Ummm, I'm just seeing this, wonder if you've moved your plant yet..... I'd go with the cow, Neil...compost (aged plant remains) or composted manure. Rhubarb is happy in slightly to moderately acid soil. The ph of most mushroom compost is more alkaline, most has lime added. If you are going to use the mushroom product, it's better spaded into the soil in small amounts or use it for things liking a more neutral to sweeter soil, not the acid lovers. (little tip on the mushroom compost, it can be high in salts too and may damage tender seedlings of any kind if used in too high quantity even spaded into a bed. it's not a bad product, you just need to be more careful with it than say, composted steer manure) One of the very few things I pick up at Home Depot is composted steer manure blend (aged manure, aged wood chips). I just now finished putting a bag as a top dressing around 4 Pia hydrangeas...was dry enough to make it easy to work with, no odor, no rocks. Price has gone up, I think it was $1.12/ cu. foot bag, used to be 98 cents. :-)

Glad I came back up here to look for replies! Yay! I got the good dirt! :D I had no idea what I was doing. The guy at the co-op recommended this. I knew we were anti-Hyponex and pro co-op mix, but that's all I knew. :) Uh oh...no styrofoam? Bummer. I just did a few, and so easy to poke holes in the bottom. I tried poking holes in the yogurt cup first and split it. Oops. I think a plastic container sounds like a good idea to house everything, drilling holes in the top. Do I also have to make drainage holes in the bottom? I do have a paint pen. It's one of those Deco-Color from Michael's craft store.

Sue, He currently has 4 dvd's on Hosta. There are a lot of beautiful gardens in them. I think that my favorite is the on that he filmed at Van Wade's place. It has the most Hostas in it and Van even does a little tour for you.He is planning on doing a couple more this year and next year he is planning to do one at my place. I am already nervous!! I have attached a link from Butch on clay soil.I was at his place and he has the bright red stuff My clay is more tan and brown. It is a mess to work with when it is wet!! Denny Here is a link that might be useful: Clay soils

I should clarify, no I don't dump them in there to drown them, I use the bucket to keep them contained and accessible, take a 2x2 or something and one quick WHACK does them in. If I just put them in the pail, they could climb up and out before killed. And sometimes if I'm not checking it for a while I put poison in there so they'll die quickly. Why not use snap traps? Simple, this will take care of 10-15 and a snap trap only one. Easily reset and reused and no bait required. Frankly though, snap traps don't require bait either. But no, I refuse to spread out 15-30 snap traps. Also I have used this ouside against the foundation of the house. Sadly, people still let their dogs and cats run free. I don't think it's humane to let a dog or cat get caught in a snap trap, do you? Plus the possibility of a kid, or for that matter a door-to-door seller stepping on it, I don't think they're that practical. I also feel this is far more humane than putting out glue boards to let them die of dehydration. Plus, I don't think I'd want to be cleaning out snap traps and reusing so I'd have to be buying a gross of them. No, I don't think so. I'll use the wind up. As far as the MIL's friend who used to shoot them, I take it you prefer leghold tooth traps so they break their legs and try to chew off their leg to get out of it? Do you really think THAT is better than a shot? It sounds mean, but shooting it is far superior the the alternative IMHO. Also, in the country, rodents are part of a food chain. Eagles, hawks, owls, fox, etc, that "country folk" taut, use them as a food source. Keeping them in town, or for that matter moving them to town (I just pictured the "Beverly Mousebillys packed up and moving) won't bring the country owls into town. Never seen it happen anyway. I will say this however. I do like mice much better, and think they need far more humane treatment (and a quick kill) than do spammers and telemarketers!! Now THERE'S a good use for the glue boards!