my trees from Four Winds and have been very happy with their plants and advice. I'm definitely a novice when it comes to citrus and there are many (most lol) on this site with a good deal more experience than me. Karyn The info below is for inground planting and was copied from the Four Wind website : Climate In general, ground-planted citrus trees are happiest in warm, temperate areas. Some varieties are much more frost-tolerant than others. For information on a specific variety, please refer to our hardiness table. Location A sunny, frost- and wind-free location with southern exposure is best. (If in doubt, leave the tree in its plastic container and place it in the spot you have in mind. Water as needed. After a week or two, you should be able to tell whether or not it's happy.) Reflected heat from sidewalks, walls, driveways, or other structures can also help to create a warmer "microclimate." Avoid lawns that get frequent, shallow waterings. Don't crowd your tree, for even though it is a dwarf, it will need room for its eight-foot ultimate size. Soil Citrus trees are famous for tolerating a wide variety of soils, including clay. However, good drainage is essential, as citrus trees can't survive standing water for long. To test your drainage, dig a hole 30" deep where you would like to place the tree. Fill with water to saturate the soil. The next day refill it with water. Your drainage is OK if the water level drops 2" in two hours. If the water does not drain, plant your tree in a raised bed or dig a deeper hole and then amend the soil as described in the following paragraph. Soils rich in humus are best. For heavy or poor soils, we recommend digging a large hole and filling it back in, half with the best of the original soil, and half with a good-quality amendment mix. Plant the root ball high to allow it room to settle over time. (The upper roots can be slightly visible.) Planting If the plant is growing in a container, gently invert the plant and container to remove the soil ball intact. Squeezing the sides of the plastic pot can help to loosen the soil and roots. After removing the plant, take note of the abundant fibrous root system. Straighten out any circling roots before planting. Cut off and remove any broken roots. Amend your planting hole as described above. Do not add fertilizer to the soil as you're backfilling your hole; however, you can apply some to the soil surface after planting. Be sure to tamp soil lightly as you go and water plant thoroughly after planting to eliminate air pockets. Finally, you should stake the tree until well-established, tying the trunk lightly to a stake while leaving room for the trunk to expand. Green plant tie is a good choice for tying trees to stakes. The best time of day to plant in summer is early morning. Try to keep the roots out of the sun as much as possible. Keep the roots moist, and water well once transplanted. In winter, time of day is not as critical. Temperatures above freezing would be advised for outdoor transplanting. You may wish to pinch off fruit and blossoms for the first year or two after a new planting, to encourage stronger root and branch development. Watering Consistency is the key with citrus watering! As with so many plants, citrus trees require soil that is moist but never soggy. How often to water will vary with soil porosity, tree size, and temperature. Allowing the top of the soil to dry slightly is OK. A simple moisture meter, available at garden supply stores, will read moisture at the root level. Take it from us -- this inexpensive tool will become your best friend! You'll never again have to guess about whether or not a plant needs water. A wilted tree that perks up within 24 hours after watering indicates the roots got too dry. Adjust watering schedule accordingly. A tree with yellow or cupped leaves, or leaves that don't look perky AFTER watering can indicate excessive watering and soggy roots. Water less frequently. Citrus prefer less frequent, deep waterings to frequent, shallow sprinklings. Creating a watering basin around the tree can aid in deep watering. As the tree grows, be sure to expand the basin as needed to keep it as wide as the spread of the branches. Deeper watering promotes deeper root growth and strengthens your tree. Generally, once-a-week watering works well for in-ground plantings. Be sure to adjust based on weather conditions! In general, it is probably best to water in the morning, but if plants are dry or wilted it is better to water them right away than wait until morning. See our watering page for more. Fertilizer Since citrus trees are heavy nitrogen feeders, make sure there is more nitrogen (N) than phosphorous (P) or potassium (K). Use at least a 2-1-1 ratio. Also important are trace minerals like iron, zinc, and manganese, so make sure those are included as well. Many all-purpose products will work. We prefer slow release fertilizers in the granular form rather than fertilizer stakes. Follow rates on the package carefully as fertilizers come in different strengths, release rates, and application schedules. Foliar