Hi MissMudPuppy!!!

I have rootpruned alot of Plumeria and repotted into the Gritty Mix. Here are a few pictures that may help. As far as your questions.. Yes. Make sure you get as much Gritty Mix in and around the rootball. I like to mound it up when i place the pruned rootball and then add the mix with my hands and push it up against the rootball. Using a skewer or chopstick is a great idea too. If you have any questions please ask. This is a great time of the year to do a repot. Good luck. These pics were from last year.

I will also leave another link to barerooting smaller rooted cuttings that i potted up into the Gritty Mix..

Celadine ready for the repot..
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started with a third that i cut.. then i cut more.
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cut a few inches frorm the sides..
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after cutting more thn a third from the bottom..mybe half. then i took off a few inches form the sides of the rootball.
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soaked the soil off from the rootball..
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after soaking and using the hose to wash off the remaining soil..
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container ready with screen and readyy to pot up with Gritty Mix
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Gritty Mix ready..
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newly potted Celandine in the Gritty Mix
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J-105 Thai
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California Sunset
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Hope this helps..

Take care,

Laura

Here is a link that might be useful: taking a barerooted Plumeria and potting in Gritty Mix

Hiya Laura! How have you been hun?

Thank you SO much for going through all that trouble to explain in detail to me (with pictures too) what I need to do to repot my Plumies in gritty mix! What would novices like me do without the kindness, generosity, & knowledge of folks like yourself to patiently guide us through our gardening journeys? Bless you dear. I know you've heard this a zillion times but let me add my voice to the chorus: your pictures were amazing! I'm in awe at the success you've had with your plants. They all look so healthy & happy :D. Was that Pepper in the last photo?

The gritty mix I wound up making has a little less bark in it since I needed most of the pine bark I could get for the 5-1-1 mix for my Brugs. My gritty is haydite, pine bark fines, gran-i-grit, & turface.

***EDIT: Did my repot today. Had to cut the roots away from the sides of the pot. Thoroughly disgusted at the soil my friend put these things in. Ugh! It stunk like urine (?!) & it took quite a while for me to flush the soil off the roots. Still can't tell if I got it all but I did the best I could. Trimmed what I could see of dead roots & out of my 3 cuttings I wound up having to cut several inches off the bottom of the smallest because it was mushy. Root toned it & have it sitting in a warm room for the next 2 wks or until it callouses over. The other 2 cuttings are well over 2 ft & sitting in gritty mix with their paper towel roll "hats" on bricks in full sun since that's the only way I have to give them bottom heat. Hopefully they'll make it but only time will tell.

Again, thank you so much for all your help & advice Laura! Appreciate it! Have a wonderful day :)

In Love & Light ~
Angharand

This post was edited by MissMudPuppy on Thu, May 2, 13 at 13:47

Hi Angharand,

Saw this update. I'll be back later to post. Just wanted to let you know I'm working , but l will follow up later tonight. ;-)

Always. So nice to see you .

Take care my friend!!!

Laura

Hi Angharand,

First of all, I just want to thank you for that kind response that you left for me. I really do appreciate all of the kind comments you have said. I do this because I love to help others and people like you who appreciate just taking a few extra minutes to help. You know I love Plumeria and that it is so much fun to see these babies finally make it to the point of receiving the greatest gift. A bloom!!! After years of patience. These are not the easiest trees to grow and certainly not the fastest ones to see bloom! This is a gift to give to you and for you to share with others.. We all learn here and we love to see our plants and trees grow and be the best they can be...

You are most welcome, my friend!

Good luck with your newly repotted tree and I'm sure it will be a happier , healthier tree in the weeks to come. You have done right by keeping it in semi shade and then letting it adjust to the full sun. Ten days to acclimate should be fine and I would let it sit on the hot concrete .

What impresses me the most, is that you remembered my sweet little Pepper... You bring tears to my eyes thinking of my little man. I miss him so much... Yes, he was my gardening buddy and he loved to come out and sun on the deck. I hope he is now running with my other loved ones under the large Plumeria trees that have tons of Inflos...

