I did end up using an empty cardboard OJ container to dispose of it and my conscience is reasonably clear LOL! I figure even the waxy plastic cardboard will SOMEDAY break down and the oil is veg based (canola) so that shouldn't hurt anything either. I can't imagine pouring it on a rose bush though.... I would think that would really throw the natural organisms off balance in the soil, not to mention changing the ability of the soil to drain/retain moisture. However, if someone had told me 10 years ago to feed my plants alfalfa, I would have thought they were nuts too, so maybe this is a live and learn thing. Anyway, thanks for all the creative solutions. I will certainly put them to use next Fathers Day when we ahve the next big catfish fry! LOL! Alexa

The only time you need to take paint or stain to the hazmat drop is if it's oil-based. Water-based products can go in the trash if it's just not salvageable (for instance, if it froze and curdled, or it's just too old - I've had the pigments in old paint and stain settle into a solid brick at the bottom of the can). Here's how my previous town asked that people dispose of latex paint: Get yourself some sand or plain old cheap kitty litter and mix it with the paint to a thick oatmeal consistency. Leave the can lid off until the paint has dried into a rock, and chuck it right into the trash. If you wish to recycle the metal cans, scrape all the "oatmealed" paint into a heavy trash bag (put the trash bag in a box or bucket first, just to keep it confined) before it dries, allow it to dry out, put the metal can in the recycling and the hardened paint into the trash. I think last time I had a bunch of those little BM sample pots (a lot of the time from the first smear I know it ain't gonna happen, so 90% of it's left over) I asked on here if anyone wanted them, and they ended up getting mailed halfway across country! Another lovely poster was kind enough to give me all HER sample quarts and "whoops, that didn't come out quite the way I thought it would" paint which ended up being enough to paint almost my entire house interior for sale in 2007 - she saved me a couple of hundred dollars.

back when i worked for a roofiing company we always felt papered before putting on the new layer. we tried to never have more than one layer of shingles, but some people just refused to do a tear off. the felt was not for heat protection, but just an extra layer of waterproofing. as to heat destroying shingles, i don't know what area of the country you are in, but in my area you HAVE to vent the attics cause the heat build up will make the tar on the shingles just let go and soon none are stuck together. my attic was unvented when i bought the house, and the shingles were all unstuck from the one below them. i have spent many hours up there with roofing caulk sticking them back together to last a couple more years until i can afford to re-roof.

"Dave, would you say ANY amount of compost(finished) is bad in a container? For instance, if it was something like 5 parts sphagnum pm, 5 parts perlite and 1 part finished compost." What I am saying is it won't be a source of nutrients for the plants. Organic soil mixes get around the problem by using water soluble ingredients like humus, manures, and meals. Otherwise compost's use in containers depends on the amount used relevant to the other ingredients. Compost on its own or in very large amounts can compact, drain poorly and suffocate roots, and create water table problems in containers. Don't get me wrong I am a big composter and use truckloads on my soil gardens annually. But its use in containers is a totally different animal, especially when expecting it to provide nutrients for the plants. Compost as a source of nutrients is a two-stage process, which is why it is primarily a soil amendment, not a 'fertilizer'. Part 2 of the process is present in garden soil but can't survive in containers. Dave