you mentioned gator blades . . . i hope you don't have side discharge blocked off, as it's supposed to be open . . . the gators are just supposed to cut it more finely. but it's got to get out i had a commercial zero, a toro with 18,500fpm blade tip speed-awesome cut/never put on the mulch kit(a blocker, a three unique toro blades_, i can't recall if they were really low lifts or highs . . . i sold the zero, i do miss it, but purchased a year round kubota tractor. years ago, my honda salesman told me to forget the mulch kit in the spring, your just going to have to cut more . . . good luck robert a

Think of it as 50:50 in a very broad sense, Alexa. I'll tell you what I do know. Witches' brooms: when seeds are collected you have about 50% chance of getting dwarf's/mini's and the rest will become trees . Usually this is a sign that the broom has been pollinated from larger growing trees or if the witch is living in the host tree, it is being pollinated by the larger host tree. I've grown a substantial amount of seedlings from an Arborvitae called 'Wintergreen'. The bonus for me is I got the seeds from an arboretum full of other selected-cultivars... therethru increasing my chances significantly of variation. I can attest that none of my seedlings look like typical "Arborvitae" seedlings. Not a single one of them..... This regard will hold true if you were to visit any vast collection of cultivated forms of trees and shrubs. My last example is that I grew a little over 100 Japanese maples where the seed came from a garden containing an immense # of cultivars. The seedlings (again, none-_ appeared to be "normal" Japanese maple. I can't speak for the Hosta world but it would seem to me that just getting seeds of the best cultivars - hand crossed with other best-cultivars could bring about astounding results... Dax

"I want to try and find Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in used bookstores. The movie made her book popular again, and I know they are in print again. One of our local stores is selling the hardcover for $60." Just bought a brand new one today in Costco for $25. "I **might** buy the Pioneer Womans cookbook if I saw it. I wouldn't find it in my town though I know that." You can find a LOT of her recipes on her web site The Pioneer Woman. And you can buy the book from Amazon.

Great photo! Hey, when a dog or cat sticks it's butt in your face, you are being given the highest honor. At least, my cats seem to think so. I tend to disagree with them, but I try to feel honored. My kids begged us to let them allow our dog in the bed with them. Then, when flea season hit, and Lucky got some fleas, they regretted ever "training" him to get in bed with them. You bet I told them "I told you so!" Sally