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WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 3 JANUARY 18, 2013
Free Republic | Jan 18, 2013 | greeneyes

Posted on 01/18/2013 11:50:46 AM PST by greeneyes

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.

This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks. No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.

It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread ... there is no telling where it will go and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!


TOPICS: Gardening
KEYWORDS: agriculture; food; gardening; hobby
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To: who knows what evil?

Indeed the taste test will tell.

My project with the superhots is trying as many different jerk recipes as I can possibly find. Just hope they have decent germination and I don’t manage to screw them up somehow.

I’m considering making a superhot only bed about 500ft from the rest of my peppers and both bagging the different varieties to self pollinate them but also saving random seeds from all of them to see what kind of crosses I get.


21 posted on 01/18/2013 2:14:23 PM PST by Black Agnes
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To: Black Agnes

My wife grilled some boneless pork ribs with a jerk sauce she threw together with some chocolate habaneros...the neighborhood will never again smell as good as it did that particular evening...


22 posted on 01/18/2013 2:25:57 PM PST by who knows what evil? (G-d saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: JRandomFreeper

You’ve been added. I usually try to post between noon and 1 or 1:30 pm on Fridays. I am honored by your request, and welcome. Looking forward to your comments.”Grin”


23 posted on 01/18/2013 2:34:18 PM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: JRandomFreeper

Critters are hard to kill.LOL


24 posted on 01/18/2013 2:35:51 PM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: greeneyes
The diatomatious earth does pretty good at killing bugs. And it's perfectly safe. I store all my seed that I save from year to year with DE.

I don't like critters. I do not like them at all. Not in my food, or in my seeds. That just won't do. ;)

/johnny

25 posted on 01/18/2013 2:44:28 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: Black Agnes

Will do.

We’ve been growing a fair amount of sorghum grain for the table and have a variety we like from J.L. Hudson seedsman. Fantastic pancakes. He sold it two or three years back and I haven’t seen it since. Large, white grains and massive, drooping heads. The stalks go into silage with corn field leftovers and sunflowers. The chickens love it.

I’m tinkering with the idea of building a small scale thresher, too. Various designs I’ve looked at leave something to be desired and I would like a small scale grain processing set-up in the barn for family and critter feed.


26 posted on 01/18/2013 2:51:40 PM PST by WorkingClassFilth
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To: JRandomFreeper

LOL. Me too, but my daddy always just laughed at me, and said something like well, it didn’t eat much or hey it’s just a little protein. UGH!


27 posted on 01/18/2013 2:55:55 PM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: WorkingClassFilth
I haven't grown wheat but before I baked bread the last time, I sprouted some of the wheat and some quinoa and then put the sprouts in the dehydrator before grinding. I didn't use all sprouted wheat but when I ground it, the grassy smell was very distinct. The baked bread wasn't all that different but it was supposed to have upped the nutrition
28 posted on 01/18/2013 2:58:38 PM PST by goosie
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To: WorkingClassFilth

Is this grain one that you can make sorghum molasses from?


29 posted on 01/18/2013 2:59:41 PM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: WorkingClassFilth
I’m tinkering with the idea of building a small scale thresher, too. Various designs I’ve looked at leave something to be desired and I would like a small scale grain processing set-up in the barn for family and critter feed.

I have been, too. I grow a bit of rye and wheat here, and hand threshing it is a serious pain in the arse.

BBQ joint not far from here has an antique one in front of their place, and I keep meaning to go by and take pictures of it for reference. It's about 7 ft long, and looks like it can either be hand cranked or put on a belt from a tractor (like anyone has those anymore).

Let me know what you come up with. I've looked at a lot of youtube videos of folks trying to build their own.

/johnny

30 posted on 01/18/2013 3:04:35 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: goosie; WorkingClassFilth

So far I just grind my wheat in a coffee grinder along with a little flax seed and then substitute it for about 1/3 to 1/2 of the flour in the recipe.

I haven’t tried the sprouting thing - not spontaneous enough for me. Simply waiting to grind the wheat until you are going to use it, gives a big plus in nutrition.

