Tina, starting orchids from seed is an expensive undertaking. Think about the equipment you need, the materials, the flasking media, the replating media, the tools, flasks, pots, potting media, energy costs for heat and light, etc. And you need some know how. ThatÂs why the above posters all recommended you send the seed to professionals. But as expensive as it is, the seeds may or may not be viable, you never really know. And if they have not been properly stored since you received them... In the best cases, it takes a number of years from seed to pot plants. And the yield is never guaranteed. You could sow thousands of seeds and only get a dozen plants total. Or none, as things often do go wrong  many seeds in flask never germinate or mould makes its way into the flask. ThatÂs why starting orchids from seed has to be such a selective process. And why the person who told you there were no plants might not have been scamming you. Scattering seed among the roots is a really haphazard way of starting orchids from seeds. The odds are miniscule. And this is when the seed is scattered among the roots of its pod parent (aka Mommy). Orchid seed are different from that of other plants in that they do not carry any protein structures. To germinate and grow, they NEED a SPECIFIC fungus that will provide them with the energy needed. I have not heard of experiments with scattering seed among other orchids. If you have orchids of the same genus and genera as your seeds, there might be a chance. If you donÂt Best of luck, with your orchid seeds and the job hunt. Julie

We have a 70 stall horse ranch/barn with a very large over one year aged pile of horse manure mixed with cedar shavings. This is great for mulching, fertilizer, or mixing in with soil to enrich your earth. Come any time between 9am-5pm Tuesday through Friday or Saturday and Sunday from 9am - 4pm. Please don't come out Mondays. You are welcome to take as little or as much as you wish. We have a small tractor and are able to fill medium sized pickups for a 20 dollar fee or you can load it your selves and take as much as you want for free. Please feel free to bring your own tractor if you are planning on taking tones. The pictures are showing the outer layers, the older richer material that would be best for fertilizer is just underneath. The best for mulch is the newest non aged lighter colored material. We produce large quantities daily so there is more than enough of each type available. This is the best deal out there, many other horse ranches sell their material, but since we produce such a large quantity there is more than enough for all. Please feel free to come on in at any time that works best for you between the hours above mentioned, no need to call ahead unless you need a fill, then just come find us. Were here teaching horse riding lessons and riding all day long. There is a gate on the property but the code is written on the key pad. Hope you enjoy this free chance to get your garden or landscaping project accomplished at a reduced cost. Were located at the end of Lucas valley road just off Nicasio valley Rd. 10 miles west of Fairfax, 15 miles west of Highway 101 over Lucas valley rd. and 15 miles south of Petaluma. It a beautiful drive, and a great way to get a clean product for your project, landscaping, garden, or business. 3431 Nicasio Valley Rd. Nicasio, CA 94946 Thanks for your interest! Call if you have any questions. 916-662-0828 (Ryan)

Municipal compost varies widely. Compost from your town is probably great stuff. I get a lot of my compost free, from our city compost dump. It is mostly unfinished leaf mold. I have used it directly on my back yard, but prefer to finish it in my compost bin. Go have a look at your towns black gold. Take some home and try it. Some concerns might be: unknown pesticide residue, not finished enough. I have a gold mine of free compost, browns, greens, nearly finished, and finished humus if one digs deep enough. This morning, I opened my bin, pulled a bunch out, turned it a little, watered it and replaced what I took out with new stuff from our city piles. Look at that barrel of fresh green grass, buckets of leaf mold. Mmmmm mmmmm good. And of course, it was free.

Hello - I'm a short stone's throw from you. Although I've never checked it out myself, I've heard that the city of Pittsburgh has composted leaves/etc. that are available. Someone else told me that I shouldn't use it because you don't know what is in it. Usually I use bags of cow manure or mushroom manure from Busy Beaver for small areas. Otherwise, I've gotten a one yard delivery of mushroom manure from a local supplier for about $25 plus delivery. The mushroom manure smelled faintly when it was delivered but the smell goes away quickly. The bags of manure are decomposed and don't smell. If you are doing a front yard garden, the bags would be very easy and convenient to use - you could even use a combination of cow, mushroom, peat moss, and top soil in bags. What kind of garden are you working on? Is it sunny or shade? Perennials? Karen