Hotzona, I don't buy a truck load of bark. I go in with a pickup truck and they load one yard of bark into the bed for me. I did buy a dump truck load of 10 yards of coarse sand. I've nearly used that all up. Took 3 years, but it is sure nice to have it there to shovel up any time I need it. Yes, decorative bark is the same thing. But bark comes in all sizes and you want the small stuff, not the big chunks. I just bought a yard of bark fines that are great for potting mix but I think they are too small for gritty mix. So I will be going back for another yard of the next size up. You might be surprised how fast you can use up a yard of material if it is sitting there, ready to be used. My yard of bark fines cost $26. Just the same price as two big bags of Miracle Grow potting soil and about 20 times as much material.

I'd use Wondra Flour. Sounds like it acts in a very similar way in that it thickens without clumping and is made mostly of flour. DESCRIPTION: Wondra is a quick mixing wonder, right out of the bag. It makes a perfect dusting flour. It is ideal for super fast lump-free popovers, pancakes and pastries, too. INGREDIENTS: Wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin Wondra Quick mix Wondra flour is the perfect answer for lump-free sauces and gravies. Through an exclusive, patented agglomeration process, General Mills creates tiny flour "pellets" that dissolve instantly in liquids. Wondra also stands up to heat. It resists separation, even when subjected to heat for extended periods of time. SignatureSecrets: Signature Secrets® Culinary Thickener A "signature" dish shows off a chef's or restaurant's creativity - an item worthy of bearing the name of the creator. In the same tradition, Signature Secrets� culinary thickener provides the very best in thickening - speed, versatility, stability, appearance and taste - in hot or cold preparations. Signature Secrets delivers smooth, appealing, lump-free textures in soups and sauces, gravies, dressings, and desserts. And they'll stay that way, saving you time and energy. How to use Signature Secrets® Culinary Thickener Signature Secrets® culinary thickener instantly dissolves in any hot or cold liquid to create appealing textures in soups, sauces, gravies, dressings and desserts. To use the thickener, simply whisk it into liquid. No need to slurry. For one pint of liquid follow these guidelines: Thin (syrup) 4 tablespoons Medium (sauce) 6 tablespoons Thick (filling) 9 tablespoons

Yogurt Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Cool Whip Marshmellow Cream When there's sugar added to sour cream though, you really don't usually taste the 'sour' cream flavor. It really ends up tasting like a sweet cream type flavor. The recipe as noted may not bother you. My husband hates sour cream, but he'll eat dishes like these with sweetened sour cream. You may not need to use as much sugar if you use a substitute.

UPDATE: Again thanks everyone for all the great advice as this has turned into a really nice thread, and I had started the original post. Have all the tomatoes starting in trays and starting to germinate, and the winning varieties taken from the advice given here are: Brandywine Pink Kelogg's Breakfast Box Car Willie Brandywine Red Rose Giant Belgium Porterhouse Hybrid Cherokee Purple Orange Wellington and for cherry tomatoes: Black Cherry Sun Gold As I said before once they are in the garden and producing, I will add some more updates along with pictures during the season! Thanks again everyone and as you can see I took advice from the forum and used some of your suggestions thanks to fusion_power , PupillaCharites(FL 9a), fireduck(10a), seysonn(8a WA/HZ 1), foose4string(z7 MD), seysonn(8a WA/HZ 1), and everyone else!! Now I can't wait till the plants are actually in the garden and starting to grow. Last year I put some epsom salts, bone meal, and some sugar in each hole with the plant, then sprayed blooms with some booster and got some amazing results. I will still buy a couple plants from the local nursery Whiteman's just a stone's throw from my house-probably like Rutger's and Early Girl. Still a little chilly here in N. Indiana (overnight in the 20's) so will have to be patient. Usually have the garden in by mid-May.