i have these: helix octopus hugs emmaus red suspenders high blaze aesthetic ballet artistic web classic romance savannah banana split i am interested in these of yours: geneva heartthrob homewrecker seduced sunday sandals no need to reply if you are not intersted. thanks. barb

One way to know if a site is relatively warm (has a longer growing season with fewer killing frosts) is to look for land in mid-fall when you can compare how far along native trees are towards dormancy. Best fruit growing areas are often known in the East and will already have established orchards. People have been growing fruit here for 300 years but you might luck out, I guess, and discover your own tiny "banana belt". As far as productivity- of course you will be able to grow a wider range of varieties in a 6 than a 5 and some would yield more with a longer season- at least over time. But your question really seems to be can you find a Z6 in regions that are predominantly 5. I think it's the leeward (southeast) side of large bodies of water that have moderated temps as in far upstate NY, not far from Buffalo and areas like Lake Geneva. Also along rivers such as the Hudson Valley and running up the Housatonic in CT. Some of the fruit you listed, like cold-hardy figs and Jap persimmons aren't going to work for you, even in a Z6 without protection.

Thanks, but they are not the same thing I asked about last year. These were not quite that small. I did actually find a source of cuttings of black corinth and I am keeping them in a greenhouse - hardy to something like zone 10.The berries of this grape were small, but bigger than those of the black corinth. I looked at petite jewel and the berries of this grape looked smaller than those of the jewel. Also, it seems petite jewel is more of a wine grape and these were sold as an eating grape, although I gues it could be both... The package called them champaign grapes, but the others were called the same. maybe it was just a genetic mutation of the black corinth, or a cross, or... Thanks

I think you can send/take a soil sample to Cornell to get testing done. They can probably test for lead if that seems likely to be a problem as well as pH, major nutrients, and organic matter. You can do some basic tests as outlined here: http://organicgardening.about.com/od/soil/a/easysoiltests.htm http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/hows-your-soil-texture.aspx?id=81680 Adding organic matter to the soil is always good, particularly if it is clay (yours sounds like it has quite a bit of clay) or sand. Some options to get additional compost might include: Can you borrow a truck? Could you hire a landscaper to deliver city compost for a cost that seems reasonable? Can you rent a truck (I think some of the big box stores rent trucks by the day/hour)? Is there a soil/mulch/compost supplier that can deliver a quantity from their bulk stocks for a price that seems reasonable to you? In future years, you may be able to pick up other folks leaves curbside to create more of your own compost. How worried you should be about contaminents may depend on where you are planting. For instance I live on an old farm, so in general I don't worry, but I don't plant anything edible near the house or where other old buildings stood since lead was used in house paint for many years, so I just assume that the soil near the house has a relatively high lead content. Likewise, I wouldn't plant next to a busy road since lead was a gas additive, but if your land has no history of industry, I wouldn't worry beyond that. Covering the grass is a great start since it will add organic matter as well. If you used enough layers of newspaper and it has been on long enough, most of the grass will have been killed. Grass will grow sideways into the garden under the stone border, so I would add a V shaped trench a few inches deep that gets refreshed a couple times over the course of the growing season to help keep the grass from growing into the veggie bed. Keeping mulch on the surface will help prevent weed seeds from sprouting and keep moisture levels more even. There is a vegetable gardening forum and a soil forum and also I think a composting forum here on GW where you can also ask questions.