When I quit laughing, I will tell you why.
Several years ago, there was a lot of talk about using cornmeal in the garden, and as it was a new thought to many of them, they were going wild and ordering it, I think one variety had Orange Essential Oil, added and it was expensive.
Before I said yes, I wanted to check and see if I could find it, LOL, and I did and find that now, it is also used to cure fungus under the toenails...................
Sorry, it strikes my funny bone, as I knew a man with fungus on his hands and face and he was not a nice man, I keep thinking that we can soak his head first.......evil my thoughts are.
Keep in mind that my Walton price figures are not up to date, it has been awhile since I ordered.
50# of yellow cornmeal, delivered as part of my larger order of course, cost me something like $15.00.
4 # pounds in the stores here, even 5 years ago, was costing right about $5.00.
So I ordered 50# and have been sharing every since.
Their 25 pound bags of oatmeal is so fresh, that for the first time since I was a kid, I was eating it raw out of the bag.
the brown sugar smells so good, it gets eaten out of the bag.
Lentils, rice, you need lots of salt in storage, as it has other uses, it is cheap in the 25 pound bags.
I buy very little in the cans, the bags are cheaper.
WaltonFeed.com is in Idaho, but they ship all over the country.
I have not used cornmeal in the garden.
I had the fungus problem with big tomatoes in the greenhouse and solved it by going to the old fashioned cherry tomato.
Or at the link for Preservation farm, check his tomato seeds, if not enough sun is the problem, then his “plant does not have a lot of leaves and tomatoes will burn” that did just that in the Arizona desert, for me, should work well for your shade problems and the air would circulate and the fungus might not be there.
I have some doubts about the cornmeal working, in that it will feed the bugs.
I know that some say if you feed them dry things like coffee grounds, that the dry stuff swells up and kills them........well, all I can say is “not here”.
If you are looking at the orange added type, that scares me as in soapmaking one of the first things you learn is to be careful with using the Orange E. Oil, as it is not photosensitive and you will get a bad sunburn..........
LOL, not sure that I used the right word above, another trap for me, I know a little about a lot of things, but never enough to have the whole story and get it right.
To me, if the orange eo will burn my skin, what will it to do a plant?
Essential Oil is the oils that are distilled from certain plants, they are used in healing and I look my doctor in the eye and remind him that I still use them, even if they will not cure my emphysema.
And the final point that makes me laugh at corn meal for the garden, is the American Indian, first of all, they make a hill and then plant the corn in the center of the hill, then comes the beans that will climb the corn stalks and on the outside, the squash, so the big leaves will keep the soil cool and help to keep the moisture from evaporating.
It is called the “Three Sisters”.
And in every Indian Ceremony that I have ever read about, they take a small bowl of corn meal and throw pinches of it into the wind, to give back to Mother Earth, what they have taken from her.
They also consider corn meal to be a healer.
In the garden group, there was a lady that had been married to an American Indian, for many years, she said he always put corn meal in his garden to [protect it?] or to give back to the earth, what he had taken from it.
I am 3/4 Cherokee, so can understand both worlds, I am a Christian, but also have respect for Mother Earth, as the real Indians say God appointed her to teach us how to use the earth.
NO, not this mangled new age of twisted indian ways that you hear on tv and radio.
“the link for Preservation farm”
Can you give us the link for this seed source, Granny? I looked on Google but the results are ambiguous.
I loved what you said about being a Christian Cherokee with respect for the earth. What you said was just so beautiful it made me a bit sad for how we’ve trashed some places that should be a treasure.
Near my mountain home east of Fresno, there’s a place where the Kings River crosses State Route 180. It should be a gorgeous area with the river, the bridge and scenic trees and hills in the background, but instead there’s a horrendous trailer park nearby. The place has not one trailer worth keeping. There’s also a private camping area across the road where people are allowed to live in camping trailers and tents. Just a disgusting place. I hope the freeway goes through there with a big offramp and wipes out the trailer park. LOL.
I know people need places to live, but such squalor is just a terrible shame. We need more respect for Mother Earth.
I looked up the “three sisters” and we might try that. Thanks for the link.