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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

> >Put the compost and calcium in the hole or top dress? 

Doesn't matter much.  John Seymour taught the practice of making a slurry out 
of manure and mixing in a little garden lime with it and then dipping the 
roots of the broccoli in that while planting.

Putting manure or compost or grouind calcium, no matter the source, on top 
works just as well as putting it in the hole.  The advantage of on top is 
that 
it acts as a mulch as well.

Another thing I've found that enhances any transplant (and I transplant just 
about everything,  beets, turnips, kale, spinach [but not carrots]) is to put 
the transplant in the hole and then water it, letting the water carry the 
dirt 
around hte roots rather than doing it yourself.

>We may still have

> leftover oyster shell from when we kept poultry, otherwise it will have to
> be crushed egg shells or just compost (which had plenty of eggshells in it).

Oyster shell and egg shell are ideal.

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