HOW TO GROW A PINEAPPLE FROM SEED |The Garden of Eaden The pineapple fruit - Ananas comosus, is a common sight in most supermarket fresh produce aisles, but as familiar as it is today the pineapple is steeped in history and was once considered to be the most coveted of all fruit. Discovered in 1493 by Christopher Columbus during his voyages to the Americas, the pineapple became an instant hit when it was introduced to Europe. Unfortunately the pineapple has a notoriously short shelf life and the 1-2 month sea voyage it made obtaining one was almost impossible. Its extreme rarity meant that the pineapple quickly became a symbol of wealth and luxury, but despite the best efforts of European gardeners it was almost two centuries before they were able to mimic the conditions required to bring a pineapple plant to fruition. In order to get your hands on some seed cut a fresh and fully ripe pineapple into slices and remove the small, black seeds in the fruit's flesh. Place the seeds into a clear, plastic bag with a sheet of damp kitchen towel.
Shiitake Mushroom Logs | Frühlingskabine Micro-Farm We are finally, finally getting our “Herb and ‘Shroom Garden” going. And when I say finally, I mean FINALLY. I have been working so hard to get the main garden planted (and reading fiction novels which is quite un-characteristic for this non-fiction bookworm) that I have been struggling to get the Herb and ‘Shroom Garden going. But it is my goal over this next week to be all set in finishing up the rest of my oak logs for shiitake mushrooms and to plant an oasis worth of basil, parsley, rosemary, and other herbs to fill up our teeny, tiny side yard. And as part of that goal, I have finished half of the one hundred (yeah… that’s not a typo) inoculated plugs I ordered. Making your own mushroom logs is this easy: Well, one, you need some 4-6″ diameter hardwood logs. Two, you will need some sort of power/electric drill with a 5/16″ drill bit. First, drill holes about 2″ inches deep in a diamond pattern along your log. Next, you will hammer in one dowel per hole. Like this: Like Loading...
Foraging for Wild Food: 6 Sustainable Techniques Let's say you’re hiking up the trail with sweat dripping down your face and a sunburn on your neck, and all that your stomach wants is some nourishment to keep you going strong. But where to find it? You left your snacks at home. Do you dare forage for edible plant life on your own? Arthur Haines, a research botanist and plant taxonomist with the Delta Institute of Natural History in Maine, says that foraging for wild foods can actually be beneficial for both plants and people — so long as it is done properly. "Usually, the very first thing that people think is that foraging damages plant populations," said Haines in a recent phone call. Haines gave us some tips on how to gather wild foods responsibly the next time you’re outside and in a pinch. 1. More is not always better. "It’s not considered lethal collection when we talk about perennials and we harvest the top part," Haines says. 2. Also important concerning what sections you forage for is when you forage for them, Haines says. 3. 4.
Edible Flowers, How to choose Edible Flowers, Eatable Flowers, Edible Flower Chart, List of Edible Flowers, Incredible Edible Flowers Edible flowers are the new rage in haute cuisine Photo of edible flowers picked in Linda's garden in July (lavender, thyme, dill, cilantro, day lily, squash blossom, Nasturtiums, chives, and basil). After falling out of favor for many years, cooking and garnishing with flowers is back in vogue once again. Today, many restaurant chefs and innovative home cooks garnish their entrees with flower blossoms for a touch of elegance. One very important thing that you need to remember is that not every flower is edible. In fact, sampling some flowers can make you very, very sick. You also should NEVER use pesticides or other chemicals on any part of any plant that produces blossoms you plan to eat. Never harvest flowers growing by the roadside. Identify the flower exactly and eat only edible flowers and edible parts of those flowers. Always remember to use flowers sparingly in your recipes due to the digestive complications that can occur with a large consumption rate. Fruit Flowers: Herb Flowers:
20 Uses for Garlic : EcoSalon Pungent and powerful, garlic has dozens of health and household uses. Chew up a raw clove of garlic and you might exhale noxious, eye-watering clouds of stink all day, but you’ll also repel mosquitoes (and vampires), increase your immunity, heal cold sores, expel parasites and maybe even get in the mood. Garlic is a broad-spectrum antibiotic, killing bacteria, fungus, viruses and mold, so it’s an important ally for natural health. Check out these 20 unusual and sometimes strange alternative uses for garlic.Acne Slice open a clove of raw, fresh garlic and apply it to breakouts as a home remedy for acne. Your skin won’t smell terribly good, but the antibacterial properties of garlic will help lessen the appearance of acne, even those deep acne cysts that can otherwise be difficult to treat. Pesticide Whiteflies, aphids, cabbage loopers and squash bugs. Cold sore treatment These unsightly lesions always seem to pop up at the most inopportune times, like the morning before a big date. Fish bait
the tricky matter of when to harvest garlic TIMING IS EVERYTHING, THEY SAY, AND WITH GARLIC HARVEST that’s especially true. But since the crop is hidden underground, how do you know when this edible Allium is ready—when it’s just the right moment to insure a well-formed head that will also store well through the winter and beyond? Like fortune-telling, it’s all in reading the leaves, apparently. Don’t let its relatives mislead you. With garlic, though, waiting until all the leaves go brown will promote overripe bulbs whose cloves are starting to separate from one another, and the resulting un-tight heads won’t store as long. Most “experts” say to harvest when several of the lower leaves go brown, but five or six up top are still green—and depending on the weather, this typically happens here in late July. In the curing there’s another difference between the most popular Allium cousins, garlic and onion: Assuming it’s a dry day when harvest comes, onions can be left out to dry right beside the rows you dug them from. Related
