Just some general notes... the 5-10-5 recommendation was to get your soil back up to "optimal." It is not a long term plan. For ongoing growth, grass mostly needs nitrogen. If you use synthetic fertilizers, a decent plan is to use the general turf fertilizer 3 times a year and a balanced fertilizer once a year. If you follow one of the "step" programs, they usually include 1 step that has more of the other nutrients already. If you go with an organic program, Milorganite is between the standard turf fertilizers and balanced fertilizer in terms of nutrients, so it all evens out in the end. Also, this is about the latest you would want to fertilize a cool season grass in NC. A mild fertilizer like Milorganite would be fine now. What you don't want to do is apply a high nitrogen fertilizer in the heat of summer.

Basically, it's always been year 1 for me. Just a few adjustments over the past 5 years. This is year 6 for me. In my zone 5, where frosts can still kill of tender annuals until the end of May, snow flakes can fall in mid may during college graduations, we have been known to have a 2 foot snowstorm on May 9th and 10th, and the very last patch of snow, still sitting in the shade in the back yard will be gone during the first week in June.!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've learned these few things. Whether I sow perennials on the solstice, in January or up until mid February, they all still germinate within the same time frame of a week at the earliest, first to second week in April. Biennials can go out until mid to end of March and then the germination isn't quite as good as it would be. Annuals and tender annuals are safe to sow from second week in April on, but be sure to hold back some, just in case mother nature has some other ideas that year. Annual herbs and veggies go out then too. Morning gory seeds germinate far better for me if I soak them for 24 hours first and then sow them the 3rd or 4th week in April. A couple of times I've covered my well growing annual seedlings in May from the cold, and last year would have been a good idea too, but didn't and lost a few containers of zinnias, dahlias and cosmos, but I had plenty more to sow and just put them out. Beyond that, no fuss. I'm careful with the labels, sowing one kind of seed at a time and doing the tags for the containers at that time. My records are simple, really simple and kept in a cheapo spiral notebook. Date of sowing, then list of seeds and number of containers of each seed. mark whether trade, or commercial seed. If comm. seed, list the company. As containers germinate, I record the date of germination beside the seeds that are already listed in my notebook. It goes outside with me all the time and is handy to get. Somewhere along the line, before plant out time, I list the height of the plant as well Except for MG, sunflowers and cosmos, all of my plants can go in full or partial sun, so I never worry about that problem. My veggies all go in the back in full sun and the herbs get mostly sun Eventually the entire list is on the computer set up in word, no fancy record keeping there either. I guess I look at it like this. WS is supposed to be easy, fun, cheap and produce lots of seedlings that grow into plants. Don't like to complicate the process and that, to me, includes the record keeping too. Fran

pug, People don't care about numbers and you'll never convince anyone on a forum using numbers. The misconceptions about it being bad(?) to drink softened water fall into two main categories... 1. The absolutely incorrect assumption that the process of softening water adds SALT to the service water. That is completely untrue. The ion exchange process exchanges either SODIUM or POTASSIUM ions (depending on the regenerant used) for the hardness in the water. The CHLORIDES that make either element a SALT are washed down the drain as effluent during the regeneration. It is the confusion between sodium chloride and sodium or potassium chloride and potassium that fosters this completely incorrect positon. 2. The assumption that consuming sodium or potassium is bad for your heath. In limited amounts neither are harmful and maybe even do a little good. Unless you are on a sodium free diet administered by your doctor then there is nothing to worry about. If you are on a sodium free diet then potassium chloride can be used as an alternate regenerant. There is another fork in this road and that is that one just doesn't like the taste of softened water and that is a perfectly acceptable position. A different taste to softened water increases as does the hardness because the harder the water the more sodium or potassium has to be exchanged for the hardness. It does the OP little good for you to digress into philosophical discussion in these threads, as it seems you are so apt to do. Perhaps you'd be happier posting on trade forums where the why is discussed as much as the how. On self-help forums people seem to be seeking the how answers.

The cost to refinish marble countertops will be based on size,condition of stone(how severe is the scracthing, etching and or staining,cracks,chips,etc)type of stone(darker stones and some limestones can be tricky to refinish)time and materials. Special pricing if we change the finish from polished to honed(easier and reasonably priced) or honed to polished(which is impossible to do to granite on site- very-difficult to do on marble(can be pricey). Our pricing on an average kitchen(60-80sqft) with normal wear and etching will start at around $650.00 and up. Larger kitchens with multiple islands and multiple countertops and other areas over 100 sq ft can that can be done in a day will start $900.00 and up. Pricing will vary region to region. Stone refinishing is one of those trades where experience is very important. I have been doing this since 2003 and still learn something everyday. While some stones are easier to work on others can be a serious undertaking. Not to mention the possibility of damaging fixtures back splashes,cabinets etc. Other issues could be dust or water containment and proper masking techniques so appliances,wallpaper,furniture and fabrics are protected . So While I am sure that a very handy person could do or try to refinish the stone there is the question of purchasing and using the proper equipment. I think in the long run it is cheaper to hire a bona -fide refinisher with references. Stu Rosen www.mbstonecare.com www.stoneshine.com