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Hi, troops; I have a 7'-tall papaya tree (really neat plant), 2 years now, and it actually has some tiny fruits this year. But .... I see lots of super-small fly-like things in its potting soil -- and they're also hanging around the adjacent rooms of my house from where I keep the plant. The...

Thx much; I was thinking that may be the only way to go -- vigilance, and work. I have bees, and am told they love p. ivy blooms. Too bad - I guess they'll have to do w/o ....

I have patches of this mess in various places of my yard. Some of it is almost inaccessible (deep in azalea islands, entrenched among fence vines, etc), so digging it out ain't in the cards. Does anybody know of something other than a toxic chemical I can use that'll work? I've reluctantly used...

Thx much for all the valuable and insightful info. Who'd've thought it could be so complicated? But reasonable. The cemetery plot is small (only 8 graves there), so not too terrible for working, but ... still, effort. Yesterday I drove there and did what I could do -- added lime, leaves...

Thx a heap -- yet another good idea. I can see I'll have to make a production out of it if there's to be any real improvement made -- mixing in the good stuff is gonna take some effort. Well, we do what we must do ....

Hi, bug -- your input makes total sense to me. Living in an area where clay is hard and omnipresent, well, I'd've never considered it desirable anywhere, anyhow. Then again, the idea of excavating the hard clay from around here and lugging it to a place to be distributed, might not be in the...

in eastern NC (zone 7B, maybe?)

OK -- I'll see if I can do that ....

eastern NC (zone 7B or so?) ...

This may sound unorthodox, but ... here goes: I'm trying to get some decent ground-cover plants to grow on an old family cemetery plot. It was in shade over a hundred years, then (after a hurricane blew over the ancient, huge oaks nearby) it's been in full sun 20 years. Nothing growing on it but...

Thx much -- I've heard of the water-uptake issue but thought it was just another facet of "the syndrome" of poor performance by the tomatoes. I'll check into the fertilizers you cited. That said, I understand that here, nematodes are a big problem, and I lose plants every year to wilt (late...

I'm doing a small raised bed (for the 1st time) this spring; I've filled the huge "bowl" with store-bought potting soil, "mulch" -- which I think is only ground-up limbs -- and so-forth. I'm considering planting a few tomatoes in this. But now, I'm thinking I don't really want "natural" soil...

Thx a million, all, for the input. I feel better about it. A clerk at the shop asked me once, "How much [grounds] do you want?". I said, "About 5,000 lb, if I can get it!". Only half-in-jest .... Mitch

This spring -- for the 1st time in several years -- I'm pouring beaucoup 5-gal buckets of used coffee grounds (from a local coffee shop) into/onto my veg garden, berry vines/bushes and fruit trees. Can anybody think of (or know of) reasons why I should limit this? Are there any studies or data...

I bought a nice quantity of all sorts of hot peppers at a farmer's market this weekend. I'm wondering: can I dry the peppers in a "food dryer" -- fairly low heat -- for several days w/o killing the seeds? I'd like to save seeds for planting next spring. If I don't dry the pods, can I just place...

Hi -- I thought for a second about poison, but ... then again, it would go through the food chain (potentially); I don't want dead birds on my conscience. Somebody locally told me she found a dead bald eagle (!!) near her store not long ago, and suspects it ate some poisoned animal. Lousy outcome.

Much obliged, bug -- I see that was a mistake on my part -- not to protect the roots in the 1st place. Then again, I've been here a long time and never, ever, never saw any kind of damage to roots or trunks. A new experience for me -- and I'm a quick-learner after a disaster ....

Howdy, catfish -- I'm in NC, too -- Greenville. Right in the middle of town, and I'm pretty sure I'm the only one in my n'hood growing veg's/herbs and with a major # of fruit trees. Folks here do love their dogwoods and azaleas, and make their yards a desert for the other animals. When I moved...

Thx much; I wish I'd known this website existed before now! I've been growing things since I was a kid --have learned a lot, but know there's plenty more out there. Part of the fun, huh? Mitch

Howdy, Steve -- I flood any holes when I find 'em; pour gallons of pond water down, but the vermin always just create other "run" holes not far away. Tunnels must be all over the place! Mitch