1) Volume 2) If you're using Reptibark (or prescreened 1/8-1/4" other conifer bark), Turface/calcined DE, and grower grit (no crushed shellfish shells), all you'll need is insect screen to eliminate the fines. If you're screening your own pine bark, you'll also need 1/2" and 18" screen. Ask for hardware cloth at hardwares or big box stores. Real hardwares probably sell it by the foot. 3) You may not need the extra water retention, but if you do you can use 3 Turface or DE 2 bark 2 grit or the next step would be 3 bark 4 Turface or DE 2 grit I don't, but you can if you want. When it gets really hot, you'll want to reduce the amount of fertilizer you use, and you can't do that using CRFs. If you do use one, try to be sure it's as close to a 3:1:2 ratio as possible and that it contains all the essential nutrients, including Ca & Mg - most don't. I like Foliage-Pro with the gritty mix because it has everything in the right ratio and it doesn't utilize urea as it's N source, which is a considerable plus for houseplants. Al

Black-oil sunflower seed hulls are considered allelopathic. They contain a chemical that can inhibit seed germination in other plants so try avoid using heavy concentrations of them any place where you might be direct seeding. Mulching around established plants - in moderation - shouldn't pose a problem and no problem adding them to the compost piles (in my experience) except they are slow to break down. This is assuming a diverse mixture in the pile and that you don't add excessive amounts at one time. More info in the link below. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Purdue Extension Service - Composting Acorns & Sunflowers

I have always used manure tea in my gardens. I always keep a five-gallon bucket ready to use by the outside faucet. I use it almost exclusively in my lettuce, strawberry and spinach beds with great results. When my children were little, they found the buckets of "tea" to be intriguing. (Kids like stinky things for some reason). The neighboring children on our block came to our house every day to play games in the garden. One sunny summer afternoon I chanced to hear them playing out back by the faucet. They were unusually loud and there was screaming, so I went out to investigate. I was joined by my next door neighbor, the mother of three of them and we proceeded to the back of my house to check it out. Their screams were those of pure delight and Lisa and I knew they were up to some kind of mischief. There they all were - eight little blonde cherubs, four of whom were mine, all dipping into the Manure Tea bucket and flinging all that ripe slurry at one another. They were covered from head to toe with manure and having a blast - "chocolate coated", rank, but all smiles! The bucket was nearly empty by then. One of the little toe-headed urchins belonged to a a school teacher who lived two doors down. She was NOT at all happy with the situation and thought Lisa and I were just awful mothers to have ALLOWED them to do such a thing. In a huff, she took her child home, still covered in poop, her nose high in the air! We hosed our kids off and then washed them down with homemade soap, after which we joined the game, spraying them with the hose just for sport, and chasing them with it all over our two joined yards. (We took before and after pictures, btw.) Wrapped in big warm towels we had a peanut butter and honey sandwich picnic under the Mimosa tree between our houses. Then we all went inside and the little buggers all took a much needed nap. Lisa and sat in the living room, laughing and reliving the whole day, including the scene of the indignant neighbor lady. (Hee Hee Hee) A day I will never forget. All the children grew up to be very tall and very healthy individuals. Hmmmm. Manure Tea baths....you think????? ~Annie What fun!

Dealer's choice! I think it'd be a good idea to go somewhat higher than average, but not quite that high. Call it 20 pounds per thousand square feet, or 1 bag to cover 1,800 square feet. But if you want to apply at 1 per 1,250, that's great. 1 per 2,500 is also great. What I'm saying here is that it's really hard to mess up when using Milo. Any of the above rates will work very well, and whatever you prefer is absolutely fine.