Jude, I'm a Fatsia fan, but can't locate one..in fact, haven't seen any for sale in years. Though I have it's cousin, at least I think they're related, Fatshedera.. It's true Fatsias do NOT like heat. Hot, dry air leads to mites. Can you set outside? Is your house ac'd? If so, the air should be cool enough to get by, plus you can set a humidity tray underneath. I'd also mist leaves, and hose down once a week. One thing I like about Fatsia, with care, they'll grow into trees..I've seen pics of 6' tall, Fatsias..just gorgeous. I'm talking indoors, don't know how big they grow outside. Soil should dry a little between waterings, bright light to full sun, humidity, and feedings during growing season. In winter they pretty much go dormant. So, reduce watering and withhold feeding. Did you get the green or variegated? Toni

Thank you for all the excellent thoughts all, and sorry to disappear; I didn't realize the thread had grown so! The insufficient sun query is an interesting thought; up until a month ago, we had a MONSTROUS tree in the yard (which is very small) which certainly affected the sun in the garden area. We had it removed after it threw two giant limbs at our house in a one month span. It hasn't really been long enough to see what sort of an impact that will have and the black spot was already well established at that point, but I hadn't thought of that. I do like the idea of replacing a couple of the more damaged plants with modern varieties and seeing how they fare next year. Combined with the added sun, I'm sort of excited to see what sort of a difference it makes. In the last week, most of the plants have shot forth new flowers, which was pretty unexpected- they went from bare to bud to flower seemingly overnight. The humidity has been MUCH lower and the whole garden seems to be breathing a sigh of relief. I may see if I can get some pictures before the flowers fade. Thank you for all the guidance. I'll keep checking in and I'm sure I'll be back with more questions!

Hi Moonie, Here is the link to my root pruning... I sure hope this helps... Your tree is looking great to all of us Plumeria Lovers!!! Some of mine are so ugly, they are "cute.." : ) I have one tree "Pele" that looks like it went through a nuclear meltdown when the temps were Ahhh... very hot in the greenhouse last year.. Won't mention any names.. Cough, cough... He is still in the dog house for that one.. : ) I now have the temps under control.. This was the only one that looks bad.. So, your tree looks great to me too! : ) You are so right about our temps here.. We can have cool temps and then extreme heat. That is why you need to be careful to acclimate your trees in the spring. It sounds like you have a great handle on yours!! Good Luck and keep us posted!! Rachel, You are so kind to say.... Thank you!!! So nice to say those comments. I am still learning. We will always continue to search for all of the answers.. and hopefully apply what we learn and see the "rewards" from our beloved trees and plants. They tell us if we are doing a good job!! : ) Just remember its the learning climb to the top to get us to where we want to be.. I hope it takes me a long time to get there.. I always want to be on the climb up and keep learning... I hope everyone has a wonderful evening!!! Laura Here is a link that might be useful: Taking A Bare Rooted Tree....

I make zucchini caponata (zucchini cubes, fresh tomatoes, celery, bell peppers, onion, sliced black olives, capers, basil...), but eggplant is more common, and eat it with wedges of pita bread. It's one of my mid-summer garden delights! I like it for lunch (with pita bread and a wedge of good cheese), but it can also be served as an appetizer (crackers or small wedges of pita bread) or a side dish with fish. Caponata isn't "one" thing and there are many recipes using a long list of ingredients. -Grainlady