Outsmarting the tree rats (squirrels) around my house is a full time job. This past spring I hit on a new idea. When I plant a container I invert an empty wire hanging basket over the container and the plant gets sun and can be watered but the squirrels can't dig in it. Another idea: I bring in a lot of plants to "over winter" under lights in my garage. I have so many that it is hard to reach my hand under the lights (4 shop lights) to the middle for watering. So I bought a pump sprayer with a long wand and it works great! In late winter I add a little liquid Dawn detergent, few drops, to each gallon of water and not only does the soil get wet easier but the worms that are waiting to hatch into distructive pets just don't hatch. Don't know what it costs me to run those four shop lights all winter but I don't care. It is a small price to pay to be able to "garden" every weekend in the garage. Many people have mentioned that they mark their outdoor plants with a "permanent Sharpie". In my experience there isn't a "permanent Sharpie", they all fade and quickly too. A grease pencil/china marker or expensive "no fade" garden center marker are the only markers I have found that won't disappoint you by fading. Eight years ago I decided to learn about gardening so I tapped into my local library. I checked out nearly every book they had on gardening and learned so much. The Gardenweb forums are also a wealth of information and entertainment. There is always something new to learn and I appreciate all of you who take the time to write in your ideas. One last idea from me...I keep a small notebook on my computer table and jot down any idea I find that's new and I will want to try. Little pieces of paper get lost but I always know where my notebook is and also use it when I order "on line" so I will remember the name of the company and the order date. Tina or Trowelgal

I'm not being indignant when I say that I've spent hundreds of hours in workshops and lectures listening to bonsai masters and in some cases tree professionals discuss how best to lift established trees. I can say that the general consensus is to root prune, in order to chase the roots back closer to the trunk so you are harvesting a larger fraction of feeder roots instead of only the conductive roots found near the bole. I'm a huge fan of Dr Whitcomb and quote his works very often, particularly the work 'Plant Production in Containers II'and I agree that root pruning as a tool is best left to those with some experience in that area. I have used it, though less than regularly, as a tool on my trees as well as the trees of others, to help short circuit the affect of a radical top reduction, that affect being a prolific flush of basal shoots and water sprouts. I have also used it extensively as a way to prepare wild trees/shrubs and trees planted and established in the landscape for lifting, prior to being indentured as future bonsai specimens. My experience is that not only is root pruning to chase roots back to the trunk logical, but it also works quite well in practical application. Keep in mind too, that MANY of the practices that were taken as ironclad in 1987, have long been abandoned. I had dinner with the past president of the Michigan Nurseryman's Assn. not long ago, and for a good part of the evening we discussed 'the way we were'. What I remember very clearly, was him saying, "Al, we don't do ANYTHING the way we did 30 years ago". I even wrote a little piece on that comment that can be found on GW pages somewhere. Of course, I didn't take the 'anything' at face value, but the gist of the conversation was what I alluded to when I talked about 'what used to be iron clad'. Things change. Just something to think about. If you DO decide to root prune, please know it will be up to you to prevent the ground from becoming too dry, though with the 2-stage process, it should be less an issue than if you pruned 360*. Whatever you decide - best luck - good growing. Al

"And, yes I did see that Frazier show. That show always makes me laugh. I would hate to think I ever acted that way and try not to be around people who do.' alexis The reason I laughed so hard at Frazier's superior behavior is because it is me more times than I want to admit, BIG BUTT these types of post teach others this behavior. I want to exercise myself of continuing this behavior and not participate in teaching it to others. We start looking for the types of comments that come from someone who doesn't share our passion so we can run to our "elite hostaholics friends" to report every faux pas. From my superior/self-righteous position in this I had to look up "faux pas" and had a terrible time because I couldn't even get close to the spelling to find it in a dictionary. I did have the good judgment to marry a bright woman! I repeat; "Tell me what you believe in, I have enough doubts of my own"! Stop it, I see myself and don't like it.

By organic (vegetable) gardening I guess you mean no artificial fertilisers and no pesticides other than perhaps pyrethrum. Well, whenever I grow veggies, I find I have to use snail bait, otherwise my beans (for eg.) get the tops eaten off as soon as they appear above ground. I usually don't use sprays as the most affective ones can leave toxins in the fruit, so when I plant tomatoes I have to use a net to prevent the Queensland fruit fly and other moth/butterfly larvae from attacking and destroying the fruit. My answers to your questions: How has your experience with gardening been? Generally productive if I rotate my crops. What was included in your first vegetable garden? Tomatoes, stringless dwarf beans, lettuce, followed by sweet corn (takes up a lot of space), carrots (can be difficult) and beetroot (can also be 'iffy'). What were the easiest vegetables to grow from your garden? Beans, lettuce, tomatoes, corn. Did any vegetables die eventually? not until they bore fruit. Do you know why this was? Yes, kept an eye on them for bugs, watered at appropriate times. Is your garden organic? generally yes - I enrich it with organic fertilisers between crops. What sort of fertilizers/feeders do you use on your garden? Blood and bone meal, chicken manure, dolomite lime, and for beetroot a little boron; and once a year a good amount of compost from my compost heap well rotted and then dug in. Avoid fertilisers with carrots though, causes them to 'fork'. Do you check the pH levels of your garden? Occasionally, especially when digging in virgin soil. What type of soil do you recommend? Free draining, crumbly garden loam enriched with well rotted compost. What plant produces the most amounts of vegetables in the quickest amount of time? In my experience, dwarf beans. When do you water your garden and with how much water? depending on the weather but when it's feeling dry at finger-depth in the soil, I'll give it a reasonable soaking. But don't overdo do it. Oh, and if you plant beans, stop watering as soon as they germinate as the young first leaves (the cotyledons) can, and do, rot off. Leave them a week or so to harden, about when the next leaves appear. What other problems have you encountered with your vegetable garden? Other than insect larvae and birds (crows, magpies) I check for curl-grubs - they attack the roots - when I spade through the soil before planting. What sort of tips and recommendations do you have for beginner gardeners that want to create their first organic garden? Ensure the soil is as described above, and patience. Oh, and follow the seeds/plant guidelines and avoid planting too close. And stake tall growing plants such as tomatoes as recommended. Oh, and one more thing: I always like to mulch the soil between the crops, helps to preserve moisture and keeps low growing fruit off the soil. And it promotes worms, which are goodies. Good luck.