First of all, don't layer the mix at all, no matter what it is, no matter what tree it is. It should be mixed completely. Second, you'll see that when bonsai people talk about what they grow, they refer to them as trees, and/or whatever species they are, not as 'the bonsai', which half the time the trees are not (yet) anyhow, and which does not help to ID them either. Azaleas are one tree that need tons of acid in the mix, so if they're not in almost pure peat (how they're generally sold) big doses of acid fert. are needed, and it's mostly easier to leave them in the peaty soil they did come in, plus the usual problems of slow drainage (in that mix) won't apply as they also love lots of water... in fact the danger comes when the peat is allowed to dry out, and then it's hell to wet it again. Ditch the moss, it is fighting the tree for water. Snapping off branches BTW, is not the way to do things, and the season is wrong anyhow. There are special bonsai tools for cutting branches properly - in the right season only though, otherwise the tree will be very stressed. If your tree is going to recover, it will do so when it feels like it, but I have to say that it sounds like it's too late. Don't feel bad - store bought azaleas (unless they really are proper bonsai sold by bonsai dealers) are tweaked to bloom out of season (very early spring) which makes them difficult to use for bonsai. If you want to grow bonsai, then start doing a lot of reading (before spending!) and find a local club to join and find out what everything's about, but don't just go buying trees before you know if they're suitable for your environment (in or out) and if you have the skills and knowledge to grow them.

First of all, please, do not put this plant in full sun. Phalaenopsis orchids are lower light plants, prefering bright indirect light with perhaps a bit of morning sun. The flowering stem can be removed, to help the plant direct its energy towards new roots and leaves. If given proper culture, a new flower spike will grow at the appropriate time (which depends on the ancestry of the plant). Attached is a link to phal culture. Hope this helps, jeanne Here is a link that might be useful: Phalaenopsis Culture

Crepe myrtles bloom on new wood; this along with trying to maintain the height was probably the reasoning for the "topping" technique through the years. While this practice does not improve the crepe's attraction, it does not actually damage this plant either! I did a crepe myrtle restoration pruning to mine that were planted by the previous home owners at the entrance to my driveway. The previous owners would cut them to the ground every year treating them like a woody perennial. They would grow up to about 5 feet and full of blooms. The only trouble was it created a sight hazard pulling unto the street out of the driveway. To perform a restoration pruning to restore them back to what they really are-trees, you will need to implement a systematic program during mid to late winter (around end of January-early February before buds begin to swell). This will not be difficult. First remove all stubs and rubbing limbs the first pruning cycle. I would also pick out no more than 2 leaders coming from each "knuckle" to leave while removing the remaining sprouts. Be sure that the leaders to be left have a good attachment. During the growing season, pinch off any suckers and unwanted lateral growth. During the second winter, you should be in pretty good shape and be able to thin out the canopy to a level that is sustainable for the tree and more appealing esthetically. After this, your crepes should be pretty well good to go. Crepe myrtles are very forgiving so if you mess up in your restoration pruning, don't worry you can still cut them down to the ground (as suggested earlier) and they will come back. (You have some attractive trunk development so I would try to do the restoration pruning first rather than simply cut them down and start again though.) The bloom show on mine has not been negatively effected by my restoration pruning efforts. The flower show has just simply been raised up on the plants. Crepes are very fast growers, specially in the hotter areas of the south so based on your pictures, I would bet those guys that you have are not even 10 years old! You note that they did not bloom very well this year--Do you have any idea of the cultivar (if not how about a flower color)? Crepes like full sun, more sun exposure equals more flowers. I see a lot of towering pines that may be limiting the amount of direct sunlight on your crepes. Good luck.

I suspect the plant you have was not root pruned, but rather root "rotted", due to the poor soil. Peat based soil, which is so very common, is usually a death sentence for most any plant, especially jades. With that said, if you opt to use peat based soil as a base for your new soil, you are asking for trouble at some point, even if you amend it. Organic ingredients like peat moss decompose into smaller and smaller particles, eventually turning into silt, which will just fill in the space between the larger particles, clogging it up. So, all I can recommend on that is to make the effort to get your jade(s) into a gritty mix, because I won't point someone in the direction of an inferior soil, but if you choose to do it, just be aware of the possible consequences. As for pruning, without a picture it's hard to advise on what to cut, and each person has their own idea of what they want their jades to look like. I like to create trees out of mine, very much like bonsai. Be mindful of the tendency to be top heavy, and prune out any branches, or thin out the leaves, to prevent breaking of important stems or trunks. For support, I left a description of that in the other post that you asked me that, but in short, I use solid electrical wire to more or less tie it to the pot. Also, pay mind to the type of pot you use; I like to use pots that are heavy and wide based, to provide balance and tip over protection. Nothing is worse than coming home to find your jade(s) tipped over and the potting mix dumped out because of a wind gust. For cuttings, let the wound dry a bit and form a callus. I place the cutting into some gritty mix in a smaller pot, and support it with wires as I would a repotted jade. The wires typically stay for a year, or until solidly rooted. I have used little clear plastic containers, so I can see the root development. With the gritty mx, the worries of rot are very low, so you can water when the mix goes dry. Hopefully that addresses some of your questions, and guides you in the right direction. Joe