Miss Mudpuppy
I know I've read a thread here about the pros and cons of it because I asked about it too. I think conclusively, the test results didn't really show any advantage, and I think I remember Karyn1 saying that it only clogged the brugs pores.
Hope that helps!

Yikes! Thx for the heads up! You're always helpful my friend :).

I haven't stopped by here in ages but saw this thread. ProTekt is a great product and I use it year round on all my plants. Besides strengthening the plant it helps plants protect themselves against sucking insects by building up the cell walls. It was another product that I wasn't terribly impressed with but I can't remember the name, something 2000? It was specifically used to protect plants, especially broad leaf evergreens, over the winter.

Ahhh thank you kindly for the clarification karyn1! Appreciate it! Going to try & order some before our first frost. Happy day :)

Hey Karyn1,
Great to hear from you! Wondering what happened to you. Not a lot of the old regulars anymore.
Have a GREAT FALL!
Jerry

Oh, Sorry for the misinformation. Thanks for clarifying that for me Karyn! I'll have to get some of that and try it too! Good to see you and Jerry too!

@kasha77: No worries, it's all good :). I ordered some ProTekt & am just waiting for the postman to deliver it. It's a shame I can't get most of the stuff I need from any of my stores around my area -> almost everything I use has to be ordered. Such is life lol... I'm currently putting some of my hillbilly ingenuity to work & creating a little house for the Brugs for their winter storage in the shed.

My friend gave me 3 Plumies which she recently repotted. She has one Plumie that's over 20 yrs old that she takes cuttings from when it gets too big & repots them & gives them away. Not sure why she repotted them now being it's fall. She assured me they were rooted but we all know how that can go LOL. I'm too afraid to even sneak a peak at the roots for fear of breaking any off & then having to worry about rooting them (not gonna happen with the cool, damp weather we're having). I just hope & pray they make it through the winter. At least I can keep these in my room between the 2 southwest facing windows.

Hope you are feeling better :). Haven't heard from you & was wondering if everything's o.k.?

Hey girl!
I'm guilty of not researching this product before replying, sorry about that! :)
Thanks for thinking of me! I'm still hanging in there, waiting for a date for my surgery. Just a few more steps and I'll be there! :) Not really feeling any better, as my cartilage is gone in both hips and they are more out of joint then ever! I walk like a penguin! I had to get off of my strong meds because they caused me to come done with a rare form of glaucoma. So it's back to Tylenol, which just barely takes the edge of pain away.(sorry, not meaning to complain!) ]
But I'm still getting outside! ;) I figured out a way to get on the lawn mower and take my dog, Max, for a walk around the property!
I keep my spirits up by reading my Bible and being patient and cheerful! I know that this is just a season in my life, a test of my character, if you will! And I am determined to pass the test with Gods' help! ;) I can't work as a nanny for now, so my daughter has taken my position til I can come back. (which was a HUGE blessing, for her and for me!) She and the children picked me up yesterday and we went on a picnic to a lovely playground. It really brightens my day to be with them!

I've hobbled around the yard for the past few weeks, slowly cutting down and labeling my double angel trumpets. Then I potted them up and placed them in a shady area that gets morning sun. I took all of the green tips, and left them over 18" long, some are 3' tall. They bent over badly, but lately, we've had 2 days of rain in a row and they stood right up! :) These will be for my website next summer. I love the rooted green tips- they are the first to bloom for next year! I hope to get outside today and take a few more angels down and pot them up.

We are getting close to our first hard frost and I want all of my babies to be ready to go down into the basement for the winter. Don't want to be caught off guard and lose any! Just hope I have room for all of them!! My husband's getting nervous already!! LOL!

Good & blessed morning dear Kathy! Such a joy to hear from you :)! No worries about the ProTekt ;). It was a simple mistake, no harm done. I should've tried to do some research about it on my own but since I'm still fairly new to growing Brugs & Plumies, instead of trying to figure out what's best with my extremely limited knowledge, I felt it was more practical to consult with my fellow gardening buddies here, especially since you've been so very kind & helpful (& patient!) with all my spastic pondering LOL ;P! God bless y'all!

