Bill when you see Bill none when you see snow like this, do you think very optimistically about gardening? Of course, I'm gardening planting seeds like man, you are amazing. Amazing. Well, we are into a new gardening season, of course despite what the weather looks like outside. We'll get our listeners telephone questions in and just a couple of minutes but let's begin if we might by talking about some of the things people ought to do as you're thinking about their gardening now what kinds of plans should people be laying? Well, I'm sure they're gardeners are busy right now thinking in fiddling and drawing pictures and all sorts of things. I hope that every Gardener is going to have the soil that is used tested and it's very easy way of doing this and it doesn't cost too much.Go on the go to the telephone and call the county agent in any any counter that you live in tell the county agent that you want to have your soil tested and he will put in the mail for you a box with a letter of instructions. You get the instructions and you'll find how to fill that box with the soil in your garden. Then you mail it as the it's a self-addressed box. You have no problem with it. You may let it goes to the soil laboratory at the University of Minnesota and in due time you will get back from the laboratory if along statement is true what your garden needs and so on it will tell you what kind of fertilizer to useI remember the not too long ago. I saw several years ago. I sent in a request and it came back that I needed fertilizer 2010 10. Now you solve you will gasp at 20 means 20 nitrogen question is why did my soil need that much nitrogen? Well, it needed that much nitrogen because for years I'd been pouring compost and leaves and straw and all sorts of things to get hummus into the soil and I have a much better garden now that I use 2010 10 it will cost you four dollars.To get your soil tested, by the way. I have one little bit of advice. If you do do that. Don't take that form to just anybody who sells fertilizer. He may not be able to read it. Go to one of the recognized garden centers and bio-fertilizer there. Hmm, then you'll get what the university suggests that you you you or have. Well, that's the first thing I think you could rearrange your garden plan now. Today is a good day to in your imagination draw a line right through the center of the garden running North and South another line right through the center of the garden going east and west now you got four Gardens. So you plant tomatoes? In in a number of these things one, two, three four, you plant tomatoes this year in for next year and in one next year into next year and three next year and forth then you come back and there's no chance that those Tomatoes will pick up a virus left in the soil. What about what about the kinds of plants that people should be thinking about putting in nowadays whether there's some that are going to be a little bit more resistant yet problems later on. I had I advise everybody and I try my best to do this myself. I will plant only certain vegetables in the garden certain varieties if they are resistant to the disease from which most such plants suffer and I have some good news recently in Minnesota. I have had telephone call after telephone call from people who have new problems with their Tomatoes. The tomato plants are simply turning to water. I don't tell them what I think is the matter with the plan, but I asked him to call mr. Mukesh and I give them mr. Moogers telephone number. He's at the University of Minnesota. He specializes in this kind of thing and mr. Moogers tells them you have the new tobacco mosaic virus. When guests come to see my garden I say to them have you been smoking today? If you have I point to do a bucket of water and a some yellow soap and some paper towels and I say wash your hands and wash your face and then you can go into the garden. This this virus is a bad thing and it's curious that the virus is not destroyed by the heat of the cigarette. Hmm. It's serious. Now for the first time this year. There are two varieties of tomatoes. They are not resistant, but the a little bit tolerant to this virus one of them is Gurney's girl. That's the Gurney Seed Company in Yankton South Dakota. Gurney's girl has the the the one that is most most tolerant, I think. And if I had suffered from tobacco Mosaic or if I had a neighbor who had this. I would I would get seeds call hybrid Gurney girl the FN T VN F there's viruses in is a nematode and T is the tobacco Mosaic. All right, sir. I think we ought to invite those who are listening to call with their questions at this point. If you have a gardening question of vegetable gardening question, the man with the answers is here Bill none and you can call to to 76 thousand 2276 thousand is the telephone number to call if you have a question about vegetable gardening this noon for mr. Bill none Bill. I know that one thing that you've always talked about and one thing that you always recommended is composting is this a time for people to be thinking about that or is that a fall activity? Oh no. Oh no, I would start out. in a day of the year there there