According to Sean Hogan, Chusqueas grow very high and far South in the Andes so perhaps z6 is not out of the question for some selections.... but these are probably not C. culeou. Perhaps such plants would be classified under C. andina. Also, Chusqueas such as C. culeou and C. valdiviensis have shown greater cold hardiness in maritime climates than in the Southeast (though few people have tried them in the Southeast)... in the case of C. culeou this could be a genetic thing but for C. valdiviensis, it would seem that the stress of growing in a climate with hot summers and wide swings in temperature in fall and spring detracts from its cold hardiness (this is also true of some palms). Specifically... it has withstood 10F with no damage here, but has frozen to the ground every winter at a friend's garden in SC from temperatures in the mid teens. Larger and more established plants can handle more cold of course, within reason. I would generally rate Chusquea and Yushania hardiness as follows based on their performance in the Northwest.... C. culeou anywhere from 0-15F C. culeou 'Cana Prieta' 0F C. cumingii at least 10F C. gigantea/breviglumis about 5F but late shoots may be destroyed by cold C. macrostachya at least 10F C. valdiviensis at least 10F Y. anceps incl. 'Pitt White'... at least 0-5F (fully hardy here) Y. maling 15F... no problems in my sheltered garden but some report late shoots are damaged by cold... could be hardier in SE. That's what I've seen... as for other Chusquea and Yushania spp. I'm not sure and can only quote books and web sites!

I'd use blackberry because raspberries are hollow in the center (the fruit wraps around a torus) and they're less similar to boysenberries. I use 1 kilo/2 1/4 lbs. of boysens to 800g/3 3/4 cups of sugar. 1/4 cup lemon juice plus seeds and pulp in a muslin bag. I macerate the cleaned berries in the sugar and lemon juice with the bag of seeds and pulp. If I have time I gently simmer the mixture until the sugar is dissolved (with the lemon bag) then cool and refrigerate overnight. (Cover with a cloth not a lid to avoid condensation dripping in.) If I don't have time I just put the berries and sugar with the lemon juice and bag stirred together in the fridge and let rest overnight. Simmer gently the next day until sugar is dissolved. Either way, the next day once sugar is fully dissolved, bring to a boil and cook to the jell point. Remove the bag. Stir in 1 T. of Cointreau (optional). BWB 10 minutes as per usual. Boysenberry syrup is just the berry syrup recipe. A search on this forum should bring several discussions of fruit syrups up. If you can't find them just ask and one of us will locate the threads. Carol

Trying to compare SEER with amp draw is like trying to compare apples and oranges. It just don't compute. SEER is an average usage number based on theoretical Btu removal, amp draw, and temperature drop across a coil during a 6 minute of 10 period. Different amp draws do not tell you anything. If you compare the amount of pumping capacity within the initial 6 minutes, then the amp draw may have some meaning. Different amp draws tell you basic size of a compressor if all else is the same. It doesn't compare anything that has any comparative value. For this reason, I have preached the inaccuracies of SEER rating system. Depending on the system pressure at a specific temperature would be a better rating, to tell work capability of system. The SEER system is a rating that does not equate to real savings. When the pressure can be delayed for many minutes, the system will have a higher seer. The amp draw of a compressor is a rating that also does not have any useful meaning. Since it can change by pressure or temperature. While I love to see the lower rated compressor of Goodman, I would imagine that it is variable, depending on when the measurement is made. Goodman does have one feature that is impressive IMO. The basic system is rated without a TXV valve. When the TXV valve is used the rating goes up. A TXV valve can be compared to fuel injection and a carburetor. It is a more accurate meter of Freon into the coil, based on the temperature of the coil and the air traveling over the coil.

When I'm making something the first time, I'll follow the recipe closely, so I know what it's "supposed" to taste like. After that, all bets are off. That said, I'm a rather careless/slapdash kind of cook. I never sift, I measure flour by dipping the cup into the container and shaking it level. If I have a medium egg and an extra large egg and I need two eggs, well, in they go. If I'm short 1/4 cup of sugar, I'll make whatever it is anyway. If I have no carrots, I'll use parsnips. If I'm out of onions I'll use......never mind, I always make sure I have onions, LOL. I don't own a scale and I often just pick up the olive oil bottle and glug some in the salad dressing instead of measuring that 3 tablespoons or whatever. Somehow my food comes out edible anyway. The one place where I'm very careful is when canning. I always make sure I follow directions perfectly and completely for time and pressure. My kitchen is cleaner than at any other time and I carefully measure acidic ingredients to ensure the safety of the finished product. Annie