Raven, I have no experience with blueberries or low ph soil. My experience in the fertilizer business has been that dry sulfer is the cheapest. If I remember right dry sulfer comes in a 90% formulation. Ammonium sulfate adds some, but you would have to use a LOT of product compared to just using dry sulfer. You can not dissolve Dry sulfer into a slurry though I don't think. If you want to go liquid it comes that way, but it costs a lot more. Here are a couple links for you. http://www.algreatlakes.com/PDF/factsheets/ALGLFS28_Reducing_Soil_pH_Field_Crops.PDF http://www.tigersul.com/products/agriculture/bentonite-sulphur/tiger-90-cr-sulphur.html To truly amend an 1/2 acre of 6 ph down to 4.5 you would need 855 pounds of a 90% dry sulfer, with a cost of $300-400. It would take 5900 pounds of ammonium sulfate ($1200-2000) to do the same thing, and adding that much AMS would add a lot of nitrogen and Im not sure if you would need that or not. Around here you could find a dry fertilizer outfit to bring a spreader out if it was a big enough job. 1/2 acre not so much. But I bet it could be done as an experiment even with a yard spreader, or some kind of pull behind a 4-wheeler spreader. It would just take some math to make sure you got it spread right. It would need incorporated, either with rain or mechanically. If my calculations are right it would take 296 gallons of a 26% liquid sulfer product to amend 1/2 acre from 6 down to 4.5ph.

This is an excellent topic, and one that we need to keep in mind if we want to see a robust future of gardening, much less rose gardening. I agree that we seem to be growing into a much more "indoor" culture, which to me transcends the concerns about too much device time in the younger generation (as I sit here typing this into a device...). It seems like outdoor time is compartmentalized into particular uses, mostly sports or commuting, and spending time in the yard for fun isn't usually a consideration. Goal oriented sorts may indeed get hooked with vegetable gardens, and that's a great hook for economic benefits as well. I think the key reminder for us here is the word "plants" rather than necessarily "roses" as an entry into the love of gardening, and to take to heart Josh's other post about enabling people he runs into casually. Every time I see someone new move into the neighborhood at large, I make a point of bringing them fresh produce and inviting them to stop by my yard and browse for free divisions of the many perennials I have to share. I figure it's a multiple benefit - getting something free means that there's no loss to trying, seeing something work in someone else's yard makes it more likely in yours, it makes people think that they COULD do something more than boring with their own yards, and I'm offering my help as a fellow gardener for advice. We ran into a new neighbor this weekend as my daughter and I were selling girl scout cookies up the street, and even though I didn't have any produce to offer at the time (duh - back to zero this week again), the new neighbor did look grateful at the prospect of being able to do "something" with her yard. The other thing we can do is literally as well as figuratively plant seeds with our own contacts in the next generation. My own kids are firmly convinced of the benefits of gardening in at least the tangible sense of food and smell and visual impact, though they're variable in wanting to help very directly. Regardless though, I keep throwing out information on basic garden problem solving when the opportunity comes up, and I know from my own experience how well some of that can stick in later years. I mostly learned gardening from the vegetable plots with my father, and didn't have my own yard till nearly 20 years later, but I could still hear his voice coaching me in techniques that have held through the test of time. I make sure to pass these along to the neighbor children, some of whom have parents who appreciate yards but are self-proclaimed "non-gardeners" (they even broke down and sold a beautiful greenhouse when they bought the place that I would have given my eyeteeth for). One of these days, those kids may grow up to want their own vegetables and flowers, and I haven't given up on passing along extra plants (including roses) to those neighbors yet either. I've basely corrupted every other neighbor on every side of me with roses and other plants, so I'm watching for my opportunities to share the love of plants when they're ready. Like every other aspect of gardening, encouraging others to love plants takes patience, but I'm never willing to give up on the challenge. Cynthia

A few Days ago I happened to watch a report on the Italian TV telling thereâÂÂs a web site where the most important and beautiful cemeteries are listed. I didnâÂÂt catch the name, but I remember a few names listed among the first ten. The first is Highgate , I also remember Pere Lachaise in Paris but canâÂÂt remember on which rung it was placed in the ladder. As far as Italian ones are concerned, they listed the Catacombs in Rome , even if they are not a cemetery strictly speaking, and always among the first ten thereâÂÂs Staglieno that is in Genoa, my city, which is deemed by us Genoese the eighth world wonder, maybe we exaggerate just a bit, but it is true that is really impressive. As it often happens, IâÂÂve never been inside it, from time to time my wife and I are used to saying, sooner or later weâÂÂve got to visit it but so far we havenâÂÂt. Once I remember reading in a novel this phrase, more or less, if you want to see some really awful marble, go to Staglieno in Genoa and I was outraged, what ?!?!?! Are they really talking about our wonder?!?!? I was sure I had read it in "Farewell to Arms" by Hemingway , he spent some time in Sampierdarena in a Genoa neighbourhood , thatâÂÂs I Know for sure, but I checked it on Barnes and Noble using the search inside option, and neither Genoa nor Staglieno is named. Speaking of cemeteries and lates, thereâÂÂs one funny (both meaning: strange and ah ah ah) thing to say. In Italy poetry isnâÂÂt read that much, I have to say we donâÂÂt read much in general, but the most sold popular poetry - book is not by an Italian author but by an American one , Edgar Lee Master and the book is, of course, Spoon River Here is a link that might be useful: Staglieno

It isn't bad once you get used to it. If you find things that you don't understand, just ask here as it is likely that we've all encountered the same things these last few weeks. It is good to see more and more people posting. Sandplum, Your GW name makes me chuckle. My sandplums started blooming yesterday so you timed your appearance here at GW/Houzz perfectly, arriving right along with the sandplum blooms. Dawn