So you know that your roses roots grew down below the potting mix and have been living in pure composted horse manure and kitty litter for years (plus whatever sand the earthworms carried in). Wouldn't it be a great thing if someone compiled the practices and results of a couple dozen florida growers of own root roses? There are tons of books out there, but nothing for Florida people doing own root. If I were 30 years younger, I'd start a virus indexed OGR on fortuniana nursery. Then we could thumb our noses at those nasty little nematodes and mosaic leaves. Thank you for clarifying the depth of your potting soil. I have dumped 6 - 7 bags of Jungle growth in a couple holes, and I understand when you say "it feels like two feet when you're trying to fill up that hole". Cheers!

Why mushroom compost in your garden is a bad idea. Local compost is made from straw, cotton seed hulls, poultry and gypsum. The addition of lime, urea and heat accelerates the composting process. Mushroom compost nutrient levels are not high enough to grow a good crop of plants (N=0.7% , P= 0.3% , K= 0.3% ). By comparison most manure in bags have N=1%, P=1%, K=1% (which is 3 times more nutrients than mushroom compost). Mushroom compost has high PH value which is not a good amendment for North Florida soils. Furthermore, to control insects (on the manure), the following chemicals are alternatively sprayed: methoprene, Dimlin, cyromazine, diflubenzuron and Diazanon. To minimize mushroom crop infections benomyl, thiabendazole and chlorothalonil are applied. Notwithstanding the poor nutrient levels, do you really want toxic chemicals in your garden?

Olya, the original thread about mushroom compost is linked below. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: mushroom compost? clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by new2gardenfl Z9 CentralFL (My Page) on Tue, May 29, 07 at 21:24 Marcia, Take 46 West past 46A (past the turnoff for Seminole Springs Roses) and go several more miles to Round Lake Road. There is a trafic light at the intersection. Turn left and go a couple miles to Sadler Road. There is a flashing yellow light at the intersection. Turn right onto Sadler. It's a little ways down on the right. You will need to sign a liability waiver at the entrance booth the first time you visit. They will direct you were to go. Go in the gate and go left around to the back of the building. You can get compost from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 365 days a year. Here is a link that might be useful: Click here!

I would love to be apart of a plant exchange in Chattanooga. I will soon be moving there and you have no idea how happy that makes me. I just came back from Iraq after spending over 16 months there, I use to get on the internet and look at trades on gardenweb just to try to give me something to look foward to when I got back, its weird the things that you miss but sitting on the computer late at night sipping a glass of wine, looking and achanging ideal/seeds with all my friends at gardenweb was it. Now I am back soon getting out of the army, just bought a house in chattanooga (just thinking about it makes me teary eyed) but anyway, I am more than looking for foward to a swap around chat