are two kinds of compost heaps you can have One the kind that uses the microorganisms that cause things to rot. Live on air another with microorganisms that will be killed by air and they want no air. You can have either one you want I use the latter one. I do it because there's less work involved you packed the bin which has to be solid made of something. Mine are made of sheet metal. I buy sheets of sheet metal of the three feet tall and 8 feet long. And and if the ends are bent the whole business can be made into a circle and then you can you can keep the air out by using a piece of plastic three or four mil plastic. And then you just packed anything that will rot. And that's the best way I know to get rid of garbage to get rid of mice that you catch to get rid of anything else that will rot. And you restore to the soil the nutrients that you plants have taken from from the soil gardeners need to use more animal manure. And there's no better way of using animal manure and to put it in the compost heap and let it assist the other things you put in the sub composting look around and see who do you know who owns a horse and go to see the person owns a horse. He'll be glad to give you all the compost you can use all of the horse manure you can use provided you load it. Yeah, he does. He doesn't have to one of the happened to know right now a place where there are several tons of horse manure that must be moved and it's a great tragedy that it's going to be hauled off to some dump or other and not put on The Gardens of minnesotans. Well, let's get to the listeners with their questions and maybe we'll show we do that right? Let me say something. I do hope that every Gardener in Minnesota is in the process today of making a contribution to this this this this this station. I think that I hope somebody asked me some questions about the some of the new things that have happened for years and years we have been able to go to the telephone and call the University of Minnesota and ask somebody at the University of Minnesota about any bug about any insect about any problem we have in the garden from now on that's going to cost a dollar for every call you make Or $2 for every call you make we are going to be looking for help. Every Garden is going to be looking for help. I'm going to be looking for help from other gardeners and ksjn has done a magnificent job helping Gardeners of Minnesota with the problems they have and so it's time for gardeners to help ksjn and I hope that everybody who is a gardener is responding to the appeal that is now going out on the air bill is very kind of you and we will take some listener questions now and see if we can indeed help some of the vegetable gardeners around the area with their questions. Hi, you're on the air. Hi. Yeah. I think my question has been largely addressed to already, but if you could talk a little bit more about commercial sources of I'd be very grateful. Well, I can do better than that. I told you about a big pile or compost watch the person you want to talk to is my son who has lost Lorien Stables. He's just moved his operations from one place to another place. He has a problem and somewhere in front of me. I have his his telephone number. He's not at home now. Actually, he is in, Florida. Making a lot of money he and his prize jumper. Oh, brother. A competing with a hundred and forty eight other horses in the big horse show of North Florida. Well, I don't seem to have his phone number but you don't yes. I do the phone numbers for 753350 and the manure is in Hamill at lothlorien Stables, but you can get horse manure anywhere. There's a horse. Yes, and I wish you luck. Thank you. All right, let's take another listener with a question for Bill none. Hi, you're on the air. Good morning or good afternoon. I have actually three questions the first one concerns three different plants that I'm not familiar with in this area. I was wondering if they could be grown and what their culture is and if you can't answer it. Can you direct me to a book that would have information on them? The plants are self-sufficient French Sorrel and well, let's take them one at a time South safiye. Yeah, you have no problem with it whatsoever. Selfish. The seeds will be in every Seed Catalog that I know anything about what kind of Seed Catalog do you happen to have? I've got Gurney's and learner's will sell sell sell sell Sofia. But what other catalog do you have? I've got about six of them. Okay? Okay, all six of them will sell itself versus seeds. Okay, how about Belgian endive? Now, let's be sure that we're talking about the same thing. How do you use the Belgian endive? I don't know. Oh, all right. I'm not real familiar with it. Well, you see the point is when we get into endives are two different kinds of endives the in die of that you want you can get seeds again better take one of the better seed catalogs Stokes or Harris. And the description of the end I will tell you exactly what you're looking for. I don't want the curly kind. I want the kind of grows more upright like Romaine. Oh, you're going to eat the leaves. Right? Well, I didn't know what you were going