When you water, are you giving the plant just enough to moisten the soil, or are you flushing the soil thoroughly? The later insures the soil gets flushed of accumulating salts, something that increases in importance if the fertilizer you're using isn't the same ratio as that at which the plant actually uses the nutrients. The former ensures that all the salts from the unused fraction of fertilizer and the salts from tap water remain in your soil. As these salts build, it becomes more and more difficult for the plant to take up water. The plant's response to a lack of water is to shed parts (leaves and branches) to reduce the demand for water. Unfortunately, the response to over-watering, under-watering, and a high concentration of salts in the soil are the same, so to determine what the actual cause is, you might need to go through the process of elimination. Alternately, you could review the link below, which will go a long way toward helping you identify and eliminate those things that are limiting your plant's vitality and appearance. If you put into practice the things you read at the link, you'll discover that maintaining healthy plants just got a LOT easier. A huge % of the issues people come here seeking resolution for are directly related to that triangle formed by soil choice, watering habits, and the ability to maintain an appropriate level of each of the nutrients in the soil solution and available for uptake. Al

I haven't read all the responses but after reading Marian/Lovelyiris' post and ending up with tears in my eyes, I had to respond. I want to Ditto practically everything Marian/LovelyIris said. Especially the part about being older than the norm for a newbie who got bitten by the Brug Bug much later in life. Also the part about memory not being as good as it once was. But mostly I want to Ditto her feelings about the people here, on the Brug Forum. The people who post here on a regular or semi-regular basis, who give of their time freely, give of their very sound advice freely and offer cuttings for the mere cost of postage, really warms my heart. Ya see, at my age I've seen some pretty ugly things that humanity does to humanity, pretty much on a daily basis. Then while looking for information on my precious Brug I find this site and wow.....talk about reinstilling my faith in humanity, you've all done it ten-fold! I just want to make sure that all you regulars/semi-regulars know how much you are appreciated. Your love of Brugs, of Mother Nature in general ie: other plants, pets, the outdoors, etc. tells me I'm getting to know a spectacular group here....the pinnacle of great people here. As I told Marian in an email earlier today, I wish I had more than my white-to-yellowish Brug (I still haven't found out it's name) to offer cuttings to all of you, if just to thank you all for the wonderful information re; Brugs that you have shared with me through all your posts/responses. Although I told myself no more Ebay unless it was holiday gift related, I won 3 thick rooted stalks of Versicolor Peach and I'm proud to report they are all doing wonderfully! It's not a unique Brug for all you Brug pros but I had to start somewhere. LOL I am hoping that by this time next year I can come here and offer all of you who have been so kind a cutting or two...that's my hope. And to all you enablers out there...yes, you. You know who you are! For the last 9 days straight, practically my whole back yard has been uprooted! Yes, mud, rocks, trunks, empty clay pots, roots, pruning pieces, bags and bags of opened and unopened planting soils and amendments and you name it is all over my back yard...hardly can take a step without stepping into or onto one of the above mines. Why? I wanted to condense what I had in the way of plants to make room for what else? More Brugs, of course! I won't order any more Brugs until I have the areas perfectly cleared out and my other plants in new homes around the grounds but let it be known, after the holidays I'm going to be a Brug-Buyin' Fool! And it's all your fault...You know who you are! *evil grin* Anyway, speaking of ramblin on (Mike? LOL I do it too!), I just wanted to say a Big Thank You to all of you who have posted your links, pictures, advice and your daily antics and funnies of life. My days are much nicer now because of all of you. Amity What once was an 12 ft. Nandina in the ground is now an 8 ft. Nandina uprooted and put in it's own pot. Why? So that the area where the Nandina was, can be used for.... More brugs! LOL

Suzie, You never know, she might get a thundersnow storm. We've had a lot of them in recent years. I grew up in Texas just about 80 or 85 miles south of where we now live in Oklahoma, but I'd never even heard of thundersnow until we moved here. I won't say we have thundersnow here at our house every year that snow falls, but probably about every other year. We had it last year, and we've already had it this year. Jim Cantore was very entertaining the other night. I'm sure a lot of that is part of the "show" he puts on for the camera, but I also think he was shocked to see thundersnow that far north. The other weather phenomenon we have here that I don't remember having in Texas is derecho winds. The first one we experienced here came during the night with 60 mph winds and hit the house so suddenly and so hard while we were sleeping that we thought a semi-truck or an airplane had hit the house. I also had about 20 flats of plants on the screened-in porch (so it must have been April) and we had to run out and bring them all into the house because the temperature plunged probably 30 degrees in 10 minutes when the derecho wind hit the house. I think we've experienced 3 or 4 severe derecho wind storms at our house since then. The one I remember best, the local met on the TV news at noon told us it was coming and told us if we went outside 5 or 10 minutes before it was due to hit our area, we'd hear it coming like a "mighty rush of wind". Of course, Tim and I went outside 10 minutes before it was s supposed to hit and went down to the road so we'd have a clear view of it coming by looking up the roadway (too many trees around our house). Sure enough, a few minutes later it came roaring towards us like a freight train (we could hear it for a minute or more before we could see the blowing of the vegetation begin) and we went from clear skies to dark grey ones in about a minute as the wind blew through and the temperatures plunged. The other one I remember was a severe derecho squall line with multiple bow echoes accompanied by tons of lightning. This time, the TV met kept cutting into regular programming to warn that anyone working outside needed to get inside by a certain time. Our barn-style detached garage was being built then, and the buys working on it were welding steel beams together. I talked with them about the weather and convinced them to heed the warnings, get down off the structure, put up all their tools and head home. They literally were driving down the driveway when the derecho hit here and the first raindrops started falling, and we sure did have lightning! I was glad they weren't up on that metal framing when it hit. You've got to admit, Oklahoma's weather is never, ever dull. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: Facts About Derecho Windstorms

very interesting points brought up again :) There are various forms of Feng Shui. Some that are more literal then others. Kate, I agree with you, coming in and knocking down homes as they have...I personally do not agree with that. Feng Shui is about respecting the land, not disturbing it, as it seems they have. Many of the changes that would be suggested to those who hire a "expert Feng Shui consultant" will come from that consultants perspective. So, if they see extreme changes need to happen, that is what they will suggest. If your consultant says we can work around this situation...then that is how they will approach the issue. The red envelope, that has a lot to do with your intention of why your addressing it. Traditionally it is to increase wealth. To help increase your finances means you have to act on your intention as well. Many times people think I just have to place this object over here and that will solve everything :) Remember, Feng Shui is 80% intention, why you are making changes and what it is your looking to achieve from those changes. 20% is taking action to make those changes happen. The red envelope cure says to place 3 like coins inside and put the envelope in your "wealth" section according to the Bagua Theory of Feng Shui. The location will be in the furthest back left hand corner of your entire home from your front entrance, looking inward into your home. As you place it there, think to yourself, why do I want to increase my wealth, is it to simply have enough money to pay my bills, maybe go on a trip...it can be anything. xc60, I like the way you think :) yes having a four is not recommended by the Chinese culture, but utilizing your numerology skills and seeing that everything adds up to 8, very lucky, as well as 9 :) Feng Shui is based on your own personal belief, if you feel it does not work for you, that is fine :) If it is not Feng Shui, perhaps you have another cultural belief system you choose to follow. It is recommended to find something that you belief in and that helps keep you grounded and happy :) Here is a link that might be useful: Feng Shui Manhattan New York