I'd second Sandhill Preservation Center They prefer that you buy at least 5 of each variety. At this time in the season, they are probably sold out of their most popular/limited varieties. Your best bet would be to select an assortment suited to your region or allow them to substitute. The slips are of excellent quality and I absolutely loved all the unique varities that I tried last year. The taste was so much better than regular varieties of sweet potato. Bellatrix

When you HAVE to dig up your septic system for any reason, your priorities change! I'm way too familiar with septic systems, having gone through quite a bit with the two separate ones here... one for the house, and one for the kennel! (Hint: they should both be constructed the same, as they both serve the same purpose!) Kennel septic, no peacock used in outgoing piping... use your imagination! Anyway... I'm surprised at the amount of moisture retained without the use of turface in my mix. The top couple of inches can be fairly dry, but the area around the roots will still be quite damp. While I do have to water more often than if I were to use a more moisture retentive, organic medium, it's not nearly as often as I originally thought it would be. I'm quite happy with the results so far... the real test will be what the roots look like at re-potting time. And... so far, so good on that issue... I recently re-potted a couple of small bulbs in 4" pots... they were planted in a pre-mixed bonsai medium, which was quite gritty, but with smaller particles than Al's Mix. The roots looked healthy and numerous, and the used medium fell away with very little effort, making re-potting much easier.

FWIW I just ordered 15 lbs. of seed from Pawnee Buttes Seed - 5 lbs. each of Award, Moonlight and Bedazzled, and I got the sense that they would have let me order a bit less than that. They also have Midnight. I also have only about 2000 feet to do, but wanted extra seed on hand in case the slit seeder is badly calibrated and drops a ton of seed before I realize it, for patching bare spots, and in case of some other calamity. Any extra will be used to overseed next fall. I'm sure I'll lose some in the germination rate by then, but I don't want to have to order just a couple of pounds next year so it seemed worth the risk if I store it well. Penny wise pound foolish I think with a project like this. I spoke with Glenn and he was very responsive and helpful. Good luck!

What problem or pest do you have that you need these chemicals? Everyone keeps telling you to only get them if you need them. Unless you have a serious problem, you could use these: (all purchased at Lowes, Home Depot or Walmart may have them also) Neem Oil "Garden Safe brand, made by Schultz" Insecticidal Soap (Mix these two together,shake and spray and that has taken care of all the problems I have had with my violets. Mostly I spray every now and then to PREVENT problems. Also don't let the crown stay wet, I dab a little paper towel to get out the extra moisture so it will dry quicker) Occassionally I have used "Garden Safe brand, made by Schultz" Multi-purporse Garden Insect Killer to take care of violets I buy that have a problem. Giving your violets a bath from the faucet using luke warm water will also wash away unwanted pests before they get a chance to get started. Also could use a drop of mild liquid dish detergent. I would think water hot enough to kill insect eggs will also hurt the violet, and would keep the water warm not hot. I grew violets for years never needing to use those chemicals you are trying to buy. Wait until you have a serious problem and then buy and treat with serious chemicals. Spend more time enjoying your plants instead of worrying about them! tish