You are welcome anytime, Idabean. Glad your plants are doing well and do as orchid126 suggests. I don't think you need 'big guns' yet unless the aphids get worse. Happy Spring to you too! Jane

Most important thing is not to let any of them dry out this year. They need time to grow roots most of all. Don't over do it with anything. You don't give a newborn baby a big steak dinner. You give them what their little baby systems can handle. If you give them too much stuff you will kill them with kindness. What I would do is wait until maybe end of April and then for the rooted cuttings 1/4 strength fish emulsion every couple of weeks until it gets too hot, then right after Labor Day when it starts cooling down at night but before it gets cold, maybe one or two tablespoons at most of that ARS mix, (omit Epsom Salts). For the new grafted ones, let them bloom, then give them that ARS recipe at 1/2 recommended dosage, but just once for this year.

In light of drought across the state - even here in the normally damp SF Bay Area, we only got an inch or two of rain between October and February - I should consider heat/drought tolerance. Does Autumn Damask get by there, on its own roots? Centifolias? When I brought Portland breeding up towards the end of May, the thread grew to 25 posts in the first day, but since it's been just us and the sound of crickets in this thread, I'm guessing I'll be continuing this as a solo project. I'll probably post updates every 6-12 months, depending on how interesting the offspring are looking. And since no thread on breeding is complete without a picture of a seedling, here's a dinky moss. Disease free despite having never been sprayed, but that's all I can say at this point.

Here's the Snoqualmie Falls granola cookie recipe. DH is not a big baker but he's health conscious so when he made these the first time he couldn't bring himself to put butter in so he used the light, watered down Promise margarine. I said OMG that will never work - he said it says for baking - it worked fine. I'm not sure how much whole wheat flour he uses - the majority is whole wheat and some regular. He's into this Snoqualmie oatmeal and orders it online. They sent him this recipe one time but it didn't come with any nutritional info unfortunately. When I log them in my tracker I just use an oatmeal raisin cookie. The cookies are kind of heavy and chewy - not sure if that's how they're supposed to be since he's never made them according to the original recipe. They're tasty though - toasting the almonds is critical to the flavor - don't skip that step. FAMOUS BREAKFAST COOKIES First make the Healthy Delicious Granola Stir together in a large bowl: � 3 cups Snoqualmie Falls oatmeal � 1 cup freshly roasted sliced almonds � 2 tsp cinnamon Heat in microwave for one minute and add to the oatmeal mix: � 1/3 cup salad oil � 1/3 cup honey (we use agave nectar instead of honey because it never solidifies like honey) � 2 tsp vanilla Spread on 2 greased pans and bake in preheated 325 oven for 8-10 minutes Stir and don't over bake; mix should be honey colored. Add: � 1 cup raisins or craisins Store in an airtight container for up to one month. Famous Breakfast Cookies Beat until fluffy: � 1 cup butter (substitute light Promise margarine in blue tub) � 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar Add: � 1 egg (substitute egg beaters) � 2 tsp vanilla Add and beat well: � 1 2/3 cups flour (substitute some whole wheat flour) � 1/2 tsp baking soda Add and mix thoroughly � 3 cups granola � Dash of salt Chill dough a few hours or overnight. Dough can also be frozen and thawed in refrigerator. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned and dry. Do not over bake.