I do not always have access to pumice so I mix it up with whatever grit I have hanging around. Expanded shale. , washed 1/4 Decomposed granite , course red lava sand, perlite. I am not anal retentive. I am more of the "what's in the frig" kind of gardener. I do not know if you are in Florida, California or Texas. The quantities will be important to your location and how humid you are. I know Floridians who grow in 100% grit, and inland Californians who use more humous in the mix. Its a mixed bag here in Texas as U sit under the remnant of Hurricane Harvey who might be leaving 20" on me. I have also gone all summer often without summer moisture. Not this year.

Bestyears, I commend you for doing what you can to open your mind to the possibilities, going along with your daughter to the initial meetings and for seeking more information. You are trying to do what's best for your daughter and clearly you are struggling with *how much* support is appropriate. I am not a parent but I do know that the transitional years between teen/child and adulthood are tricky for all-- and there's no single right answer or approach. What I do know is that your love, support and guidance are more valuable than anything else you can provide-- including money-- your daughter is blessed to have you with her as she moves towards her adult life. I don't have any experience with modeling-- though I have a few friends who have done "light" modeling in regional catalogs, etc and one friend who did runway modeling in NYC and in Europe long before I knew her. FWIW, she also has a stunning education with a PhD from an ivy league school (which I believe she pursued after modeling but I am not sure). From your description of your daughter, she appears to be mindful and committed to her health and diet-- this is a great foundation. We're all aware of the issues with eating disorders and unhealthy weights in the modeling industry but at least it's no longer a "dirty little secret". I would continue to praise her healthy eating and support her in continuing to develop the confidence and resolve to know who she is and what is health for her. This is the best way to combat the challenges she may face regarding weight and diet. This same self awareness will guide her too to know what type of modeling will best suit her. There are many kinds of modeling and each comes with a different lifestyle. Which best suits her personality? Is she a careful planner or is she excited by spontaneous opportunity? Would she be excited by the prospect of packing up and flying out to a shoot across the country with little notice or would she be more comfortable with a shoot schedule a month in advance? Is she fiercely independent and self-motivated or does she most thrive with the support of friends and family near her? Once she knows (and perhaps she already does) which type of modeling she wants to pursue, she can make good decisions about how to proceed. it will help her to choose an agency and determine where and how college fits in. I would view each agency very critically. Is it realistic to consider modeling and college at the same time? I can't really say but I'd sure ask hard, driving questions of the agency that suggests she can. Are they looking to (and able to) offer her big time runway modeling opportunities, national agency shoots or are they looking to fill their stables with pretty faces for regional catalogs. What's their track record? How these agencies respond to the questions will give you and your daughter a better idea of her potential and which agency can give her the best opportunity to make it happen. No matter what career we choose, there are risks and opportunities. The best thing you can do is to help your daughter look at her options clearly, realistically and from all perspectives... and to be flexible enough to move on to a plan B or C (or D!) as time and opportunities evolve. Best wishes for all of you at this exciting time!

I bought one of these beauties last year. I had repotted it into a larger pot and grown it in full sunlight. It was growing great up until my cat decided to get frisky with it and snapped the trunk off right at the graft. I tried rescuing it, but there wasn't much I could do. The root stock tried sprouting, but I decided not to keep it. I waited a full year for the garden center to get some more back in stock and I just bought one today. I almost gave up hope on my garden center getting some more of them in this year. But this time they had more to choose from, seeing as they had just gotten them in yesterday. Last year, they only had three left. One of which was this variety. I probably looked a little silly standing out in the rain sorting thru each and every one of them, haha. But after waiting for this long, I wanted the best one that I could find. Since I had almost given up hope, I looked elsewhere for some more Japanese maples. I came across a garden center at a local grocery store that had bigger maples that were almost as tall as me. They were only $20, too. So I had bought a real beautiful one called Acer palmatum 'Shirazz." It's a similar red laceleaf, but it's a brighter and variegated. The trunk had a red plastic "patented" tag on it. I quite look forward to growing both of these beauties in my garden. :)

Just saw a bunch of these during a couple days on the western edge of the Big Thicket and don't believe one of them was growing straight... suspect it's an odd tendency they have. Even the ones in the linked photos are leaning a bit. Sorry no personal experience with them, but don't recall many with busted limbs or uprooted in the forest. A relatively uncommon yard tree in Dallas. The only one I know of in our immediate neighborhood is probably about 50+ years old and, though a beautiful tree, also has a pronounced tilt to the left. Might find more experience with these on the GW tree forum.