Yes, I've got quite a few Japanese plums, all relatively young. My Superior (big fruit set) and Satsuma (no fruit set) both had a lot of blossoms this year, though they were almost done by the time the Toka started. I also have one year old AU Rosa and AU Producer (labels were both on one of the two when I got them, so hopefully I'll find out soon which is which when I get fruit). One of the AU was blooming at the same time as Toka (almost perfect overlap). My newly planted Lavinia (very nice tree from Cummins) also had a single bloom. Neither of the last two set any, so all I've got for plums this year is Superior and Toka. A lot of the row in the above picture is also Euro plums, all planted this spring. At the top of the pic, you can see a huge pile of woodchips, waiting for me to spread in other parts of the yard. Here's a pic of Superior, which I probably should have thinned more heavily. In the background are some of the weeds the mulch would have prevented...

Hey, Liz. About 35% is the default level of humidity I have in my basement light room, even with two humidifiers going and the door shut. I can get it above that for a few hours by splashing water all over the concrete floor. That raises it, but only for a while. So you're doing really well to have it at 40% default, IMO. And it's probably enough. I've read that if you place the MH about 12-18" apart, there's an overlap area between them of quite good light. But sheesh! They are very hottt. Do you put your catts outside in summer, or grow under the lights year round? And can you supplement with sun from a window? You may not need the second light for blooms if you can provide some sun in a window or outdoors. A lot of winter-blooming catts set their sheaths outdoors in fall, then develop them as the days lengthen in spring. On the other hand, a new light means you just have to buy more plants for the new space, so that's good, too :P

Thanks for your support - it's nice to know there are other "nippers" out there and I'm not the only mean old nippstress! And it's good to hear of the flip side, Jaxondel, about why a bloom or two here and there may be a good thing. Nearly all my bands from Vintage and Rogue Valley this year came with buds or blooms on them, and I do admit to pinching off all but one of them to see the blooms. Not that either of those vendors has ever sent a wrong rose, but it's nice to see the blooms in real life. Rene - nice to know you appreciate my little whine. I appreciate the official permission from Kim and MIchael to let the occasional bloom sneak by without too much guilt. With all those roses it's bound to happen anyway, so I might as well enjoy it when I slip up. Still, I expect all the rest of you rose nippsters and nippstresses to be out there being ruthless and singing that ol' Monkees (or Smashmouth) song - yeah, I'm a Believer!! That is, when I'm not swayed into other songs by rose tags ...ahhh-I found mah thrilllllll..... Cynthia

Thank you all for the words of encouragement! I needed this reward after all the trouble with the bulb fly. This past fall I took every bulb I have (this is my original eight purchased bulbs and hundreds of seedlings) and washed the soil off completely. I separated each bulb so they were all singles and inspected them and soaked them in huge buckets of water with bleach to try to kill any bulb flies that might have gotten in during the summer outside. This was backbreaking work and took the whole day. I repotted every one of them and still found the maggots in some containers during the winter and an adult NBF on the windowsill in January. I mean I looked carefully at each bulb with the roots completely cleaned and didn't see anything that looked like a hole. Either the larva are microscopically small (and not killed by a soak in bleach water) or it was in the bags of potting soil I re-potted them with. I've read about the hot water treatment, but it's just not feasible for this many bulbs. I may never take them outside again. It's just too much work going through all that plus the lugging all those pots in and out. Anyway - thanks again and I'll post the next ones that bloom in the next few weeks. Jackie