Before you get jumped on by someone else, I think you made a little typo, Jodi. Light CAN, at times, be the most limiting factor in growing - it's just not ALWAYS the most limiting factor, or the most important factor, and it certainly cannot negate the effects of other limiting factors - you can't make up for a dry or over-fertilized plant by giving it more light. That would be a ridiculous suggestion, as we all agree, I'm sure. The most important factor changes, and if you're working on eliminating limiting factors you'll find they will arise in a succession, but it is always the most limiting factor that is most important. Example - A plant that loves bright sun is doing poorly. It is in the shade, but it is dry and malnourished, and has scale. The obvious most important potential limiting factor to correct is the moisture level. Then, we really have no way of knowing whether light, the malnutrition, or the scale infestation are the next most limiting. If we correct one issue, say light, we may or may not have corrected the next most limiting issue. If we did not, we cannot expect the plant to grow at beyond it's limits. If we DID - if light WAS the next most limiting factor, then the next most limiting issue, after light, becomes the most important. Light is just 'somewhere in the queue'. Don't get me wrong, I'd never try to diminish the importance of light and it's influence on healthy plants, but plants grown in perfect light die quite often from other limiting causes. Since I assume the viability of the organism is the measure by which we judge the importance of limiting factors, it can ONLY be concluded that when plants in perfect light die, light was NOT the limiting factor, it was not king, and it did not negate the limiting effects of other factors. Never, is everything exactly perfect, and as soon as you get one factor as close to perfect as possible, the factor that is farthest from perfect becomes the most important issue to deal with. It takes thousands of parts to build an automobile on an assembly line. The part that is in shortest supply will always have the greatest potential to bring the line to a stop. Replenish the supply of that particular part, and the next part that is in shortest supply claims the greatest potential to bring the line to a stop ....... and so it goes with plants. Keep us posted with pics, Mike. Where do you find the time to take & post so many shots? Good job! Al

SFGATE Skip to main content. HOME GUIDES Is Adenium Obesum Poisonous to Dogs?by Susan Paretts, Demand Media Keep Fido away your toxic desert rose plants. Adenium obesum, commonly referred to as desert rose or desert azalea, is grown both outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12 and indoors as a decorative houseplant. Known for its showy, bright-colored flowers, this perennial succulent produces a milky sap that is highly poisonous to both people and dogs. For your pup's safety, keep Fido away from this beautiful yet dangerous plant. You can grow the desert rose as a succulent shrub, small tree or bonsai houseplant. The plant produces beautiful flowers that are tubular in shape and come in various shades of red, pink and rose. It also produces follicle-like fruit containing seeds when pollinated. If grown indoors, the plants typically bloom in the summer, but outdoors they can bloom all year round in warm weather. This heat-tolerant plant grows best in well-drained, sandy or gravelly soil and direct sunlight, recommends the Missouri Botanical Garden. Desert rose is a hardy plant and can grow up to nine feet tall and five feet wide outdoors. Toxicity According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the desert rose is poisonous to dogs because it contains toxic chemicals called glycosides. These toxins are present in the sap of the plants, which can cause internal discomfort if eaten by your dog and can also irritate his skin, warns "Dog Friendly Gardens: Garden Friendly Dogs." The sap of the plant is present in all of its parts and is emitted when the plant is bruised or otherwise damaged. Desert rose sap is considered so toxic to people and animals that it's even applied to the tips of arrows by hunters in some parts of Africa, according to the Bayer Advanced website. Effects If your dog eats the desert rose plant, expect him to experience vomiting, diarrhea, gastrointestinal pain, excessive drooling and blistering of the mouth and throat, according to the Whitney Veterinary Hospital. This sap can also lead to blistering and redness of the skin if your pup simply brushes past the plant. For irritated skin issues, wash the sap off of the dog's skin using a nontoxic, gentle soap before bringing your pooch into the vet. Wear gloves so it doesn't get on your hands. If Fido has ingested any of the desert rose, get him to the vet immediately. In severe cases of poisoning, your pup may experience heart problems that can be fatal in some cases, warns the ASPCA. Considerations Keep any houseplants, including the desert rose, in an area of your home that your dog can't access. Bored house pets tend to entertain themselves by chewing or pawing at any plants they can get to, including the decorative yet harmful flowers and leaves of the desert rose, the Merck Veterinary Manual warns. When in your yard, control your pup around desert rose plants, especially after pruning them, which will release their harmful sap. While there is no cure for desert rose poisoning, your vet can administer supportive care for him, including administering intravenous fluids and inducing vomiting to rid Fido of the toxins.

Caye61542, so so sorry that you lost your baby blues from those nasty HOSP's. Never never let them nest in your bird houses. Always put up a sparrow spooker after 1st egg has been laid by bluebirds or any others that may nest with you. If you're not familiar with spooker, there is plenty of info online. Most people make theirs, but I bought mine. Make sure you remove it after babies fledge, so HOSP's don't get accustomed to it. They are really effective, but not always. The other thing that's critical when you have a HOSP problem is to get a Van Ert Trap installed inside your bluebird house (can order online & very easy to install). You can only use this when no birds are nesting. It can be removed during this time. What happens is when the HOSP enters, it sets the trap off & covers up the hole. Then, you have to get a big bag (I have large laundry bag with drawstring so I can see the bird & make sure it was a HOSP that I caught) & put all the way around house & open door for HOSP to escape. They will come out quickly, so make sure they don't escape. It's key to monitor hourly when you use this trap because you could trap bluebirds or other native birds as well & don't want them to die in box. You will then need to dispose of HOSP & try to trap the mate as well. I know some people don't want to dispose of them, but how else are you going to keep them from killing your bluebirds? There are humane ways to do it. The Sialis site outlines the entire process for you & gives other tips on how to control HOSP's. It's a personal choice, but definitely invest in a sparrow spooker. People that have serious HOSP problems trap multiples in a repeating trap that they use a decoy & millet to get them trapped. I'd be getting rid of that nasty HOSP that killed your babies! Best of luck! Nicole

My sympathies for this heartbreaking turn, Nik, and I am glad you are seeking another love. Sissy was beautiful, as is Lara -- I think gold-colored dogs are especially beautiful. Funny about the "wrong color". My late uncle, Bob Zimmerman, among the last of the true cowboys, was renowned for his line of "yellow" McNabs. McNabs are a local (originating at the McNab Ranch) lineage of Scotch collies that are usually black and white, but he got a gold-colored one in one batch of pups ("Gyp"), who went on to father offspring where the occasional pup was that color, too (recessive mutation, I suppose). Gyp was an exceptionally good herder, who won sheepdog trials at the county fair, as were many of his yellow offspring, so rather than being shunned, the yellow pups were highly desired by local ranchers. They seemed to consider them a sure bet for a good dog, as well as being of that relatively rare and novel color that lent prestige. But, as Camps points out, not so practical, considering that most of lower-elevation California is the same color as these dogs in the summer and fall -- Gyp, son Teddy, and grandson Rowdy (the ones I knew best) were hardly visible at a distance, at all, on the range.