One thing I've found helps is to use a pressure washer to bore down deep into the ground. It's quick and easy, and you have no problem getting down the whole length of the wand in just a minute or two. This deep drilling gives the tap root plenty of room to grow without having to work hard at boring through hard clay, and increases the drainage capacity of the clay. Plus, it's just plain fun to use a pressure washer like this! 😁

@@threeriversforge1997 will def give it a try‼️‼️🤝🤝

@@Chromeostasis Here's the vid that gave me the idea -- kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ptCaeJaHqtXMdWQ.html While his PW is far more powerful than my little Greenworks model, I had no problem excavating down 24" in under a minute. Making a hole large enough to take a 3" pot, in South Carolina clay, is incredibly fast and easy. Then it's just a matter of backfilling the waterlogged hole with some organic matter that'll let the rain filter down and away from the growing root system. The PW has also proven fantastic at removing shrubs. While he's getting under that cement and post in the video, the same technique really makes short work of getting under a bush! I pulled up two shrubs that'd been in the ground for decades, and it took me about 20 minutes each. Mostly, I was just having fun and enjoying the fact that I didn't need to swing a mattock or shovel for an hour. Once you try the pressure washer, you'll start hunting for excuses to use it around the homestead. 😁

Raised beds work well too.

We put a ring of coffee grounds around our milkweed and roses to repel aphids. We save all of our coffee grounds in an empty coffee can. Let them dry for a day on the lid to prevent mold in the can. If you already have aphids, look on the web for dishsoap remedies.

The aphids suck the nutrients out of the milkweed. But luckily they don't hurt the caterpillars. Usually ~once they're present, ladybugs will appear and take care of them. I leave the aphids alone, unless I have an unusually aggressive situation. If they are overtaking the milkweed , I simply squish them between my thumb and pointer finger. Hope this helps.

​@@skylady64ish93 We put a ring of coffee grounds around our roses and milkweed to repel aphids. If they become a problem, check the internet for dishsoap-mix remedies.

​@@skylady64ish93okay, so how do I entice the ladybugs to come over and munch on these darn aphids 😅

Hi. Milkweed is food, shelter, and a place to grow within their chrysalis. They complete their lifecycle from egg, hungry caterpillar, chrysalis and final butterfly. Monarch butterflies can not survive without milkweed. Please plant some today, fall is the perfect time to get seeds into the ground for spring growth. Thank You.