I pulled the tree out of the ground yesterday, May 2014 and the root pruning I did in 2012 and 2013 paid off big time. I dug around the tree with a pick ax and it popped right out of the ground with a nice tight root ball consisting of many tiny roots. IâÂÂve also made the decision to train this tree into a formal upright shape so the dual trunks had to go. I was very nervous about this step but it had to be done: I cut the tree in half⦠And I think it looks great! The remaining trunk has nice taper as a result of cutting off the second large branch (itâÂÂs about 6â diameter at the base and 30â tall from the top of the soil). There are no mature branches left so it will take a long time before it evens out but I think the trunk has a good start. IâÂÂm looking for any advice on where to go from here. How do I shape it? When do I re-pot it? Should I cut the trunk shorter or is it a good height? Have I screwed up completely or is the right path?

alys, I wondered the same thing. I'm also a newbie and started seeds in the pellets. I haven't transplanted but did pot up some seedlings and left the netting on. The maker of the pellets says nothing about having to remove the netting and they show seedlings being transplanted with it on. Trying to remove the netting once the roots have grown through it is more likely to tear the tender roots but the netting itself also tears easily. I had assumed that as the roots grow and get stronger they would simply tear through the netting and it would be no problem. I suspect that you may do more harm than good if you try to dig up those seedlings now to remove the netting - disturbing the newly transplanted seedlings as well as trying to remove the netting without tearing roots. You might lose more by trying to save them. As for me - I'm just taking things as they come and chalking new lessons up as a learning experience for the next crop. But whatever is done, is done and I'll just watch and see what happens, it's a new experiment! Good luck with those seedlings and report back what happened. Pat

I am new to rooting cuttings. I slowly transistioned my cuttings from 70/30 perlite /soil mix. This was my process from start to finish. Maybe you can figure out something for yourselves. 1) rooted in water or sphagnum moss 2) Put in soil mix of 70% perlite/ 30% pro-MIX soil 3) put in bins with 100% humidity 4) Once rooted to my liking, transferred to 50/50 mix of same components in 1 gal pots. 5) Put pots near North facing window out of direct light. used humidifier to raise humidity level in room to 90-100% 6) Over the course of a week, slowly lowered the humidity in room to normal levels by turning humidifier on and off at different intervals 7 Once in room for a day or two at normal levels, move to room with south facing light 8) Transfer outside to shade to acclimate outside, slowly acclimate to light I still have lost some cuttings due to poor root development. At least 2/3 have survived to this point, which is outside in shade. Good luck! I'm new to this so take it with a grain of salt.

Leave the lily stem until they die back in late fall. You can deadhead the lily but cutting the pedicels off (the small flower stalks which holds the flower to the main stem) to avoid having the lily spent energy on producing seeds. But let the main flower stem stay. Continue to water and fertilize. In late fall, after the stem is brown you can cut it back to the ground, but not before.