The numbering system for inorganic fertilizer has confused people for years. There are three numbers and they represent the amounts(as a percentage) of the three major ingredients of fertilizer: Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. "Balanced" fertilizer would have the same number for each element 20-20-20 or 10-10-10. Dahlias like a fertilizer with 5-10-10 or 10-20-20 or even 12-24-24. All this means is that it has half the nitrogen as the other two elements. Most gardens stores sell 5-10-10. Farmers buy 10-20-20 at the farm store because it is twice as concentrated and much cheaper than 5-10-10. Most of us are going organic. Alfalfa used as mulch is a great fertilizer. Mint compost is also excellent. Both have all three of the three major elements and work quite well. Bat guano and blood meal are good fertilizers. Of course all types of aged manures are the classic fertilizers for organic gardeners. Chicken manure works great but needs to be applied in the Fall as it is too "hot" (too much nitrogen all at once) for dahlias. They say that rabbit manure can be used fresh and needs no aging.

I get a lot of cat food donated to me. One of the reasons is I took in several cats from the humane society that were considered unadoptable. I also get cat food donated to me for the wildlife. If I buy canned food, I buy Fancy Feast Classic. I do feed cat food with gravy but I don't like it. One of the reasons, if I am feeding a large number of cats, the food with gravy doesn't fall out of the can as neatly as the food that is without gravy. You have to take a spoon and scrape some of it out. If I am opening 50 cans...that takes too long. Plus, it gives some cats diarrhea, or at least, loose stools. I always have a few hundred cans of cat food here at any one time, so I only buy some of the Classic if I am feeding one of my inside cats and I don't have any. However, it is rare that I have to buy it. Every morning and every evening all the cats get dry food. If the outside cats get canned food, it depends on how much time I have that I can open the cans. I got several cases of Sheba donated to me....and it was all like Classic....came out in a lump. Another food I like is Wellness and I get some of that sometimes. Here is a picture of inside my feed room. This is all cat food, except for the cases of food in the cardboard boxes in the corner....that is a dog food, but the possums like it. It also doesn't have gravy, and comes out in a nice block that I can chop up for them. I also get every kind of prescription diet you can think of too.

Papayas are full of enzymes So lots of action going on in your soil

I feed Safflower seed (squirrels don't like it, but most songbirds do) and homemade suet (lard, peanut butter, wheat flour, cornmeal and oatmeal) pretty much all year round. This recipe usually won't melt unless the temps get into the 90's. Sometimes I buy the fruit/nut seed mix to give the birds a treat. I take breaks on the suet to discourage the Starlings which love to hang on my "starling-proof" suet feeder. I have several very large hummingbird feeders which I keep full all summer long. I kept track of how much sugar I used last year... 128 lbs! Speaking of holes in the trees, we have one Oak which is hollow inside and just this week I noticed there are about 6 large holes almost in a straight line going up from the base of the tree. I need to get a picture of it. My husband cut part of the top off last year, but I asked him to leave the trunk for the birds. Everyone's photos are great!