Drainage is important. Also don't let Northern Highbush dry out. Your ph should be fine in Seattle. You shouldn't need sulfur. I hope you have tried these varieties. Toro tastes like Bluecrop, just doesn't produce as well. Bears about the same time. A little shorter season. Not quite sure why they developed it cause it doesn't seem better than Bluecrop and seems a little prone to poor air drainage. Haven't tried Reka. I would like to try it. It's from New Zealand. It is supposed to bear very well and have superior plant habits. Where in Seattle are you getting it? I am partial to the flavor of Earliblue, Bluecrop, Blueray etc. With Elliot you want to wait longer after you think it's ripe for its flavor to improve. Unless you have tried these varieties and are sure the flavor and everything else is what you like I would recommend going to as many different U-pick places as you can and trying out some different varieties. Chandler, for example, is a huge berry that bears over a long season. If you like to go out in the morning and pick a bowl of berries for breakfast, it is great. On the other hand, if you prefer berries in muffins and pancakes you may want Jersey or Rubel. Definitely go with the 3 year old plants if you can.

Spinach is a bit difficult in the fall here. Especially since it is so hot and dry right now. Go ahead and grow it, but do not be discouraged if you struggle. Plant your carrots now in very good loose soil. A short variety is best. They take a long time to mature and will be ready in the spring for your eating pleasure. Quick short crops are lettuces and radishes if you want to taste your success sooner rather than later! Whole foods, and some Ace hardware stores have seeds that have been held indoors in air conditioned spaces. A few big box stores have seeds but they are sitting outside in heat and humidity with really effects germination.

Hi, I have a similar problem in that I only need to lose about 15 pounds, but am having difficulty doing it. When I quit smoking, I gained about 10 lbs and my appetite increased. Bummer! I also recommend the fitday.com web site. When I started tracking everything I was eating on that site, I realized that I was having a chocolate-covered caramel after lunch and dinner, which added about 110 calories to my daily amount, plus my daily glass or wine or bottle of beer. Bob Greene, Oprah's health and exercise guru is very emphatic about cutting out alcohol while you are trying to lose weight. When Lent started, I gave up alcohol and any sweets or desserts. Guess what - I started losing weight! I also exercise on the treadmill about 4 or 5 times a week. Plus DH and I have cut back on our portions and we have become used to the smaller portions and are not hungry. I do get hungry for a snack in the evening, so I either eat 2 or 3 pretzel sticks (the oat ones), a dill pickle, a small apple or the 100 calorie cheez-it packs. I would definitely replace the frosted mini-wheats with the Shredded Wheat and Bran cereal. You don't need that extra sugar. I would check the nutrition informatin in the granola bars, too. Sometimes the so-called healthy snacks are filled with sugar and fat. Wherever possible replace white bread, pasta, etc. with the whole wheat versions. They are healthier (also better for weight loss) and I think they taste better, too. I wouldn't replace your dinner meal with a salad, you will not satisfy your hunger. Protein is the thing that really gives one that full feeling. I know that if I have eggs for breadfast, I don't get hungry until early afternoon, whereas if I eat cereal, I get hungry mid-morning. So do you eat eggs and cheese? Cheese can be high in fat and calories, though, but it is a good source of protein for vegetarians. If possible, I would add fish to your diet. Some vegetarians do eat fish, I'm not sure if you do or not. Keep up the exercise. Is it possible to do it in the morning? That seems to be more beneficial for weight loss, but if after work is the only time for you, that's fine. Exercise increases the metabolism which helps your body to burn calories more efficiently. Good luck.

I don't know.... Most homemade potting soil mixes are complicated and expensive enough to make you wish you went to the store and bought some. Priced a bag of perlite or vermiculite lately? I mostly improvise. I had a real successful fig mix by mixing peat moss roughly 50-50 with fine screened (1/4 inch) compost. It's just exploding this year. I've also riffed on the "gritty mix" formula by adding diatomaceous earth sweeping compound I got at the auto parts store. (Use respiratory protection!). One thing about my homemade stuff is that it's a lot more durable than store bought potting mix. The stuff is usually better the second year than the first. Don't mix it with garden soil but don't sweat it too much either. I'm like you, though. Spending lots of money on bags of this and that is not where it's at. I try and keep my bag purchases to commodity type things.