Not sure it this is good or bad news...but mine is growing fast. I was given what was told me, a Rose of Sharon also called Hibiscus that was trained (purned) into a tree. Was not nursery breed or bought this way. Have had it (started out much smaller like a tall twig) for about 7 yrs and it always comes to life about now. It's just now sprouting tiny leaves. Got no idea what kind it is. Has 3 to 4" blooms, sorta deep pink. Don't have pic of blooms....sorry. But here's a couple pics I just took so you can see form of plant and current growth. It was dark, so pics aren't great. I'm in 7B, in VA on coastline of Chesapeake Bay (near Va Beach/Williamsburg if that helps). Had unseasonably warm winter and now a cold snap coming thru.

Tantanman is correct, no citrus has "antibiotic" qualities. Citric acid, being very acid by nature, has some degree of bacteriostatic/bateriocidal qualities, but it is not an antibiotic by any stretch. And, you appear to be married to a very smart lady :-) One of the reasons why this book is complete hogwash astutely pointed out by your wife. Now, that being said, citrus continually are falling into the "superfood" category, and I am a firm believer in eating all those superfoods every day if possible. A short (but certainly not exhaustive) list of those foods would be: Citrus Coffee (yup) Berries (blueberry, raspberry, blackberries, lingonberries, marionberries, Goji berries, etc.) Onions Garlic Cruciferous veggies (broccoli, rabe, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, etc.) Nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc. if you're not allergic. Peanuts are not nuts, btw, they are legumes) Beans (especially black beans) Grapes (black & red, skin included) Red Wine (for above reasons) Hemp seed/Quinoa/Chia seeds Kale Cacao (very dark chocolate) Pomegranates Avocados Tomatoes Olive Oil So, incorporate all these foods into your diet on a daily/weekly basis, along with lots of water and you'll be doing yourself a great health service. Patty S.

The more sun exposure you give to immature blooms, the faster they will turn white. If you want to extend the life of the greens, provide more shade. My LL blooms are still greens in bright shade; they first opened in mid June. LL originated from Limelight so you would expect the bloom colors to be, eh, about the same, adjusted if one bloomed earlier than the other.

When the flower buds open, they look like little broccoli heads. Since this is a newly planted hydrangea whose root system is not established yet and it was planted in the middle of the summer, it is hard to predict. Keep the soil as evenly moist as you can to a depth of 8". Water early in the mornings (6-8am) from the base outwards in all directions. Insert a finger in several watered spots after a while. If the soil feels dry, use more water. A staring amount might be 1.5 to 2 gallons per plant per watering. Maintain mulch 2-4" (but no rocks) in order to limit soil moisture loss. I would expect to see some wilting episodes but as long as the soil is evenly moist, they should appear perky in the morning. If not, there was not enough water so water them right away. If the broccoli heads or flowers begin to brown out, the plant is aborting the flower for lack of enough water, excessive temperatures, too much sunlight, very windy conditions, etc. If that happens, make sure you are watering enough, the plant has enough mulch and water when the soil feels dry at a depth of 4" (that is where hydrangea roots usually are). I use outside chairs, umbrellas, cardboard, etc to provide temporary respite from afternoon/evening sun in Year 1.