mammo8 I use the exact same recipe that you use 1 1/2 peat, 1 1/2 perlite, 1 Portland cement I also do 1,1,1 and had the exact results that you are dealing with. I started stirring the dry parts really well and then added more water then it calls for and stir, stir, stir . I know it tells you that you don't want to get more then a couple drops of water out of a hand full or it will be to heavy and wont set well. I cant tell you exact how to mix it you will find the right amount for you but I'm pretty sure from your pictures your mix is to dry and maybe not mixed as well as it should be. Don't give up my first project was a sphere and it took me 3 days to get one that finally turn out right . One little hint if you get to much water then take a few hand fulls and set them on newspaper before you use them it will suck up the excess water or if once you got your pot done it appears really heavy or is sliding from to much water take paper towels and just blot it well until you get the excess water out of it . Good luck and lets us know how it goes Bea You will have to figure out what works best for you . Just from personal experience I have to add more water then all of the recipes call for and the only time I have issues with them breaking is when I simply don't get a area thick enough......good luck and lets us know how its going . Bea

It may just be there time to go . . . the leaves, not the tomatoes. If your growth is vigorous and you are setting fruit, I wouldn't freak out just yet. Tomatoes will show signs of planting stress sometimes especially on leaves that they already have at the time of planting. If the leaves become too damaged, or unsightly, or just yellow out completely, just take a sharp pair of scissors in the late afternoon and prune them away (I use bonsai shears.) I like to prune away everything that grows 10" or less from the ground anyway to discourage disease and encourage airflow. Getting enough air shouldn't be a problem for you, though because you look like you've got plenty of space. You look like you know what you're doing, you've got plenty of space in the row, you've got fruit growing, you look like you've got a good mulch going, bravo! You might want to take a sturdy wood stake and push it into the ground beside that cage. You can tie the cage to the stake. I recently suffered a lot of wind and storm damage to my tomato garden because my cages did not stay anchored in the ground. If you are still worried about fungus, I'd get a spray that is organically derived, or advertises being gentle on plants and give her a good spray. I am not an expert (far from it as my posting prove), but I'd think a disease would cause the plant to show more of a sign all-over. Tomatoes like to keep growing and sometimes they'll stop taking care of old leaves in favor of new growth. If you get pale or yellow new growth, try a dose of epsom salts and wait a few days and see if there is a change. Remember to use more because your plants are in the ground and water the salts in well.

Barbra sorry that I am just now getting back to this thread. I don't remember exactly what plants I brought you, but if Cat Whiskers is one of them, I've never had it survive anything below about 27 deg. The X Ruttyruspolia came back from the roots after seeing 17 deg. last year. The mother Calidora (Persian Palm) comes back, but I would protect the seedlings I brought, if you got one of those. Do the same with 'Mojito'. Those will survive next winter if planted out in the spring. If there were any others you are courious about, if you will tell me what they are, I'll try to help. Jim

Wow, what a list! First off, converting from carpet to hardwoods doesn't have to involve removing the baseboards. That's what the shoe molding is for. And yes the flooring stuff is all better done before move in.....as long as you are religious about covering the floors when any other construction is being done. We got lazy and it's only been six months, but looks like many years. Sigh. Luckily, paint scrapes off hardwood easily. We painted the kitchen after moving in, and that was hard, but doable. I felt I needed some time to finalize plans. As it was, I kept changing my mind about things and have a better kitchen now b/c I was living there. I'd also wait on the carpet. Once all your stuff is in, you might not notice it so much. IMO I would live in the house a while before doing anything with the pocket doors. You may get to love them. If your house is old, you need to let it speak to you a while before making big changes.