tedln- what kind of cucs are those. Mine are still white and are about 4-6 in. in diam and are too big. They never turned a nice green like yours. I think my cucs are a failure this year, UGH, I so wanted to can cucs. Can't figure out why they won't turn green before they are huge, even then they are still a whitish, pale green. Can you tell me what yours are?

When should i Round up the lawn? It all depends on when you are going to drop seed, and if you are going to fallow for a bit. In actuality you can round up a few hours before you lay seed, but that isn't too practical for home lawns. For a home lawn, 2 weeks is probably the least amount of time I would suggest, since after about a week you should know if you missed any areas, and you can reapply. Also when applying it, it is important that everything is green and growing. Dormant, or sluggish grass/weeds won't absorb it, and they can wake up during the renovation. So most people recommend watering a few times a week before you apply round-up, and afterwards as well. Which type of RU? I saw blue and green cap ones. Just use the straight round up or any brand that has glyphosate as the main ingredient (I use Ortho's from Home Depot, it's a little cheaper). The other kind has another chemical that makes things turn brown in a few days, but I don't see the need for it when renovating, plus it costs more. Should i drop the Calcium lime before i drop seed or after? Drop Potassium sulfate before or after? Your next liming should be 90 days after the one you did this spring. If that coincides with seeding then I would wait till your grass has been mowed a few times. When seeding I would use a half app of starter fertilizer at the time of seeding, and the other half after it has been mowed once or twice. So then lime 2 weeks after that starter app. The starter is high in K, so that will count towards a K app. Would it be smart to fallow the lawn? It's not a bad idea, especially if your weed pressure is/was high and you don't mind having a brown lawn for a month or so. Better to do a TTFF/KBG lawn or just KBG? It all depends on you and your lawn. If you have a good amount of shade, TTTF is going to do better. KBG makes the best lawn in my opinion, but it has a longer establishment and maturity time, so don't expect a full KBG lawn to be really nice next spring. It really hits it stride in its third year. TTTF/KBG is a nice compromise, but there can be some issues with color matching and growth rates. For the TTTF cultivars, those are all good. I would definitely use Bullseye, it is one of the best. LS 1200 is good, but it does poorly in shade. For the KBG: Bedazzeled: A good choice, not too dark, good spring green up, not sure about it's disease tolerance. Prosperity: A very dark cultivar, might not blend well with TTTF due to color, but I can't say for sure. It also has some disease issues, might not be the best if you are just using one in a mix. Moonlight 2: Not sure about this one, check the NTEP's and it's tech sheet. Emblem: Not a good choice. Seed on the market is old as it's being discontinued. A very aggressive cultivar, might dominate lawn. Also very dark. Has a very long dormancy period as well, i.e. slow spring green up. Blueburry: One of the darkest cultivars you can get. Might not blend well, and it might have disease issues. Moonlight SLT: A good cultivar, supposed to have some shade tolerance. Check the NTEP and tech sheet for mixability. Award: A compact midnight, so it's going to be dark, and might not blend well. Does OK in shadier sights, but not great. There are a few others to look at. Bewitched: A dark cultivar so be warned, but does well in shadier areas, not too aggressive, and has good disease tolerances. Unique and Apollo. Not as dark as some, good shade tolerances. America: An old standard, has been around for a long time, but still performs well. Has some shade tolerance, not as dark as others. Orfeo: A very fast one to germinate and establish. Blends well with TTTF, but is aggressive, so it can take over. In reality, color might not be as big an issue as I make it out to be as KBG really needs good soil high in iron to reach it's full potential while TTTF seems to be less finicky to iron levels. Many of the growers say a lot of their cultivars blend well with TTTF. If you are really worried about it though, then just go with all TTTF or KBG.