Mahalo!

Laura

Good morning sweet Laura :D !

Eternal gratitude for your reply. Words cannot express my gratitude for your help, advice, & encouragement. I don't even have to meet you to know what a beautiful soul you are - it shines through your words & your eagerness to share with & help others as much as possible, whenever possible. It makes my day brighter to know there are people like you in this world :-).

Amen! Plumies are definitely not the easiest plants to grow, particularly if one lives where it's not optimum temperatures year round. I think that's why it's so important for me to succeed in growing them. I enjoy the challenge &, dare I say, a bit of pride & satisfaction in getting to see a species that isn't native to my area which everyone around here says can't be done come to fruition.

Thx to you, & of course Al for his gritty mix recipe, I feel pretty good about the direction my Plumies are heading now since the repot. I wound up using a brown plastic pot instead of the black one. I'm really impressed with how fast the mix drains & dries out! Wow... just what my Plumeria need, especially when the cold winter months come. Did the initial watering after the repot & noticed after 2 hrs the top of the substrate was light in color again. Stuck it with a wooden dowel & the whole thing was dry. Not sure when to water them again now... ??? They do have roots & are clawing. Should I give them any DynaGro with the water now or hold off?

Yes, I do remember your beloved Pepper & the joy he brought to you :-). How could anyone forget that sweet face hanging out by your Plumies? I also remember the agony of his loss for you & have been keeping you in thought & prayer. They say nothing is really gone unless they are forgotten & Pepper is living on in your heart & garden. Every time you get blooms, you can think of that as Pepper's way of saying hello ;). I'm also a dog owner/lover who has lost a furry friend so if you ever need an ear or shoulder to cry on feel free to email me anytime.

Peace & love to you ~
Angharand

HI Angharand ,

I am just so touched... You are to kind to say such nice things! Just can't thank you enough...

These trees are a challenge and I agree, it is such a joy to have success in places that are not known for growing these beautiful tropical trees. People who see my trees can't believe I grow them in Virgina and I am sure they say the same about growing on Long Island. People in Florida, CA, Texas can have more success than us, but with our determination, patience, love, we can do it! We have had great rewards from our love of growing and yes, with the help of Al and his wonderful Gritty Mix. I love this mix and have been helping others who are interested in trying their hand in growing their Plumeria in it. Some don't want to take the time, and that is fine. The people who give the time and want only the best will see the difference.. It is what you want to put into the growing experience and then what we get from the time and quality of the ingredients that we give. I'm sure you will see improvement in your beautiful tree. You ask about watering.. I would give the tree water especially after this major root pruning. It won't hurt to water and then let it go without for a few days.. It is good to use the wooden skewer to check for moisture In The container. Using the gritty mix allows us to water more frequently without the worry of root rot on these sensitive roots. As far as fertilizing, I would wait for a few weeks before I added anything. Give it some time, then once you see some activity, you could dilute the fertilizer and then once you see leaves and the temps reach over 50 degrees at night, I would consider adjusting the amount given. What kind of fertilizer are you using? I like the Foliage Pro because it has the extra Mg and Ca included in the fertilizer. I don't worry about having to add to the solution like I did before to make sure the trees were receiving enough. This makes it so much easier on me. You know I have a lot... Lol. So, if I can relax and enjoy.. It is all about what is good for the trees and me!

Let me know how it goes and I really loved your post. I just told my best friend about you and how you touched my heart with your kind words. Much appreciated... ;-)

Pepper is much happier where he is now. I truly believe that. What I had to do was the last act of love for him. He went peacefully in my arms and I couldn't ask for anything else knowing he could trust me. Thank you for the words of encouragement .. It was a hard time and I still think of him often.

Have a wonderful day, Angharand!!!

You are a very special lady and I am so blessed to have had this opportunity to connect with you...

mahalo nui loa!

This picture of my Daisy Wilcox is just for YOU!!!

Laura

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Good evening Laura :-) !

