Mark Hi there you some good points, I agree with all of them. "Same thing for the Kohlrabi that Japus planted in august. If it goes to seed before swelling it's stem, after all this time, will that turn into, "I don't like growing Kohlrabi?", or "it just doesn't work for me". Last August I had an empty pot, seeds left over, good soil, great weather, and a glass of cold beer...LOL ...and I just tasted my 1st kohlrabi from a local farm...I was hooked. I think this is what may have precipitated my cold frame work, never expected the little kohlrabi to flourish during the late fall as it did, I grew to love the little plants, almost named them each. I'll never say never though !! I love a challenge, if they go bad, I'll keep going till I get it.. Cucumber beetles, giving me a huge challenge and I'll beat them little buggers yet,,I am having loads of fun, many challenge's now and in the future, ( I HOPE ) Chipmunks eating all of my sunflower seed, planted in the ground...LOL....wife feeds them, I shoot them....crazy huh ? All this came about after making 4 raised beds that replaced a garden that never worked . oh I forgot more challenges, deer, bear, skunks, you name it we have em.. Groundhogs visiting my poor sickly broccoli..one got so fat eating nine plants just leaving short stems I cant figure how he got away...I could go on and on, my only regret is The long wait till the next planting season Your so right in trying to find that proper balance, I don't think I have one... Jimmy

After you get your zinnias (or tomatoes) started, you can use the shell of the Bio Dome to hold one of Park's Root Trainers - fabulous for larger seeds like cukes or melons which are sensitive to transplanting, also for sweet peas. The case for the Root Trainers has a tendency to come unsnapped at unfortunate times, but that Bio Dome tray holds the case together. I have the older Bio Dome, before they changed to the peaked dome. Thompson and Morgan sells a version of the Root Trainers with a base that doesn't unsnap, plus a lid you can use for bottom-watering.

I have a Bio dome and it is amazing for starting cuttings. I have read that if the seeds are fresh you can plant them right away. cold treatment is a way of getting better germination, by mimicking nature, I n the damp towel some will sprout and others will not, these you use the cold treatment on! I have had success both ways. Try all and see which works best for you.

Phosphorus is bloom stimulating and will not cause excessive foliage... The term fertlizer is actually a fuzzy term that can refer to a large number of different nutrients... Here are some url's to where I previously shared on Morning Glories and different types of nutrients usually lumper under the term 'fertlizer'... The combination of the various macronutrient NPK ratio(s) in conjuncntion with the various Minor Nutrients and Micronutrients can yield dramatically different results when selectively administered at different stages of the plants life cycle... Copy urls and paste into address bar http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/vines/msg0523321916949.html http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/vines/msg071108225028.html http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/vines/msg0512302410407.html http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/vines/msg0619400830909.html TTY,... Ron Here is a link that might be useful: Different types of fertilizing nutrients and Morning Glories