to do. Any in die that you plant will grow in Minnesota, but there is a there's another endive That you could grow. Why don't you look for the kind you plant in the spring and in the late fall you dig the roots up and you bury the roots in sand. And the head of each route will produce a 3 inch bulb. It'll cost you $3 for each one of those bulbs if you buy them from luns for example, and by the way, the ones that learn cell are flown from Belgium into the United States and you can you have lots of fun with this. All you need is just some directions and instructions and so on get a good catalog order some some some seeds from Harris and asked the company to send you a sheet telling you how to do this. Now. What's your other third plant is French Sorrel. I know there are two different kinds of soilers American and French my correct. Yes, but I'm not I I avoid I avoid syrup. I've had it but I don't like it and I just turn and walk away from it. I know that a name for the sour grass. Yes. Okay. Now I had Twitter questions and they are more General sure. The first question is I viewed the video tape Garden song which was on what's that? There's a videotape called Garden song. I forget the name of the gardener, but he advocated French intensive gardening where you double dig the ground you dig up the first layer of ground set it aside and then you dig deeper than that. So this enables root crops to really get a good hold in the ground. I don't think that I don't think that the carrots will care one way or the other whether the ground is dug up double or triple or what have you? Okay, the my third and last question is how do you go about buying a good roto tiller? And that's all I have I'll hang up and let you ask. Well, I would not buy any rototiller unless you can use it before you do it you're talking about a new rotor tiller eyes expect to not a secondhand one. Am I right about that, right? Okay. I will only tell you this I have a Honda. I bought it new it's to horsepower. It's the tiny little thing. I can pick it up. I can put it from where it is into a raised bed. And it's great. I can do anything with that Honda that I can do with a big Susan robach under they also have haven't used it since I got the Honda it's in the it's in the barn and I keep saying to myself who can I give this to but you go anywhere select the the machine you want and then try it out to be sure that it's satisfactory. It's 20 minutes past 12:00 o'clock Bill known as with us answering questions about vegetable gardening. We have callers on the line. We also have a couple of lines open 2276 thousand is the phone number if you have a question for Bill none, let's take our next listener now, go ahead, please. I'd like to thank you first for having mr. None on we've been waiting for today. We just came in from preparing our compost good two questions first. We just purchased a house with an old garden plot. That looks like it hasn't been used for maybe a season or two and we were wondering how we should prepare the soil for the garden this summer and we've already taken our soil sample down to the you hoorah for you. There isn't very much. I can tell you you're going to your I suppose that there are weeds on it, right? Yes. If I were in your place, I wouldn't you can't very well pull weeds at this time of the year, but you can certainly wrote it till the area right I would do I would do that. I wouldn't I'd wait until you get the report from the University as to what kind of fertilizer you use I'd go right ahead and and and get the Garden on the way. I said a moment ago. Maybe you just came on if I were in your place, I would make for Gardens out of that Garden. Did you hear that? Yes, so then you can get crop rotation. And that is one of the most important things you can do with that new Prada ground. Okay. We all just have your book that we've been reading Faithfully. Well, thank you so much. Okay. My other question is the seeds that the plants that we grow this year. Can we save seeds from those to be used next year or should we reorder from catalogs? That is a perfectly wonderful question. Let me tell you something. My father always saves these saved seats more than that. He picked out the plants. And he marked those plants in such a way that they were permitted to go to seed. These were the seeds that he planted year after year after year, but I don't do that. He did. I don't do that. I don't do that for two or three reasons. But for other reasons, I think I would advise anybody not to do it either the difficulty is so many of the vegetables. We are growing today are hybrids. Be awfully sure be also careful if you plant a hybrid tomato and the chances are you are going to plant a hybrid player because they're the strongest tomatoes are the strongest plants. You save those seeds and you'd have no idea what's coming up other if it's a tomato you get a tomato from those seeds, but it may not look like anything like the kind of tomato you expect because they they won't run true is the term they won't run through. So you're just better off to throw the old seeds away. And that is the that is that is the advice I would give