Petee

Here's a website with a little more info. I'm trying to find out how soon to start treating my Pineapple so it will fruit in the heat of the late summer. http://cecalaveras.ucdavis.edu/pineapp.htm Aha! This link gives the timing: http://www.plantea.com/pineapple-houseplant.htm

Yes, I have to trim the plant herd last fall and gave away some of my favorite plants but kept babies to grow again. I wouldn't have space for one either but it might be fun to start and give away IF you liked Avocados and wanted to do something conctrustive with the seeds. The Pineapple will take a big a big space when it gets mature enough to produce fruit. But after you have the fun of watching the fruit grow, then you start with another baby.

In the era of huge houseplants as part of the decorating scheme, a lot of people grew them. They get to be small trees. One lady I know cut off the top and hung the long side branches from her living room ceiling with fishing line because it was her pet! Eventually it got too big for even that. Hers's a picture of a young plant. http://www.dreamstime.com/retroreeltoreelw/avocadoplantisolated-houseplant-image537845 They're fun for kids because they grow from a huge seed and they grow fairly fast.

I have one that someone gave me a couple of years ago and this summer it is going out onto the deck to see if it will fruit. The thing is huge and I have to keep it high so no one gets an eye jabbed out. Here's the basics for sprouting: http://www.lofthouse.com/hobby/garden/pineapple.html How to get it to produce a bloom: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/fruit/pineapple.html

I'll just drop one off if you will give it a home. I've still got a bunch of Spider plants that you donated! :-) The plant nursery is packed!

If it kicks the bucket, let me know I have a couple of dozen that were donated to the garden club and I woudl love to find new homes for them. It's almost seed time and I need the space! :-)

You might even want to try starting it in some sand. That will give it maximum drainage for the roots. Try misting the top occasionally so it can still absorb what it needs. Lots of these plants live in deserts where they live on mists or fog and relatively no rain or ground water.

Repot it into a heavy unglazed clay pot as they tend to be a little top heavy. You also want to use a pot that might seem a little small because too much soil mass will hold a lot of water around their roots and they don't like wet feet. They prefer to suck up some water and then dry out. Now is a good time to divide it up too, as it probably has offshoots around the base of the parent plant.

They'll be back in a couple of weeks with more buddies! Just slow the watering a bit till then.

Not till about May unless it's looking really yellow before then, and start with some weak fertilizer at first. You may want to consider repotting it then too if the roots are crowded. You'll know because it will wilt even with regular watering. The growth rate will really pick up then. If you get it growing too fast without enough heat and light, it'll get long weak branches.

Don' rush it too much. Just give it enough water to survive and as it puts out more leaves, water it a little more. Congratulations! I'll have more for sale this spring.

The very best way to get rid of deer from a specific area is to install a motion activated water sprinkler. You have to raise it off of the ground about 4 feet, but deer hate surprises and this will work every time.

The seeds are in at Lowes! Yea! I drooled my way around the edges of the display today.

http://www.tmseeds.com/product/7506.html Click on their Illustrated Directory and you can look forever!

Excellent Climbing Vine Website. I may have to put together an order: http://willhiteseed.nationalgardening.com/articleweekdetails.taf?id=675 http://www.willhiteseed.com/contactus.php Beautiful picture: http://www.rainyside.com/features/plant_gallery/vines/Asarina_scandensJoanLoraine.html Know any French? http://nature.jardin.free.fr/1105/asarina_scandens.html Now this was a lot of help! :-) http://davesgarden.com/products/ps/go/1939/ More flowering vine choices....no pictures :-( http://willhiteseed.nationalgardening.com/articleweekdetails.taf?id=675

Well, my first search went in a wildflower direction but this is what another person actually wanted: http://www.backyardgardener.com/seeds/product/7624/1.html Asarina scandens or Climbing Snapdragons. Thank s for the direction change! Darned common names!!! :-)

Here's what I found: Climbing Snapdragons Antirrhinum kelloggii Chickabiddy Maurandya antirrhiniflora. http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/430.htm http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/mbierner/bio406d/images/pics/vrn/maurandya_antirrhiniflora.htm VERONICACEAE Maurandya antirrhiniflora. http://uvalde.tamu.edu/herbarium/maan.htm http://www.dallasbutterflies.com/Plants/html/mantirrhiniflora.html Seeds: http://homepages.vvm.com/~reid/seeds.htm

I'm getting ready to order seeds to start for the BUDS plant sales. What would anyone want to see made available?

SEE'S CHOCOLATE FUDGE 4 1/2 c. sugar 1 standard can Pet milk or any brand 1 (8 oz.) jar marshmallow creme 3 (6 oz.) pkgs. chocolate bits 2 sticks (1/2 lb.) melted butter 1 tsp. vanilla 1 lg. pkg. chopped nuts Combine sugar and milk in large heavy bottom pan. Bring to full boil over medium heat which may take about 8-10 minutes. After mixture comes to full rolling boil, cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat, add melted butter, blend into sugar mixture. Add chocolate bits and after they begin to melt add marshmallow creme. Beat vigorously. Add vanilla and nuts. Pour into greased 8 x 13 inch pan. Let cool. Cut into small squares. Store in refrigerator. Makes 5 pounds.

I remember lots of smashed fingers when I was a little girl. Luckily I became allergic to nuts, so it wasn't a problem anymore! :-) http://www.ochef.com/393.htm http://web.ncf.ca/ag384/Walnut.htm

In January we can talk seeds! Then it will be time to start some of them.

The cooler and darker the location, the less water it will need but remember that a Brugmansia does not like to dry out. Keep it well drained. I have all small ones because I gave the tree to a friend in town. You may see it gracing Brady Street next summer.

I keep the sticky yellow pads near my plants all winter. It saves you from large infestations. They well worth what ever you pay for them. I think they come three to a package and I used to get them at Hanzeleys. Mine came in this fall with White Fly but they are all gone now. A Brugmansia needs a very large pot to do well. The tree I had this summer willl have to go into one of those huge tubs next spring. I would pot it up to a larger roomy size, just water it enough to keep the tips from shriveling, and be patient. If you lose it, let me know and I can replace it for you.

It's still gorgeous.

Gorgeous! Actually it's not a Night Blooming Cereus, but a lot of people call it that. It's an Orchid Cactus. http://www.ecology.org/ecophoto/articles/Epiphyllum.htm The one at Penn State has bloomed in the past. Also, a friend had a greenhouse attached to his kitchen and he had one that bloomed almost continually through the winter. The smell could get to the point of a headache at times.