You are welcome.
The country/people began to change after WW2, mom kept working and didn’t have time and soon it was the mixes and then the fast food and many of them do not know how to cook.
I listen to my granddaughter almost 30 with 2 kids, she cannot cook without a mix, hasn’t a clue.
Theresa is in Alabama so I am not a help, unless she calls and asks how.
And she is trying hard to be a good wife and mother, home schooling and putting all her effort into the job.
Imagine the next generation, they will not have a clue.
For some reason, I always wanted to “do it from scratch” and now cannot do what I need to, even with mixes.
So goes real life.
Well, the grandsons can hunt and clean food, the girls know how to make homemade bread (at ages 12 and 7). I consider it my “granny job” to teach them to cook.
We fashion the bread loaves into large wreathes for Christmas and Easter dinners....takes about 2 pounds of dough, but it’s beautiful and delicious.
http://outlands.tripod.com/index.htm
At the bottom of the page, there is a map, showing the countries that are looking at the survival information that is here.
Around Iran and Pakistan, at this time shows 2 to 1, of the rest of the world.
Why?
http://www.homestead.org/Poultry/VictoraVarga/GuineaFowl.htm
Guinea Fowl:
Something Different in the Garden
by Victoria Varga
Photo by Sabry Mason
An exotic and perhaps odd-looking breed of poultry, the Guinea Fowl, is fast becoming not just the friend of the poultry farmer, but a friend of the avid gardener as well. These solid colored birds, weighing in at no more than 4 ½ pounds apiece, hail from the Sub-Saharan regions of West Africa. The domestic, modern stock has originated from the wild breed of Guinea Fowl (‘nuneda meagris’), found as far south as the Eastern Cape Horn Regions of W. Africa. These domesticated fowl are found now in every region of the world.
These unusual birds are quite interesting in that their increasing role on the farm has taken on many purposes in today’s diversified livestock community. In addition to egg- laying and breeding stock production, one of the foremost uses for these animals today is for pest and rodent control. Guinea fowl, both male and female, are particularly adept at rooting out vermin such as mice and rats, and are even known to chase down and kill snakes. As well as keeping pests out of their environment, Guinea Fowl have been incredibly successful at ridding forested properties/farms of many types of bugs, particularly the deadly Deer Tick, which can carry Lyme Disease resulting in paralysis and death amongst other forms of livestock. This purpose in particular, has given the Guinea Fowl a widespread and excellent reputation, allowing the breed to rise above its former meat production-only function. Although raised for meat and considered a delicacy in Europe, the Guinea Fowl seems to, through their display of intelligence and multifunction, have risen above the stature of ‘meat-bird’.
These normally docile but alert birds have a surprisingly acute awareness of predators within their habitats, and will alert the farmer to any henhouse intrusion, day or night. A distinct and rather operatic call will be sounded upon any strange intrusion. Many Guinea Fowl breeders will attest to their “watchdogs’” ability of being able to distinguish between family members and strange and unfamiliar faces.
Guinea Fowl have been used for both pest control and as farm ‘watchdogs’ for decades now, and one of their relatively newer uses has been to the gardener and small crop grower. Guinea Fowl have proven most successful in organically controlling pests by eating most bugs in the garden, while leaving the green foliage virtually untouched. This has garnered the Guinea Fowl not just the praise and welcome of the farmer, but that of the gardener as well. Slugs, bugs, and other thugs are their specialty and Guinea Fowl have demonstrated once again, their versatility and ability to earn a reputation of wonderful uses.
Guinea Fowl can be kept either free-ranged, or free-run in the company of other poultry. They will usually group together if more than one of them are kept, even in a henhouse/run situation. Females often select their mate and then remain steadfast companions until death or separation. Males tend to be more vocal than females, making a sound that is described as the world “buckwheat”. Both the male and female are very similar in stature, and distinction. The only difference lies in the male possessing a slightly larger red appendage on his head; at first sight, males and females are difficult to distinguish apart from one another.
Guinea Fowl today come in a variety of colors, and Guinea Fowl breeders and enthusiasts are always breeding and looking for the newest genetic colorations. Their plumage is almost solid in color, with fine dappling of white or cream specks. Variations in overall color range from browns, blues, violets, creams, whites, grays and charcoals.
