Bpgreen asked: "What about no till organic farming?" Although they donÂt state the size of the farms, I would guess that some kind of weeding technique is required to control weeds. The point is that minimum tillage (digging) does no harm to the soil, according to the study. In my own personal experience, it didnÂt take me twelve (12) years of study to learn what science made official last year. "Part of the reason I ask is that most of the no till advocates here are probably doing no till + organic (sounds like that's more or less what you're doing)." Again, I would guess that the sizes of the farms would require a huge amount of mulch to get the same results we enjoy in our home gardens. This is one of the arguments made as to why no-till organic farming is not feasible for large-scale farming. However, I would reason to state that we donÂt need a study to confirm that a shovel is not needed to work a "lasagna bed". Although you may remember a few members admit they built lasagna beds then ran a tiller through them to "mix that puppy up really good" a few years back. When I started organic gardening (composting) most of the techniques I use were learned here on this forum, or as a result of comments made by members then researching them myself to learn what works for my climate. Bpgreen, you and I both know how much joy and ease of growing we both enjoy each year. Personally, I use fewer amendments each year including compost because of my practices learned here. I use compost tea, alfalfa tea, milk sprays, cured compost, charcoal, mulch, seed meals, seaweed, sea-salt finds, never ever tested my soil, and make compost in the winter too. I am not arrogant enough to state this is the best/only way to grow good "maters"; it is just the way that brings me happiness. Too many other members who use their own techniques with success keep me humble and willing to listen to their point of view. I have a lot of room over here; the biggest room is room for improvement Blutranes

First, a minor update on my main jade and its roots...since this Thread found its way back to the top of the page... ____________________________ Hey, Darlene! Yes, I did root my Pachira from a single leaf, which had been rudely broken from my brother's tree (his tree still lives, but in a sickly shadow of its former glory). I think I received the leaf sometime in early spring, maybe even as early as February (I can't verify, since I wasn't taking notes then, as I do now). Anyhow, the leaf-stem was simply stuck into some potting soil, in the bottom of a tan-grey plastic cup (about the size of a can of tuna), which stayed in a sunny window. The potting soil was kept wet at all times, as there were no holes in the cup for drainage. I had no idea if it would work. My brother just handed it to me, and said "Take it." Eventually, the leaf grew a new tip, and that was when I put it into a pot. If you want to grow a plant from a leaf, you have to snap off a healthy leaf, all the way back to the trunk. Then you need to keep the soil moist so that the leaf won't dessicate. It might be a good idea to keep the tender leaf out of intense sunlight and away from heating/air conditioning vents for the first week or so. Then you can move it, gradually, into the light of a sunny window. If you have leaves to spare, you might want to try several at a time (to guarantee success). I'd use small styrofoam cups, filled with 50% perlite, 40% potting soil, and small gravel (for weight) and charcoal the remainder of the way. Good luck! Josh

I am not an expert, but that doesn't stop me from having an opinion. (grin) I use an oil based primer when I am working on old exterior wood. And I use a slow dry oil based primer. But for something that will never be exposed to the elements and isn't old wood, I'm not so sure oil primer is going to make this paint project significantly better. I use Cabinet Coat for trim work. It is satin finish, though, not high gloss. You don't need to prime prime bare wood before applying Cabinet Coat - or maybe it is more correct to say that the first coat of CC is the primer. Here is a link that might be useful: Cabinet Coat

Well, I would hope that if a person has become a real estate agent they have the ethics (or the desire to earn a living) not to do any of the things you've described. Maybe you could call the office or broker of whatever agent showed your house and just nicely ask that they be sure to get the key put away in the future, as you came home and found it on your welcome mat. As for the alarm system, can your agent put an addendum in your listing saying that there's an alarm system in place and agents need to call for the code before showing? One would hope that, again, ethically they wouldn't give it out or anything. Maybe you could tell your agent how to reprogram the code and have her do it every few weeks or month? Is there a neighbor you could give a key and ask to stop by the house every so often, just to make sure that the AC isn't cranked to 60 degrees 24/7 and that everything is secure? Good luck selling--this all sounds incredibly frustrating and I would be worried, too.