What kind of mulch and how close to plant stem can I put it? Most people decide by how much they are willing to spend and what they have access to. Some municipalities have yard waste recycling centers and provide free compost and mulch, others charge a few dollars a truckload. Some people like me like to use grass clippings and leaves because I can get them for free. Others use shredded newspaper, cardboard, buckwheat hulls, woodchips, etc. Do these all have about same water needs? Can I water all the plants the same - ie tomatoes don't need more water than squash or basil? If that's true, then I will just run a soaker hose around the plants, cover with some compost I have from last fall plus old leaves and some grass clippings (keeping away from plant stem) Right? Did you read my post on watering above? So long as you have good drainage, the plants will take what water they need. Follow the advice above about one inch of water per week by supplementing rainfall. What about fertilizer? I made the raised garden bed 9 months ago because of our heavy clay soil. So I don't know how nutrient rich it is - it's about 1/4 - 1/3rd clay, 1/3 or more good compost, 1/3 misc - some rotting leaves, soil ammendments like bone meal, epsoma, top soil etc. How much and how often? Don't get overwhelmed, just try to get educated on the topic from all sides before making a final decision. Chemical fertilizers can render your soil sterile over time and upset the balance of the ecosystem of your soil tremendously - enough to a point where repeated use will actually force you into needing chemical fertilizer because your soil won't be able to support itself naturally. Hence, a good reason to care so that while you still have a choice, why not use natural means? Take the time to learn that there is not a "cure all" for every pest at every stage of it's life cycle. Some won't work if it's going to rain. Some don't work well if it's too hot, etc. Pest management is complex, if you wish to use chemical products, do so responsibly which goes further than reading the label. If you want to learn, a good place to start is here: Integrated Pest Management This lecture is presented in two parts. Each part is 90-minutes in length. Recorded in Sacramento County in California's Sacramento Valley, this lecture is byMary Louise Flint, Ph.D., Director, IPM Education and Publications, UC Statewide IPM Project and Extension Entomologist & Cooperative Extension Specialist. Education: B.S. Plant Science, University of California, Davis Ph.D. Entomology, University of California, Berkeley Appointment: 100% Cooperative Extension Research Interests: Integrated pest management of landscape, agricultural and garden pests; biological control of arthropod pests; alternatives to pesticides; adoption of alternative practices by practitioners; innovative delivery of pest management information. Topics discussed in the Integrated Pest Management Lecture: * IPM references and resources * Preventing pest problems * Natural common enemies * Making less toxic pesticide choices * Controlling aphids, scales, caterpillars, coddling moths, tree borers, snails and slugs, and lawn insects. You can watch the programs now online: Just make sure you have Real Player installed or download it free. Integrated Pest Management Part1 90 minutes Integrated Pest Management Part 2 90 minutes You'll want to bookmark the following link to Professor Flint's Lab Research on: Controlling Pests in Gardens and Landscapes: Vegetables and Melons I promise you'll learn one or two things to put in your gardening bag of pest management arsenals. ;)

This is a good overview. Thanks

In southern MS, pretty much all brugs should be hardy in the ground for you. The topgrowth dies back after more than 4-6 hours at 27 degrees or less, but the rootball can survive longer, colder temps---as long as they're not wet. Wet + cold = rot. Potted brugs generally grow more slowly than ones planted in-ground, but they can eventaully get quite big. But remember, the soil in pots gets colder/freezes quicker than the soil in the ground, so unless you plant on bringing that big pot indoors, you have a higher risk of losing the brug to the winter cold. The soil in pots also gets hotter during the summer, and requires more frequent watering. Then there's the 'bucket method', which I use for my more temper brugs, chiefly those with Versicolor genes. I take a 3-gallon bucket and drill several 1" holes around the sides, but NOT in the bottom. I plant the brug in the b ucket, then plant bucket and all into the ground. Come fall, I cut around the outside of the bucket and lift the whole plant for overwintering in my greenhouse. I cut back the top just what's needed in order to get it inside, but I do strip off all the leaves. They generally drop them all anyway, and removing them while still outside eliminates the risk of bringing in pest eggs on them. I think it also helps the plant deal with the shock of root-pruning, by giving it a little chance to recover before it has to support the water needs of full-sized leaves. My in-ground brugs have gotten bigger each year. The oldest one, a nameless, seed-grown white, puts tp about a dozen trunks each year now, and they usually make it to 10-12' before first frost. Brugs aren't all that deeply rooted, I've learned from digging them up. They spread out pretty wide, but not deep, and they have a tendancy to break or blow over in high winds. One way to avoid damage when you're expecting strong winds (like when there's a tropical storm coming) is to remove most of the big leaves. Brugs drop and replace leaves constantly, so this doesn't seem to hurt them. Of the ones you mention, I've had CG and Frosty Pink in the ground here sor several years now. Both are quite hardy and heavy, work-horse bloomers. I find they're happiest here with direct sun from dawn to mid-day, then bright, indirect light until late afternoon.

And the second thing I would do -- check some info as to how long seed can be kept. I suggest doing a goggle seach outside GW. One website listed three different tables of years for the various veggies -- and they were not all the same. I sometimes save seeds longer than the suggested years on the package, so maybe only 30% germinate instead of 75%.