My gardens: 1) New this spring I have a 15' x 45' "standard" (i.e. not raised bed) vegetable garden. It was tilled in February and surface amended with 10 front end loaders full of composted horse manure/stall leavings. I suspect come fall we will till the plant debris back as well as a significant amount of more compost. 2) I have a kitchen garden, also not raised, that is two 5' X 15' beds with a sidewalk through the middle. It was double dug and heavily amended with compost last spring. The soil level has sunk about 4" since last year, but there has been a major improvement in soil texture. I grows herbs in one bed (and won't amend it as heavily since herbs often have better flavors on less rich soils.) The other side is growing lettuces and other early spring crops and won't be amended until those are pulled out in another month and annuals are planted for the summer. 3) I also have perennial gardens. They were amended and double dug last year with structural shrubs planted. Compost was added again last fall, especially in areas that were more heavily clay. The majority of perennials and roses have been planted this spring. I have used 2"-3" of compost as mulch on these beds. I have also use the compost as mulch on my foundation plantings on the front of my house. Unlike most I have a continuous supply of compost, tractors with implements, as well as plenty of arable land. So doing raised beds does not seem to be as logical a choice for me as it would be for the suburban gardener! I did not amend my former perennial gardens anywhere near what I've done here, but the few things I grew last summer were pretty amazing. In hindsight I realize that the lack of appropriate amounts of organic material was a big hole in my former process.

It may be alittle transplant shock... Have your temps been high? If so you might want to shade them during the hottest part of your day for awhile until they perk back up. Like put plastic outdoor chairs over them. But I do realize you have 20 of them so that would be rough. Keep them well watered... Did you give them any granular fertilizer? I just did that to my starting the second year double KO's and they did not like it very much at al herel. I do not fertilze first year roses at all...

Molasses is one of the best microbial foods you can use. I don't know that you need to use the molasses in the middle of the process though. Remember, after you turn in all the compost you will have created plenty air spaces for the water to move around. After you are finished mix 2T of molasses to a gallon of water. The water will take the molasses down to where the microbes are. Just be sure to water deep so the water can penetrate. It is usually best to water a little bit at first and then the next day increase the amount of water. Water moves faster, and more efficiently through soil that is already moist. A 1/2 " on Monday, 3/4" on Tuesday, and then a really good soaking on Wednesday. You can also add fish emulsion or fish Hydrolizate to the molasses water as well. Fish Hydrolizate is very good for fungi. Letting the soil alone after you turn it is good for the fungi. While bacteria are so small that they can handle the turning of the soil much better; fungi are not so tolerant of turning. They are really large, in comparison, and turning the soil really puts the hurt on them. If you have a compost pile and have seen long white threads going all through the pile, that is fungi. One other thing molasses does is it provides the microbes their own food source. Microbes need energy in order to break down and digest the organic material in the soil. If they do not have an energy source they will use the fertilzer that is in the soil for their food. So adding some molasses gives the microbes a good shot of the carbon bonds they need and helps reduce their need to compet with the plants for the fertilizer as an energy source. As you continue to add more organic material on top of the soil and then water it in well you will make sure the level of organic life in the soil remains high. It is the micribrobial life (bacteria and fungi) that are getting in between the clay particles that prevents the clay from sticking together. In addition to loosening up the soil, bacteria is also a worm attractant because the bacteria are worm food. Worms do not have teeth. Worms do not eat leaves, sawdust, or vegetable scraps, etc. they eat the microbes in the soil. As long as you keep the garden area moist the worms will hang around and do even more great things for the soil - like tunnel holes and leave their castings in the soil. When I double digged my garden I took out a full shovel full of soil and laid it to the side. I then looseded up another shovel full of soil in the trench. I then added a whole bunch of compost at this point. I then put back the first shovel of soil and again mixed another good amount of compost with this. Always moving from the trench I just dug to the new hard soil. That way I was not trampling all over my freshly dug trenches. You don't have to do a trench either. You can dig out a 3x3 square area and to the same thing moving from sauare to sauare. I found this worked great on my second bed. As far as the person who said that all you will do is create a hole for the water to accumulate, the idea is not to make individual holes. The idea is to do the entire bed. By doing the entire bed you allow the water to move from the high spots to the low spots and hopefully this will allow enough time for the water to drain. But you would be right if you only did individual holes, you would get little wells where the water collect - not a good thing. The important thing here is that it is the microbes in the soil that loosens up hardpan soil - not the tilling. The tilling/turning is only the mechanism that is used to get the organic matter down deep, fast. It is the microbes that provide a food source for the worms. And it is the microbes in the soil that break down the fertilizer and put it in a form the plants can use (I am talking organic fertilizers here, not chemical fertilizers). Plants also break down fertilizer by mixing CO2 with the water in the soil. This makes an acid that disolves the fertilzer which allows the plant to then take it up. Just mix in lots of compost and you will be set. Tom

Howdy All, My God, has it been 2-years since I started this thread? The thread I forgot existed. :) This morning, while checking mail, there stood a solo email with the heading, 'Lauterbachii & questions.' Guess I checked the notiification box, but cannot recall receiving other notifications to this thread before today..Strange. I hope all here are well. Preparing for summer. Soon, 'I pray' those of us who live in cold climates will once again set Hoyas outside for summer vacation. Although my Lauterbachii is still alive, it looks NOTHING like it did Aug 26. 2009. One problem is lack of sun. If I could root Hoyas, I'd cut its trunk in sections, then root each to start over. But, I've never had luck rooting Hoya cuttings. Cablock, Wonder what was going through your husbands mind after 'toasting' your Hoya. lol. Actually, my Hoyas are nowhere near the toaster, or even in the kitchen. The counter was the best location to snap a photo. One problem is kitchen has two windows, both north-facing. Plants before either window are low-light types. Ferns, etc. Actually my Hoyas are kept in the upstairs bedroom and bathroom..bedroom windows face south, bathroom, west. Second problem---Bird cages are less than 10' away from the counter w/toaster. If a plant was left unattended, each and every leaf would end up chewed to pieces. LOL. Wish I could hang Hoyas in our kitchen window like you, only 'far away from the toaster, lol.' Does your lauterbachii stand erect in its hanging basket? Hot or cold air hitting a plant will destroy leaves. A similar thing happened with Chlorophytum 'Fire-Flash.' I placed the Chlorophytum on a plastic container near the water heater vent..Outside. Guess someone was showering. Minutes later, leaves wilted. Before I had a chance to relocate, I noticed foliage was also marred. They looked frost-bitten. Never again. Learned a lesson the hard way. Is your Hoya okay now? Andrew, don't know if you're still around, but it's funny finding you here, too. lol. Toni