Chicks are called “keets” and can be hatched as with other fowl, by a reliable incubator, by Bantam mothe,r or a sitting hen of another variety. Their eggs are small, like the Bantam variety, and are hatched out in the standard 28-day cycle akin to other chickens. The suggested grower feed for the little keets is a medicated Pheasant/Turkey starter, and precautionary care with regard to warmth, drafts, and a dry environment as with other young birds is imperative. Keets display themselves as very alert and hardy and seem to develop independence much more quickly than other chicks.
If you are interested in keeping something a bit different in the coop, & would like to eradicate the possibility of ticks and other harmful pests in the farmyard or garden, perhaps a pair of Guinea Fowl would be a successful addition to your own spread. Guinea Fowl will certainly be a conversational addition to any farm, and with their many successful uses around a country acreage, should result in being a hard-working member of the farm operation team.
If you want the babies to thrive, feed buttermilk to them in place of the water, to get them started and partly afterwards till they are really growing.
You can set your clock by them as they make their rounds each day, eating bugs.
I always thought of them as the first ‘liberated’ poultry as the uncles and proud daddy watch the young keets.
People eat them, I didn’t, but did use their eggs in cooking.
granny
http://www.homestead.org/Gardening/NoxiousWeeds.htm
[end of article]
The search proved to be an eye-opening, and horrifying, experience. Typing “noxious weeds” into the search bar took me to the USDA national database with a large listing of all noxious and invasive weeds, by state.
( http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi?earl=noxious.cgi )
As none of the scientific, nor common names, meant anything to me, I decided to click on each listing separately and look at the photographs included, to see if I could identify this plant. And as I viewed and read about each weed, my heart sank deeper and deeper. The groundcover that graced our driveway turned out to be Puncture-vine (Tribulus terrestris), a weed that grows burs so hard it can puncture bicycle tires (imagine what it will do to your foot !). The purple spikes at the edge of the irrigation canal are Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria). It aggressively pushes out plants with nutritional value for wildlife but offers none itself, and the “Morning Glory” is none other than “agriculture’s twelfth most serious weed species”, the infamous Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) which seed can remain viable in the soil for fifty years. But worst of all, the milky stalks I had been removing from our acreage, were part of the one plant that would feed the butterflies I so longed to provide for, the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca).
Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris) is surely not a groundcover by choice!
Needless to say, I had my work cut out for me. During the next couple of days, I read up on every possible plant I recognized from their online “mugshot” and marked them on our property. Some of them were poisonous to livestock (and humans), so I focused on those first. The plants that had not gone to seed yet I pulled from the ground (with gloves on) and laid them to dry on the burn pile. The weeds that did go to seed I tried to remove as carefully as possible. Various websites suggested placing a container or a plastic bag over the plant before removing them, so the seeds don’t spread.
But what was I going to do about the milkweed? Several new plants had sprung up, both in the pasture and in my flowerbeds. And although not considered dangerous to our health (or to the cows or chickens) unless it was eaten in large quantities and without proper preparation, it was still considered a noxious weed. The Asclepias syriaca, or common milkweed, is invasive (hence the fact that shortly after I pulled each and every plant in sight, there were new plants growing everywhere), it absorbs nutrients and water more quickly than many a crop, and with each seedpod containing about 500 seeds each, I rested in the knowledge that the milkweed and I were going to be long-term friends - or foes, depending on how you look at it.
Once considered an ugly intruder, the Asclepias Syriaca is now welcomed into my butterfly garden!
Decisions, decisions! Milkweed is a must for the Monarch butterfly, as the larvae will feed off the plant. I definitely wanted to create a safe haven for all critters, flying or not. So after some good and hard thinking, I decided to remove all milkweed plants from the pasture area but leave them in my butterfly garden. It has been a privilege to see a few Monarch butterflies, whose life depend on the availability of these plants, visit my garden.
As for the rest of the weeds, several times a week now, I walk the property and look out for new outbreaks of the various noxious weeds that I identified earlier this summer. Once familiar with the leaves and the way the plant grows, it becomes easier to spot them right away and remove them before they can go to seed, or do any mayor damage. If you are new to the area where you are homesteading, or find an unusual plant or flower on your property, contact your county weed superintendent, or county extension office. There are also online resources to help you identify the “intruder”, and the URL mentioned above is a great start. You may also want to check with your local authorities and see if they provide additional, area-specific information, or workshops on the topic. They are also great for identifying any weed you may find on your property that cannot be recognized with the current listings.