Sounds like you & I are kindred spirits ;-)! It gives me immense joy to know there are people like you gracing this planet.

I concur; even though growing Plumeria in areas such as ours is truly a labor of love complete with many failures along the way, I believe it only emboldens us to keep trying until we succeed - & once we do it gives us the impetus to keep searching for new methods, species, etc, anything to keep stoking that flame. It's an addiction but an extremely healthy & engaging one which others can enjoy & appreciate as well. The most wonderful part is being able to share what we've learned along the way with others & to see them thrive ;-).

Thank you for the info about watering & when to fertilize. The dowel is saying the mix is dry so I guess I'll give them some more water around the rim tomorrow morning after I put them back out for the day. The fert I'll be using is Dyna-Gro 7-9-5 which I'll mix with a little Pro-Tekt & foliar feed with the nice new pressurized gallon sprayer I bought. I went with the DG products for the same reason as you (has Ca & Mg included). With the Plumie jungle you have, I don't blame you for wanting to make feeding your plants as simple & stress free as possible ;-).

Oh, before I forget, do you have any clever ideas how to make a "hat" for the multi-tipped stems to protect them from sunburn? I tried putting a cup over them but found it smooshed the claws.

My other ques is whether I have the right pot size for these things. My Plumies are about 2.5 ft. & all I had were 1.5 gal pots. Today I heard 1 gal pot size for each foot of Plumeria trunk length (?). Your thoughts?

Aw, I'm humbled by your kind words dear soul. Bless you.

I know what you mean about Pepper. It helps to have positive & loving memories to cheer you & I'm sure you could write a novel with yours ;-). Remember them when the tears come but also allow yourself to grieve when you must. You have many people who love you & will walk through this with you for as long as you need ;-).

I echo your sentiment: "You are a very special lady and I am so blessed to have had this opportunity to connect with you..." Truly Laura, you make my heart smile. You bless everyone who crosses your path with your warmth, love, experiences, wisdom, generosity, & geniality.

& oh what a splendid picture of your Daisy Wilcox! Thank you kindly for sharing such happiness with me :-).

In Love & Light ~
Angharand

Hi Angharand,

Many thanks.. You are too kind!

I also agree about the challenge.. Love to keep growing these beauties, especially the ones that are the hardest to root and grow in our climate. It gives me such satisfaction to see them shine thru all that we give. growing Plumeria and some other tropicals as well as some Bonsai, gives me great joy taking time to work with these trees. It is a slow process, but I knew that it wasnt going to be instant gratification when I started with my favorite types of trees... I believe time and patience when working with trees is such a wonderful way to slow down and relax and enjoy their beauty...

We are alike in many ways!!! What a pleasure it is!!! ;-)
Thank you for ALL of your kind expressions.. I just don't know what to say..

To answer some of your questions.... When you water your newly repotted tree, don't be afraid to water the whole container. Water the whole surface area of the Gritty Mix so that all of the particles can absorb the moisture. Water slowly... use a light hand and then water again for that session. When we water around the rim, that is usually a good way when they are dormant and we want to give them just a little water during their time of rest. I also like to water around the rim when we have a new cutting in the mix and it needs a little moisture ( this applies to a more water retentive mix). Using the Gritty Mix when rooting a cutting it can handle a little water around the stem, since it doesn't hold water like other heavier mixes. Just remember that you need to water it well after the repot and let it sit for a few days.. It will be alright to water again when it starts to dry out, but I would keep this new tree a little more moist ( not wet) since the repot.

Pot size can vary in different types of growers.. I have had the honor of meeting one of the highly respected growers in the Plumeria world, Bud Guillot . ( Just had his 91st birthday!!!) A good friend indeed!!! He and others that have grown Plumeria for a long time and whom I consider my friends, don't believe you need to go and have these huge containers and I tend to agree. If you have already repotted them into a 1.5. Gallon for this year, then let them be. If they were mine and my tree was 2-3 feet tall, I would consider a three gallon container. Don't worry if you have them already for the summer. You can always pot up if you want or wait until next summer.. I have my large trees 8-9 footers in five gallon containers and I won't go any larger. I will root prune to keep them healthy and keep them in that size container. We have to bring them in during the winter. Some of our friends can leave them outside all summer, so they can take advantage of this and use larger containers. My back appreciates the smaller containers. As with any size container, if the tree is root bound, we can pot up..or repot ( root prune).

