I agree with bonsaikc with the caveat that "a week or two" applies more to the heat of the summer when everything is growing like crazy. At present you may just get mildew. I did that very thing to a lovely F.rubiginosa I bought in September with lots of fat white aerial roots. I placed the whole thing under a plastic "tent" draped over a frame, my apartment being much drier than the greenhouse whence the plant had come. In a week or two the fat white roots developed thick fuzz and the smell in the tent was quite bad even though I lifted part of the plasctic daily to let in fresh air. I dismantled the whole thing and saved the tree but the fuzzy roots withered and only the wiry black ones are still there, though I have no idea if they are alive or dead. In my experience the easiest tree to practice forcing aerial roots on is the Schefflera. It will oblige almost any time. Do read everything by Jerry Meislik before you do anything, though. Good luck, Krys

I bet that would work for keeping my 1/2 marbles from slipping when I glue them to a bottle too! I have been using masking tape but that can leave residue or get glued on to the bottle itself. Foil would mold around them and hold them and not stick to any stray glue! Thanks for the great tip! ~~Mimi

I plant all lily bulbs, dahlia tubers, and any expensive/rare/cherished plants in round cages made of chicken wire. I make taller cages for those plants that are prone to rabbit damage and leave about 18 inches above ground to protect the stems. I make the cages large enough to accommodate future root growth and multiplication of bulbs. The cages last on average about 3-5 years, depending on how moist the soil is, which is about the time that plants/bulbs need dividing and replanting. (Gloves are a necessity to protect hands from rusty pieces of wire.) An added bonus is that if you decide to move a plant, the cage keeps the rootball perfectly intact. I move many things (lilies included) in full bud or bloom and they don't miss a beat. My thoughts on planting lilies in pots is that there may be a problem with drainage (waterlogged in wet weather) or the opposite, that the soil may dry out which will stress the bulbs and possibly result in bud drop. Oh, one last thing about the cages... I have so many of them buried in the garden that in many areas the gophers have given up trying to navigate their way between them. Good luck with your lilies, Kate

Are you thinking of having the foil tight against the surface of the heater, or of leaving some space between - maybe a half inch? I think that they say that if there's an inch or more of space in a window, that convection will take place between the cold and hot surfaces. If so, what would one use as spacers between the tank and the foil wrapper, to keep the small interval constant? Also, the foil wouldn't be the only cost ... ... another use for duct tape! If you use masking tape or clear tape, it'll deteriorate after three or four years and need to be replaced. How be you use some of the foil to make a medal for yourself, labelling it, "Shining example of energy conservation"? You could even make a large one, with a mirror in the middle, with a small hatch covering it, which you could open using air through a tube from a bulb in your pocket, that you could squeeze when you meet someone who's a good example of an energy conserver, especially an innovative one. You could even carry a camera to take a picture of the smile on their face when they saw their face in the mirror. Of course ... then they'd want such a medal, as well, no? The sale of such should finance the foil (plus duct tape) for your water heater. Or your share of a generator's purchase to service half a dozen houses' freezers, fridges, etc. in case of power outage. Maybe even a furnace ... if local code will allow you to install a push 'n twist plug in the line to your furnace. Dang! You pinch my insulation ... it's up to the landlord to replace it ... ... but the guy that hurts is I ... cause I have to pay for the oil! Landlord's worried about a couple of evergreens whose branches are nearing the power line (one touching). So ... he girdled the tree, about 8' from the top, figures the branches'll die, maybe even the wind knock the top off, eventually. He's a sod farmer, chairman of local conservation authourity. It seems to me that we need to get serious about energy conservation ... not only due to the need to conserve it, but for warming and polluting reasons, as well. If we think that we've had trouble thus far with regard to all three of those problems ... just wait till Asia and South America get into high gear! Enjoy spring. ole joyful