In my own case, I've worked for years to amend my native soil, that I didn't want to just lose all that effort when I made my "Mel's Mix". So, I left the boxes open on the bottom, and just worked Mel's mix into my existing soil. This eliminated a lot of problems with Mel's mix not supplying enough nutrients in the first year. My native soil (primarily clay) is actually very good, especially after 5 years of amending and amending and amending with compost and other organic matter. My first year I had to look hard to find worms, now I need to only turn over a single trowel of soil, and I can find a half a dozen worms! It's a great thing! Secondly, I would be very careful with the heat down there in Texas. Radishes (and most root crops for that matter) are cooler weather crops, so they might have gotten fried in the sun.

I'm sorry your purchase was sub par...it's so disappointing. I had a rough day yesterday...seemed like nothing went right. Had tix to take my 3 yr old grandson to a play at a children's theater, about 1.5 hrs from my house. Had to eat in the car, so I stopped at a sandwich shop and ordered his daddy ( who was coming, too) a sub sandwich and a regular sandwich for me and grandson to share, something easier than a sub, since I had to eat and drive and we had to hand back food to the back seat. Got on the road and opened the food, they'd made all subs, and in addition had heated the turkey/cr cheese/cranberry one I intended to share...it was such a sloppy mess, I picked out some turkey for us and threw the rest away. Arrived at the theater about 30 min early, as there were no reserved seats and it said to arrive early to ensure a good spot. Parked the car and the machine to pay wouldn't work...it spit out a ticket for about every other person, so I sent my son and his boy on ahead to get seats. Never got the garage machine to take my $$, no attendant anywhere. I'll probably get a ticket in the mail for not paying. Raced up to the theater and they were still in line waiting to get in...THIS play, although not stated on the website or tix info, doesn't seat until the play time, when the actors come out and lead you in. So we raced and waited...grrr...as hard as it is to be mad at a children's theater, I sure was! Drove home, dropped them off, went to Trader Joes to pick up some Thanksgiving items before the place gets crazy next week. Bought more than my reusable bag would carry, so had to take a paper bag, which broke in the parking lot, breaking the wine and covering all the groceries with glass and wine :( Some very nice men helped me get it into a cart, schlepped it back into the store, where they shopped for and replaced everything in the bag, PLUS gave me two TJ's reusable bags for free. They were wonderful, even though it took about another 20 min to get it all taken care of. Kind of made up for the bad customer service everywhere else. I came home and drank the wine.

((((Hugs and Love and real Christmas Joy from me to you)))) You're very wise to spend a happy Christmas in your home with your family instead of somewhere else with a drama-rama going on. I have a friend, with two children, that has been married for 29 years. They have never, ever, once had the Christmas holidays in their own home. It's always been pack up the kids, pack up the gifts, drive half-way across the country, spend exactly the same number of hours at first his "family" and then her "family" (and reverse the times and meals for the next year, AND keep a diary so you can prove that they didn't slight anyone) and then rush home to get back to work. Their kids are in college now, and don't have a single memory of their family having a Christmas in their home with their parents and tree of thier own. I don't understand it all. I'd rather be by myself, in a hotel room in a foreign country, than have to deal with my bickering, stressed, angry, hurtful, at-each-others' throats extended family. There are a few family members I'd love to share a holiday, any holiday, with, but they are few and far between and most of them are under the age of 10 or over 80. You hang in there. Tell the people you love that you love them and make happy holiday memories for you, your kids, and your home, and your hubby.

Erik, Richgrow is an Australian company. The systemic pesticide mentioned contains the active ingredient imidacloprid. Though you can find other brands here in the states, I strongly oppose the use of imidacloprid and other systemics at anytime a plant will be in bloom. The chemical is found in the nectar and pollen of treated plants, then subsequently found in the insects and birds that feed on that nectar and pollen. Regardless of that, now is not the time of year to apply a systemic insecticide in your location. However, you can apply a horticultural oil to the underside of the leaves a couple of times this winter, on mild days. Be sure to spray down the stems of the whole shrub, too. Turn a leaf over and you will see other telltale signs of a serious lacebug infestation. The hort. oil will smother nymphs and eggs. I usually only see severe lacebug problems on stressed azaleas, such as those growing in the full sun.