Soil looks very good. Did you add the lime when you made it? The 5:1:1 mix isn't foolproof, but you pretty much have to work at over-watering; so just by employing your good sense, you should be able to flush the soil as often as you think your plant needs water. Immediately after repotting, you need tro give SOME consideration to where the fine feeder roots are in the pot. If there are lots of fine roots close to the bottom, water when your stick tells you it's time after pushing it deep in the pot. If most of the fine roots are near the TOP of the soil mass, you need to water often enough to keep the top moist, so those roots don't dry out. That's about it. Your plant will reestablish faster if you secure the plant to the pot, so the plant can't move relative to the pot if it gets jostled or is subject to a stiff breeze. Start fertilizing when you see evidence of new growth. If temps are above 55*, your plant wants to be outdoors, in shade, and out of the wind. You'll need to water more often than you're used to, and some growers think that's a problem. It just might be .......... from the grower's perspective - but not from the plant's perspective. To me it doesn't make sense to slight a soil because 'you have to water too often' when you're comparing it to a soil that's inherently limiting because you have to water too infrequently due to the fact it holds too much water. That's the view from here. ;-) I'd say good luck, but luck really doesn't play much of a part in the process of learning to grow with consistent proficiency. Good growing! Al

Of course it has limits. The assumption of your experts is that no measurable soil will be added through in situ conversion of substrate (e.g. regolith) to soil during a generation of agricultural use. So the depth of available soil will determine how long arability will last against soil loss under ag management. The maximum recommended figure you mention, 11 t/ha (5 T/A), is something like 4.5 pounds per square foot, which is something like an inch or two off the top a year. This is not a sustainable rate, obviously. Back to my mining analogy. Plants can convert subsoils to top soils but not very well under continual surface disturbance of agriculture and not at the rate of soil loss. No-till agriculture protects the upper soil much better than tillage does. Remember my previous post where I mentioned ag land as an area of dirt capable of holding up a plant while the ag. manager applies water and nutrients and protects the plants with pesticides. In the past, plowing (and in an earlier age, burning) not only loosened the soil for planting but got rid of the trash. Now the value of previous crop is recognized as protection against excessive erosion. A byproduct of this practice is adding or perserving organic matter and incorporated nutrients to the soil. Another byproduct of no-till is that the soil increases water permeability and water hold capacity. Wayne, thanks for the link. I hadn't read that piece since graduate school.

I agree with Yucatan: You should look into a HO T5 System. I also have a small apartment, and bought a 2ft, 4-lamp system from High Tech Garden Supply. It gives 8,000 lumens. I wished I would have purchased the 4ft, 4-bulb system instead. I have had no problems growing herbs, seedlings, and houseplants. I have not tried vegetables or flowers because I just assume that my setup isn't strong enough. The 4ft system though will be able to handle whatever you want to grow. I have my system on a timer that comes on in my living room. It's on when I wake up in the morning and while I'm at work. Since you work nights, just set the timer to come on when you are at work. MY SYSTEM FROM LAST YEAR.

The website is a bit confusing. 1. Commercial to RGB 2. HC-89 3. BM Color Preview Then you scroll down to where it states the name of the paint. To the right of that it should read: Get commercial tints, calculator, harmonies The get commercial tints is if you want this color in another brand of paint other than BM. That's what I clicked and then I chose SW from the drop down menu. Harmonies is if you'd like to see what other colors compliment BM Northhampton Putty. Please don't feel bad about this, I totally understand that overwhelmed feeling. I'm in the midst of trying to figure what color to paint my kids rooms. My painters are coming Monday and so far I've only narrowed down a color for my PR LOL. I still have 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms to go yikes! Here's another picture of my MBR. I think BM Yorkshire Tan is another contender for your LR. I can send you more pics of the BM Yorkshire Tan, let me know. BM Northhampton Putty I have a a few pillows similar in color to yours in my LR. I'll put them next to the BM Northhampton Putty and post the pics later today, (running late).