INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has produced a map with information about temperatures and growing conditions in different "zones" of the U.S. The Madagascar dragon tree can only be kept outdoors all-year round in zones 10 and 11, which are located on the coast of Southern California and the tip of Southern Florida. While this map is most useful for growers living in the U.S., other countries (such as Australia) have produced similar maps using the same temperature guidelines. Go online to find information about your growing zone. If you live in zones 8 or 9, you can keep your tree outdoors during the spring and summer and bring it indoors once the temperature has dropped. Optimally, these plants prefer temperatures above 65F (18C), so pull it indoors as soon as the temperature begins to drop in early autumn. You may also be able to keep this plant outdoors in the warm summer months in northern USDA zones. Keep a close eye on the weather, though! If your evening temperatures drop below 60 to 65F (16 to 18C), your plant could stop growing or die. Your tree should get about 4-6 hours of sunlight over the course of the day. To keep it from burning up, it should have at least a few hours of shade, as well. Keep an eye out for leaves with dry, brown tips. This means you're giving your plant too much sun. Yellowing leaves means it needs a bit more sunlight. To test drainage, dig a hole in the soil and fill it completely with water. Let it drain and then fill it again. If the hole drains in under 15 minutes, your soil has good drainage. If the hole takes more than an hour (especially if it takes longer than six hours) to drain, you've got slow-draining soil. If the drainage doesn't need to be adjusted too much, you may just be able to add some compost and well-rotted manure to improve it. For severe drainage issues, you might need to invest in underground piping to remove the excess water. Measure the diameter of the root ball to get the right-sized hole. Center the tree in the hole, then fill it in with soil. Pack the soil down again before using distilled water to moisten the area. You can also keep the plant in an outdoor garden pot. Moisten the soil surrounding the tree 2 to 3 times per week while it's settling into its new spot. After about 20 days, reduce watering to once per week. If the soil is wet, you can water even less frequently. Wait until the spot has dried out to re-water. If you're experiencing extremely dry conditions, you may need to increase your watering. Look for leaves that are yellow at the tips to see if you're overwatering. If the leaves are falling off, water the tree a bit more. If the leaves are only browning or yellowing and falling off at the bottom of the stems, this is just natural growth. New, healthy leaves should appear above these older ones.

SUMMARY: Find out which hardiness zone you live in for outdoor growing. Plan for an outdoor/indoor plant if your climate is cooler. Plant your tree in a partially shaded area. Choose a spot with well-draining soil. Dig a hole that's twice the size of the root ball. Water frequently for 3 weeks, then once per week.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Unless your heart is set on vanilla, go with a chocolate icing. Starting with a brown-colored icing means you have to use less dye to achieve a black hue. You can still start with a white icing, but you will probably have to add flavoring later to cover the bitterness of the dye. You can dye most icing--including buttercream, cream cheese, or royal icing--black by following these instructions. Because royal icing is white, you may need to add flavoring or cocoa powder to hide the bitter flavor. You may be limited to what they carry at your local grocery store, but if you have a choice between liquid or gel coloring, choose the gel. You will use less of the gel than you would the liquid coloring. If you cannot find black dye, mix equal parts red, blue, and green food coloring. You won't get the "true" black like you would from the store-bought black, but you can achieve a very dark gray that can pass for black. Adding the dye (especially liquid) may thin out your icing, which can lead to bleeding. Store-bought icing will probably be a fine consistency, as it is usually nice and thick. To thicken, thoroughly mix in some sifted powdered (aka confectioner's) sugar. If you don't want your icing any sweeter but it's not thick enough, add some meringue powder instead. If you are using royal icing, drag a butter knife through the surface. Count how long it takes the icing to smooth back over. If it's between 5-10 seconds, your icing is thick enough. Any faster and you need to mix it longer or add a little sifted powdered sugar or meringue powder. The black dye may stain plastic. You may also want to wear an apron so you don't get any dye on your clothes. You will probably end up using a lot of dye--sometimes up to 1 oz or a teaspoon of coloring per cup--but it's better to add it gradually so you don't accidentally overdo it and end up with runny or splotchy icing. Black icing can make your icing bitter and unpalatable. If this happens to your icing, look at section two (Addressing Common Problems) to learn how to cover the bitterness. If you are close to black but can't seem to get past a dark gray, give your icing a few hours to develop. The color will deepen over time, and in as little as one hour your dark gray icing can turn a rich, complex black. The color will continue to deepen even once you've piped it onto a cookie or cake, so if you are super short on time you can go ahead and decorate immediately. Just be aware you won't have the opportunity to troubleshoot if the icing doesn't develop into the black you want. Keep the icing out of direct light as it develops, as this can cause the black to fade.

SUMMARY:
Buy or make your icing. Choose a black food coloring. Thicken your icing if necessary. Transfer your frosting to a large glass or stainless steel bowl. Add black dye to your icing a little bit at a time until you reach the desired shade. Mix dye thoroughly so there are no lumps or streaks in your icing. Taste the icing. Cover your icing and let it sit. Decorate your masterpiece!