That's cool about your ancestor, Hoov! On my Dad's side we apparently have a headless ghost that haunts some northern town, lol. My Dad's cousin played for the greatest Yankee teams ever, with Lou Gherig and folks, '36 to '38 and got traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers that year. Dad knew him, and I see his closer relatives all the time out here, where he was born. Kemp Whicker [misspelled Wicker often]. I get motion-sick, too! Or did, rather and now it will be a migraine instead. Still the same ole triggers. Embarrassing asking to sit in the front seat as an adult ;] I can see computer refresh rates and flourescent light flickers at a frequency that is odd for humans to see... goes back to migraines, lol. Not a good superpower ;] ealoudermilk, I'm actually that way too, to a certain extent. It's scary how goofy I am in real life. I'm goofier here than in real life in public 'cos I don't much care, lol [not a bad thing to y'all, I assure you]. Oh, I'm definitely mored scared of smaller aircraft. I want to skydive but would have to be pushed out and I'd throw up and scream at the whole first part. Still want to do it, though. The 2nd part sounds worth it. I adore Chicory coffee! I like blackstrap molasses in mine! More than 3 answers is great, too, LOL and appreciated to see all y'all folks!!. I use TV as background noise 'cos I always have tinitis. Can stand silence but prefer white noise so I don't hear the constant high beep. I'm definitely a dork. Dorks unite! I figure if it's more fun than being contrived [which I have to do to be undorky] than so be it! I remind my Dad of his eccentric silly aunt with 11 cats in a very small house [& she was loaded] down to her never having kids but always having a ball with the neighborhood children. It's OK, I LOVED her :)

I got really tired of my 3x3 'dead zone' around my dryer vent and after trying several different plantings decided to go the easy way out. After a storm went through my village a few years ago I cruised the streets around until I found a funky shaped tree trunk cut and on the curb for waste pick-up day. I got hubby to go get it and placed it in my trouble spot. I put a container planting on the stump with something tall in center and then trailing material (black sweet potato) around the edges. In the winter I've got a squirrel that takes his ear of corn and sits on the stump to eat and warm his behind. I have varied the center of the planting from year to year depending on my latest whim of premium annual. Looks good, is cheap enough and nobody but me knows there is a 'dead spot' behind the stump.

Thanks to Fran, Karen and Morz for your input. As suggested, I called today and after a bit of a wait I was told the the pots re 3.5 inches deep and 3.5 inches in diameter. Actually what I like about this system is that it includes the 18 pots which sit in depressions in a holding tray. The holding tray sits in another tray with a self watering capillary mat. This is perfect for my tomatoes and peppers which I germinate in coffee filters in zip-loc bags which sit on the hot air vent in my dining room. I am very impatient, and like to see that the seeds are germinating, and I also ensure that each seed I 'pot up' is already growing. Currently, I am using styrofoam coffee cups, and a fairly deep tray I found at Goodwill, but the cups tend to be a bit wobbly when moved. Since each of these pots has it's own depression (about 3 inches deep) they will stay put and it will make hardening off easier. Karen, I love your setup. I am currently using storage shelving in my basement, and the shelves are too close together. By the time my tomatoes are ready they are touching the above shelf so I need to get something for my plants alone. I particularly liked the metal shelves. I'll have to look around for something like that - maybe Ikea. BTW Morz8, I have not had any damp off for quite a few years since I have been using weak chamomile tea for all my indoor watering needs: soaking the coffee filters, soaking any seeds I need to, and watering my seedlings. It works like a charm for me. I buy the tea bags at the bulk store, make one cup of tea overnight, pour it in a 2-litre bottle and fill with water. I water from the bottom but give the plants an occasional spray - I feel that keeps aphids and gnats away (perhaps it doesn't). Well my tomatoes are turning and my peppers all have either green ones, blossoms, or buds (mostly hot peppers), so I'll be set for next season. This item is called Starter Combi Pak #3 by Veseys, a Canadian company from which I have bought seeds (before I knew about trading), bulbs, and perennials (before I knew about winter sowing). I think they also sell to the US. Here is a link to this item (hope this works): http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/tools/indoorseed/perfectstarter2 Enjoy the rest of the summer!! I can feel the winter in my bones already!!! Northerner.

Laura Whole point of using gravely mix is to provide good drainage - just as plants would have in their habitat. Excess water will drain out, but some of it is held by the substrate - how much, it depends on type of it. I would rather 'waste' minute amounts of ferts in fertigating solution than have plant sitting in waterlogged soil. There shouldn't be too much fertilizer applied either, otherwise one would have plants that may not look even close to what they really look like naturally. They are not supposed to be overly fed, too big, growing too fast, almost like on steroids, haha. Most of recommendations are to use 1/2, 1/4 or even 1/8th of recommended dose, depending on frequency. And not everyone is fertilizing succulents, or only once, maybe twice a year. That would be very small amount of fertilizer even with many plants. You are very right saying that some adjusting is best according to growing conditions. And some products are more difficult to find, or could be expensive if lot is needed. I find perlite everywhere I look, but is much more difficult to get pumice. Bark of suitable size is also difficult to find - so I don't even use it in gritty mix.