arborea Variegated??? I had no idea such thing existed. Valentina

Hi all, I brought maid of Orleans plant from Walmart last summer. In summer the plant was ok,on winter I put the plant inside,when I kept inside,it started to grow new branches, after 2 months the plant shredded all its leafs stems turned to dry,now there r like 2stems in green.what should I do to keep my plant healthy.i really appreciate ur suggestions. Thank you

See my feedback on the other board as well Jim. The old rule is the installer is 75% of the process and the product is 75%. Obviously the math doesn't add up but it goes to show that they are both equally important and just as significant. While most installers don't usually know the real deep ins and outs of window performance, they know what is a quality product by handling it. If you know of a good installer, the hope is that they would have a very good idea as to a solid window in the area as well.

If you are going to cover part of that area with cement there is no reason to spend any time, energy, or money on "weed" control, just dig out the soil in that area and put down the base for the patio and then the cement. For the are to be sodded you should make the soil into a good healthy soil that will row a good healthy turf and that means starting with a good reliable soil test. Contact your local office of your Louisiana State Universities Cooperative Extension Service about having this done. http://www.lsuagcenter.com/portals/our_offices/departments/spess/servicelabs/soil_testing_lab/ A few other simple soil tests you can do are, 1) Soil test for organic material. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains’ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell, to a point. Too much organic matter can be bad as well. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. Once the soil is made into a good healthy soil the unwanted plant growth may be a thing of the past kimmq is kimmsr