Thanks, folks. Lots of good thoughts there based on your experience. I've never seen this issue addressed before, though it's been bugging me for a long time and apparently has bothered others too. So long as the "bulb" portion of the root is at least partially embedded in the ground, they do OK. It's only when they sit loose on the surface that the plant can't grow properly. With onions, of course, there is never a problem as they have a different kind of root system. The first half of my gardening life was spent gardening in loamy clay, which formed my ideas as to what is "normal". In the second half I hope to master sandy soil. It is challenging, but nice and easy to dig. The trench idea sounds sensible, as do the soil ammendment and temperature comments. Jim

Thanks! It was quite an undertaking. I have a week off in April. I plan on enjoying the newly planted gardens and I have one more bed to do. Will probably also make some trellises out of copper pipes. I'll post pics if I do.

I'd leave the top on to retain humidity. I've not done boxwood or hydrangeas that way, but I have done coleus and petunias. The humidity seems critical in getting them to root. I've used 2 liter pop bottles, inside under lights. Here, the cuttings were already rooted, top taken off. Never tried hydrangeas that way- I just propagate them by layering in the garden where they are growing. Very easy, no work. Just remove leaves from several nodes near the ground, using an outside stem. Scratch the nodes with your finger nail to wound. Bury it in a shallow trench, leaving the leaves on terminal nodes above ground. Forget about it for several months. The buried nodes will root in place, and you can dig it up and sever from the mother plant after a few months. If you do it now, you'll have new hydrangea plants by fall with no effort. I have one ready for a friend, I'd take a picture for you if it wasn't pouring rain AGAIN! Karen

LOL! The first time I got my neighborsdirectly across the street from methe year before last, I waited till they put them by the curb for pickup the next morning and went over there in the dark to bring all 14 bags across the street! Last year I waited till they were raked and went over and rang the bell to ask (the bags were by the side of their garage and I was afraid I might be out of town when they put them out for pickup). Theyre BIG kid answered and I think he thought I was nuts, but he said, ok, so I dragged them all home! I kind of wondered if the message ever got thru to his parents! This year, when the tree started turning yellow, I caught the wife when she was heading home from walking the dog one day, and asked her if I could have them when she raked them. It DID help improve the confused look on her face when I said I was gonna use them in the garden and put some on the compost pile! Then I came home from a trip one day and found 18 bags stacked up next to my garage! I did a whattheheck! All the leaves were still ON their maple in the front of their house! I didnt know they had trees in the backyard too! I carried all the bags to the back yard, and the next time I saw her outside I went over to let her know I still wanted the maple leaves! Told here specifically, that time, that they worked really well to mulch the carrots and stuff, and that REALLY made sense to her. When I got back from another trip and the bags were all next to their garage, I just went over and got themto save them having to carry them all across the road. I wasnt real sure what theyd think the first time I asked for themand I DID have to see them againtheyre really nice, and I didnt want them to think I was some kind of a nut! The year of the blizzards in Denver, the year I had my elbow surgery, they shoveled my snow over and over and over, all winter long! Now at least they understand why I want them (I take them veggies sometimes too), and they have WAY plenty for me, so I dont have to go around scavenging elsewhere. Laura, Ill definitely be off on the 1st and 2nd, so if you decide you want to stop by, let me know by the 2nd. I leave on another trip fairly early on the 3rd, and wont be back till late on the 6th! Have a nice Thanksgiving everyone, Skybird