Although now less colorful, I know that our pasture is healthier for our soon-to-be-purchased livestock, and with the help of a local nursery and several online resources, I was able to make up for my terrible milkweed mishap with a thriving butterfly and hummingbird garden. The milkweed stalks that I so brutally removed earlier this spring have grown back and are sporting huge clusters of flowers. Unfortunately, they are also developing equally huge seed pods. Tomorrow morning I will, sharp knife in hand, pay a visit to my friend the milkweed, and remove these green tear-shaped pods from its stalk. There is no doubt in my mind that I will miss one or two on our acreage somewhere. At 500 seeds a pod, it will mean that next year I will be busy chasing down every growing weed in our pasture again, but hopefully with a butterfly or two happily flying along.
http://peaceandcarrots.homestead.com/ForagingAndWildFoods.html
Wild Food Adventures - Edible Plant Expertise
http://www.wildfoodadventures.com/
Foraging With the “Wildman”
http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/
Wildflowers and Weeds: Identification of wild flowers
http://www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com/
Open Directory Food: Wild Foods
http://dmoz.org/Recreation/Food/Wild_Foods/
Cooking - Wild Edibles & Foraging
http://www.pathtofreedom.com/links/food&cooking/wildedible&foraging.shtml
Free Food From Field and Forest: Stories and Recipes
http://www.tagyerit.com/freefood.htm
Gather and Hunt your food-Links Page
http://www.naturalhub.com/gather_hunt_food.htm
RawFoodNetwork.com: Links to Information about Raw and Living Foods Online
http://rawfoodnetwork.com/books_wildfoodandforaging.html
FORAGING THE EDIBLE WILD !!!!
http://community-2.webtv.net/Taimloyd/FORAGINGTHEEDIBLE/
Delicious Cooking and Healing with Wild Edible Plants and Mushrooms
http://www.bobcatswilderkitchen.com/links.html
The RuckSack
http://therucksack.tripod.com/edibleplants.htm
The Forager Community - Links and Resources for Foragers
http://theforagerpress.com/community/links.htm
Dining on the Wilds links
http://www.edibleplants.com/weplinks.htm
Foraging and Ethnobotany Links Page
http://www.panix.com/~paleodiet/foraging/
Nearctica - Family - Eating Nature - Misc. Wild Plants
http://www.nearctica.com/family/eatnat/plants/miscplan.htm
ETHNOBOTANY OF WILD PLANT FOODS
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/research/profiles/smason/smethnob.htm
Medicinal Herbs And Edible Plant links
http://altnature.com/links/medicinal_plant_links.htm
Non-Timber Forest Products - Edible Links
http://www.sfp.forprod.vt.edu/sfp_link/edible.htm
Foraging Links
http://wildfood.home.infionline.net/foraginglinks.html
http://peaceandcarrots.homestead.com/Thermoscookinglinks.html
Thermos cooking and other similar links
Cooking Steel Cut Oats in a Thermos
http://www.edgarcayce.org/th/tharchiv/therapies/oats.html
SAVING MONEY WITH A THERMOS BOTTLE
http://www.justpeace.org/nuggets11.htm#THERMOS%20COOKING
Vacuum flask cooking - encyclopedia article about Vacuum flask cooking
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Vacuum%20flask%20cooking
Lunch the Ayurveda Way
http://www.mapi.com/en/newsletters/newsfood-lunch.html
SAVING MONEY WITH A THERMOS BOTTLE
http://www.kurtsaxon.com/foods005.htm
Making Yogurt Without a Yogurt Maker Recipe
http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/bldairy9.htm
Article on using a hay box as an economical cooker
http://www.poundsmeetends.co.uk/articles/haybox.htm
Energy Efficient Cooking Methods
http://www.lostvalley.org/haybox1.html
Solar Ovens & Cooking, woodstoves
http://www.northcoast.com/~tms/kitchen.html
Solar Cooking Documents in the Solar Cooking Archive
http://solarcooking.org/docs.htm#Retained%20Heat%20Cooking
Hay box cooking
http://www.tnau.ac.in/tech/homesci/haybox.pdf
The Hay Box
http://www.moscowfood.coop/archive/hay_box.html
Cooking in a Thermos(TM) Bottle
Vacuum flask cooking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_flask_cooking
Cooking With A Thermos Bottle
http://www.xmg.com/thermos.htm
Improvised Cooking Stoves
http://www.dalbeattie.com/domesticcivildefence/stoves.html
Thermos Flask Lunch - An Ayurvedic meal in a jar
http://www.ayurvedamed.com/recipes/57/
Nice article on a root cellar and photos, plus many related links:
http://peaceandcarrots.homestead.com/RootCellar.html
Prudent Survival Preparation