you unless when you buy the plant you're positive it is open and open pollinated plant and not a hybrid. Okay, one of the things when should we plan on starting to till that plot up any time now is the ground still too hard for that? Well, the only way I noted to find out is to try. I'm sure that in my garden I could use a rototiller tomorrow. Well, you may have seven inches of snow two contenders first then how wait. All right. Thanks. Thank you very much. All right, very good. We'll move on to another listener with a question. Go ahead please you're on the air Willie University test soil for nitrogen. Yes, but in order to get that done you'd better talk to the county agent and find out from him what the charge is going to be in so on and on and on. But but but yes the answer to your question is yes. Alright, that was a quick one. We have another listener waiting with a question for build on go ahead please you're on the air. Yes, go ahead. Yeah. Good morning. Good morning. I want to know what month is best to plant melons. What the summertime you talking about watermelons and cantaloupes or so on right? Okay. Well don't plant them until you're absolutely sure. There will not be any more Frost. You want a date? I'll give you one Memorial day is the 30th of May. And we my wife and I have been living in Minnesota since 1946 1945 actually and in those in that whole period of time they have been only two times when we had frost after May 30th. May 30th sticks in my mind because May 30th is Memorial Day. It's a holiday and for a long time that was the day that most people started their Gardens. Anytime after May 30th would be a good time to plant melons. But if I were in your place, I would get into the middle of June before I plant them. Just to be double safe. Yes, right. All right, another listener is waiting with a question about vegetable gardening go here and you're on the air. Good morning. Good morning. I also enjoy your columns very much. Mr. Nunn, and I also have a copy of your book, which I refer to quite regularly. Thank you. You're welcome. I want to know I've been a subscriber of organic gardening magazine for a number of years. I see reference to what I believe is pronounced Dima cetus birth. I want to know what it is. How do you spell it? Pardon me. How do you spell it? I believe it's de Mac e t-- o-- u s-- d mastitis Earth. And is reference it is reference quite regularly. Yes in their magazines and I want to know what it's used for and how to obtain it. Where how do you why do you want it? Well, I've seen I've heard that it is used for controlling slugs and at times I have a problem with slugs and I guess I want to know more about what that compound is. Well, I wish I could tell you but I can't write. I'll tell you what. Give me your telephone number and let me call you. Let's do that off the air. However, I think it would be better if Dorothy were to pick up on that off the air rather than broadcasting. All right, okay that I think that's a good idea. I will telephone you at your home. Give me your home phone number. I will telephone you about this. The reason I'm dragging my feet is if you have a slug problem and you want to try to remedy the problem with Earth. What you need to do is to go somewhere where they sell supplies for people who raise chickens. And by some ground up rock that the chickens eat and that is the rock that that that that reduces the green. In their cross to to the food they consume. if you put some of that in your some of those rocks in your palm of your hand and rub them you'll find out at once at their sharpest can be and slugs won't travel on that kind of rock. Be a little like walking across gravel with bare feet. That's wouldn't it? So, I just want to be absolutely sure that the the thing you were talking about is not my chicken feed Rock under a fancy name, but I'll check that out and I'll let you know. Okay. Alright, it's 12:30 Bill known as with us and we're taking your questions about vegetable gardening 2276 thousand is the number just jotted down if you get a busy signal now try later on, although I think that there is a liner to open at the moment at any rate. Another listener is patiently waiting. Go ahead you're on the air. Hi, I would like to ask a question about the hardness of growing English walnut tree. He's in Minnesota is that I can't tell you a thing about it. I can ask you to call. The where do you live in a note that what counter do you live in societal County in Lindstrom? Well, you talked to the county agents there or if you want to you can you can telephone the University of Minnesota? It'll cost you two dollars in addition to whatever else it might cost, but it'll cost you two dollars. And talked to one of the scientists there. Who knows about trees and about walnut trees? Okay, I'll do that. Thank you very much. Let's take another listener with a question vegetable gardening. Hi, you're on the air. Hello. Mr. Nunn, very disappointed that you recommend a Honda as a teller when we have one of the finest in the world the Troy Bilt and the easiest handle than it is a one-hand tiller. Now, the smaller models are running and