applications of trace minerals in the form of kelp or other soluble fertilizers are effective on leaves when half their mature size. Yellowing leaves indicate lack of fertilizer or poor drainage. Mulches Liberal use of mulches will conserve precious water. Less water is needed as evaporation is reduced and weeds are inhibited. A 2-3 inch layer of redwood shavings, fir bark, compost, or other organic matter will help with water retention, while gravel or crushed rock will reflect heat and hasten fruit ripening. To avoid root diseases, do not allow grass to grow under the tree's canopy, and keep mulch at least six inches away from the tree trunk. Suckering Know where the graft union in on your tree. It can usually be seen as a diagonal scar between 4 and 8 inches from the soil. Remove all shoot growth below the graft. These so-called "suckers" take vitality from the top of the tree (the fruiting wood). Especially on young trees, they are very vigorous. Remove suckers as soon as they are observed. See photos. Thorns Thorns are removed from rootstocks when they are grafted. Juvenile fruiting wood will sometimes have thorns; this is a young plant's way of defending against grazing animals. As the tree matures, thorns will not appear as often. Prune off thorns if desired. Pruning Citrus may be pruned to any desired shape. Pruning is fine any time of year, except in the winter for outdoor trees. Pinching back tips of new growth is the best way to round out the trees without impacting future fruit. Citrus will look fuller with occasional pruning to shape leggy branches. Very leggy branches indicate the need for more light. Some trees may develop erratic juvenile growth above the graft. If so, prune for shape and balance. Any growth above the graft can eventually bear fruit. Pollination Citrus are self-pollinating, even indoors. Some people enjoy pollinating their trees and can do so by using a small soft brush or cotton swab to transfer pollen among the flowers. Espaliering Four Winds Dwarf Citrus can be trained to grow on trellises like vines or in more formal designs. Simply use green garden ties to hold branches in place. Beneficial Insects Not all insects are bad! Spiders, lady beetles, lacewings, and preying mantids (praying mantis) are some of the beneficial insects you may see around citrus trees outdoors. You can even buy some of these predator insects in local nurseries for release in your garden. Pest Insects Keep your tree free of ants. They will farm scales or aphids, moving them from place to place, milking their secretions, and protecting them from beneficial insects. Ant baits may be helpful. If you find harmful insects like scales, aphids, or mites, a household spray bottle of water with some mild dish soap could be all you need. If insects persist, the usual nursery treatment is a 1% solution of light horticultural oil. Learn more. Frost Even temperate locations can drop below freezing, so it's good to have a plan in mind for that eventuality. Christmas lights strung around your tree will provide some protection, as will an antitranspirant like Cloud Cover. A frost blanket, loosely draped over and around the tree, will also help. 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Great post. I'm in the NE but surprisingly I see much of the same results that you have. My growing season is a bit longer as I don't have to deal with nearly the heat and humidity that you do although my transplant date is the middle of May. In terms of your questions regarding green cherries, the two that I know of that people give favorable reviews of are: - Green Doctors/Green Doctors Frosted - Green Zebra Cherry Some other prolific cherries you could try is Matt's Wild Cherry and Mountain Magic (F1). I haven't tried Sweet Million, but have tried Sweet 100 Million with good success. Also Dr. Carolyn's is very prolific and robust. It's a little later to develop than your typical cherry so it would be interesting to see if it does well in your climate. In terms of blacks, try Indian Stripe. It supposedly has a very similar tast to CP, but is more prolific and provides fruits earlier than CP. In terms of yellows try Hugh's. In terms of reds, I've heard good things about Ramapo (F1). You could also try your hand in grafting your tomatoes to rootstock to improve soil pest resistance and possible introduce more vigor to your tomato plants. There are various opinions on GW about the validity of grafting, but I think in your environment it would be a good thing to try (if nothing else at least you could buy the "Grafting - Been there, done that." There are expensive rootstock seeds you could purchase like Beaufort, or you can purchase cheaper hybrid seeds that already have soil pest resistance genes in them like Celebrity. You could even try your hand hand at making a 'Frankensteinian" tomato-eggplant mix using the eggplant rootstock "Black Beauty" which some people swear by. If you want to learn more about grafting type in "Cary Rivard" in Youtube. Dr. Rivard has a bunch of conference seminars that were video tapped and are now on Youtube. smithmal