IMHO, I would trim the largest limb on the left. The limb is too long in proportion to the rest of the tree and it does not benefit the tree. In addition, check to see how much sunlight you are getting in this spot. Since I see ferns at the foot of this fig I am inclined to wonder if this tree is gangly because it is not receiving enough light. Depending on your location you may want to consider moving this fig to a better position. Yadda out.

Interesting questions, Laurette. Too tired tonight to really follow up, but I'll try to toss in a couple of the simpler things, from my perspective. I'd like to keep this going, though. Critters are a problem for gardeners, but I suspect that they are more crucial problems for native species because of the land-use issues you mention. Both these plants and these animals are going through major adjustments. The points I can address tonite........ First, it always depends on the animal. And on the 'environment' that animal is adapted to. Yes, when food is abundant, there is less damage to our treasured plants.... Unless one of them is particularly tasty to a particular animal. Then, it's just fate [wry grin]. Often, less damage in established plants. Could be newness. But most established perennials also are chewier, tougher, stringier and often more toxic than the new growth. Newness, turned beds, etc, is an absolute heads-up for squirrels and birds anytime, and for groundhogs in early spring. Rabbits don't seem to care, nor do raccoons. Groundhogs don't care later. I have no garden experience with deer, but from their general feeding patterns, I would suspect that anything vaguely resembling a new shoot would be a magnet for them. Again, later in the season, they would probably be better fed and less selective. [quote] I would also guess that less crowded and less domestic areas (more native species overall in the mile or so circumference and less foreign species) get less problems than an area that is split up two acre squares of foreign grass and a couple native flowers. But all this is guesses. [unquote] Very complicated. Broad overview, you may be correct. But in specifics........... We are in an old small-city neighborhood, within a mile of a small river. We have established animal colonies/nests galore. But we have also had great luck in growing natives, including endangered natives. Sounds unlikely, but when you use the term 'food source' re animals, you need to include all of them. Lettuce patches, garbage cans, clover and other edibles in lawns, windfalls from fruit trees, garbage cans, half-finished snacks from students walking by, garbage cans...... Our actual plantings may suffer less damage, even in stressed times, than do those in more 'natural' areas. Linda

WL, "Any special tips for catching them?" Just don't handle them. It is my understanding that armadillos can carry Leprosy. For that reason, and safety in general, any live catch traps should have protection for your hand at the carrying handle. I suspect that the NWS5300 Universal Trap with built-in nose cone trap would be suitable for armadillos. However, several other traps, like the Wickencamp Coon Trap (Model 302) or the Safeguard Pro Raccoon Trap, are suitable for armadillos. For traps with a rollover release, you should anchor the trap to prevent the captured animal from rolling the trap over and escaping. I lost several large gray squirrels before learning to attach an anti-rollover bar (a short piece of concrete re-bar) to my Havahart traps. If you are trying to catch an armadillo, you might want to use TreeBerry paste bait. If you prefer not to use a live trap, you could try a repellent like Whole Control. I have never used it, so I can't attest to its effectiveness. If all else fails, you could always try "the old reliable" Juicy Fruit gum. (grin) MM

Just a question for you folks ... how much detergent are you using? I'm surprised to read about the deposits and the residue etc. Basically, if even a mild acid is required each time you use the DW, it seems to me that perhaps that acid is having to wash away the soap. DW soap is formulated to be very strong and these new efficient dishwashers don't use much of it at all. In my Bosch DW, in 3.5 years, I've never needed to worry about deposits and residue etc. And it gets my dishes sparklingly clean. When I had the powders, I was using a bit less than 1 teaspoon-full. I'm using the Miele tabs now and I use half a tab in each go. It always looks little but it more than adequately does the job. My dishes come out very VERY clean and very sparkly - no residue no dullness whatsoever. So that quantity is clearly sufficient. Not to say that Lemi-shine isn't wonderful. Certainly, water conditions etc. will have an impact so my experiences won't be the same as yours but I thought I'd just mention about watching the qty of soap.