somewhere between four and five hundred and the go up to enormous size and it's the best till I made. Yeah the Troy's yes the best till I made that's right. It's very expensive add a soil sample done last year and the recommendation was that it needed nitrogen now that could be because I'm like you were poor a lot compost bike in yes throw nothing away. It goes back in. But I see me when overboard I planted potatoes carrots on various know the patina is there were enormous tops in them. And then the crowd wasn't bad but not as good as you should have been the currents didn't come very great. Now I figured myself. I used too much nitrogen. I'll hang up and listen. Well, that's that's all you've answered your question. You did use too much nitrogen. It is a good idea to go easy on on any fertilizer with exception of compost or manure and he go easy on the manure when you plant a root or root crop because if you don't go easy, you're going to get some beautiful foliage. And and very and very spindly roots. Let's take another question. Sure. All right, your next go ahead please I plan to garden with raised beds this year. And for the sake of looks I want to build some wooden boxes. I obtained some plans from organic gardening and they suggest in order to preserve the wood. They use it to use a copper napkin 8 as a wood preservative, you know, if this preservative is desirable to use around any plans that you plan on eating now you got the recommendation from organic gardening. Yes, I did I would trust it. Okay. Thank you very much. Good we are moving along quickly. We'll take another listener with a question. Go ahead, please. Yes. I have a question about your talked about not saving your seeds from Plants. I have a question about using old seed say seeds from a year or two ago. Will there be any problem with that? I know the seeds are usually marked packaged for 1983 Etc. There are some seeds. That you ought to use every year new fresh seeds every year but generally speaking you can go up to five years, but but I'm going to plant some Tomatoes. I have already planted some tomatoes that are growing in Flats. They are from seeds that are supposedly a century-old goodness. I don't know anything about him other than they are tomatoes. They came from Germany and were brought into the United States by a settlor a long time ago. I tried to grow them last year and they were sterile. I got no response at all. But I have done some things with them that maybe they will be better this year. This is a matter of chance. But any Any book on gardening? I think we'll have a page that will tell you whether the seeds are good for only one year or two years or three years or four years or five years. Very few seeds are good for longer than five years. Okay. I have one more quick question about planting tomato plants starting them in beds or in Flats in the house. What can you do to avoid the tile spindly plants? well there's several things you can do but How many of these are you planning to packages? So are you planning a lot of tomatoes on? And do you know what sphagnum Moss is? I think I know what it looks like. Well, if you will go to any any any any good Garden Center by milled sphagnum Moss Mi double LED, mil-to-mil means ground up right by aipac a package of Mill sphagnum Moss. Then in front of you will be the flat you're going to use right and you have put in that flat the soil you're going to use that you did not take from your garden. Okay fill that flat about 3/4 full of that soil. Then put a quarter of an inch up to a half an inch on top of that with sphagnum moss, press it down. Then plant your seeds and cover the seeds with sphagnum moss. And then put these flat in in a lot of water and the water since the holes in the flat the water will come to the top. If you do that, I don't think you're going to have any problem at all with a spindly plant, but I'll certainly say one thing to you. You won't have any problem with damping off. And the relationship between a spindly plant and damping off is clear and definite now do I get to do out you want to ask a question about this? Right? I know what you're talking about good try that and see it isn't often. I say to somebody I guarantee this I suppose it's stupid for me to stay. I guarantee anything anybody else does but but you will be just amazed at what the difference that this sphagnum Moss makes, you know anything about the history of sphagnum moss know what in World War One soldiers who were badly wounded had not dressings put on their wounds, but sphagnum Moss. Amazing it is one of it is what it is. One of the incredible things after World War 1 soil scientist plant specialist in so on began to make use and I think the nation heard about this for the first time. On on on on public radio public television, when when the Great gardeners programs began everybody at least that's the first time I heard about this and I'm a dedicated and enthusiastic user of sphagnum moss provided. It's milled. Okay, the only reason the enen Inspector Morse is okay. I'll think about it if it isn't milled it won't hold water. Okay. Thank you 21 minutes before one o'clock more