Wow - you're going WAY back. ;o) 1) None of the other recipes supported the 3:1:1 - it was a typo & I think I cleared that up somewhere in the first thread. 2) I encountered lots of weed problems, even with small quantities of manure, and I discovered a number of products on the market that deliver the minor elements reliably and in appropriate ratios, so there was no sense in including even small amounts of manure. N - nitrogen P - phosphorous K - potassium (whooda thunk it - right?) ;o) Ca - calcium (back on track now) Mg - magnesium S - sulfur Fe - iron (another hard one) Mn - manganese Cu - copper B - boron Z - zinc There are a few more, but they are needed in such small quantities that they are almost never deficient 3) Read labels. If your fertilizer doesn't contain N,P,K,S,Fe,Mn,B,Cu, and Z, you should probably include a micronutrient supplement. Most soluble fertilizers contain NPK,Fe,Mn,Z - some Cu, too. Container soils should be limed with dolomite to provide the Ca and Mg (and raise pH), or have gypsum added to provide Ca and Epsom salts used to provide the Mg and S. I don't mind if you pick this part of the post apart and ask questions about what you don't understand. If you contact me off forum, I'll arrange for you to get a suitable source of the minor elements. If you'd rather order online - you can try Home Harvest (or your favorite source) for 'Earth Juice Microblast' as a source for the minors. Alternately, you could just order foliage-Pro 9-3-6 fertilizer, which has ALL the macros, secondary macros, and micros in one formula. It's as close to a perfect all-purpose mix as I can imagine, I also doubt that you would have any micronutrient issues if you lime and use either MG 24-8-16 or 12-4-8. If you did, it would likely be S, because bark and peat are very low in S. You could solve that issue by adding a little agricultural S (easy to find) to your soil when you make it. You might also be fine if the CRF you intend to use (Osmocote?) has the minors in it. I can help you cover all the bases if you tell me what you intend to use and what is in it, or how far you're willing to go to cover the bases, but just ordering the Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 instead of using the MG is by far the easiest. If you're sure you'll be diligent about fertilizing, I'd even suggest you skip the CRF (Osmocote). Easy instructions: Make the 5:1:1 mix according to the current recipe. Make it moist. Put plants in it. Fertilize occasionally with FP 9-3-6 Water when needed, but not too much. Don't let it dry out. Come back and tell us how you did. ;o) Al

You don't have to work in them every night, by any means, once they're established. The garden will take most work at the beginning of the season. Did you use soil from your property, or buy topsoil or something? Since it's the first time you're using this soil it is a good idea to have it tested for pH, N, P, and K. The store bought kits aren't accurate, best to send a soil sample to your county extension. Then you know what you're working with. If you have to add something to balance or boost the nutrients, keep in mind that it's better to feed the soil than the plants. This will make it better each year. Using plant food is kind of equivalent to you living on vitamins instead of food. There are a lot of ideas about what to feed the soil. There's a lot written about using rock powders to supply phosphorus and potassium (P,K). I like these, b/c it basically replicates the way nature builds soil: from breaking down rock into tiny particles. People often supply the soil with P with bone meal, bone char, rock phosphate. For K, greensand, or a mixture of wood ashes and kelp. Nitrogen is supplied by blood meal, fish meal, alfalfa meal... Compost may supply it too, depending on what it's made of. I never add N b/c my compost seems to supply enough. If you don't make your own compost, you can buy it in bags. Add a couple of inches the first year, only a half or one inch yearly after that. You can put it on top of the soil now that the beds are already planted. In the future you take the compost and whatever nutrients you're using and kind of chop it in up and down with a rake or hoe. You want to mix it into the top few inches. As others have said, use a trowel or get a hand weeder and scrape along just under the surface of the soil to cut the roots. Just a sweeping motion. Get them while they're small, it's easiest this way. After than, mulch will keep them down. Mulch does a lot of things: it keeps the soil cool, keeps it from drying out, gives worms something to work, eventually breaks down and adds organic matter to your soil. You'll be amazed when you lift up a section of mulch and see the beautiful soil underneath.

I just realized in my first post I typed that I finished with the guidance of my painting teacher. I meant to say without. The unmatted size is 30" x 22" I took the picture with just a mat to avoid the glare from the glass. I currently have it framed temporarily in an Ikea frame. Eventually I'll get it professionally framed. What kind of mat(s) do you suggest golddust?

The code gives us a list of all the different types of fixtures that might be connected to a DWV (Drain, Waste & Vent) system. The list then gives us a minimum diameter of drain and trap required for the fixture as well as a DFU (Drainage Fixture Unit) value. From the description you have a 1-1/2" laundry standpipe, which is connected to a 2" line, which also presently serves the kitchen sink and you would like to add a laundry sink. The code lists a laundry standpipe at 2DFUÂs and a laundry sink at 2DFUÂs for a combined load of 4DFUÂs, however the maximum load permitted on a 1-1/2" line is 3DFUÂs. In addition, while the codes did previously rate a laundry standpipe for a 1-1/2" line, it now requires a standpipe to have a 2" trap and 2" line. The kitchen sink with dishwasher is rated at 2DFUÂs and the laundry standpipe & laundry sink are each rated at 2DFUÂs so the anticipated combined load will be 6DFUÂs however a 2" line is rated for up to 6DFUÂs so you may connect all three fixtures on a common 2" line. You may not connect the laundry tub drain line to the standpipe riser because the discharge from the sink would be entering the laundry standpipe before the trap. All fixtures are required to have a trap so if you were to connect the laundry sink drain line to the laundry standpipe riser the discharge from the sink would then be flowing through the sink trap, then through the standpipe trap and the code strictly prohibits double trapping (Two traps in series). In order to retain your standpipe and add the laundry sink you would need to change the line from the CI to 2" and at the standpipe location you would install a Wye or Wye & 1/8 bend to tie in the standpipe. (A Tee is prohibited on a horizontal drain line). You could then reduce the line to 1-1/2" from the Wye to the laundry sink.