Tricks to keep the tips from getting sunburned... LOL.. I have done a few.. I have found, don't laugh... That toilet paper holders or paper towels holders ( cardboard inners) work great to help control the sunburn. You can take cut them and place them over the stem and tie the holder together to hold it in a particular spot so the sun won't damage the end of the stem. Some have mentioned other methods using foil, but I personally don't like doing that. When I left for this last trip, I took paper towels and wrapped the ends of my Kapalua. This is a beautiful tree and I didn't want the ends to suffer. Once they produce leaves they will be naturally protected, but I like to use the paper towel holders or the toilet holders. I cut them down ( lengthways) and I secure them where and how I like them. Take tape and secure them without taping onto the tree. Just keep it tight enought so it won't slide down the stem. This should help. If you want more coverage on the end.. Just raise the holder to cover.. It works!!! This ways they stay on and won't get blown away! If you want a pic of what I am trying to say, just let me know and I will post a pic for you.

I wonder what others are thinking when I mention some of our ways of growing Plumeria.. I just smile because they probably think we are, well... Crazy for our trees.. Lol, I think most understand how we feel. We all love our trees and plants and will do more than others to help them along. It is the ones that don't understand when they visit my house and look at me with this blank look and ask.." Do you really have this many... Do you sell them too?" I just laugh and say.. " no, these are mine and I don't sell.. I give them to friends, but I don't sell.." Makes me laugh...

YOU have a wonderful weekend!!,

Thank you for lifting me and making me feel so warm from your comments. They are so appreciated.

Mahalo, My Friend...

Laura

This post was edited by loveplants2 on Sat, May 4, 13 at 12:17

Ho'omaika'i Laura!

All apologies for taking a while in getting back to you. It's boating season & I've been taking some time to prep our boat for her spring launch.

It's finally raining here, after over 3 wks of no precipitation. My lawn & flowers are doing the happy dance :)(:

Amen! I believe spending time in & around nature is a soul, body, & mind soother. It gives one pause & perspective amidst the busyness of life & reminds us to take time to stop & smell the Plumeria ;). I meant to ask you, what would you say is your favorite specimen out of your entire flora & fauna collection in general?

Thank you for the advice on watering in the gritty mix! I had a feeling my method was flawed o_O. O.K. now I know: rim watering is for dormancy & if I'm using a more water-retentive mix.

It's only been about a week since my Plumies have been in the gritty mix & it seems like they can't put out enough claws now :).

Still have another week or two to go before I try rooting the baby Plumie after I found it had a mushy tushy ;P. I knew something was up with it when it stopped putting leaves out while the rest were. Going to root it in the mix in a water bottle & place it outside on the black tarp I've been using for the big Plumeria. I really like the water bottle rooting method. Much easier to monitor their progress. Will follow your advice & keep you posted.

Whoa! What a pleasure that must've been to meet Bud Guillot! & at 91 years young... God bless him. I love hearing about the success & even failures that the long-time growers have experienced. I'm always looking to learn something new & consider it a blessing when someone shares their knowledge with me ;). So again dear Laura, a humble thank you.

Appreciate the advice on pot sizes. Looking at my Plumies in the pot they're in now & I really don't feel comfortable leaving them in there; they're way taller than the pot itself & are already pretty crooked thanks to their previous owner not staking them during the years she had them - but I also don't want to disturb their roots again - so I guess I'll just wait things out till they need to be repotted or potted up. I discovered that staking them doesn't work too well in the gritty mix so I'll have to tie them down & secure them to the rim of the pot for stability until their roots have a chance to colonize the pot. You brought up a good point: since I also live where I have to bring my plants in before the first frost, it makes it easier on my back to keep them in a manageable sized pot. I don't blame you for not wanting to go any bigger than a 5 gal pot! I regret putting my mama Brug in a 12 gal but it was all I had available to me at the time. Now I have to wheel her around the yard on a hand cart.