listeners with questions for Bill. None higher next. I'm following a garden plan that was published in the Family Circle magazine. It's a circular Garden built around a compost heap and they tell you to plant things closest to the compost heap that need the most nutrients and moisture. Could you tell me where onions carrots and snap peas would be in relationship to that. They need a lot of nutrients and moisture. Could I put those out farther? Well, I wouldn't do it this way. Well, you wouldn't know. I don't think it makes a bit of difference. What you concern with really is how do you get the nutrients from your compost where the plants are? That's infinitely more important in a lot easier to do than it is to try to get the seeds planted naked next to the compost heap. I think you'll save a lot of work and certainly you'll save a lot of trouble if you move the compost where it's going to be used by plants. Move it by the shovel folder sure, whatever sure rather than trying to plant the garden right next to the compost heap in hope that leeches in in some fashion or the right. Yes. I pretty much have to have a compost heap going and ready to be spread before you can plan your garden that right. No, as a matter of fact, you can use compost in all sorts of ways. Let me tell you how I prefer to use it. I prefer to use compost instead of a mulch. In other words, I'll wait till for the tomato plants to to get as seedlings into the garden itself. Then I will surround each tomato plant with a collar that prevents cutworms from destroying the plant and then our put compost right up against the the collar. All right, let later that compost will get composted into the soil one quick question if I want to start things indoors to suggest getting a grow light. Well, I have grow lights. And I wouldn't do them. I wouldn't I wouldn't try it without them because you kind of going to make a mess. If you don't have grow lights, you're going to have the flats against the window and you're going to have water problems and and dirt problems and all sorts of things. Do you suggest? Well here let me use different language. Yet the cheapest first of all you get the tubes that are 4 feet long. You seen them? The cheapest ones will cost 89 cents or thereabouts and you need two lights under each each cover. Use one of those it cost 89 cents. And then go to a garden center and buy the next one. And you will pay. I started to say $8.90 you come close to doing that and you may be cheap for the other other light. The other light is the one that the plants will derive clear benefits from the sellers of those will tell you that you need two of those. But you really don't if you your save money if you only use one of the expensive ones and one of the ordinary ones, what is the cheap one do for you? It provides provides additional light. Yes. Yeah. Alright 17 minutes before one. Let's take another listener with a question. You're next. Thank you and good afternoon. I have a quick question about you mentioned about animal manure manure before Forum composting and you mentioned horse manure specifically, is that the best or can't I have a dog and I have a lot of dogs in the neighborhood around here can one use dog when we're close. You can that's just lost you. Can you can use any kind anything that will rot. And any kind of manure from any source is superb. Okay. That sounds great. I might tell you be a little careful with that in the United States because well, I used to be the mayor of the Old Village of champlin. One of the first problems I had was a resident champion who was accustomed to removing the contents of his septic tank and putting it in the garden and I had a little difficulty about that now that wouldn't be such a good idea why that's right, but be careful, but but if you lived in Japan be no problem. No problem at all. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Next listener is waiting. Go ahead please. Go ahead. You're on the air. Hi Bill. I know you mentioned a couple of times. Tobacco Mosaic and I was wondering if you could tell me how you could treat it in the garden and if there is any organic way you could do that. No, because first of all, I don't believe you can treat it but I step aside at this point if you were looking, where do you live in what county in Hennepin and he'll be okay look in the Hennepin County phone directory under Hennepin County and a nun to agriculture. You'll find listening for the Agricultural Extension Service dial the Agricultural Extension Service and ask for mr. Muga Sim ugs. He's an expert in exactly what you you problem is. He's an expert okay, and and he will tell you but let him tell you so I don't tell you. Okay, I consider the tobacco Mosaic problem the problem of tomorrow. And it's going to be a vicious problem unless we can get control of it today. All right. We have more listeners with questions. They're waiting your next go ahead, please I'd like to know if you could recommend a way to get rid of moles in the garden. Well, first of all, why do you want to get rid of them all they don't eat they eat bugs. Well, they tunnel or I see you don't like the tunnels