I think the Bonide is a powder and this is granules. I have plants on my fire escape and on the roof that I will have to take in I believe at the end of October. I have some 2 year old Ficus bengalensis and F. religiosa that I grew from seed and now are getting a thick trunk, also have some orchids in 6" pots, Laelia and Schomburgkia and Ansellia. And some Mango saplings I grew from seed and some small Coccoloba uvifera I have grown from seed (4 or 5" pots now). Actually something chews and cuts the coccoloba leaves. and some cacti. I know Imidclorprid is an insecticide so it is not effective on mites (not many plants get mites - only rarely and a couple of them). I will spray and soak also with Neem oil. I have Habanero peppers I want to overwinter but no systemic in those. I will just turn them into bonsais (bonchi) cut them really small and soak them in water neem oil and dish soap and then rinse and repot. But I want to minimize taking insects in. I do not like to spray indoors. The fertilizer I believe is 6-9-6 and the dosage would not be so much different than Osmocote. Being slow release I wonder if the risk of burn is minimal. Maybe i will get some brown leaf tips but maybe not... stefano

It makes sense to me from a Darwinian standpoint that flowering plants in an ecosystem may derive an advantage by being triggered to flower if other like species began flowering independent of photo period or temperature related flowering cues. Sort of like Keeping up with the Joneses. I am not aware of compounds that can induce flowering in plants not connected to the same vascular system. There is scientific evidence for a "florigen", though for may years the idea of a florigen molecule apparently was the source of some ridicule amongst plant physiologists. A florigen is a compound that when present in plant tissues can induce differentiation of apical meristem tissues into flowering meristem. In brief if you had 2 identical plants subjected to different growing conditions, one favorable to flowering and one not, taking tissue from the flowering plant and grafting it onto the non-flowering plant can induce "precocious" flowering in the non-flowering host plant. Pretty cool, huh? (Plant physiologists please forgive for any misrepresentation, I am actually better versed in cellular function of things without cell walls) The sand in the Vaseline is that in this case the plants have to have contact with the vascular tissues of, not just be in the immediate vicinity of a flowering plant. Having said that, I do know that ethylene in vanishingly small concentrations can induce fruit ripening, and I have always said my wife's geraniums smell funny...so you may be onto something. Now here is my theory on why my wifes collection of African Violets that had been in non-flowering vegetative growth mode for years suddenly went on a blooming frenzy shortly after the expansion of my orchid collection began to occupy the same space. The AV knew that we had discussed composting them since they had been just taking up space, and the show the orchids were putting on shamed them into a floral extravaganza. As it happens the geraniums that will not die also perked up after the arrival of the orchid grow-cart.

Hey Carrie, maybe I have dappled shade instead of dappled sun.........but this is what I grow there. Wood Ferns (from you), hostas, Kimberly Fern, sun coleus, Dragon Wing Begonia (must have), tall Ginger, Oriental Lilies, phlox (tall), and elephant ears. As you know, I have to try to have every plant in the universe so these HAVE to grow in the dappled sun/shade bed. The Dragon Wings are in red and are like jewels....bloom all season and I take cuttings. A decent house plant. Sun coleus gives spectacular color, too. I listed some just green but you will spot that in a heartbeat.

Summer annuals like zinnia, golden cosmos, vinca. Epidendrum radicans. Jatropha (a small bush will have many red flowers until cold weather and will bring zebra longwings to sip nectar). Maybe visit a nursery to see which plants are kept in full sun now - and how they are faring. Lowes and Home Depot, for instance, have both sunny areas and shady areas. This time of year (rain-less) I keep most of my container plants, wherever they are, sitting in water or a saucer to catch the water if I add water to the top (and to keep them from rooting into the ground). I say this as a reminder that it is HOT out there and water evaporates FAST! If you haven't tried this with your poinsettias, maybe do. After all, they love to be in full sun - it's just that they should not dry out.