OK Tim, below are some of the questions I addressed from Leslie in LA. Leslie,mowing and weed eating the new shoots works best for us. We control our 153 species by doing this and have do so for many years. The bamboo rhizomes will grow in several directions underground looking for energy and sun light. When the rhizome buds are aborted ( mowed or kicked) and prevented from their energy and sunlight mission that rhizome will slowly die over a period of several years. In other words the root will grow outward and put up shoots or canes. When all these are mowed for up to three years that rhizome will die back to the point of the last cane that is supplying energy to it. Bamboo is a grass and persistent, but not magical. It will grow where you let it and there are proven ways to control it very easy. The Japanese and Chinese have lived and loved bamboo for thousands of years. They grow it on thousands of acres and in small 100 square foot court yards. You should visit a bamboo farm and see first hand how bamboo grows and there are several down your way. Moso does grow to over 70 feet as there are mature groves of Moso on Avery Island, Abbeville and several other cities in LA. Any knowledgeable bamboo grower knows the huge Moso that grows through out the southeast including LA. The Moso growing in LA is second only to the Fant clone of Moso that started it all in Anderson, S.C. This clone can be seen at: ANDERSON GROVES DIRECTIONS Directions: Take exit 19 off I85 towards Anderson (US 76, US 25 and Clemson Blvd.) in about 7 miles Clemson Blvd. changes to N. Main Street. Two blocks past city hall, turn left on E. River Street. Turn right on White Street, at the forth traffic light. The entrance to Silverbrook cemetery is two blocks after you turn on to White Street. The bamboo maintained by the SEC is located at the back of the cemetery. I am sure you know where Avery Island is and it would be a great site to visit and see large Moso. Roger Sr. I have two more questions. Your website suggests controlling bamboo by mowing, or by kicking over the newly emerging canes. I like this idea - it may work well for me. But I'm confused. If I mow/kick over canes in a 30-foot zone around my grove, wouldn't the rhizomes eventually continue travelling underground (past the kicked-over/mowed culms) until they got beyond the 30-foot zone (and into my neighbor's yard)? Second question: I really like the moso bamboo. Does it really grow to 75' in the southeast? (I live in zone 8, south Louisiana). One website said the average height in the southeast is 30 feet -which would actually be better for me, where I'd like to put it. (I have hard, dry clay soil.) Leslie >From: "Roger >To: "Leslie >Subject: RE: Bamboo for zone 8? Hot, humid, drought, windy, and clay soil? > Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2005 15:20:25 -0600 > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Leslie >Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2005 11:39 AM >To: Roger Sr.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >Subject: Bamboo for zone 8? Hot, humid, drought, windy, and clay soil? > > >Is it possible for me to grow bamboo? I live in Franklinton, >Louisiana, (southeast Louisiana, zone 8). ===========yes, we have sold >a ton of bamboo since 1995 to your state and it all does very well. > > You specilize in cold-hardy bamboo. What about the heat? >==========many species grow in the southwest and are very drought hardy >such as the 'giant gray' Henon. It does great in Nevada and Arizona >which are much drier than your state. > > I see that some of your bamboos, like "Phyllostachys nigra 'Henon'" >(pretty!!) mention tolerance of heat and clay soils. I'm really >worrked about the clay and dry soils. I don't mind watering frequently >for the first year or two, to get it established, but I'm planting >things that will adapt naturally to the area.=== Just amend the >planting area with plenty of composted manure or good potting soil. We >have tried several types of potting soils including expensive mixes and >this is what we have finally settled on. Soil is generally not a big >problem if you amend the site at first and get the bamboo starter >bamboo divisions off to a good start. We recommend using a soil mixture >of sandy loam and composted manure (Walmart has a 40lb Composted Manure >for around $1.00 and the bamboo loves it). Dig each hole large enough >to allow one 40lb.bag per hole + the bamboo plant. >If >possible dig up a large area where you want the bamboo to spread. doing >this loosens the soil and mixing in good composted material helps >provide rich trace elements that the bamboo will love. If you are going >to just dig a hole for each division and not till up the area then the >planting hole is generally no larger than 12 inches deep by 36 inches >wide. Bamboo has a swallow root system usually in the top 12 inches of >the soil. It does not hurt the bamboo plant (unlike trees or other >plants) to replant it a few inches deeper. On large divisions such as >Field Specimens these are often planted 6 to 8 inches deeper to help >stabilize the larger culms. A donut depression is helpful to retain >water and we always mulch. The mulch is important not only for the >cold, but during the summer to hold the moisture in between watering. > >FERTILIZE only after the bamboo has been in the ground for one year. > > > > > >I live on a low hill in the middle of an old cow pasture. It's now >growing bahia grass. I had the soil analyzed - the report came back as >"fine sandy loam" - this seems correct for the first 3-8 inches, but >under that, it's red clay. Hard as cememt in the summer. Rain has >been infrequent the last >2 years, so I don't want a drought-intolerant bamboo. However, I do >have some trees that are listed as "prefer moist" - namely water oak >and sweetgum >- growing quite happily here. > >Also, it's very windy here. There's nothing around to break the wind. >I'm on a hill with few trees - I planted a few, but they're small. So >the bamboo will have full sun ... at least, 'til the trees grow. > >I don't have the resources to dig up the grass to make a bed for the >bamboo. > I'll plant in a wide hole with good soil. ===========good, work in >composted manure. $1.50 for a 40 lb bag at Walmart or Lowes. > > I hope to cut the grass short >and mulch heavily with grass clippings - this improves the soil anyway >- and fertilize the bamboo well and frequently. If that won't be >enough, then I don't want to get bamboo.