Glad to hear you're still hanging in there my friend, although I'm disheartened you're in so much pain. Yikes about your strong meds causing that rare form of glaucoma!! No need to ever apologize for complaining about aches, pains, or troubles dear soul! That's what brothers & sisters in Christ are for! If I can be of any service to you don't hesitate to reach out! Amen, it's a comfort to be able to read the Bible & know our Lord is right by our side through thick & thin. Every trial we face is a new opportunity to grow closer to Him & watch Him work in our lives. Your trial is going to become your testimony to encourage someone else :D.

Congrats on figuring out a way to kill 2 birds with one stone regarding walking Max using your lawn mower lol! Hey, whatever works, right? Your daughter sounds like a real sweetheart (of course, you raised her). That picnic at the playground sounded like the perfect pick-me-up. Hearing the laughter of children, surrounded by loved ones & the beauty of nature on a sunny day is sometimes the best cure for a bad day; that & a nice cup of tea or chocolate works too ;).

I can imagine what a task it's been trying to tend to all your plants, especially the Brugs, before the hard frost comes. God will give you the strength you need to get it done. That double Angel pic is just gorgeous! I LOVE when you post pics of your gardens!! I'm still prepping for my Angels, although the more I think about it the more uncertain I am that they'll survive being in the shed over winter, even with all the prep work I'm doing for securing the area inside against the cold (building a cardboard box frame to put around them & insulating it with layers of newspaper & freeze cloth, then heavy mulching the pot & covering the pot with layers of burlap. All together now kids, "Yee haw!"). I'm praying we have a warm winter like last year but, like you, I want to be prepared. Today it's around 80* with bright sunshine, this after we were inundated with rain & clouds for 5 days when our area was already sopping wet. I have a mess of Deathcaps growing all over my yard which I'm digging out & disposing away from my dog's curious reach. I'm letting the Plumies my friend gave me sit outside on my hot brick porch so their clay pot can dry out thoroughly before bringing them back in. The Brugs are in the sun trying to dry out more before I cut them back above the "Y"s & then try to lug their pot into the house. This should be fun. When you cut your green tips, how did you root them - water or just potted them up? When I cut mine back I'll have some tips but I don't know if I should even bother trying to root them being our weather is going to be in the 50's & I have no clue what to do with them at this point in the season. My family gave me some colorful descriptions but I'll refrain ROFL. My Plumie friend wants my Brug cuttings but I told her it was probably best to wait till I can make spring cuttings because of the chance these ones might not make it through the winter. Sheesh, I really need to build my own greenhouse next year!

Looking forward to hearing from you again! Happy day! God bless (((hugs)))!

Hi miss Mud Puppy et al-
I've reduced my meds. to just Tylenol (ex strength) and it seems to be kicking in! :) I'm trying to stick to the lowest dosage, (1 500 mg every 4 hours) and it's working! Thank God!
But I don't get around as well as I'd like. So I'm learning to rest, take naps and I'm reading my Bible and other inspirational books more. I'm leaning on Him, and He is enough for me! I have this wonderful peace and joy, sprinkled with a good dose of patience! My husband is amazed how well I'm doing. Everything says I'm disabled. But my mind won't except it!:) I know it's the power of God in me. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. :)
Miss Mud Puppy, I see you're in zone 7, but I don't know if you'll have enough time to root the green tips before it gets too cold. They have to have warmth, (above 60*) continuously throughout winter if they are to develop a strong root system. And it's a little tricky to not let them rot. You have to have them barely moist, and let them go dry a bit before watering again. I always start green tips in potting soil. Starting them in water only promotes rot, for me anyway. Most folks don't like the greenies, but I do. They're above the Y and are all set to bloom earlier the following summer.
I'm taking up small plants that didn't grow very much this summer, and hopefully, they'll thrive enough through the winter to get a second chance next year. I have some very special crosses from my good friend Bill, who passed so many wonderful seedlings to me this year. I'm really stalling before cutting them back, because I'm dying to see if they'll bloom for me. They are very vigorous and fast growing, but no Y as yet.
Speaking of wild mushrooms, I'm surprised that my son's puppy, "Wally", actually ate some poisonous ones. We were leaving NY and heading back to NC, and took him for quick walk before we headed out. He got away on us, and came back stumbling, vomiting and diarrhea all at the same time. He fell down, eyes were rolling back into his head, and I thought, "he's a goner". My son looked up with tears in his eyes and said, 'Mom, please pray for him!" I prayed for him and he instantly settled down and ceased from getting sick. Ben bathed him, and we laid him on a pillow in the back seat of the car, and he slept all the way home to NC! Yep! Wally made it and is such a crazy, happy little guy today! He's the cutest little Welsh terrier you'd ever want to see! Pic attached.