Hubby is growing some white winter wheat. I will be using my new grain mill to see how fine I can get the flour, once he has it harvested and dried.


31 posted on 01/18/2013 3:07:47 PM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: greeneyes

I don’t think you could refine any molasses from the grain, but the stalks have plenty of sugar in them and you could definitely cook it down like maple sap to get your ‘lasses.


32 posted on 01/18/2013 3:10:15 PM PST by WorkingClassFilth
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To: JRandomFreeper

Are you sure that’s not a fanning mill? Those were used to clean the threshed grain and many of them are still around. I’ve got a line a ‘Clipper 2’ model and it has a few extra screens.

The thresher beats the grain off the stalk and then, should, knock the hull from the grain as well. The fanning mill removes the hulls and foreign debris. Getting the grain free of the hull is the big trick, IMO. Especially oats.

What I’m thinking of is a sloping drum with internal ribs or grooves that act as stationary resistance to an internal shaft rotating on the same axis with an array of rubber fingers that strike the ribs and the grain caught between. Gravity would feed the drum (or trough) and exhaust the materials. The ribs would retain the grain just long enough to get the hell beaten out of them before exiting. Sketching ideas is about all I’m doing now because the barn has no heated space to work in yet.

Oh well, sooner or later I’ll get something to do the job. Like you, I’m flailing in the dark, too.


33 posted on 01/18/2013 3:20:22 PM PST by WorkingClassFilth
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To: greeneyes

We have several mills but not - the - mill yet. I do like the fresh grain taste of mill to dough bread and we all want to explore other grains - especially to beat the grocery and feed bill.


34 posted on 01/18/2013 3:22:57 PM PST by WorkingClassFilth
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To: WorkingClassFilth
Don't know for sure. I need to go take pics of it. You may be right.

Anything has to be better than using the paddle attachment for my KitchenAid to whack heck out of grain heads to get 'em to release the grain.

/johnny

35 posted on 01/18/2013 3:26:05 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: WorkingClassFilth

I’d be interested in knowing the name of the sorghum variety if you don’t mind telling. I got 1/2lb of milo seed this year and a couple heirloom varieties of sorghum from Baker Creek and SESE.

We’re going to grow sunflowers for the chickens too. Just have to come up with a clever deer repellant device.

I hadn’t thought of needing a thresher. That sounds like a hubby honey do thing.

Has anyone tried the ‘HoneyDip’ stevia variety? It’s tempting me at Burpee but at $11/plant it’s not something I’m just going to ‘add to cart’ impulsively.


36 posted on 01/18/2013 3:27:05 PM PST by Black Agnes
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To: who knows what evil?

That sounds delicious. Now I’m hungry. I’ve got a Habanero mix that supposedly has some of the Chocolates. I’m just hoping I have good germination luck this spring and the demon damping off stays far far away.


37 posted on 01/18/2013 3:30:17 PM PST by Black Agnes
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To: WorkingClassFilth

Well, I don’t have “the mill” yet either, but I did buy a hand operated, inexpensive, stainless steel grinder mill, that is supposed to grind to a very fine level for making bread.

I am reading that blend tech is supposed to be a really good choice for electric or hand operated mills.


38 posted on 01/18/2013 3:30:27 PM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: JRandomFreeper

A lot of times I have just put grain into the woven plastic bags feed comes in and walked on it of beaten it with a hose. One link I watched had a wannabe Amish dude walking on his shocks when placed on a board with a few layers of hardware cloth over it. Then he winnowed. I’ve spent a lot of time pouring grain from pan to pan in front of an electric fan. There is a better way and I’m gonna find it.


39 posted on 01/18/2013 4:13:08 PM PST by WorkingClassFilth
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To: Black Agnes

I haven’t seen him list it again but I seem to recall he just called it ‘grain sorghum.’ In any event, the seeds are probably 1/8-3/16 diameter and the heads are about the size of small canned hams or a Nerf football. If you wnat, I’ll send you some seed but you’ll have to grow out your supply over a few seasons. FReepmail me with your information if you want.


40 posted on 01/18/2013 4:17:27 PM PST by WorkingClassFilth
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