Toxcrusader, not sure why the neighbor is an ass. It may seem like I am being paranoid, but I am not. The mom of this neighbor family asked for a proof of purchase for a refund on something. My mom gave it to her. When my mom asked for a proof of purchase for a different product, this woman said for her to get it out of their trash. I can only hear that as talking down to my mom. She didn't say it was already in the trash, my mom was supposed to look for it eventually after they threw away the bottle. But as for the high PH I was a kid and not a gardener for quite a while. My dad limed the lawn at least every spring with a drag behind drop spreader. Our local Lowes has a plentiful supply of pulverized lime each spring in a prominate location in the garden supply area. Well, anyway, My yard doesn't need any more limestone. I don't have trouble growing many plants as a result of my dad's liming. I can grow Rhodedendron's. Azaleas are not successful as of the last 2 years. I tried a couple Azaleas, but maybe they needed a little more sun. I planted one under a Pin oak. Yes, the Pin oak liked my soil and they like slightly (or more) acidic soil. I thought that maybe the Azalea wanted more sun, because the Azalea croaked. It looked great in spring, but once the Pin oak had a nice full canopy overhead, the Azalea was gone.

Spring flowering bulbs have everything they need to grow next spring in the bulb now, so yours will grow and flower unless the soil they are in holds too much moisture and they drown. For blossoms in the years that follow however bulbs need to be planted in a soil well endowed with organic matter as well as have the foliage left in place until the bulbs have developed the flower and stored enough nutrients for growth in those following years. A good soil test is something to seriously consider to get an idea of the basic nutrient load in that soil and some indication of what needs to be done to assure a balanced nutrient load. It alos never hurts to look closely at your soil with these simple tests to get a better idea what that soil is: 1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.

We have red clay in GA. I always amend the soil with composted manure and a good amount of soil conditioner before putting in any plants, and my plants have done fine. Because it is so hard to get very deep in this clay, I tend to put my plants in raised beds to help with the drainage, otherwise, the clay gets compacted and doesn't drain well, which then puts the tubers at risk for rotting. I've planted peonies in potting soil and kept them in pots to give them time to mature and they have also done fine. I've never had a tuber get moldy from the potting soil. I put the tubers individually in 2 gallon pots, and I amended the potting soil with composted manure, and I also add soil conditioner to the pots to help with drainage as well. I've left them in pots for as little as 6-8 months, to as long as 1 1/2 years outside, and this year, a Festiva Maxima that was grown from a very small tuber in a box has buds.

I grow jades, jungle/forest cacti, Adeniums and one very evil 'true' cactus here in the not so tropical UK, so they are mainly grown indoors. Miracle grow is often spoken about on here and over on the Adenium forum but I personally don't use it. Lots of mixes such as MG are sold as specific c&s soils, however, the consensus on here is that it (and many other brands sold as such) contain far too much peat (organic) and not enough inorganic components. I can suggest searching at the top of the page for gritty mix, it will give lots of useful info for a far healthier mix for your plants. I use equal parts bark, sold as reptile bark or similar, horticultural grit...aquarium grit could do just as well, perlite and a multi purpose compost ...which yes, I realise does contain peat, but with the ratio above of other added things, it works well and my plants don't rot.....yet! The jungle cacti don't actually grow on the above mix though, they are in a more humus rich mixture. Some growers that I know of use MG cut with 50% perlite, but I find with such a high %age of perlite, it can rise up like magic to the top Layers of the mix very easily, also the pots are less stable due to their light weight filling if this particular recipe is used. It's a case of trial and error as you can amend the ratios to suit your own plants and the conditions you are growing in. The above is what works for me and mine. Hint......can you add your country/zone after your name via your profile page so we can advise better if necessary? Thanks! Gill UK