frogs are not invertebrates...they are amphibians. Do not salt the pond for the winter. Frogs and koi are not salt water animals and the levels of salt you will be using is not beneficial to keep parasites or bacteria levels down. It serves no purpose at all. Salt should be used as a medication only, and not routinely. and don't medicate unless you know what you are medicating for. You lost a fish, but that does not mean that you have a parasite problem. Treating with anti-parasite medications is not good for fish and really should only be done if you KNOW you have a problem. the best thing you can do for your fish is make sure the pond is as clean as possible going into winter, with no decaying material in the bottom. Decaying material makes water quality decrease and provides a breeding ground for bacteria. Fish are at their weakest in the spring so pond conditions need to be at the best during that time.

Try using red or white clover in your garden I have observed that grass wasn't growing near a part of our yard where we grew melons and watermelon so this year as an experiment we our going to thow white organic cloverseeds in our vegetable garden It is supposed to also fix nitrogen in the soil just as beas when planted with corn as Squash shades and protects of what's known as The Three Sisters.Oh White clover is supposed to be a good grass suppressor prevents grass from growing just whats needed in our garden.First we did a layer of 3 layers of the white ink less news paper wet it all down with our iltered garden hose then put cardboard around the whole garden fence then wet that down too alk done o a non windy day topoed with cow manure and some chicken manure then we put 3 inches of woodchips or woodchip mulch last year in the Spring but all that should have been done in the Fall! This year we are not planting plants but Only Organic Heirloom seeds and some Organic plants howeveryou need to keep tge woodchips away from the stems and keep around the drip area only! Put Toilet paper rolks around seedlings to prevent cutworms thise white cabbage montths lay.Spray aroundfir ticks aunts red yes and fleas Use Garlic online stuff I'll get back you thx medicine

Hey Mary, I don't have any experience with this, but in a google search this is what I found: "Solving the Problem with Potassium Chloride Water Softeners The great advantage of potassium based water softeners is that there is no need for you to make use of sodium. Meanwhile, potassium is still considered to be a very beneficial element to your body, and often people lack this mineral." "And when it comes to the environment, the water that is being regenerated is considered to be more environment friendly. When you are going to use the water to nourish your plants, you better make sure that you use a potassium water softener." Here's another: "An Alternative to Softening with Sodium (from Pipeline, a newsletter of the National Small Flows Clearinghouse, Winter, 2001) "Sodium really has no redeeming value in the environment outside of saltwater or brackish water ecosystems. If alternatives to sodium chloride for water treatment can be developed, they should be used. Potassium chloride is a logical choice to reduce sodium discharge from water softening systems, to provide additional potassium in human diets, and to serve as a nutrient source for plants." From "Potassium Chloride: Alternative Regenerant for Softening Water" by Dr. Kim Polizotto and Dr. Charles Harms Thanks for asking this question. I have a water softener. Think I'll give this a try, unless someone here advises against it. Mac Here is a link that might be useful: Potassium Chloride

MeMo, I have dry, sandy soil, too, and Oklahoma is well known for it's radically fluctuating temperatures and weather. Lavender can be grown from seed, but it never does very well and doesn't seem to have the true qualities of those grown from cuttings. Your best bet is to buy some plants, then begin taking cuttings and start more plants. They root fast (about 3-4 weeks), and you can quickly fill your yard with these lovely plants. I like to grow mine along pathways so when I walk by them, the plants release their lovely fragrance from not only the flowers, but also their leaves. Here is a list of the hardiest Lavenders & Rosemary's I've grown: LAVENDER English Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) - it actually is a French lavender, too. :) I have a huge old shrub of this. It's about 10 years old, now. Grosso - has big FAT spikes of rich purple flower heads - very tollerant of extreme temps and has done extremely well for me in this drought. Munstead - small, gray leaves and lovely flowers. Can be used in cooking, too, like lavender sugar cookies. (YUM!) Provence - the French grow this one for perfume and essential oil. Very tall. Blooms later than other lavenders and has very long flower stems. Hidcote - Deep Blue-violet flowers and wonderful fragrance. I get at least two blooming periods from mine. There is one variety of Hidcote that has very big, very fat flower spikes. Amazing color and fragrance. (Can also be used in cooking) ROSEMARY (Rosmarinus officinalis) Rosemary is not very hardy. It is native to the Mediterranean and the warmer Euro countries. Most are hardy only to zone 8. A few varieties can take zone 7, IF you experience a mild winter, and IF they are well protected, and grown on a south facing area, but it is risky. However, there are at least two varieties which I grow here in zone 6-6b that are more hardy than any others, although they still require some shelter and mulching in the winter. Rosmarinus officinalis 'Madeline Hill', commonly labeled as 'Hill Hardy' in many garden centers and even sold as such by vendors at Herb Festivals. I am very happy with Madeline Hill. I bought mine in the Spring of 2005. It has grown into a big fragrant shrub, about 4-5 feet wide and 3 feet tall, so far. It is a great culinary rosemary too. It is such a beautiful plant. I hope it will bloom for me this winter. Rosmarinus officinalis 'Arp' is the other good choice for zone 6 areas with winter protection. ( I grow them both in the ground and winter them over by piling mulch up around them. My other Rosemary plants, that I have had for years, are grown in decorative pots and urns and are taken into the greenhouse in the Fall to winterover. As with my Lavenders, I like to grow Rosemary along pathways so when I walk by them, the plants will release their lovely fragrance from their leaves. Below is a Link to the GW Herb Forum for a topic that was discussed back in November 2005. The topic was about 'Madeline Hill Rosemary' and "Arp" and their hardiness were discussed. Several wonderful LINKS to go visit and enjoy. (If only we could smell the plants) Interestingly, both of these fabulous varieties of Rosemary were developed in Northeast Texas by the same plantswomen, Madeline Hill. Yee-haa!!! ~ Annie Here is a link that might be useful: 'Madeline Hill' Rosemary