Bonjour Lucy, and thank you for your reply. Indeed, catalpa grow in southern Quebec. I have a big one in my backyard; I wintersowed my "babies" from it's seeds, in 2007. I don't know how well catalpa would do farther north, though. Malinche is a spanish word, but I have been able to find no translation in either french or English. It is a beautiful flowering tree, the seeds came from Cuba...I was very lucky, as they germinated last May. Do you think, that if I was able to successfully grow one as a bonsai, it could one day flower? I read your reply this AM to Redthumb, and realized that some of my q's were answered there. I will look up the sites you generously mentioned. I guess I haven't much to do with these seedlings for the next 2 years, except repot them each in a one gallon pot and perhaps prune the foliage (if spring ever comes!) I am very patient, and will use the time available to study the next steps. My only fear is that in the course of the next two years, they may grow too big for my purpose. How big is too big, for a bonsai? I have a good start due to your informative replies to Rethumb and myself. Best to you, et un gros merci....Yvette

You are getting good advice, Bevhall. I'd just like to toss in the Asian greens (into the woks ;o). I've got the lettuce, radish, arugula, for the salad bowl also. Oldroser has the right idea with the broccoli raab and bok choy will probably work for you also. Mei Qing choy has been a standard for a good number of seasons while maruba santoh has done well as a Spring crop the last few years. I decided to try it in the Fall in 2007 and the santoh is coming up nicely. Oh, and weÂve got a little Toy Choy out there also. Steve

By the way, how big do you wait for your seedlings to get? At least a couple of sets of true leaves. Do the plants fight it out and the strongest wins? Or do you have to thin out eventually. I plant hunks and I really don't thin. Maybe a few die off but most seem to continue to grow and grow. My go-to filler is whatever is volunteering in my yard. So often melampodium, coral nymph salvia, rud hirta. Basically whatever pops up. Karen

Hi Well firstly, I had my first setup in a fish bowl, I dont like them things. You say you have a cover for it and it gets good sun. If your fish bowl terrarium is getting actual hot sun the plants will infact cook in there. If you want them out in the sun, then a terrarium is not the thing to have. You can either put them in something like your gator room with the correct soil (peat moss/perlite) and good fluorecent lighting, or you could try to harden them off and put them out in the sun with no terrarium. I dont know how low your humidity is there in new mexico but here in Salt Lake city its at about 30-40% most times. It does shoot up now and then with all the rain we are having though, anyhow, my VFT's are growing very well in 30% humidity with no problems. They have a 50/50 peat/perlite soil mix, and are in 6" pots. You can harden off a plant (adapt it) as follows: 1) have a cover over your plant and have it in a brightly lit area that does not get harsh sun (fluorecent lighting would be good if availble though) 2) Lift one side of this cover or dome 1" and leave for about a week (3-4 days should be fine) 3) lift a second side and leave for the same period of time 4) lift the last 2 sides (so all 4 are now raised) and leave for the same amount of time. 5) Remove the cover. Your plant should now be adapted to your humidity (if you just remove a plant from a high humidity terrarium it will go into shock) Next up, i you want your plant to get full sunlight you need to adapt it to the suns UV rays. Place the plant in an area that gets morning sun but is shaded from the harsh afternoon sun. Slowly move the plant into the full sun over a period of a week. As long as you are using good distilled water and good soil mix, your plants should do well. hope this helps Sheldon