How to Grow Ginger | How To Grow Stuff Ginger is popular in American food, but it’s practically a staple in Asian cuisine. Not only is it easy to grow and delicious in recipes, but studies show that ginger packs powerful health benefits. Although it is a tropical plant, it will adapt easily to indoor and container planting, making it possible for anyone to enjoy fresh ginger throughout much of the year. Here’s what you need to know to bring this favorite into your own kitchen. Before You Plant Choose the Right Type of Ginger: For practical purposes, ginger is most often home-grown from tubers. Find a Suitable Place: Plan to grow ginger indoors unless you live in the extreme southern portions of the U.S. or in one of the desert states. Prepare the soil: Mix organic material or prepared compost into soil to fill the container (or amend garden soil in the same manner).Ginger will grow quite well in commercially prepared potting soil. Planting/Growing Ginger What You Will Need: Ginger rootPrepared soil How to Plant Ginger: Related Posts
FS089E.pdf The 16 Best Healthy, Edible Plants to Grow Indoors From farmers’ markets and Community Supported Agriculture, to urban farms and rooftop gardens, to produce delivery services, more and more people across the U.S. are embracing farm-fresh food. And for good reason: Locally grown produce tends to be better for the environment and for local communities than its store-bought counterparts. Growing food at home also ensures that growers know exactly where their food comes from and how it was grown (no need to worry about deceptive food labeling). Luckily, you don’t need to be a farmer (or even live near a farm) in order to reap the benefits of home-grown produce. General Growing Tips Before you get started, here are a few tips that will be handy to keep in mind no matter which of the plants from this list you choose to grow. Fruits and Veggies Photo: Alpha 1. How to Grow: It’s possible to grow an avocado tree from an avocado pit, but doing so may not yield edible fruit. 2. 3. 4. How to Harvest: Most lemons will ripen in six to nine months. 5. 6.
Vegan & Gluten Free Christmas 2011 A while back we received an email from one of the editors at Bon Appétit Magazine, asking if we wanted to create a vegan and gluten-free Christmas menu for them, as a special web feature. We usually aren’t strictly vegan or gluten-free, but were so flattered by the offer that we didn’t have to think more than 2 seconds before answering them that we would happily take it on as a challenge (while dancing a silly dance and singing “We are working with BA, we are working with BA…”). We came up with five different recipes; Cinnamon roasted root vegetables, Mustard kale salad, Spiced spinach tarts, Christmas falafels and a Pomegranate cheesecake. It is always fun to cook at Christmas since you get to use holiday flavors like saffron, clove, cinnamon, mustard and lemon. The whole thing has been up on the Bon Appétit web for about a week now, and apparently it is on their top list of most popular articles (we’re dancing that silly dance again!). special equipment: Six small tartlet pans
How to Grow Garlic: Organic Gardening Soil preparation: Garlic will tolerate some shade but prefers full sun. While I've seen cloves sprout in gravel pits, garlic responds best in well-drained, rich, loamy soil amended with lots of organic matter. Raised beds are ideal, except in very dry regions. Planting: To grow garlic, you plant the cloves, the sections of the bulb; each clove will produce a new bulb. The largest cloves generally yield the biggest bulbs. To get the cloves off to a strong start and protect them from fungal diseases, soak them in a jar of water containing one heaping tablespoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of liquid seaweed for a few hours before planting. Spacing: Place cloves in a hole or furrow with the flat or root end down and pointed end up, with each tip 2 inches beneath the soil. Watering: Garlic needs about an inch of water each week during spring growth. When your garlic is thoroughly dry, trim the roots, taking care not to knock off the outer skin.
Overwintering Stevia Plants It’s getting cold here in the —time to bring in the stevia plants before our first hard freeze. As far north as USDA plant hardiness zone 8, stevia plants can usually survive winter in the field. The tops might die back, but the roots can survive as long as the ground does not freeze. Mulch can help prevent frozen ground. I harvested my stevia plants more than a month ago, in September, leaving stubs of 4 to 5 inches in length. The plants might survive in a sunny window. It’s also possible to overwinter stevia roots by packing them in moist soil or peat moss and placing them in a basement or root cellar where it stays cool, but not below freezing.
Native Wildflowers : Prairie Nursery Choosing plants that are well suited to the soil conditions at hand helps create an ecologically beneficial planting and healthy thriving plants. Use the Plant Finder to sort your search by soil type, moisture content, light conditions and more... White Doll's Eyes requires a rich soil with plenty of humus. Its bright white berries and lush foliage make this... Black Cohosh is a striking woodland native that creates a strong vertical statement in a shade or border garden. Bright red berries set against deep green foliage make Actaea rubra one of the showpieces of the woodland shade garden.... 49The crushed leaves of Lavender Hyssop, also known as Anise Hyssop, have a fragrance of mint and licorice. Nodding Pink Onion is long-lived, super hardy and looks great in short prairie gardens and meadows. Nodding Pink Onion (Allium cernuum) is long-lived, super hardy and looks great in short prairie gardens and meadows. (Page 1 of 15)1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | ... 15 | Next >>