===========that will work. >Water every other day if possible for the first two weeks. Then this >Spring as often as possible for new shoot growth. After the bamboo is >established normal rainfall is all it needs. > >I liked the look of your Phyllostachys rubromarginata for a screen (not >as crazy about the golden; prefer a deeper green), and the slender >crookstem, and pigskin, and of course the black and giant gray Hebron >...========= I will list a few that we know for certain are growing in >your area or same climate zone. >I know it will take a little while to look over the information, but >please do so and just let us know if we can be of help. I will list >some links below to click on. These links will show photos of the >plants we ship and how they are prepared before we ship them to you. I >would not recommend the 'Black' with the needs you described and >watering. It is one of the more difficult ones to over all be pleased with little up keep. > >A giant, but maybe a little too large for your needs====GIANT MOSO is >the largest temperate bamboo on earth. If you are in the right area of the U.S. >and want the biggest then take time to look over this page and read about >Moso These are currently $xxxxxxxxxxand are almost all gone. There will >not >be any more seedlings once we have sold the remaining stock. We begin >with over 1246 last year and now have less than 40. >http://wwwxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > >FAST GROWING BAMBOO FOR SCREENING =====one of top picks for your needs >and area. Adapts well to clay and wet sites or soil such as clay that >does not drain well. >Phyllostachys rubromarginata ' RUBRO ' or sometimes called ' RED MARGIN ' >is the fastest growing of all our 132 species. I have a limited supply >of 2 and 3 gallon sizes at this time. >They are $xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >http://wwwxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > >TIMBER BAMBOO = SIZES UP FAST======does well in your area and likes >clay soil. >P.Viridis 'PIGSKIN' is a fast growing giant and was my first bamboo >species, I still love it. I have three gallon sizes available, they are >$xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx each. >Click here to see http://www.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > >GIANT TIMBER BAMBOO >Phyllostachys nigra Henon ' GIANT GRAY ' This a true giant under ideal >conditions mature canes 65 feet in height X 4.5 inches in diameter. >I have a just a few 3 gallon sizes left at this time. This one is >drought hardy and needs very little attention. I have three gallon >sizes available, they are currently $xxxxxxxxxxxxeach. Click below to see this species. >P. gray henon http://www.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > >GIANT TIMBER BAMBOO >Phyllostachys ' VIVAX ' The giant timber species under good conditions >normally reaches maturity at 70 feet tall and 5 inches in diameter. >Grows to mature sizes in climate zones 7 and 8. It is growing on Long >Island, after 10 years they have reported it is now producing canes >each Spring that are 40 tall by 3 inches in diameter. Very limited >stock of 3 gallon sizes currently priced at $xxxxxxxx each. >Click below to see this species. >http://wwwxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > >We often can get more than one bamboo division in our boxes so don't be >surprised if the boxes are heavy and contain multiple plants. If you >want to see pictures of typical 3 gallon sizes we ship and learn about >planting, watering and other tips click here. >http://xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > >Shipping and Handling $xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx per bamboo plant > >The 3 gallon should be planted on five foot centers if you are planting >several divisions of bamboo. >The 2 gallon should be planted on three foot centers if you are >planting several divisions of bamboo. >Planting on these intervals should really accelerate a screen or grove >faster. One division of bamboo will start a grove, however if you are >wanting a privacy screen fast then purchasing plenty and spacing as >recommended above it the way to get there fast. > >We ship on Mondays xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >shipped out the Monday after we receive them if we are not back up with >orders. >Please feel free to call xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and leave a >message if we miss your call. >. >Due to pending orders our next opening for shipping your bamboo is now xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > >We hope by now that you have taken time to read over how bamboo grows. >If not please click to this page http://wwwxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > >Thanks and just let us know if we can be of help in anyway. > >Roger Lewis Sr. >Lxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://wwwxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > >well, most of >them are pretty. I'd like 2 types; one for a screen, the other a >taller, more foresty-type grove I can walk through, maybe put a little >bench. Is this silly, or is it a reasonable dream? > >Thanks for your advise! >Leslie

I prefer homemade tomato bisque but in a hurry, campbells tomato is good with the milk used and finely chopped sun dried tomatoes and some basil thrown in. Without, not so much. Again, prefer homemade but in a hurry, I also like Progresso's New England's clam chowder with a little hot sauce tossed in - really! It's a tip a friend gave me and I found it to be quite acceptable if cooking is out the question - but New England clam chowder is so fast and easy that I generally make time to get it made. Never do more than heat new england clam chowder, simmer or boil and it will harden and ruin the clams in it.