GMTA: I've been doing the toilet paper/paper towel roll thing for my Plumies too. If you have a picture to demonstrate what you've been doing with your tips & TP roll assembly so I can try to copy it I would be most grateful. Stupid me should've specified that my multi-tipped one has small tips that are only about 2 inches long but fully clawed with 1 inch leaves starting to leaf out. In the meantime, surprisingly enough, I discovered wrapping a paper plate around the base (so it looks like a bouquet cone) & then securing it with gardening twine has been working thus far to keep the full sun at bay until it's ready to go full steam ahead.

Yes, I also wonder at times what others think when they read what everyone posts on here about some of the more "unconventional" ways they grow & care for their Plumies (as well as all the other plants we tend to) & no doubt think we've got some black sheep in the family lol. Those who have been doing this for years are inured to all the craziness & probably get a kick out of some of the questions & comments. I know when I got my first cutting & started doing research online how to care for it, I came upon this site & would read some of the posts & think, "The cheese has definitely slid off that cracker!", "I could never handle that many plants!" or, "They do what for that plant!?" Now, after my 5th year of doing the Plumie thing, I emphatically understand ;). & I'm right there with you; I also do not ever sell any of my plants. I did it a few years ago when I was doing cannas & medicinal herbs & it turned into a royal nightmare. Now I only keep a small personal collection & if a friend likes something I give it to them with a little care packet I print up with all the info I've collected over the years on how to care for their new plant friend along with some extra soilless mix if there's any around. Some folks I'm loathe to give anything to being I know their track record with things & don't want to get into the headache with them when their plant dies so I purposely don't put anything out when I know they're coming over that I know they might want ;). Naughty I know but it helps me sleep better at night lol.

I hope & pray this day finds you well & wonderful my friend! Again, words cannot express how utterly grateful I am for you taking the time to respond to my queries as well as brighten my day with your kind words & loving spirit. You are a gem Laura & I thank God for people like you :).

A hui hou kakou ~
Angharand

This post was edited by MissMudPuppy on Thu, May 9, 13 at 17:06

Hi Angharand!!!

You are tooo kind!!

Mahalo, my friend!!!

Here are a few pics of the paper towel holders on the stem to protect from sunburn. LOL.. I know they look funny, but it works!!

Hope you and your trees are doing well. I have been outside working on mine and repotting some that really need it.

Take good care, Angharand!!
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Take care,

Laura

Good afternoon Laura!
Hope your trip was enjoyable! Thank you for taking the time to post these pics for me. Your Plumies look like a happy bunch. I trussed my Plumeria the same way you did, plus I used a tarp clamp clipped to the side of the pot to keep everything taut. Had been doing something similar with the PT rolls too - only I had to keep my tips completely covered for a few wks due to them getting sunburned no matter where I put them. Now that they've been outside for many weeks they've put out 3 leaves that are about 4 inches long with many others coming along nicely. I gave them a dose of Dyna-Gro along with ProTekt a week ago & they really seem to like it :). One thing I noticed with foliar feeding is that the Plumies love it, while my Frosty Pink brug hates it. It has a whole cluster of leaves & even though I fed them at sundown they still curled. The new leaves are normal though. The baby Charles Grimaldi had no adverse effect whatsoever. Weird, huh? Some plants are so picky LOL.

Finally got around to taking some pictures to demonstrate my progress:

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Plumies hanging out in GMX (my abbreviation for gritty mix)

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My 3-tipped Celadine

Also wanted to edit this & report that I took the liberty of potting up the baby Plumie. Hopefully, Lord willing, it will take.
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Should this little guy be covered up from the sun?

Hope all is well with you. Have a wonderful day!

