Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Wise Pairings: Best Flowers to Plant with Vegetables
Plant a profusion of pollen- and nectar-rich flowers among your edible plants to naturally control pests, boost pollination and provide pretty pops of color. Here, learn some of the best flowers to plant with vegetables and get tips for arranging your space.
By Rosalind Creasy
February/March 2015
As you plant flowers in the vegetable garden, play with colors and textures as the author does in her beautiful central California edible landscape.
Photo by Rosalind Creasy
https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/garden-planning/best-flowers-to-plant-with-vegetables-zm0z15fmzsto
APPROXIMATE FROST PROTECTION OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS
(CONSERVATIVE)
Glass: 32/31 F (0/-1 C)
Plastic: 32/31 F (0/-1 C)
Sheet: 28/25 F (-2/-4 C)
Wall-O-Water 25 F (-4 C) or lower
Wall-O-Water with Sheet 18 F (-8 C) or lower
Light Blanket: 18 F (-8 C)
Heavy Blanket: 18 F or lower (-8 C)
Quilt: 18/15 F or lower (-8/-9 C)
Caution: A wet blanket on a windy night below freezing acts like an Air Conditioner. The wind evaporates the water taking heat with it.
Weight down your coverings if wind is expected.
If it snows on top of your coverings do not remove the snow. The 24 hours following a snow storm can be below freezing even during daylight. The snow acts as an insulator & will melt off when the temperatures recover.
North Tewksbury MA USA Zone 5b
By George Rebeiro Brooks
A Plan for Food Self-Sufficiency
Planning a garden in advance can help you enjoy local, homegrown food year-round! Estimate how much to grow or buy and learn how to achieve food security with these guidelines.
By Cindy Conner
October/November 2012
A well-planned garden can provide your family with the freshest, most nutritious produce, plus a more secure, self-reliant lifestyle.
Photo By Matthew T. Stallbaumer
https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/self-reliance/food-self-sufficiency-zm0z12onzkon
How to Can Rhubarb- 3 Ways to Preserve Rhubarb
By Melissa Norris
https://melissaknorris.com/podcast-56-preserving-rhubarb-spring-canning/
Way to go, EU!
Thanks, Dan
Our Garden Gang
Index of topics on left-side of link.
http://www.ourgardengang.com/index.html
Meet the seed-saving couple living entirely off the land (except for salt) gallery
NADENE HALL
Last updated 18:22, June 12 2015
Kay and Ngaio Te Rito check the Pukekohe Long Keeper onion crop in the main seed garden.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/nz-life-leisure/69305038/meet-the-seedsaving-couple-living-entirely-off-the-land-except-for-salt
Strawberry Companions – What To Plant With Strawberries In The Garden
By: Mary H. Dyer, Master Naturalist and Master Gardener
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/strawberry/strawberry-companion-plants.htm
Many contractors on the East coast charge a labor rate of twice the amount of materials. In that case you saved a ton of money, developed more skills, and increased your pride and satisfaction! Good for you!
Yes, Standard American Diet [SAD] and what it entails, makes those who strive to eat well to be often regarded as nuts or having a nutty approach.
This morning I was planting potatoes and worked on one of the strawberry patches. It was chilly and got into my bones. I called up a Thai neighbor and she suggested that we go to a Thai restaurant for hot soup to heat me up. It sure did work; very hot, not salty, good greens.
For dinner, I had hot spicy home prepared soup with a few table spoons of Braggs Apple Cider vinegar. I feel good now.
Thanks, monk!
Good to see your post.
I never knew you had a stroke a decade ago. Your diet puts my pretty good diet to shame; I have to get on the ball to catch up with you.
Your new front porch [mudroom] was an amazing accomplishment and adds tremendous beauty to the house. You utilized your mathematical background in numerous ways to complete this project.
Your purchase of a Solar Gem Greenhouse is something that I envy and would purchase if they delivered on the East Coast.
That trench required a lot of pre-installation effort!
Your move from southern California to northern California requires acclimation, experimentation. and a different mindset.
In closing, it seems that the members of this board have their priorities in the right order, i.e., nutritional food and a strong sense of sustainability.
Good luck, John
PS: I didn't mean to steal your thunder with your pictures, but I'm still wheeling from the Solar Gem Greenhouse and I'm thinking of putting on a mudroom too. Thanks.
Michael Pollan reads a passage from his new book, "Cooked," in which he tells the story of how he learned to make homemade traditional kimchi. His teacher, a Korean woman, taught him the difference between "tongue taste" vs. "hand taste" and the role of the cook in developing the flavors.
How Michael Pollan Learned to Make Traditional Korean Kimchi
We've had a great learning forum here with Dr. Azomite and numerous others who have great farming and gardening backgrounds.
