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Hello, we seem to be having technical problems, but I'll give it a bash. Fertilizer is the last thing you need worry about. First, the site must be in full sun, second it must be in a free draining area, then you can start to dismantle the lawn and create growing beds. Skim off the turf and create raised beds with lots of good organic matter that will mitigate the heavy clay soil that you probably have. Hurry, the planting season is upon us.

First, the season last year for tomatoes was dreadful, not just because of late blight disease. We just have to hope that this year, the temperatures will be a bit lower and more manageable, and we'll have more rainfall. Don't put tomato plants out too early, they really get set back by cold soil. I am only starting my seeds now, for planting in May. Also, I would plant some fail safe cherry tomatoes such as Sun Gold, Black Cherry and Sweet 100. Whatever the season throws at those guys, they seem to be able to take it. My general rule with tomatoes is, the bigger it is, the harder it is to raise a good fruit to maturity.

The basic results get to Potassium and Phosphorus (Nitrogen is too transient to record) as well as secondary nutrients such as Boron, Magnesium and Zinc. You will also learn the soil pH, useful to know, as well as something called Cation Exchange Rate, which has to do with the structure of the soil. Loam is good. You have to get extra tests for lead and arsenic, which is something worth doing if you are growing edible plants and if you live in the city, where old building received lead paint through the years.

This is good, and the way that most people form compost, slowly and without the heat. Fast, hot compost requires a lot of attention. Slow is just as fine, though I would not add weeds to a cool compost pile.

There's a view among some gardeners that companion plantings are of value, e.g. marigolds to ward off soil nematodes. Others worry that some flowers (I think Cosmos) can draw insect pests. I'm not an adherent of this religion. The best thing you can do is grow your vegetables well and without weed competition or stress. Then plant lovely flowers to draw pollinators.

Sad to say, but I've almost given up growing spinach. I think we live in too hot a part of the world. You can sow some now for baby spinach in late May and June. The logic suggests that we grow it as a fall crop, but the garden is so hot when you have to sow the seeds, that the seedlings are really stressed. I'd love to hear from other gardeners about spinach growing tips.

Mulch is valuable for keeping weeds down and conserving soil moisture. Chopped straw is perfect for this, I would just be careful not to lay it too thick. Don't use shredded bark or wood.

Your ambitions exceed your real estate. I would just grow some lettuce or mesclun mix now and then plan to grow stuff vertically in the summer. A couple of tomato plants, and some pole beans.

That might be a problem. This tree is grown for its horizontal branching, so the leader is not quite as big an issue as with other trees. Perhaps you can use a temporary splint to straighten it. Definitely orient the plant so the leader is on the northeast side, so that it grows the other way toward the sun.

Yes, there are many beautiful fences. I have friends who have enclosed theirs with a striking fence made of cedar poles and twigs. In my community garden video, you can see the fence I made from (sounds awful but it works) half inch gas piping. Another option is black netting fence (I think Benner sells it) that recedes. Fencing is the best way to keep deer away, though a friend told me the squirting hose, activated my motion, does a pretty good job.

The dilemma is in using peat moss, which is a very useful soil amendment but is being shunned by green gardeners. Our native clay soil has its value, it just needs a lot of organic matter added to it to lighten it. I use Leafgro, limestone, and lots of finished compost. Your own shredded leaves make a beautiful amendment. You could leave them on the soil surface over winter for them to break down a little, and then turn them in for spring.

I've seen gardeners use it. I don't get the point of it, other than its novelty, and I worry that the tomato would dry out too much, with the resulting stress and risk of blossom end rot.

That's a bit acidic, but would be great for blueberries, which are fruitful and ornamental. Otherwise just get cheap bags of powdered limestone and spread them on the garden maybe half an inch thick, and turn them over with a garden fork. I would consider that therapy, no need to get a landscaper to do it, unless you have some physical difficulty.

I think I'm doing this once a month for the growing season. Hooray! Camellia buds usually have difficulty forming if we have a dry summer and early fall, so it is important to keep them watered during this crucial period of bud development. The buds may have formed but not sufficiently for a good show. Or maybe the cold kept them from developing until now, so give them a little while. There's no need to clip off the buds, and you may damage the plant in doing so.

Dig them up, put them in pots, bring them indoors to a cool bright room and let them develop for another three or four weeks before putting them back outside. They will need lots of light, draining soil and even moisture.

I would treat it gingerly, like lavender, wait until you see fresh growth, and then cut back the stems by a half or more, but leave some new growth. Or you may want to plant young, vigorous replacements. Thyme is not long lived in our climate. Crown drainage is essential.

First, wait for the leaves to fill out, which takes the whole month of April. Observe the light patterns between 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The sunniest spots are what you're going for. It will require some presence, though not continuously.

Our new online chat format doesn't tell me where you live, but the variety that works here is called Imperial Star.  Call around and see if anyone has it for sale as a transplant. I know DeBaggio Herbs has sold it in the past.

Thanks. I've grown that, but it's not a magic bullet, spinach wise. 

Plant the sprouting canes over the next month.

I don't think any veggie is worth growing if you have to spray it with synthetic pesticides. If you are using the same containers, I would get rid of all the soil (and obviously any of last year's vegetation) and grow less demanding varieties, including hybrids with disease resistance.  Johnny's Seeds is selling some blight resistant varieties.  I think Brandywine is overrated, and difficult to grow.

The beauty of seeds is that you can widen your net to the whole country. Territorial Seed is just one of many selling Thai basil varieties.

You're on the sunny side of being shady. I think you have to experiment, and see what works, what doesn't. You might be surprised with what you can grow.

All things being equal, most plants are better off in the ground than in a  pot. The roots are not constricted, the soil is cooler in summer and there are fewer fluctuations in moisture content.

I think this has to be the last question. Painted fences and walls a light color will bring more reflected light into growing beds, but they won't make the difference between a  sun and a shade garden. If you try to grow veggies in shade, you will be as unhappy as the vegetables. See you all in April, and thanks for your questions, sorry I couldn't get to all of them.