Hugs ~ Angharand

This post was edited by MissMudPuppy on Thu, May 23, 13 at 15:07

HI Angharand !!!

I am so sorry that I didn't see your last post, please forgive me. I have been off for awhile and I have had lots of company.

Your trees look wonderful!!!! As well as your little guy!!! I would give it as much bottom heat and keep it from direct sun so that it doesn't burn ( stem). If you have it somewhere that it receives 3-4 hours of sun, I'm sure that will be fine. Just be careful of full sun.. We don't want the little one to have third degree burns!! ;-). It has been so hot here.. The last few days have been in the 90's and I worry about some of mine. They are all outside in the backyard and have new leaves forming, but some still are somewhat bare.

Thank you for all that you share.. I love the little icons.. Especially the lamb. To cute!!!

Again, so sorry for the late response. This forum can make a thread get lost so quickly . The reason I found out about this post is because someone was asking about repotting into the Gritty Mix on the Plumeria forum and I thought that I would find your post and add the link for her. How surprised I was to see your sweet message!!!

Thank you!!! You made my night!!! ;-). Now.. It really is time for bed!!!

Hugs right back to you!!! Xoxoxo

Laura

Good afternoon Laura!

Hope you're doing well! No worries about not being able to get back to me earlier :). This time of the year has me spending most of my time outdoors so it usually takes me a few wks before I bother checking emails, posts, etc. Still doing work on the boat too which has been a learning experience to say the least lol.

TY for the compliments on my trees! I've been keeping the little guy under his TP roll during the hottest parts of the day while I let him hang out on the hot rocks. He is producing dew on the tip along with some tiny claws - but I also noticed his stem is shriveled. As for the adult Plumies, they're putting out maroon claws & their leaves are getting bigger. Been a bit concerned about the color of their leaves though - I'm used to seeing them a much deeper shade of green. These ones start out deep green but as they mature turn lighter. I tried giving them 1T of epsom salt per gal of rainwater but no change. I'm still trying to get used to watering them in the GMX. I'm so used to not being able to water my containers for a few days that I forget I need to keep an eye on these ones now because this mix doesn't hold any excess water thus requiring far more vigilance in watering, if that makes any sense? Even with the wooden dowel, I'm having trouble determining if they're actually getting enough water now.

Sheesh already 90 degrees in Virginia Beach! How have your trees been fairing since last? Yes, I'm worried about some of my plants too... the sun is so much more intense now & I'm noticing my plants getting sunburned within just a few hrs of being put out in the morning. Now I just keep them all in filtered sun & play musical plants every couple of hrs.

Glad you enjoyed my little icons. Now that I know I can use them on here, I'll try to add some every so often.

~ Angharand

Hi Angharand !!

I just love those icons!!! They make me smile whenever I see them..
Maybe you can share your secret with them? I'm just figuring out how to use the iPad and upload to photobucket. Usually, I just upload from my computer from the house and it is so easy ... But this iPad kicks me in the rear sometimes! ;-). The " Beautiful Day" icon is fabulous.. Just tickled at all of them.. Thank you for brightening my day!!!

Some of my trees send out some light green leaves as well, but I would keep an eye out for spider mites. Have you checked? Sometimes the leaves can look light when they are on the tree. Check and then we can go from there. Some of the news leaves should be more green as it develops.. Keep them in the indirect sun like you are doing and gradually increase the amount of sun they receive. Sounds like you are doing everything right, so I would check for the spider mites. This was my first thought. Some of mine had an infestation too, so it isn't a problem.. We can treat them and get them back on track!!! Have you given them any fertilizer?

You asked earlier about some of my favorites.. I have been thinking about all of them and I have so many!! Lol.. Most of my favorites come from friends . The ones that I think about most are the cuttings that I received from Bud and Bill in California. They truly were so gracious and generous to me when I visited them and I credit Bill for helping me build my collection that I have today. Bud climbed in his trees to get me a cutting and I will say that he is a first class gentleman. I will always cherish the time with him and the gifts that he gave to me ( cuttings). He and I have a picture of us in his California Sally and the size of the tree is so huge. He has grown his trees in his yard for 50 years. So special..