Top o'the morn to you Kathy :D! Thank you kindly for the reply! SO happy to hear the Tylenol is starting to kick in!! Hallelujah \o/. How awesome to be able to have His peace in the midst of your storm & still be able to smile & praise Him through the tough days! I believe a person is only disabled if they allow themselves to settle into & live out that mindset but we're never victims of whatever befalls us because we know God's already aware of it & working all things out for our good & His glory :).

The new USDA maps now say I'm in zone 7a whereas other maps still have us at 6 so who knows lol? Our weather's been all over the place the past 2 yrs so it's gonna be a hard call either way this year on what we can expect this winter. Today it's in the 70's but tomorrow brings a cold front which will plunge us into the 50s & 60s all wk. Mon & Tues I will have to bring the Brugs indoors before evening when it drops to 43*. Thank you for the info about trying to root the "greenies." With the weather we're expecting for the next few wks, I won't have any success trying to root them. Hate throwing them away like that but now I understand why most Brug growers make cuttings & root them before the cooler weather hits. This is what I get for being selfish & trying to let mine eek out their last blossoms. Lesson learned ;).

I wish you the best in those special crosses from Bill! How exciting! Lord willing He'll bless you with some blooms, or at least allow them to make it through the winter for next year.

OMGoodness about Wally!!! Thank God He answered your prayers & healed the little guy! He turned what could've been a tragedy into a triumph. PTL! I have a feeling this isn't the first time you've seen God work like that for you & your family ;). TY for sharing this pic of dear Wally. He's certainly an adorable little fella! Hugs & kisses to him. I love all God's creatures but dogs have a special place in my heart.

Miss mud Puppy-
You are so right about that! I am only disabled in my body, but not my mind! It's kind of strange and funny at the same time! (but not for long!)
If you have a few hours, I could tell you of all the marvelous miraculous things Jesus has done for our family in the past 30 years that we've known Him.
Mighty things... and He continues to perform them to this day! So I've learned not to stress about things if they don't happen right away or when I want them too, cuz' His way and His timing is perfect! I do have great peace through Him. I'm sure there are others as well as yourself who can say the same thing, because He's no respecter of persons!
We are having the exact same weather here, and I'm debating on bringing my angels in or not. The weather's supposed to warm a bit next week, & I'd really like them to get a bit more sun before they go in for the winter.
Yes, my son Ben moved away with Wally. We went up to V.A. to visit them and were standing in the parking lot outside Ben's apartment. They live on the 3rd floor. I looked up towards his place, and there was silly Wally, with his head poked through the screen, just looking down at us! He's so funny and crazy at times! My daughter says it was the mushrooms! ;)

Sorry for the delay in responding. My allergies have really been bothering me lately & my meds aren't cutting it anymore so I'm researching which supplements to take. Been tending to some outdoor chores trying to get everything done before the next rains come. Had to do a few unexpected last minute preparations for my Brugs due to some unusually cold temperature changes we're going through now. The next 2 nights we're expecting temps in the low 30's. They haven't issued a frost/freeze warning yet but I don't want to take any chances. Lugged the Angels into the shed & still have to wrap their pot with a heavy duty down comforter before nightfall. Sad because they look fuller & healthier than ever right now - wouldn't you know it LOL? I did take some cuttings & have them rooting in a glass jar of water with a little ST added to it. Been changing it every day & am starting to see nubbies! When their roots get long enough I'm going to pot them up & give them to the friend who gave me the Plumies. She has a furnace room to keep them in over winter so hopefully all should go well for her. If not, I'll just cut her some more in the spring.

Sister, I always have time to hear about our Lord & share the wonderful things He's done in someone's life ;)! Indeed, I do have quite a few tales of my own to contribute. I've only been saved for 9 yrs but I've seen His hand upon my family & me all throughout my life - & I'm literally living proof that He still does miracles. I can confidently proclaim that God IS faithful because I've witnessed it firsthand. Not sure if we should use this thread or emails to discuss such (?).

Aw, sorry to hear that Ben & Wally moved away. It's great that you can visit them though - & that Wally remembers you ;)! I believe animals can sense God's children. ROFL about your daughter's mushroom comment!!

Hope you're doing well dear soul! Have a blessed day/weekend. :)(: