There's nothing wrong with it if you just leave it blank with the aprons. It would bug me visually cause the window doesn't make sense with the ceiling beams and the cabinets are crammed up against it. So I would do the big bucks if you got 'em and take it out. Replace it with a smaller, but slightly taller window centered between the two beams. If you have a view, replace with a really tall window. I would try to resist the temptation to fill it up with stuff. Maybe one of those iron cookware stands? Maybe a small table or chest. To me, the trash can and stools help your kitchen look junque-ie. On the other hand, I don't get what's going on beside the ref with the dimmer on the wall ?in a corner?

LOL, don't hold your breath about Lowes having the same product now if it has been long enough, unless you are sure you can find the pile you pulled it off. I just looked at my bag and it has the same label and color scheme on the bag (though it was identical at first glance) except it is not labeled "dolomitic lime', but rather "Gardenlime" and under that in big bold letters "great calcium and magnesium source" of something to that effect. So Lowes clearly has at least two versions of 40 pound bags. Either way, it is plenty enough so this is not something to worry about for yours at this point and may never be. You had just asked about details and I pulled it out of thin air as an example of the sorts of details that we can get bogged down in. The lime is not your problem now, that's for sure. The filling with water is iffy if you really are under such water usage for that plant, especially with a cover to discourage evaporation that it has, but maybe you are in AZ or something. To be honest I'm skeptical it is using all that water and would measure a better baseline for another couple of days and keep track of it, since I don't want to give you bad advice and I really am not there to be talking. If you find it is using 1.5 gallons per day, then every two days is fine and what I'm shooting for in my head at this point. The plants could easily require more as they get bigger but we're talking now... Don't forget the soil is saturated and has a lot of water capacity too before the wicking action will be lost. It could add another gallon or two, so there is a little safety built in as long as the plants don't cake-dry the setup. Those are just mullings since you may have a better hands on feel than I do, but it's what I'm thinking. In Florida a tomato plant your size would still drink less than 2 liters in the heat, but we have a higher humidity to deal with so that's what I'm concerned I might err on. Hope those thoughts help, as you experiment. around. PC

The mix is wet (from what's visible in your photo). Adding vermiculite doesn't help, and leca doesn't do anything on the bottom. Succulent mix usually contains lots of peat (see label for ingredients). Perlite would make it more suitable, but should be quite a bit of it. Many ppl use mix of that soil and perlite in 50/50 ratio. If the roots are dry, they can't take in any water. Watering plant in that condition makes it worse. If they are really dead, plant may survive if it is rooted again - but not in wet soil. Haws in the photos are in a mix of grit, perlite and turface; container has drainage holes, and plants are watered as needed (approx. 1/week or so - depends on temps and how fast mix dries up completely).

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.