Removing the apical meristem (growing tip) of any branch or stem permanently terminates it's growth. There is a growth regulator produced in the apical meristem that suppresses lateral growth along that branch or stem, so when it's removed, another growth regulator becomes dominant and stimulates new lateral growth - usually from leaf axils (crotches) along the stem/branch. Right now isn't exactly when you'd expect the most robust growth on your avocado, so be patient - it will happen as days lengthen & the plant wakes up. I can't advise you about whether or not it's safe to fertilize w/o knowing something about how you water. We can talk about that, and I can help you with an easy way to make certain it's safe to fertilize if you wish. Plants cannot grow normally unless all the essential nutrients are available for uptake. When plants are growing in container culture, you shouldn't rely on the soil to provide them, because it can't/won't, so it's very important that you provide them via fertilizer. The question now is, can we safely add fertilizer to the current level of salts in the soil or should we flush those salts from the soil first? Al

The question you really need to answer is-what level of telephone reliability do you require? If you want to get rid of a landline to save $, that's your choice...but you have to realize that that alternatives simply don't have the same level of dependability as a landline. There are just too many things that can go wrong (power loss-loss of internet-cellphone loss of signal or system overloads). This situation will probably improve over time..it's just not there yet. I am probably in an ever-decreasing minority, but I will keep my POTS landline (plain-old-telephone-system) until it gets taken away from me. Maybe by then, internet telephony will have improved to meet my level of satisfaction. Considering what it does and the complexity required to produce the desired result, the standard telephone system is without doubt the single most reliable piece of technology I have ever used. I won't give it up easily. I don't have a cellphone and don't want one.

I had a big buffet lunch, so dinner was a black bean salad w/ tortilla chips, and some hard-boiled eggs on the side. :) I didn't photograph the salad but should have! so pretty... made with what I had, so red & green bell peppers, jalapeno, mixed tropical fruit, and green onions, dressed w/ lime juice. The eggs were made this morning -- the Polish way. A basic color test run :)

Eric, that's a beautiful vine and certainly a contender for one of the fastest growing vines I ever saw! Patty, you're right. Mizan, that Voodoo lily lives up to it's name in more ways than one. It starts from the smallest root sprout and since I remix and reuse potting soil it comes up in the strangest places. Once I put a black plastic pot inside of a decorative pot and Konjac came out the hole in the bottom of the black plastic pot and happily grew large between the plastic pot and the decorative pot! Let's just hope Konjac and Ruba don't meet up and produce a fast growing, evil smelling monster that can jump fences! Someone59, I'm almost afraid to look, but it's just a few inches from the top of the pole!