PalmBeachPost.com: Before the Storm
NC Cooperative Extension Disaster Factsheet: Meal Preparation and Food Safety
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/disaster/factsheets/html/60.html
How do you live without electricity by Anita Evangelista
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/evangelista73.html
Lehman’s - Products for Simple, Self-sufficient Living
http://www.lehmans.com/
SURVIVE THE NEXT DISASTER, Be Prepared To Survive
http://www.lacetoleather.com/dis.html
Preparedness Nuggets Pages
http://www.justpeace.org/nuggetsindex.htm
Food Storage and Provident Living
http://www.hashworks.com/foodstorage.htm
The Big List — Contents
http://www.survival-center.com/dl-list/dl1-toc.htm
Alpha Disaster Contingencies
http://www.alpharubicon.com/index2.html
Food For Self reliance
http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/Lab/7731/food.html
Gentle Survivalist- Native Spirituality, wisdom and Natural SustainABILITY
http://www.infowest.com/business/g/gentle/
Survival Guidebook Emergency Preparedness Checklists
http://www.survival-guidebook.com/
Disaster Preparedness, Response, Recovery, Survival: Manmade, natural threats
http://www.knowledgehound.com/topics/survival.htm
Peggy Layton - Author of Cookin’ With Home Storage - food storage cookbook
http://www.peggylayton.com/
Emergency Preparedness Insight Articles
http://beprepared.com/article.asp?ai=6
Welcome to Walton Feed, home of your dehydrated food storage needs
http://waltonfeed.com/
Walton’s Self Reliance/Information Area
http://waltonfeed.com/self/index.html
Provident Living Home
http://www.providentliving.org/
Survival
http://www.geocities.com/mark_l_anderson/faqs/tapp.txt
Preparedness Calendar
http://www.arctacoma.org/emprog/TWP/PreparednessCalendar.pdf
Instructions on Desert Survival Preparation
http://globalcrisis.info/desert.html
SURVIVAL AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY LINKS
http://www.greatdreams.com/survival.htm
SAFE SURVIVAL
http://ambilac-uk.tripod.com/safesurvival/
Kitchen Disaster Preparedness - Survival Food Recipes
http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa091399.htm
Emergency preparedness and survival information
http://www.tincher.to/survival.htm
BlueWolf Survival and Preparedness - Articles
Hurricane Survival: A thorough study of Storm Preparedness
http://www.stormsurvival.homestead.com/
Food Tips
http://www.freetechsupport.com/csr/food.htm
Food Storage - Utah Extension Disaster Education Network
http://extension.usu.edu/cooperative/ueden/index.cfm/text.yes/cid.330/
Survival Resources
http://www4.gvsu.edu/triert/s/Survival%20Resources.html
Survival Guide
http://jrnyquist.com/survival_guide.htm
Off The Grid - Self Reliance & Survival
http://www.pathtofreedom.com/links/offthegrid/selfreliance&survival.shtml
Survival Methods
http://www.constitution.org/survival.htm
FROM: [ALL LINKS MAY NOT WORK]
http://peaceandcarrots.homestead.com/PrudentSurvivalPreparation.html
Canning, Freezing, Drying and Preserving Links
National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Dry
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/dry.html
Appropiate Technology Projects -Solar Dryer-Links
http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~urbs530/Solar/Fruit_Dryer/fruit_link.htm
Food & Cooking - Canning, Drying, Preserving & Storing
http://www.pathtofreedom.com/links/food&cooking/perserving&storing.shtml
Food Preservation Links
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/pr_rrc/foodpreservationlinks.htm
ALIN: Improved Food Drying Technology
http://www.alin.or.ke/tech-note/data/food_dry.html
Food Drying by Marcella Shaffer
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/shaffer58.html
Canning Supplies & Canning Equipment
http://www.canningpantry.com/index.html
Food Tips
http://www.freetechsupport.com/csr/food.htm
National Center for Home Food Preservation | Links
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/links/missouri.html
Open Directory - Home: Cooking: Canning and Freezing
http://dmoz.org/Home/Cooking/Canning_and_Freezing/
Food preservation and the Third World
http://peacecorps.mtu.edu/foodpres/
U of MN Food Safety: Links
http://www.extension.umn.edu/foodsafety/components/foodpreservation.htm
Preserving Game Meats
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3603.htm
All About Home Canning, Freezing and Making Jams
http://www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm
Cost of Preserving and Storing Food
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/08704.html
Preservation Food Resource
http://food.oregonstate.edu/security/preserve.html
Timely Tips for Preserving Food at Home
http://ceinfo.unh.edu/News/TimeTips.htm
Teri’s Kitchen - Preserving Foods
http://teriskitchen.com/preserving.html
Home Food Preservation
http://foodsafety.cas.psu.edu/preserve.html
National Center for Home Food Preservation
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/
Food Preservation Links
http://www.suite101.com/links.cfm/food_preservation
[I could never find this, when I wanted it:]
http://www.taoherbfarm.com/herbs/resources/herbbugcompanion.htm
Plant Herbs to Attract and Repel Insects
Please also view these related pages.
Quick Reference Bug Charts | Make your own Natural Sprays | Safe animal repellents |
Angelica- Angelica Archangelica
Grow as a border.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Lacewings, lady beetles, parasitic wasps.
Anise - Pimpinella anisum Interplant in your rows.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Parasitic wasps.
Repels these Harmful Insects Slightly repels imported cabbage worm.
Asters - Aster spp. Grow as a border.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Honeybees, Ichneumonid wasps
Borage - Borago officinalis Grow as a border.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Honeybees
Caraway - Carum carvi Grow as a border.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Parasitic Wasps
Catnip - Nepeta cataria Grow as a border.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Bees, imported cabbage worms, parasitic wasps.
Repels these Harmful Insects Green peach aphids, flea beetles, squash bugs, cucumber beetles.
Corn spurry - Spergula arvensis Interplant in your rows.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Predators and parasites of cabbage pests.
Repels these Harmful Insects Caterpillars, aphids, rootworms.
Dandelion - Taraxacum offininale Grow as a border.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Pollen for lacewings, lady beetles and other predators.
Repels these Harmful Insects Colorado Potatoe Beetle
Dill - Anethum graveolens Grow as a border and interplant.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Aphids predators and parasites.
Fennel - Foeniculum vulgare Interplant in your rows.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Hover flies, parasitic wasps,tachinid flies.
Goldenrod - Solidago spp. Plant as a border.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Honeybees,lacewings, minute pirate bugs, soldier beetles, spiders, other predators, and many parasites.
Hawthorn - Crataegus spp. Plant as a border.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Winter host of parasite of diamond-back moth.
Ivy - Hedera spp. Plant as a border.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Hover flies,tachinid flies.
Marigolds - Tagetes spp. Plant as a border and interplant.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Hover flies.
Repels these Harmful Insects Colorado Potatoe Beetles, Root nematodes, Mexican bean beetles, aphids.
Mustards - Brassica spp. Plant as a border and interplant.
Attracts these beneficial insects. flowers attract parasites, especially of cabbageworms.
Repels these Harmful Insects Aphids from neighbouring brussel sprouts and collards.
Nasturtium - Tropaeolum majus Interplant amongst your rows.
Repels these Harmful Insects Slightly repels Colorado Potatoe Beetle
Queen-Anne’s Lace - Daucus carota var. Plant as a border.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Many parasitic wasps and flies, hover flies, Japanese beetle parasites, lady beetles, minute pirate bugs.
Radish - Raphanus sativus Interplant in your rows.
Repels these Harmful Insects Striped Cucumber Beetle
Repels these Harmful Insects Root-knot nematodes.
Rye - Secale cereale Interplant in your rows.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Rove Beetles
Scorpion Weeds - Phacelia spp. Plant as a border and interplant.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Honeybees, numerous parasitic wasps, tachnid flies.
Southernwood - Artemisia abrotanum Plant as a border.
Repels these Harmful Insects Moths, flea beetles from cabbage.
Spiny amaranth - Amaranthus spinosus Interplant in your rows.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Black cutworms.
