Hi, I am a new gardener still learning my ways to successful harvest. Herbs: A great cost effective crop. I agree with most here that herbs like basil, parsley, sage, rosemary are cost effective. Veggies: Category 1: It really comes down to what one eats. Like for me with an asian background, I like a lot of Asian vegetables that are very very expensive even if I am able to find them in the market and so most of the time, I don't even buy them. Growing them at home(for eg: ridge gourd, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, some asian greens) gives me the opportunity to savor them all to my hearts content. Category 2: What is most perishable: These varieties in the market tend to be more expensive as the cost of transporting and selling them in time leaves the seller and grower with lot of wasted harvest. I can think of berries, esp raspberries that come under this category. Okra, Thai eggplants, bottle gourd, greens(salad greens, spinach etc) are some vegetables that do not have a longer shelf life. So I find growing these very cost effective. So vegetables you would otherwise eat except for the cost at the supermarket are worth considering. Category 3: Long term storage: I find the best price for tomatoes in summer to be 59 cents a pound and bell peppers some $3 for 5 or 6. Come october, these are no longer valid prices. The prices go up. So, if I can make my harvest last thru Jan, I am saving on these staples. Well, again, for these veggies and others mentioned in the other points, one should base their judgement of what to grow on the space vs cost based on space constraints. I do not know how cost effective it is to grow onions, but am trying them this year for the companion planting benefits it gives. Green onions, They store very well in the fridge for me and are reasonably costeffective, so I would be growing these. I don't have a large yard, probably a few hundred sq ft. But with the vertical growth advantage some of the veggies present and the succession planting, I hope to last my growing season long to gain the most of what I put in. It appears to me that some investment is needed, like good compost( I cannot make compost due to my association rules, I am thankful that they did not object my veggie gardening yet), mulch, irrigation system. But like with any project or hobby, we build slowly, starting small and growing as our resources permit and our energies permit. More conveniences, the more our time is spent on growing more and tending to everything that we grow. Like for eg, if I have irrigation system, every evening I can find time to plant more companion plants and reduce the pest problem to grow organic. I can find time to prune my tomatoes. I can find time to harvest the produce right on time, thereby increasing my harvest. Also, my occasional vacation plans do not need to suffer my plants. My mulch should help reduce some weeds. Getting a wheelbarrow helps get the mulch task and several lugging around tasks much easier. Oh, I forgot to mention that I recently asked my community landscaper to give me the empty flats after he planted pansies. He was happy to deliver them which he would have thrown into garbage. So, this solved my problem of finding transplanting containers for my growing seedlings. I am sure craigslist and few other sources are available for the resourceful hobbyists which should help save on some of the investment. For bell peppers etc try roasting them on grill after smearing them with oil and take the skins off and you can store them either in glass jars or freeze them. When thawed they can be used in soups, sandwiches, spreads etc..