they make no. All right. I'll tell you how you can do it. And you're the first person I've told this tool and I think you may be interested one of the great and famous University of Minnesota scientists in the field of Agriculture was named Bailey. He was the dean sometime after I came to the University of Minnesota. He became the dean of The Institute of Agriculture and one day I asked him this question. He gave me the answer. Well, I couldn't remember what chemical it was. He said all you have to do is put a hole and you use a bore for that put a hole into the into the tunnel. And put a teaspoonful off. This chemical in the hole and when the chemical gets wet. It will it will have an odor and the molds will live leave and you know, I forgot the name of that chemical hold dear now. Wait a minute. I found this the other day what you want is to go to wherever you go and get a can of lie lyi, just that you use when you make soap. Or whatever you use life or open the can put a you have it a teaspoonful of lie in the in the in the in the hole and the moles will leave leave such we're going to practically announced the secret of life here and I know but I forgot. Well, we have more listeners with questions. Go ahead your next one. I'm interested in improving the health of my soil it's compacted and I wonder if compost will do that for me besides adding nutrients it surely will but what kind of soil do you have? Is it clay? No, it's not. It's I believe a sandy loam but still it's been neglected and I see well if I were in your place, I would start pouring. Compost anything that makes you much in large amounts explain that to me bit well to start out. Do you live somewhere close to a Lumberyard? I'm sure I could find one. All right, if you go into a place where Lumber is soul. And ask the owner. What he does with his sawdust. I think he will tell you he does nothing with it and we will give you all you can possibly take home with you. Huh? If you have an ordinary plastic trash bag, you can fill it with with sawdust and you can put that sawdust into the soil. It's better actually with the sawdust has been exposed to water and has in itself started to write but that's not important put sawdust into the soil and stir it up then start putting compost putting weeds anything into the soil and but how you cultivating it. Are you using a rototiller? No, it's not that lighter space. No, I'm not using real to tell her I just shovel. How how what kind of space are we talking about six by eight something like that? Okay, you could if you can go somewhere where there's a light rototiller for rent or if you have a friend who has one. You can rototill that to Great Advantage. Even if you rented a rototiller, it wouldn't cost you more than five dollars to get a rototiller. All right, and you can you can you can where do you live in st. Paul in that Groveland area? Well, if you live close to a CEO in Hennepin County, I would tell you to go to the to the to the to the to the to the Honda shop they are and you can rent one but if you call the county agent he may be able to know where else you can rent one. You don't we need a big machine you need a tiny little thing, but you'll do yourself a great favor and you'll do the soil a great favor if you were rototiller. Let's move on to another listener with a question about vegetable gardening for Bill none. Go ahead please hi couple of years ago in the fall. I prepare to transfer asparagus using both your column and organic gardening for directions combined every the ideas in them and put in following spring two-year crowns. And even though I know you suggest one year, I believe and they came up beautifully didn't lose a one but during the season there was a kind of slug developed on it if that happens this year. What do I do? And then I have an older asparagus patch near those reasonable distance and they get the red bugs. So I have two problems either slugs are red bugs. Can you tell me something about what I should do? Well, first of all, There are chemical sprays that you could use but you can't spray anything you're going to eat. So what the the the customary way of handling? This is the thing that I do and everybody else does I suppose leave this is in a row, right? Yes. How long is the row I have about 12. I had 12 plants about 18 inches apart. No proof Crown. You only have 12 plants. Well in the new one that I started the older one has. Oh good many more than that. Well, if you would leave a few of the plants at each End of the Roll. Alone, in other words, you don't you don't cut anything to eat from those plants. Let him grow then the bugs will go to those plants. Then you can spray. If if you're careful, you can assure you can spray those plants be very careful that this part of that spray doesn't fall on your tomorrow evening dinner. Yes. Okay, that would do for the bugs and the circus bear a very small kind of yes, very small. Yes go right ahead and you should have no problem and what spray or will a garden place be able to come to a garden place will tell you what to use. Thank you very much. And actually it doesn't make any difference what any kind of