Dr. Azomite immediately identified the problem with my soil by viewing one picture of my former asparagus patch. Since his pronouncement on my soil and its cure, the garden took off. This lead me to start over and build 16 raised beds of varying sizes as the final solution.
I add bio-char, azomite, and mycorrhiza when mixing compost in my compos tumbler.
Your charred wood approach was used on a successful farm in Vietnam by an immigrant I know in my neighborhood. Keep doing what you're doing; you will have a great garden someday. Actually from last summer's pictures, you're doing greatly already and your charred wood will only make it better.
I think it was easglesurvivor who loved to burn leaves and sticks every autumn.
Good luck
sumi
Interesting thoughts plus I have to use my Braggs ACV beyond adding it to my homemade soups. Thanks!
HGV How to grow Carrots in a pot, start to finish. Organic Carrots in a bucket.
Regarding your charcoal making pit, I recall my Grandma using one of these pits long ago.
Due the the density of houses where I now live, burning outside is against the law.
Agree, Milorganite would not be in my garden. Treated sewer sludge would interfere with my pallet plus screw up my mind.
I have an acquaintance, now a 92-year old man. His wife prepares two concoctions, one of dandelions and one of rhubarb. He takes them daily. On nice days, he will walk five miles. [The latter walk distance is not exaggerated; I'm another person who walks it during autumn.]
That fresh air where you live will keep you going for a long time. I know; I've been there.
sumi
Yes, good points.
Also interesting was the switch from farm fertilizers to grass fertilizers, as small farms, particularly in the east and near cities, disappeared after World War II, being replaced by homes and the American dream to have green grass lawns.
Here is a picture of a former potato farm in Levittown, Long Island, New York.
I was visiting a family at a condo today. The lady of the house told me that her lawn was treated today to prevent the growth of dandelions. The lawns on two sides have a vegetable garden in between; no doubt that the garden was compromised by these chemicals. I was disgusted, but remained silent.
Let's wait another five years to see the prices of oil and gas and their effect on large farming operations.
sumi
Many comments could be repeated, but I will restrict it to two!
"Conventional" farming isn't sustainable
"Chemical fertilizers are only so successful in controlling pests before they develop tolerances. Then, new stronger formulas need to be developed, which eventually taps out our soils. The short-term gains of conventional farming (i.e., cheaper prices) are actually reducing our chances to return to organic methods."
It should be added that chemical fertilizers compromise the vitality of the soil by destroying the beneficial fungi and beneficial microbes in the soil.
As time passes, chemical fertilizers will become less of an issue, as the world's great oil fields deplete. The world will then have to contend with supplying food, as the U.S. did up until 1945, from mostly gardens and many small local farms.
"Organic seeds are in danger"
"Four of the world’s largest agrochemical companies own a whopping 50% of the world’s farmed seeds—and they aren't breeding them for organic conditions. Just as we need to think about the soils, we also need to think about the seeds; conserving and developing crop genetic diversity is essential."
If the public would buy non-GMO products and/or if gardeners stick to using heirloom seeds or non-GMO seeds, then we win. The ball rests in our court, but the public is so ignorant of what they're buying. MOST of the world does not allow GMO products, so that's a big plus for the world.
Very important article. Thanks.
sumi
PS: This pictorial dates back to 2013 and really bothers me about the stupidity of the American public!
Edible Ecosystems
February 2014
https://carbonpilgrim.wordpress.com/2014/02/06/edible-ecosystems/
Pahrump-based radio host Art Bell dies at 72
https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-nevada/pahrump-based-radio-host-art-bell-dies-at-72/
Mississippi Gov. Bryant Orders More Than 100 Bridges Closed
Emergency declaration follows letter from Federal Highway
By Cameron McWhirter
Updated April 12, 2018 5:32 p.m. ET
https://www.wsj.com/articles/mississippi-gov-bryant-orders-more-than-100-bridges-closed-1523541600
The state of Mississippi’s bridges are in such bad shape that the governor has ordered at least 102 closed this week.
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, a Republican, issued an emergency declaration, authorizing the Mississippi Department of Transportation workers to shut down the bridges, with the help of state troopers, if necessary. The department began notifying counties Thursday to shut down the bridges within 24 hours or the state would step in, according to officials.
The dilapidated bridges “create extreme peril to the safety of persons and property,” the governor said in the order. If the bridges aren’t closed, the Federal Transportation Administration has threatened to withhold funding to the state, according to Melinda McGrath, MDOT’s executive director.