By all means, don't do anything you don't feel sure of or uncomfortable doing... besides using sulfuric acid really doesn't apply to your situation since you are not in any hurry.... however I will suggest you start now with the sulfur since the conversion from elemental sulfur into sulfuric acid by bacteria and fungi is a slow one that will require a growing season. I pulled up this old thread because I felt what I have to offer might have applied to the original poster's desire. This thread was from over 4 years ago. Two years ago I was in a situation of needing to lower pH but not wanting to wait and give up a whole season to plant so I began searching the internet for possible ways to accomplish this. Using sulfuric acid directly seemed logical but in searching for more technical information from people with actual experience while also trying to find specific descriptions of how to do this safely, all I seem to turn up was a lot of disinformation, myths that was the basis for scare tactics across amateur gardening forums.... but the real kicker for me in this confusing search seemed to be that this non-sense was coming from self-proclaimed "experts" (but aren't we all?) who had a strong bias without any actual experience (obviously this is because of their own biases preventing them from ever trying it in the first place which leads to a circular logic that gets you nowhere). Eventually I did manage to find some technical papers authored by agronomy specialists that spoke to the use of sulfuric acid in a professional context and several turf management (golf course grounds managers) websites and some farmer websites that spoke of it as accepted practice where their techniques did not apply to my needs because of the scale of the equipment and tanks and in some cases whole ponds being managed as the acid reservoir and in the end none of these internet resources provided specifics for a home gardener who was just seeking a way to employ this technique safely. Forums were of no use because of all the crazy "experts" spouting knee jerk fear reactions to the whole idea of using sulfuric acid in the garden (despite the fact that all our gardens already have sulfuric acid producers during active summer temperatures... bacteria and fungi both). Gardening clubs and cannabis growers and other forums dedicated to home gardening were almost a waste of time in this respect because of all the either negative or confusing tactics (talking about using acetic acid instead because its safer, etc) polluting threads but with no other resources to turn to I persevered and waded through those thread seeking the one posting that would enlighten me... 'til I finally manage to ferret out enough information from a few posters that actually have real experience using sulfuric acid in the garden to learn about using battery acid and how to dilute it and apply it that I felt confident enough to take the leap. I gave it a try and it works! its neither dangerous nor complicated though there are a couple caveats that should be mentioned... just a straight forward to-the-point posting that explains the use of sulfuric acid in gardening... and that's all my posting above was meant to do. So, if someone else should want specific information on how to do this from someone who has actually tried it they will eventually come across this thread and my posting... without a bunch of scary gibberish tied to it. It would have saved me A LOT of time and stress doing internet researching had I found just such a posting two years ago. That is all. Oh and poaky... you may want to do a little bit of internet research yourself into the use of Aluminum Sulfate in conjunction with edible plants (blueberries) because of possible toxicity issues. I'm not claiming to be an expert but I have read some things... so check it out yourself before you make your selection on which product to use to lower pH for growing edible plants and read what's contained in the bag before you make your purchase. Good luck.

Hi Lisa, I actually did a bit of research myself for both of your questions and found that a lot of people put 2 TBLS. of castings in a new planting hole and that coffee grounds and organic compost, including dried leaves, are good for blueberries. So in addition to buying a bag of worm castings since I won't have enough as soon as I'll need it, I also made a garbage can composter for things I don't put in my worm bin, based on these plans found at CompostJunkie.com. Instead of aluminum pipes, I used PVC and it works great so far and will produce useable compost quickly. Mine isn't wrapped in anything and I didn't use the bolts after all because the holes I made in the top and bottom for the PVC pipes are a very snug fit and help keep the lid on and to roll the bin (extending about 5" above the lid)--I didn't have enough scraps to fill it immediately and didn't want to have to take the bolts off every time I add to the bin. :) And I set it up on blocks with a cut gallon jug fitted snuggly under it to catch the leachate. So if you have a drill and way to cut the pipe and threaded rod as needed, you should be able to do that easily as well. I do a lot of container gardening too and was considering SWCs, but thanks to the responses here, I think I'll pass on that option; especially since I recently installed an irrigation system which will help an awful lot when it comes to watering. So as always, thank you all for sharing your experience and great ideas! BB in FL

Hi there - I took Prempro for 2.5 years. I took other HRT before that - on and off for 6 years. The risk is significant for breast cancer using combination HRT. With those side effects and such a small reduction in symptoms - I would DEFINITELY wean yourself off (do it over as much time as possible). I would hit the gym. Gross - right? But let me tell you - it is easier than recovering from breast cancer - and it helps with hot flashes and you will sleep better. Just got back to working out at 55 and about 20 years off. There are some antidepressants that help with hot flashes and night sweats. Some of my friends also smoke pot at night or do marijuana oils to sleep. The CBD oils can also help. Finding out what works can be a full time job and exhausting. But if you do continue with combination HRT (estrogen and progesterone) be sure to know your risks. If you have a family history of BS - you're BMI is over 26 - you smoke (or have smoked) - or drink more than socially - the word is that you should not take combination hormones. I wish I never did. I use to smoke (quit 5 years ago) - was 15 lbs overweight - and drank a few times a week (5 drinks a week... maybe) and got breast cancer. No family history. There is a lot more information and studies finally being done to help woman face all these issues. Do you have a menopause specialist to go to ? The GYNs that also deliver babies are not who you need to go to (speaking from experience). I know the horrible side of sweats and hot flashes. Not being able to sleep made me finally give in to the HRT. But again - the risk increase is significant (25 - 75% depending on the study) of getting BC. Good luck to you! I wish every woman reading this well.