Hello Everyone, Sorry to get back to the party late!!! : ) I have been out working and the days get longer after being on vacation!!! Especially when one works a 12 hr day!!! Yikes, it gets hard to adjust back into the swing of things!!! Mike, I do use the Gritty Mix on my Citrus, C & S and most of all my young Plumeria as well as my DR's. Using this mix has really allowed me to become relaxed at watering without the fear of over watering. Some of you know that i travel for my job which takes me away for several days at a time. I may have a trip that last for 4 days. Before i leave on a trip that long i always make sure my trees are watered and when i return i water again when i get home. When i do have multiple days off, i have just used the same method that Josh uses and i know what the containers feel like and how the foliage looks. Usually, i will wait for a couple of days after i water and then check my plants visually and also check them by feeling the mix as well as lifting the pot to feel how it weighs . Sounds funny, but i do know what each one should feel like with the proper amount of moisture. Even if i want to give them more, i really dont worry because i know that they wont have excess water retention in the containers with this particular mix. My pots are lifted and when i water, i water a little and then while im watering other plants i go back and give them a little more. The excess water does drain out into a plastic plate which the containers are setting on plastic water caps. I use four per container. The excess water stays in the plates and i let it evaporate in the plates. I had every intention of using the Skewers at first, but i never really needed them. Some use them and i think its a great tool to use to see if your trees are dry or moist. My trees (Plumeria) have different watering needs. So as i look over my plants and trees everyday, i feel them and check them as i make the inspection..lol It is a relaxing way for me to unwind when i get home from work. You know how it can be crazy at work for me!!! : ) I just dont worry anymore about watering them. They usually get watered every two days, but some are different. I have a few trees that like to be watered everyother day. Some are watered every four days.. some weekly. It is like they all have different personalities!!! The Plumeria get watered if active this time of year maybe every other week. It is all about the individual plants and their needs. Hope this makes sense!!! Josh, Thanks for your watering techniques...it sounds like we water the same way!!! I really think one becomes aware what the plant or tree needs. I always check on the trees that like alot of water first. This does include my Citrus and my special other trees. Hope all is well in CA!!! Cant wait to see pics of your Ponderosa Lemon!!! I will prune the top of my tree this spring. : ) Toni, Thank you for the nice compliments on my trees. I cant believe how many blooms i have on the Murraya Paniculata either!! It really has put on a show for me and it has all sorts of pods growing.. The Varigated Maya is doing great... Im so excited about this Plumeria. Remember when you asked me about whether i had a Varigated one or not? Well, my girlfriend had purchased one for me before then and had it sent to her house to give to me for CHristmas!!! I was so surprised!!! This is my first Varigated Plumeria and i am really happy with this one!!! The leaves are so beautiful when they appear, they have this pink hue that i cant stop staring at them. I just need to watch being a "mother hen" on this particulat tree and leave it alone!!! : ) I hope you had a wonderful New Year and that everyone continues to stay healthy and happy!!! Think Spring!! I hope this helps MIke... Take care and tell Sissy hello for me!!! I will send Greg an email to see about his tree... Take care, Laura

Left to dry for 30-60 days, then placed in either glass vials or plastic prescription drug sealed bags. No problem whatsoever. In future years, they have ALWAYS come up as well as ever. Sometimes the KISS principal can be your best friend Yea John, I agree that over-engineering and unnecessarily complicating things is not very productive and is, in fact, usually a waste of resources. Now my buddy in OH has done it both ways and now does not ferment any seeds for saving. And has had no problems either. I ferment primarily because the process "cleans" the seeds and no repeated rinsings are needed to remove unwanted detritus. If some nasties are dispatched in the process, fine. Below are about 42 gms of fermented and dried seed of one variety, saved in 3 ferments and dumps. These are now in equilibrium (constant weight... ñ 0.1% weight change on successive weighings), with ambient conditions. Reggie

PICTURES OF MY ROOTING ON JAN 30, INDOOR ZONE 5A, 2 1/2 months of rooting: Zippered bed-sheet pouches won over pop-bottle: more sunlight. Below is a very wimpy rooting with a LARGE pop-bottle on top: What I learned from my 1st-time rooting indoor, in zone 5a: Cheryl Netter, the originator of "baggie method" lives in a SUNNY zone 5a Colorado, with 247 to 285 days of sunshine versus my Chicagoland with 191 sunny days (mostly partial sun). My mother-in-law lives in Colorado Springs, and at high altitude, the sun is much more intense. Sun is needed to zap mold. STABLE environment is the key to success rooting. When I squirted water on the cuttings, it drop leaves immediately. Cuttings drop leaves with excessive moisture. I should had used my alkaline tap water (pH 9) plus hydrogen peroxide to prevent mold & black canker. I used rain water, which is perfect pH for mold to grow. The addition of my magnesium-rich clay on top helped with photosynthesis in the weak-sun indoor-zone 5a. After I topped with magnesium, leaves became darker green. After 2 1/2 months, baggie via zippered-bed-sheets WON over pop-bottle. Baggie has a larger area of soil for evaporation of moisture. Plus Baggie allows more sun & air to prevent mold. All my rootings under pop-bottle failed. They sprout green leaves, but the minute I take the pop-bottle off, leaves drop. My sister in WARM California had the same experience. One site said to take the pop-bottle off EVERY NIGHT, which makes sense since there's zero light at night, thus encourage mold & black canker. But it's a nuisance to take pop-bottle off everynight. Pouring water down the stem of cuttings is THE BEST WAY TO KILL THEM. Cuttings rot easily if the medium is acidic & wet.

Over two months with plants under the lights and the Fungus gnats haven't made much of a show. I've seen one or two flying around the plants at times and found a few dead that tried swimming in my moisture tray, I even killed a few by hand that got too close. But for that long of time, not bad. :-) I've been letting the top of the media (511) dry out some between watering so that might have helped. It's been 75-78f most of the time so fairly warm. I made a sticky trap the other day JIC and have only two stuck this morning. How about yours Heruga? Seeing many?