The move follows an April 5 letter to Mr. Bryant from Brandye Hendrickson, acting administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, which listed bridges that inspectors determined to be unsafe. The state must close unsafe bridges immediately or the administration “will be compelled to follow-up with consequential actions,” she wrote. Mississippi was the only state to receive such a letter recently, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Transportation, which oversees the highway administration.
Mississippi’s bridge problems mirror the nation’s. As of the end of 2017, 54,560 out of 615,002 bridges nationwide were determined to be “structurally deficient” by the Federal Highway Administration, meaning the bridge needed significant repair. The American Society of Civil Engineers has estimated it would cost $123 billion to repair all the nation’s bridges. In March 2017, the society issued its “Infrastructure Report Card”—released every four years—and gave U.S. infrastructure an overall grade of “D+”—below standard.
President Donald Trump has said that fixing the nation’s infrastructure is a priority. But his top infrastructure adviser quit last week and his funding plan—involving $200 billion over 10 years—has little chance of getting through the Republican-controlled Congress before the midterm elections.
Mr. Bryant’s proclamation hits 16 of the state’s 82 counties but also said it would include “other parts of the state” if bridges there are found unsafe. As of April 10, about 540 bridges out of 10,783 in Mississippi were closed, according to Mississippi’s Office of State Aid Road Construction.
Many of the bridges are in rural, less populated areas where the tax base cannot easily handle the cost of repairing older, deteriorating spans, say county officials.
Gary Franks, county administrator of Itawamba County, a rural county of about 24,000 people that was named in the order, said funding is always a problem in his county in the northeast part of the state, but the deterioration of older bridges has started to overwhelm local governments in recent years.
“We just can’t generate a lot of income to build those bridges,” said Mr. Franks, who has been county administrator since 1989. “It’s a common problem.”
Leake County, in the middle of the state, has two bridges on the list that will cost at most about $525,000 total to repair, said Joe Andy Helton, a Democratic county supervisor.
But the county doesn’t have the money for the fixes and the closures cause chaos with people having to reroute miles out of their way to travel, he said.
Mr. Helton said he was frustrated by politicians being afraid to raise taxes—even to pay for basic services like roads and bridges.
“There’s only but one way to fix things on the local, state or federal level and that’s taxes,” he said.
Mr. Bryant’s proclamation comes as the state legislature wrestles with possible ways to fund road and bridge repair.
Marty Wiseman, executive director emeritus of Mississippi State University’s John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development, said members of the GOP-dominated legislature have been reluctant to increase state gas taxes, as other southern states like Tennessee have done, to fund road and bridge repairs.
That reluctance is especially pronounced this year—an election year, he said.
Some legislators have suggested using a state lottery to fund roads, but no clear plan has formalized, he said. Many politicians are waiting to see what federal funding might come from Mr. Trump’s plan for a national infrastructure rebuilding program, Mr. Wiseman said. As a result, “the legislature does seem to be stuck in the mud on this issue,” he said.
Write to Cameron McWhirter at cameron.mcwhirter@wsj.com
Corrections & Amplifications
President Donald Trump’s infrastructure plan involves the government spending $200 billion over 10 years. An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated $200 million over 10 years. (April 12)
Three days ago, I planted some leeks, shallots, and many onions.
I will continue planting more onions around various parts of the gardens.
I emptied our two composters and topped off a raised bed. I suspect that a lot of tomatoes will grow on their own without seeding, as I dumped a lot of damaged tomatoes into the composters.
There's a whole lot of kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, and broken egg shells in this raised bed. It will be interesting to see what grows.
Stay tuned!
Good summary on seeds!
"Hybrids are not GMO; they are carefully cross-pollinated in a field or greenhouse setting. Genetically modified plants, on the other hand, are created in labs by changing a plant’s DNA.
Many new gardeners ask me about the difference between hybrids and genetically modified plants!
sumi
No, never used anything from Organic Earth Systems. Let me know if you do and have any recommendations.
Thanks
Lessons from Venezuela: 5 Things You Must Learn to DIY Before a Collapse
by J.G. Martinez D.
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/diy-collapse-venezuela/
Morning routine - vegetable juice
by Jackie Patti
http://www.deductiveseasoning.com/2015/04/morning-routine-vegetable-juice.html
Build A Living Kid’s Playhouse That Brings Them Back To Mother Nature
http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/kids-playhouse.html?t=MEL
Mother Nature has been throwing curve balls at me. Today I was caught in a snow storm, walked all away home [2 miles], and then the sun came out! I agree!!!
PS: My onion, leek, and shallot order arrived from Dixondale Farms!
"The Bayer-Monsanto Merger Is Bad News for the Planet"
What is described in this potential Bayer-Monsano merger is most definitely a dire development for mankind.
