Howdy..I responded to the thread a few days ago, then the puter went out...sheesh. The weather here in IL is terrible...Aug 1st, nearing autumn..it's been autumn-like the last few wks/month/rain, clouds, and cold..the winds are strong..I've been out back at least 5 times to pick up felled plants, plus indoor AV's, in the windows, went flying. A nice muddy-mess to clean up, behind the couch. Yellow thanks..I've heard of Little Gems, but it could have been another plant..Whatever, your Mag is MAGnicant..lol..it's growing indoors? In summer too? Mike, I got the Murraya at Osco Drug Store in the late 90's..lol..there stood a group of Murrayas by the front door..I passed them the first and second time while shopping..The third time, I felt it was an omen, I was meant to have one..The next thing I knew, a tree was in the cart..lol...they were orignially 29.99, then 19.99 then 14.99..I got it at 14.99..I considered it a bargain, since it was a tree. Mike, you're getting a sun room? Wow!!! Is your friend building a room that's already built or from scratch? Do you have blue prints? Did he ask how you wanted it to look? For instance, is he putting in large windows? Sunroof? Fans? Heat? I get excited hearing about such a project, plus end results..You are so lucky. What demensions will it be? What about flooring? When will he start and finish? You must take before and after pics, if the room is pre-built..I hope he finishes before you bring plants in this year.Yes siree.. Do you think it'll be completed? I am sooo happy for you.. Mike, I know you were kidding about a laser light sucking up bugs, but there are such things..The problem is, dont know if they're meant for indoors..They attract 'flying' insects.. Also, investing in a Citronella plant might do some good. They also sell candles. There are two types..One, is a Geranium/Pelargonium, smells like Raid.. The second is true Citronella..Here's a link..it explains how to grow/use true Citronella. http://www.life123.com/home-garden/plant-guides/groundcover/citronella-grow-your-own-mosquitio-repellent.shtml Cut and Paste the addy, otherwise it'll take long to type out..lol.. I've talked to people who crunch up dead Scented Geraniums leaves and place on top of soil. I truly think it works. Certain scents, not all..there's numerous scented Geraniums, but smells like Rose or Vanilla wouldn't do the job keeping them away. Accents sells Scented Geraniums at decent prices. Mike, what month do you haul plants back indoors? Mike..you embarrassed me..I'm not an expert..lolol..guess I lucked out contemplatiing what would kill plant bugs without using chemicals. I thought, "hmm, if I happened to be a mite, what flavors would turn me off?" lol.. I too had bug problems in all the years of growing plants, especially during winter once heat was turned on and air was dry. Before computers, I read as many plant books as I could find. Library and purchasing. Also, growing plants, trying to duplicate their native habitats. Eg. Tropical = rainy/sunshine..C&S's, desert climates. Growing is the best experience learning. The first thing I did was start misting, and hose/shower. Second, purchased a humidifer. Third, bought a small, rotating fan. Started mixing soils, etc. But no matter how much one reads, there are times a certain plant attracts mites. Some plants are prone. That's how I thought myself to be a mite..lol, and came up with the home-made recepie. End of story. I just noticed Mike said he started another thread, and this post has turned into a short story..Sorry..See what happens when we talk plants..lol..hugs, Toni

I wish I had had all this advice about 7 years ago when I planned my first hosta garden under spruce trees. I alloted the correct space for each hosta's mature size but didn't realize that they wouldn't attain this size because of the root competition from the spruce trees. I've been filling in with smaller hostas, Brunnera, Heuchera and other shade tolerant perennials which I can remove easily should the need arise. 'Blue Angel' hasn't reached its potential but 'Bressingham Blue' has exceeded it. MY 'Sagae' wasn't doing well either . After 6 years I dug it up and discovered wonderful root development but scant top growth, so now I'm adding compost around my hostas in the fall and fertilize regularly. I've noticed a difference. Regarding my hole preparation , in the past I dug a hole for each hosta twice the size of the pot, added a handful of bone meal and amended the soil with 1/3 mushroom compost, 1/3 potting soil with the idea being that the hosta would develop quickly in light soil. Only problem was the tree roots also liked this light medium. Secondly, the hostas settled too deep in the hole and so now I make sure to compact the bottom of the hole with water, make a mound and drape the hosta roots over the mound. I no longer add potting soil. In addition to the bonemeal, I add a handful of alfalfa pellets and my hostas seem to be growing better. If I have trouble with compacted clay I add gravel to the bottom of my planting hole and add gypsum to the soil. This forum is great. I've learned a lot from the regulars here. I'm going to investigate agroliners for future use. Like others, I no longer try to move larger hostas. Each new one gets a permanent home and if it gets too large I chop small pieces from the sides. One of the nursery owners nearby who has a large hosta collection at his home told me he often just tears off the outer leaves if the hosta gets too big. Hope you've learned from my mistakes. AND I've decided to take wrestling lessons from hubby so I don't get "PINNED" by those large hostas.

Sally, Welcome back to the forum. I remember when you posted a while back while y'all were looking for land, I think....unless that was a different Sally from North Texas planning on moveing to northeastern Oklahoma. We moved here from Fort Worth in 1999, and had black gumbo clay there. Here in southern OK we have red clay. George, who posts as MacMex, is a long-time seed saver who also gardens in Talequah and he can tell you everything you need to know about rock removal because he has rocky soil himself. In addition to the OSU Fact Sheets that Seedmama mentioned above, the website of the Tulsa Master Gardeners is a great resource. I've linked it below. For current and historical weather information, you can visit the Oklahoma Mesonet at Okmesonet.org. For climate data specific to your county you can visit the Oklahoma Climatological Society via the mesonet too. We have a lot of gardeners on this forum from northeastern OK and I am sure they will be happy to share with you their knowledge of what grows well in northeastern OK. You will have to get used to having more rainfall in Tahlequah than you had in Texas--but that's not a bad thing! : ) I do not know of an organic equivalent in Oklahoma to the Texas Plant and Soil Lab in Edinburg, Texas, if that is the lab you've been using. Most people here just get their soil tested through the Oklahoma State University Soil Water and Forage Analytical Lab. Scott is one of our blueberry experts and I am sure he can advise you on growing blueberries, as can several others who grow them in NE OK. I can't since I'm in southern OK with a neutral to slightly alkaline soil and water pH. When you select your fruit tree varieties for your orchard, choose your varieties carefully and go for perhaps slightly higher chilling hours than you had in Dallas. The winter weather can be a bit more erratic here and often leads to early blooming followed by later freezes. We experienced similar conditions in Fort Worth, but they're a little worse here. For example, we had prolonged warm spells in January and especially in February that kicked the trees into early bloom and then we had more freezing weather. In one week here in southern OK, we were 91 degrees one day and then a couple of nights later went down to 19. I like to choose fruit trees with no less than 850 chilling hours if possible, and 950 or more is even better. I am sure you're going to love it in Oklahoma. As a native Texas who grew up in a friendly state, I was thrilled to discover that Okies are just as nice as Texans, and perhaps even nicer. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: Tulsa Master Gardener's Website

My first year growing Brandy boys. I am more than willing to overlook the catfacing and cracking on these lovely beefsteaks. Most have been just under 1b. Tonight's dinner was just shy of the 2lb mark and really hit the spot in terms of flavor and texture. I like them sliced with unrefined sea salt. My daughter ate 1/4 slices like a pizza. This Whopper has been harvested shortly after summer solstice, which may help explain the size. Growing in Israel where climate is similar to zone 10. I like these way better than the famous and excellent sungold cherry tomatoes in the same row. Thin skin, refined flavor and beefy interior.