Hi naikii, The mix that you just made looks wonderful! I have been following this thread with great interest as well. Most of my trees ( tropicals) and C&S are in the Gritty Mix or the 5-1-1 and are all doing great! This mix has really helped with all of my tropicals trees growing to their maximum potential and I am always amazed at the amount of beautiful blooms that I have now that I have changed their mix from a "bagged" mix to this more aerated mix that has shown me the difference in the root system which in turn delivers me the maximum bloom production during the summer with my Plumeria and Adeniums. I have learned that this mix makes my roots happy and not have any issues with the perched water so they are not rotting as in the past using other soil. The key to a happy and healthy plant starts at the roots... I am always looking for another alternative for the Fir Bark that I use. could you tell me the name brand of the last pic of your Pine Bark that you are using? Looking back up thread, I couldn't tell what the brand was. It looks great to me and if I can find it here in my area that would be helpful! Thanks for taking the time to post all of your information... Great thread! Take care, Laura

For the last three years I have grown a northcountry, northblue, a couple chippewas, and a couple Rekas in pots. The plants are doing very well. I used pure peat moss in some and in others I used mostly fir bark....all are doing well. This year I decided to add about 15 more plants in the ground. My soil here has a netural PH so I dug a hole about 15 inches deep and 2 feet in diameter and filled it with fir bark, then planted. I can't comment yet on how well my plant in the ground method will work because it's too soon. I will add though, that a friend using this same method has been very successful. If you are going to just plant a few plants I would put them in pots, it's easy and it works! Use pure peat or a mix of mostly peat. Drill several holes in the bottom of the pot and you can also put a couple on the side down low on the pot. Sometimes the holes on the bottom will get clogged if you don't want them. I also periodically loosen the soil at the surface of the pots so that the soil can breathe a bit better. I pasted a picture of a Reka variety in a pot for you to see at this link. RM Here is a link that might be useful:

Fricanod: Since you are new to gardening, the problems may lie in your basic soil preparation or watering. What kind of soil do you have, and did you add any amendments when planting? Blueberries require an acidic soil rich in organic material, but well drained. Are you mulching your plants, and how much and how often do you water? Excessive watering is a common mistake of new gardeners. Mulching helps to conserve moisture and hold down weeds. So tell us about these things. There is no reason to believe that eggplant would affect your other perennial plants. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Sounds like you have the correct diagnosis. I just happen to be reading back issues of The Hosta Journal. Here is what appeared in the The Hosta Journal, Volume 35, No. 3, 2004. "Bacterial soft rot occurs in gardens and nurseries, particularly following very cold winters where plants may have been damaged by ice or freezing temperatures. Bacterial soft rot is a disease that degrades fleshy underground plant tissues. The fleshy tissue becomes watery and soft with an unpleasant aroma resembling that of dead fish. Above-ground symptoms are characterized by yellow, wilted leaves and a soft rot at the base of petioles, resulting in plant collapse and eventually plant death." Once plants are infected, most pathogens are difficult to eliminate; diseased plants should be removed from the landscape or nursery and destroyed. Many pathogens enter the plant through wounds, so use good sanitation practices whenever plants are divided and avoid unnecessary wounding to the roots and crowns when plants are transplanted. Use disinfectants to sanitize tools and work surfaces during propagation; rubbing alcohol or a 10% bleach solution can be effective. Other management strategies, such as selecting resistant cultivars or avoiding susceptible ones, fungicides . . . choice of mulch and potting mix and heat treatment, may help manage specific hosta diseases." Sounds like this hosta doesn't have much hope. Hopefully others with more experience will post their thoughts.