It seems that we are passing through a period of greed, fraud, and treachery dominated by corporations against the well being of the people and the environment.
Basserdan, I'm so happy that this article contains the Russian model that works in modern times using past practices. I repeat it here.
"Essentially, what Russian gardeners do is demonstrate that gardeners can feed the world – and you do not need any GMOs, industrial farms, or any other technological gimmicks to guarantee everybody’s got enough food to eat. Bear in mind that Russia only has 110 days of growing season per year – so in the US, for example, gardeners’ output could be substantially greater. Today, however, the area taken up by lawns in the US is two times greater than that of Russia’s gardens – and it produces nothing but a multi-billion-dollar lawn care industry."
The old gardening and farming ways are obviously superior in producing food. I was raised under this approach from one of my Grandma's whose roots stem from Eastern Europe. It is arduous multi-product or "mixed" gardening, the environment benefits from its methods used and the food produced is outstanding.
I know small-scale organic farmers in the Philippines and they can produce an abundance of food during non-drought periods.
I blame American society for our current predicament. Our progress is our regress in disguise. A once agrarian society has morphed into 98% of it citizenry dependent on 2% producing food mostly on large mono-crop corporate farms growing food with petrol-chemicals to promote crop growth in the absence of vitality growth. This system absurdly ignores the risk of too few food producers in time of a calamity. I read somewhere that there is a 3-day food supply on grocery shelves!
Americans in the millions deserted gardens in favor of big-box grocery stores that moves vegetables, fruits, and herbs from farms by plane and train to distant destinations. This home garden desertion stemmed from being overwhelmed by "modernism" and over time it progressed to the point that food is taken for granted.
In the 1950s, many American families voted for having the greenest lawns in place of food gardens. Scott fertilizers jumped into supplying the fertilizers. I can recall when the local farm supply company had to switch to lawn products as the local farms sold out to make room for housing developments, another modern trend.
Many food consumers opened the door by supporting the big-box stores for convenience and cheaper products. Buying organic non-GMO products and/or growing in organic gardens are all votes against the GMO producers. The ball is in our court!
In 2011 the dacha gardens of Russia produced 40% of the nation's food.
How much land do you need to grow all your food? This is a dacha garden in Russia where there is a strong tradition of growing your own food.
http://www.naturalhomes.org/naturalliving/russian-dacha.htm
Why a conservative economist moved to the country
The beginning of April will be very cool around Boston with some nights going below 32*F.
WOW, LOW TEENS there is not typical; I'm usually jealous of your weather!
I did have snow on Monday, but it melted quickly.
There will be mostly rain and ice storms this week.
Possibly the happiest recipient of this weather are my five hard-neck garlic beds, which enjoy a cooler weather.
From my boyhood days, I can remember my maternal Grandma's big planting days were during Memorial Day weekends [on Long Island] plus a lot of food is grown in Russia, which has an average 100-day growing season.
Yeah, we are impatient, but we will deal with it.
I'm losing time in constructing some raised beds because of bad weather plus a building friend is getting married in a few weeks, so April will be shot for me. Things will get done eventually. But waiting an entire winter for this delay is not fun.
Good luck!
PS: My onions, leeks, and shallots arrive from Dixondale next week.
7 Most Likely Infections You’ll Catch When The SHTF
July 3, 2015
http://theprepperproject.com/7-most-likely-infections-youll-catch-when-the-shtf/
Episode-2190- Jack’s Cooking Hacks and Cheat Codes
Posted on March 27, 2018 by Modern Survival
http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/
How to Garden in January
Submitted by Nicole on Mon, 01/18/2016 - 13:42
http://nicoledixon.ca/how-to-garden-in-january
I've had some Tulsi seeds for a few years and never started them; shame on me! I will grow some plants in a pot and locate them on my neighbor's property.
I have one-seventh of an acre and one-fifth of it is a steep hill leading to a highway.
Fine memories of the tri-state area of CT, MA, and NY.
Thanks
Gosh, I saw a July 4 firework display in Lakeville, CT in 1953 and a few summers afterwards. I was camping in Taconic State Park on the New York side.
Yeah, you have a good green house and can do a lot in your 7B growing zone.
I will look for the varieties with a frilly leaf structure.
Thanks
PS: I still follow your board "A Gardener's Diary" [#board-11512]
sumi
Welcome to the board.
The quote "use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without" is a Great Depression quote. Got it from my maternal Grandma who grew up on a farm and saved the family [husband and my Mom] with her food growing.
Sounds like you're in Vermont with the maple syrup thing? I live ten miles west of Boston.
You did the right thing living on a farm. There will be tough times ahead.
sumisu