HI Ray I just had my first Ozark P last year. My first impression was that somehow I had planted a nectarine instead of a plum. The flesh is yellow and very consistant with store bought (meaning not yet ripe and won't ripen but go rotten first) nectarines. I actually liked it as I have been afraid to try nectarines or apricots due to disease issues. I also have Santa Rosa, and yes that is much better. SR has been very easy to grow except for producing cherry size fruit despite 3 rounds of heavy thinning last year. I planted these trees in my earliest years of fruit tree planting. The first tree I planted came from Home Depot and was labeled Oz Pr standard. This tree has remained small and very manageable. Very easy care here in Cinti. Later that year I picked up 2 trees at Lowes that were labeled as semidwarf Santa Rosa and they turned out to also be Oz Pr but of a much larger growing variety. I've had a hard time keeping them pruned to size. Am considering top working them, but wouldn't what ever I graft also be large and fast growing like the base plant? Olpea I'd love to hear more about why you don't care for Fellemberg. In a couple of my books it is called very resistant to black knot so I wanted to plant it as the base and graft a few other varieties onto it. I planned to mostly dry the Fellemberg. I like tart fruit, and have already ordered a Damson. Also have ordered Elephant Heart and a Starking Delicious hoping to extend my plum season longer than the current 3 weeks I have now between the Santa Rosa and OzPr. Pam in cinti

all of the things you mentioned grow here, too, along with native gingers (little brown jugs) iris cristata, spring beauty, yellowroot,hepaticas, wild roses, to name just a few. plus lots of different viburnums, buckeyes, deciduous azaleas and spicebush to add blooming bushes. if you're into wildflowers be sure to ck out the local chapter of the north carolina native plant society. well worth membership- you'll leran lots and get info about plant saves at construction sites and such, as well as local walks, a newsletter and great folks to learn from. their site has a lot of i.d. info, too. the nc site is a great site to i.d. not just natives- so you may have strayed into the ornamental part of it. wonderful resource. Here is a link that might be useful: NCNPS site

You might want to go ahead and get started with the culture as it takes a bit for some folks to get it going. If you will use the bit of rye as suggested on The Fresh Loaf site I linked you will have a little more luck. Don't put any regular yeast. Resist using anything else...pineapple juice etc. Just use the formula. And by the time you have it the bread will be gone. You can use any discard as an additive to almost anything you are making. Just throw it in...quick breads,pancakes,waffles..you name it. Let me know if you would like any more info. I don't know about a sep , thread...what do you think ???? c

There are many toxic plants that grow all around us so that shouldn't scare you. And its been a while (I think I was a kid the last time I find any jimsonweed growing wild around here), but I seem to recall the plants/foliage having a foul smell. Probably even more so to dogs so I can't imagine they would ever bother it. I just mention it since many folks think toxic equals bad and you don't have to obliterate it because it is toxic. Some sources list the Americas as the native place for this species and some Asia. It seems to be unclear. I live in Western NY State - pretty similar and close to NE Ohio. The only place I've seen this plant was in places most other plants wouldn't/couldn't grow. And in fact, I haven't seen any in decades. I don't think it will overrun your place. FataMorgana