Thanks for the responses! Ya'll are already making me think beyond what I've done. Note: This is a worked "yarden" that has only produced one set of a bunch of tomatoes and they were beautiful and tasty but all marble-sized. Lack of water and air was the problem - drought and also the soil is clay... not quite a "gumbo" but very similar. At least it's not RED clay, right? My soil is DARK indicative of some richness but it was low in phosphorous and very low in nitrogen 2 years ago when I tested it at home with a kit. I really ruined the soil with the first till 2 years ago, so I'm basically going with no-till garden using various compost piles to do so. Really wish I could acquire and give numbers, but I just cannot afford to do so. I will as soon as possible but the area is so big I'd need about 20 tests lol! kimmsr Good questions! Nothing but creeping charlie where the bunny poop hasn't been laid and where we ruined the soil. Need to plant some radishes, huh? That'll help me. Great idea. All I need do is plant radishes and bunny greens. Heck, they don't care if they're flawed or even bitter! I haven't planted since I started pooping the area. LOL Tomorrow I'm going to just throw some seeds in there for rabbit greens and see how they fair - namely radishes. Tx for reminding me! @David Thank you! I JUST found out from another Oklahoma gardener who said, "If it weren't a money issue I'd mulch exclusively with Alfalfa because it adds just the right amount of nitrogen as it breaks down." I was really glad to hear that, but she doesn't add manure along with it. @luckygal Thank you for that. I've never looked at it in depth as much as you described. That gives me a good platform to begin more research. Now that you mention it, I notice they do not eat all of it like say... when I make my own prairie hay by simply gathering dead grasses in the field. I didn't think much of it as it's great for the compost pile. I love permaculture where nothing goes to waste. I'm buying these small bales from Atwoods. Only hay I can get around here comes in those huge round bales which would rot without proper storage. We'll be growing our own, eventually, once I learn how as well as other types for natural mulch and even making our own bread flour!. meanwhile the neighbor doesn't mind letting his little patch of land going unkempt for some natural local hay which the rabbits seem to dearly love. Local ecology forbids Timothy Hay growth and it's WAY expensive so.... Thanks! @jonfrum I think you're spot on with that. I don't know why I hadn't even considered mostly utilizing it in one of the numerous compost piles I have... probably because I've only over-wintered the rabbits. Now that spring is here ... I'm looking to change the routine of things. It really just takes time, doesn't it? I'll use the spent hay on the floor of the hutch (outside the cages) as mulch. There's plenty there and it's not so "poopy". As for the bunny poop-ridden spent hay, I'll designate it slowly and carefully in areas other than compost. After all, only well rotted manure should be placed directly in the garden. That which is on there was done so over the winter. I should probably stop adding now and just utilize the heated compost method from here on out. I'll start planting things right away - especially quick-growing radishes - to monitor plant uptake or inhibitions as much as possible. Boy! I'm SO excited that spring is right around the corner. I love having these rabbits in a city area to help compost safely and cleanly. Soon I won't have any outside materials coming into my organic garden and that's just wonderful in my book! At least the Alfalfa is less likely to have pesticides as other forms of hay, but I'll be glad to be rid it of that much, too. Thank you all so very much!

Ask the Grain store to double-check and make sure there is no salt in the alfalfa cubes. If they are all right, spread them around the base of the rose (out to the drip line)--and here is the important point if you want faster break-down--turn on the hose nozzle to stiff spray and water in the pellets (circling the plant several times). You will see the cubes dissolve into an alfalfa "mush." Then cover up with mulch and watch your rose do its thing--knowing you have already watered the rose also. Done that way, the cubes are not that much slower than the alfalfa pellets or meal. Kate

Jeri made me laugh, that was funny! Humor is badly need in this forum. Dry air is made of 78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, and the rest of argon and carbon dioxide. That explains why poor drainage wet clay soil can turn roses yellow ... the roots can't breathe. My Eglantyne rose was yellowish, until I fixed the drainage. MiracleGro potting soil comes with enough nitrogen for 3 months. I had one geranium in MiracleGro and was annoyed that the leaves are so dark green with few flowers (I don't fertilize that pot). There's one pot that I ran out of MiracleGro and put 1/2 garden dirt in ... I actually like that geranium better: it was shorter, more blooms, and lighter green leaves ....easier on the eyes. A friend asked me about phosphorus, so I'll post the info. here: The NPK value of oak leaves is 0.8 /0.35/ 0.15 Maple leaves is similar to that, so it's twice higher in nitrogen than phosphorus. Once decomposed, the value of phosphorus rises. Most decomposed organic matter is high in phophorus, such as sewage sludge at NPK of 2/ 1.9 / 0.3. Animal tankage (manure without the fat and gelatin) with NPK of 8 / 20 / 0. Other high sources of phosporus are rock phosphate and bone meal with NPK of 4 / 21 / 0.2. Drawback of rock phosphate and bone meal: they can only be utilized at pH at or below 7, according to University of Colorado Extension. Since I'm lazy in pruning I would rather sacrifice top growth for more root and flowering, or less nitrogen and more phosphorus. Leaves and stem store plenty of nitrogen, and unless the plant is completely yellow, there's no need for nitrogen. Even then, fixing the drainage and fluff up the soil with organic matter helped my roses to green up without the need for chemical nitrogen (also highest in salt). Adding air to the soil by making it fluffy is the cheapest way to give nitrogen to roots, considering that dry air is made of 78.09% nitrogen. Composting scraps from kitchen is another cheap source of nutrients, considering Cantaloupe rinds has NPK value of 0 / 9.77 /12.0 ... high in phosphorus and potassium. Potato skin has NPK value of 0 / 5.18 / 27.5 ... also high P and K. Nothing beats banana peels in potassium, with NPK value of 0 / 3.25 / 41.76. Potassium is need to counteract the salt in manure, and to fight diseases. This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Wed, Feb 20, 13 at 11:48

UC Verde. I know they don't need much. I think that I'm really after some organic material to retain moisture and feed the soil. I just figure it couldn't hurt. One thing I've learned about the grass, is it doesn't NEED much anything, but, with a little extra water, a little extra mowing, a little fertilizer, it's pretty good looking turf. I like to experiment with it too, cutting at different lengths and what not. I already offered up a shampoo treatment (I'm a believer). Definitely loosened up some tough dirt, I couldn't belive it. When comes right down to it, I'm a lawn guy, and a plant guy. I care about everything I grow! Just want to give the best, you know?