Tranger, Cut your seed potatoes into pieces that are about 2 oz. or so (about the size of a hen's egg) and make sure each piece has at least one eye....I like to have 2 or 3 per piece if possible. If your seed potatoes are really small, you don't have to cut them up. Place them in a well-ventilated place that remains above freezing for 3 or 4 or 5 days and let the cut areas heal over. This will help prevent them from rotting while in the ground before they begin actively growing. Then plant them, using the planting method of your choice. You can put the potato pieces in a plastic or paper bag to which you've added a little dry sulphur (or any other fungicide approved for use with potatoes) and shake them to coat them if you want to. The sulphur will help prevent them from rotting. The use of sulphur is optional. If my potatoes are sprouting well at the eyes, I don't sulphur them. If they aren't, I generally do. Since I green-sprout my poatoes for a couple of weeks before I cut them, they usually are sprouted and I usually don't dust them in sulphur. For more detailed info on how to plant potatoes, check out the linked info. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: How To Plant Potatoes

I cannot comment on trend, nor do I care about the trend; however, I can comment on my experience. My floors are hand-scraped, and I would do hand-scraped again. I didn't want to worry about my dogs scratching the floor, dropping things, etc. Even if we have created scratches, I can't tell. By contrast, I have a family member with regular wood flooring that shows every single mar. I don't go out of my way to notice, but they complain about it every chance they get. (I realize this is a n=1 study. I'm sure there are harder woods that don't show as much abuse, right?) RE: cleaning... they are easier to clean that my tiles w/ grout. There really isn't anywhere for dirt to get stuck.... perhaps there is other flooring with more nooks and crannies, but it is a nonissue here. What I wouldn't do a second time is a floor as dark as what we got (and mine are probably "medium dark" like the OP is considering. The medium floors we wanted were out of stock at the last minute, so we had to scramble. oops) While I don't mind cleaning regularly for the sake of my dust allergies, I don't really like seeing shoe prints immediately.... I would try my best to match any future floors to the color of our local dirt to avoid that.

Decide how authentic you want the distressing to look, choose your tools and then practice, practice, practice...until you acquire the techniques that will give you the end result you're after. You can work the material some on the bench before installing it and then finish up the distressing work after it's down and before finishing. If you use a sander in your work, sand with the grain whenever possible. Pine will show cross-grain scratching more than other species. Sharp hand-operated scrapers can be employed also. Search the net for more information regarding tools and techniques for floor distressing.

Fourteen percent is an extraordinary level. Actually, beyond that and just into "Wow." Very positive results tend to start around 4% (Good) and intensify right through 6% (Excellent) and 8% (Extraordinary). It takes time. That first year, the OM percentage doesn't move all that much no matter the amount you dump. Your first year applications start to show the second year, but you've been getting positive changes from them for a while as they're impacting the upper layers. Nitrogen release from organics takes up to a year. So yes, the Milorganite you tossed down in 2014 is still working away at a very low level. That also builds up over time, although usually that only takes a full year or so. Plus proper balance on all other nutrients. The first year post the changes will put everything into a much better state. In most cases, a second year is necessary to glide into the optimal ranges for everything as we don't want to stress the lawn or overload the top layers of soil. Usually that first year shows incredible changes, though, as optimal is a great goal...but isn't strictly necessary. For grass (and most other plants), close enough is...well, not good enough, but at least good.