"Chips" usually means the pieces an inch or more across that are ground up in those grinders the tree-trimmer trucks pull as trailers (or similar larger machines). "Sawdust" is in two sizes, that from rough-cutting lumber (shreds say 1/4-1/2 inch across) and that from finish cutting (the finer material we typically call "sawdust"). Planing debris (for example from taking a rough-cut 2x4 that is 2x4 inches into the 1 3/4x3 3/4 finished board we usually call a "two by four") can be mixed with either, though more typically the rough-cut sawdust. "Softwood" typically means conifer (pines, firs, etc.) no matter how hard, and hardwood means from broadleaf trees no matter how soft. Real simple and easy to follow isn't it? Ground up fir Christmas trees should be excellent as a mulch. The antiwilt material they spray on it might be some slight problem but sure would not slow me up from using it.

There can be an underlying anatomic problem causing acid reflux - hiatal hernia, This occurs when part of the stomach prolapses upward through your diaphragm (a muscular structure which normally has a small gap to allow passage of the esophagus). Hiatal hernias may be asymptomatic, but if large enough tend to cause reflux of acid into the esophagus and symptoms of reflux. The dietary and lifestyle measures mentioned earlier may be enough to relieve symptoms, but if they or meds don't do the trick, surgery to fix the hiatal hernia may be necessary. Any other underlying G.I. issues would require a good gastroenterology consultation and not a nebulous "gut healing protocol". Sometimes acid reflux improves whether or not you take steps to reduce risk factors. I used to have a lot of discomfort from it at night some years ago and took medication for a short time. More recently it's only occasionally that I have mild symptoms, and I'm not taking any meds, herbs or special precautions. Sometimes conditions get better on their own and whatever interventions you were trying wrongly get the credit. This post was edited by eric_oh on Fri, Jan 24, 14 at 17:49

come to think of it ... Linda Lou's time frame is about when I decided home canned tomatoes didn't taste as good as commercially processed. I thought it was because my Dad died and I had to go out and buy tomatoes that just wern't as good as his (maybe it was the Georgia red clay they grew in). But we must have started adding acid about that time. My mom was active in the county extension service, so she'd have picked up on that recommendation. She actually canned (as in metal cans). There was a large state farmers market nearby and they ran a small canning factory. You could go buy fruit and veggies picked early that morning, sit down and prepare them with your friends and come back later and pick up the finished cans. They must have had some labeling problems, cause toward the end of the season we had quite a few "mystery" cans. Dinner tonight is a surprise.

Tricky... So you're saying you experienced Franken-weeds? Let's see, if weeds were growing at a prodigious rate, couldn't be killed and continued to return with a vengeance then it would seem your garden was indeed robust that year... its the very definition of ROBUST actually... it's just not the plants you'd desired apparently. Epilog: Due to the weather (really cold and snowy) I'd been putting off my trial planting experiment. Well two weeks ago, I finally got around to scooping up soil from the beds and putting it into large plastic cups. Took out left over vegetable seeds from the summer past and sowed them into the cups. 8 cups in all... radishes, turnips, beans, carrots, lettuce, spinach, beets, and broccoli. Put the planted cups under grow lights in the basement. Just TWO DAYS later the radishes, turnips, lettuce had all sprouted... the NEXT DAY the broccoli, beets and the first bean plant showed up... TWO DAYS after that all the cups had germinated (carrots and spinach were the last to emerge... not what I would have predicted). This was certainly a good sign as it means germination has not been compromised... now to see if any of the first real leaves will appear deformed. I figured by the time I begin to see the second set of real leaves there should be no doubt that the roots are functioning within the soil supplying the plant with nutrients as the embryo leaves start to wither. Today makes it one day short of two weeks since PLANTING the cups and all plants have at least two sets of real leaves! (I've been giving them 14 hour days and the cups do get a little warm under the lights so that likely explains the speedy germination and growth rate.) All are very green (as I'd expect) and growth rate is exponentially accelerating every day so I don't know how much longer I can keep this experiment going... especially the bean plants (re: "Jack and the Bean Stalk" anyone?). I'll probably give it another week... by then the plants will be killing each other out as you can't expect to grow a half dozen or so plants in an 8 ounce cup for very long. Actually they are already fighting with each other (carrots, spinach, and broccoli are the exceptions so far... I'm sure in another week it'll be a different story for them as well). So to answer my own question (refer to the title of the thread)... I've determine the answer to be... wait for it.... NOTHING. Wow, what a long journey to discover there is nothing to fear with applying massive excess humic shale to the garden.... could it be its all a scam? That's another question for another thread for another time.