Ficus ratusa. Not the easiest to find but almost bullet proof. Very easy to grow and will tolerate indoor comditions. Take it home on the week end and give it some outdoor life. Find a bonsai club in your area for sources. James

I sent you a email! Let me know if you got it or post here. I have lots of seeds to share if you like.

Much of Southwest Michigan has sand for soil, although there are pockest of thick clay, and if what you have is that sand you need to add lots of organic matter so that sand will be able to hold nutrients and moisture in that soil since sand tends to drain really well. However, if you have clay you will also need to add lots of organic matter to seperate the clay soil particles so these same nutrients and moisture will be able to move through that clay to the plant roots that will also need that organic matter to move around in that clay. Contact your local office of the Michigan State University USDA Cooperative Extension Service about having a good, reliable soil test done so you know what your soils pH is and what, if anything, needs to be done to correct that as well as the base nutrient levels. When your soil is workable dig in with these simple soil tests to see what you have, 1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. and what you need to do to make your soil into a good, healthy soil that will grow strong and healthy plants. Manure should not be added to your garden until after it has been properly composted due to the potential for disease pathogens that are present in all manures. The current issue of Organic Gardening magazine has an article that states manures should not be added to any garden unless it has been composted or aged 12 months, which would be a major waste of the nutrients in that manure. Here is a link that might be useful: MSU CES

I constructed a very simple to build and low cost hydroponic drip system for tomatos. I bought 2 18 gallon totes at Walmart, and then bought a 130 gallon per hour submersible pump. I have flexible plastic tubing, half inch, that runs to an adapter screwed in to a 24 inch dual threaded PVC pipe. I fill one tote with about 9 gallons of water and add nutrients (I use Flora Grow, Micro and Bloom). Put the pump in the water/nutrients, and run the PVC up through the top of the tote. Punch several holes in the top of your bottom tote. Then take your other tote, punch several holes in the bottom of that, and a hole to punch your PVC pipe through. Take the top of your top tote and cut holes in it to hold plastic planters (I use 3 inch circular with a vented bottom). Run the PVC up through the top tote and through the cover to the first tote. Get a six outlet irrigation sprayer that will screw into the PVC. Get tubing to run out from the six spigots. Put your plants in the planters, surrounded by either rockwool, or expanded clay pellets and run the tubing into the planters. Then, get a cheap aquarium pump and an airstone and place that in the bottom tote water/nutrient mixture. (The airstone adds oxygen to the nutrients and makes it easier for the roots to drink it). Turn on the pump and you will have a drip system. The good thing is that there is plenty of room in the first tote for all the roots to dangle without soaking in nutrient, and all the liquid drips back to the resevior, being further exposed to oxygen on the way down. Every couple of days, add back the water that was absorbed or evaporated, and every week to 10 days, change out the nutrient solution. Using the Flora 3 part system, it will tell you how much of each nutrient to put in the water each week. Typically you put heavy emphasis on grow until about 6 weeks, then it shifts over to the bloom fomula. Its a very low tech, very easy drip system that takes up a small space and is low cost. Works well for all kinds of plants, not just tomatoes. (I have a watermelon that is growing like crazy in it!)