insecticide will do I see thank you very much six minutes before one. Let's take another question. Go ahead, please. Yes. I had two things on the first test. Well, I don't want to disagree with mr. None because what he's saying is all sounding real good to me dogs carry parasites and also carry some diseases that humans are susceptible to things can be passed from dogs to humans. So you might want to check further into whether or not dog manure is safe to use on a vegetable garden, but I also had a question if mr. None has ever used the any of the bio Dynamic techniques for gardening and if so what he thinks of them and whether they're worth the extra effort that it takes to use them. I can't answer the latter question because I'm in the process of using these. Oh good and I haven't I haven't made up my mind yet. Okay. I'll tell you only one thing I am leaning in that direction. I'm clearly leading in that direction. I hope they're going to be worthwhile. I believe they will be and I'm going to continue to use them with regard to the dog manure. I'll continue to use my dog when you're you know, your dog's alright more listeners are waiting with questions. We have about five minutes left. Go ahead. You're on the air. Yes. Mr. Nunn. Do you have any suggestions for avoiding squash Vine borer infestation? Well, you had better use a spray. And it most any one of the most any one of the sprayers will be good. But you're going to need one more thing. You're going to need a very sharp knife and the moment you and you there's a there's a space. Let's say 6 inches from the squash to the vine, right? That's 6 inches is the place where the Borah will go into the plant. and if you look at the this little piece of the vine if you see any any any bits and pieces Then just with a sharp knife split the the the the Divine and you'll find the culprit. He'll be right on the inside and take him between your fingers and squeeze him. And and and and then then then then that that plant Will Survive another listener is waiting with the question. Go ahead please. Hello, you're on the air. I'm wondering I have a bag of seashells for the friend gave me and I picked out the ones I wanted and I'm wondering you have what I didn't hear it officials. Seashells. Okay, and I'm wondering if picked out the ones I wanted to save and I'm wondering what plants in the garden might benefit from adding them to the garden. Like laying them around any kind of plan sir. Well, I don't think any plants were benefit from them unless you ground them up. Okay and pulverized them in some way or Ella then you now you're dealing with lime and you will sweeten the soil if you use those seashells. Okay. Thank you very much. All right, thank you for calling we have about three minutes left bill before before we leave. I know that people are going to have more questions beyond what you have been able to cover during this broadcast today where else can people go for information. We could have you on every week we could have you on every hour of the day and you know still people wouldn't I wish we had gotten to that question very early because for you for years people have gone to the telephone and call the University and they've gotten answers that is no longer possible beginning now right now. Hmm, if I were in your place, I would write a letter. Do the do the do the university St. Paul campus and say that you want a you? You want the the instructions for making telephone calls and getting information and ask them for a copy of the brochure that they have and you were oh by the way in order to get that you're going to have to send them. a self-addressed envelope because the university is run out of money and they will they will send you the instructions. And then if you have a problem with an apple tree, for example, you call a number that you'll get from them in the bulletin that you get and ask for numbers soon soon soon soon. So and then you can listen to a tape played about what you do with the apple tree. Hmm, you'll be surprised to know that your telephone bill will be increased by one dollar. For this call. What if you don't get a satisfactory answer by tape? Then you can then call another number and the instructions are there. Now, you can talk to the scientists who is involved. But in this case a two dollar item will be added to your telephone job, but not just a minute all sorts of new things are coming up. Why don't you tomorrow? Tune in to KSTP radio. This is this is competition and and listen to the program from 9 o'clock until 12 o'clock. The executive director of the Minnesota Horticultural Society is going to be on every Saturday from 9 or 12 o'clock answering questions. At least he'll be on until he gets tired of doing this I think but but but they're make no mistake about it information is going to be more difficult to come by Bill. I'm sorry. I have to stop you but we have we have run out of time. In fact, we have gone a little bit over. That's okay. We certainly appreciate your willingness to come in and visit with us this morning and answer all these questions may not look much like a gardening season, but believe me it is coming.