My other tree that comes to mind is my Kapalua that was sent to me from a very nice gentleman from Florida thru a friend that visited him . /she brought back this tree without my knowledge and she surprised me with this fourteen tipped beauty !!! I was speechless when I saw this in the back of her car. She and this kind soul, kept this a secret until it was presented to me. The joy that it brings each and every day is priceless. It means so much to me.. The thought of people giving such a gift is so hard for me to accept, but I know that he wanted me to have it.. :)

My JL Metallica is another... I'll post a pic soon for you to see..

My Serissa is another that I really love. I could go on... Lol. ;-)

Ok.. Ill stop!!! If I get started, I will list each and everyone!!!!

I hope you are enjoying the sunshine up in Long Island!! The temps in VB were brutal last week and I was worried about my trees, but they are all fine. Don't be afraid to water yours, especially now that the temps are up there. I watered mine everyday last week and I know they loved it. They will do fine in these temps with the water, don't worry that it is too much in the summer. It is the fall and winter when it is difficult.. Please keep me posted on the trees. I will help you if you find those nasty critters on the leaves..

I'll send you a pic of my Metallica for you to see..

have a wonderful day, Angharand !!!

Xoxox

Laura

Greetings Laura!
Hope this day finds you well & wonderful. It's been raining here off & on
Friday we got the remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea & we had so much rain it overflowed my rain barrels so now I'm collecting rainwater in whatever containers I can.

If you need any help using your iPad let me know. I'm a geek (also a graphic artist/webpage designer) so if you get stuck on anything feel free to ask here or email me if it's easier for you. But yes, the iPad is persnickety on certain sites. Are you using the app for PB or the browser? Most people have had better luck using PB on the iPad going through Safari & using it like their home computer. Let me know & we'll go from there :)

I'm so happy I could brighten your day Laura! It's a wonderful feeling to add joy, no matter how small, to someone's life.

O.K. I checked my trees using a jewelers loupe for those dreaded little spider mites & I couldn't find anything. Here they are hanging out under my mountain laurel:
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Even though the trunks are very firm, I noticed they're starting to show a little wrinkling now too :/. I have given them some fertilizer: I foliar feed them once a wk with 1/4 tsp of Dyna-Gro 7-9-5 mixed with 1/4 tsp of ProTekt - the rest of the solution I water them with till it runs out the bottom (which takes approx 5 secs).

Aw, thank you for sharing your favorites with me, as well as that beautiful memory of your time with Bud & Bill. 50 yrs of growing these beauties?! Wowza! His California Sally must be a beast!

That fourteen tipped Kapalua sounds like a real treat, especially since it was a surprise! What a lovely sentiment about this particular tree too. No wonder it holds such a special place in your heart.

I know I asked you a loaded question when I inquired about your favs ;). It's all good though, I love hearing what makes others happy. Heeheehee I always get a snicker when I hear the name Metallica. Reminds me of the band (but MUCH prettier ROFL) ;P

Glad to hear your trees are o.k. with those brutal temps!

Thank you kindly for the advice about watering too. I watered them yesterday & just stuck the pot today with a wooden chopstick & it's saying it's still a little damp towards the bottom so I'll hold off till it's dry again.

Hope your day is a happy one Laura! Take care
~ Angharand

Need to edit this post since last: the baby Plumie didn't make it :(. It kept getting more & more wrinkled, caving in on itself, & then stopped growing at the tip. Took it out of the GMX & saw there were no roots whatsoever. I started cutting from the bottom up & saw there was a light brown ring all the way around the inside. Kept cutting but still found rot. Plus the latex was very watery, almost see-through & barely existent. Oh well. I know sometimes no matter what one does these things happen. It goes with the territory of gardening. Tha sin mar sin! (Scottish for, "Such is life.")

This post was edited by MissMudPuppy on Wed, Jun 12, 13 at 20:33