Mike Schroer

Karen, thanks for the information.  The systems in this manual look quite a bit different from what is described here.  http://www.vermicompostingtoilets.net/
I will just have to see what our local health department is willing to look at.  greybeardmike. :0)

Karen, can you tell us about the approval process with the health department.  I would like to use the California approval as a reference with my county health department.

Shrink tubing might work, but may be too hard.  The shrink tubing comes in a lot of different sizes.

I would feel bad about using something that sharp in the ground.  It looks like it would work great for above ground weeding around plants and not disturbing the roots.  Mulch doesn't stop everything.

I'm struggling with Goji berry as well here in north Alabama, zone 7b and very hot and humid summers.  I have them in a sunny spot and they look so good in the spring and then about May drop all their leaves.  They then struggle to put new leaves out all summer long and then when fall comes they green up again, set a few berries and then go dormant only in the very coldest part of the winter.  Everything I read is that they are such hardy plants and easy to grow.  I have them in raised beds of scaveged top soil from building a pond.  Don't know the pH exactly where they are planted but I have some high pH soil for this area of the country (6.5-8.0).  I would like to know under what conditions people are having success with Goji berry bushes.

I'm going to build one of these as soon as I get some time.  I didn't get it done this year and gave all my hickory nuts away.



Mike

Oops, didn't think to post my location.  I'm located in north Alabama, zone 7b.  It is hot and humid with wet mild winters, very little snow.  Strawberry plants in full sun really suffer in the late summer here.

I would like to gather suggestions on strawberry varieties.  As a kid, I remember strawberries as really sweet tasting, medium size, fairly easily bruised fruits.  Todays strawberries seem to be jumbo berries, rock hard that you can bounce around, and either very tart tasting or tasteless.  They appear to be bred to be big and look great and ship well, taste is a secondary consideration.  The descriptions that I see in the seed and plant catalogues all seem to be marketing hype.  I would like to know what varieties permies are growing and why they like them. It might also help to know how you are growing them, i.e. rows, hills, sun, shade.  Thanks in advance for your inputs.

Dennis,
I think Han Park grows some of the LSU Purples from cuttings each year.  My experience from a few years back when we got a late freeze was that Celeste was the only variety that didn't freeze back to the ground.  I have a neighbor that has a tree that bears heavily, don't know the variety, but I'm thinking about asking to take cuttings.  The ones he gave me tasted great.  Maybe it has adapted to our local environment here in north Alabama.
Mike