Stinging nettle - Urtica dioica Plant as a border.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Numerous predators, parasites, alternate hosts of aphid predators.
Sweet Clover Melilotus alba Plant as a border and interplant.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Honeybees, tachinid fly parasites of many catapillars.
Tansy - Tanacetum vulgare Plant as a border.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Imported cabbageworms
Repels these Harmful Insects Slightly repels green peach aphids, squash bugs, Colorado Potatoe beetle.
Tomatoe - Lycopersicon esculentum Interplant in your rows.
Repels these Harmful Insects Flea beetles on cabbage.
White clover - Trifolium repens Plant as a border and interplant.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Parasites of aphids and cabbageworms, shelters ground beetles and spiders.
Repels these Harmful Insects Cabbage root flies.
Wormwood - Artemisia spp. Plant as a border.
Repels these Harmful Insects Flea beetles on cabbage.
Yarrow - Achiliea spp. Plant as a border.
Attracts these beneficial insects. Hover flies, lady beetles, parasitic wasps.
Resources: Rodale’s Chemical-Free Yard and Garden
http://www.taoherbfarm.com/herbs/herbs/tansy.htm
[photos]
Tansy
Latin Name:
Tanacetum Vulgare
Family: Compositae
Climate range..................................
Aspect range....................................
Mature height...................................
Mature width....................................
Special purpose...............................
Foliage type.....................................
Soil Type..........................................
Propagation.....................................
Sow-Plant........................................
Space Apart.....................................
Flowering Season............................
Flower Color....................................
Tropical, Warm, Temperate, Cool
Full sun, Half sun, Shade
4’
2’
Medicinal, Insecticide
Perennial
Dry soil
Seed, Plant
Summer
1’
Summer
Yellow
COMMENTS:
Tansy has an invasive root stock, erect stems and pungent pinnately lobed leaves. Has a Rosemary scented undertone. has clusters of flat mustard yellow flower heads in summer.
Uses: The bitter spicy leaves are used sparingly in “Tansy” a custard pudding. Before refrigeration, meat was wrapped in Tansy leaves to flavor it and repel flies. They are a powerful insect repellent, placed in pets beds to ward off fleas and in doorways against ants and mice. The aerial parts give a facial steam and a poultice for bruises, rheumatism, and varicose veins. It is used in homeopathy to expel worms. Tansy may be poisonous internally. For best results to repel bugs plant Tansy as a border around your garden. Attracts the beneficial insect, Imported cabbageworms. Tansy repels harmful insects like green peach aphids, squash bugs and Colorado potatoe beetle.
NOTE: The linked words above will take you to more products for that condition. Other pages you may find of interest are: Herb Bug Companions, make your own Insect Repellent, Bug ID Charts, and Praying Mantis
Grow & Make your own Insect Repelling Wreath
Taken from Organic Gardening magazine, now known as OG. Please see link below to subscibe to this informative magazine
Don’t subject yourself to the unpleasant odor (and medical dangers) of mothballs- protect your clothes with herbs instead! Create an attractive looking “swag” for your closet from the herbs — such as pennyroyal, tansy, and wormwood — that are reputed to have insect repelling properties. The bugs will stay away, and the fragrance that lingers on your clothes or blankets will be mild and pleasant, remininscent of summer harvest.
STEP 1: Gather a small bunch each of as many bug-repelling herbs—including wormwood, southernwood, yarrow, pennyroyal, tansy, lavender and sage - as you have available. Lay them out on a work table.
STEP 2: The finished swag will be flat-backed to hang against a door or wall, so start with the wormwood or another large herb, such as the southernwood, but move the second bunch down slightly so that the ends of the first herb can be seen.
STEP 3: Continue layering the other bunches in the same way. Add a few stems of cockscomb for color, if you like. finish with the sage, or whichever is the smallest herb you have available.
STEP 4: Grasp the entire swag in one hand and use pruning shears or heavy-duty scissors to trim the stems evenly on the bottom.
STEP 5: Secure the stems by wrapping the bottom tightly with a rubber band, for extra security, add a second rubber band.
STEP 6: Wrap ribbon ( about 1 1/2 yards ) around the swag to hide the rubber bands, tie the ribbon tightly in a knot, then finish with a flourish by making a bow. Trim off any excess ribbon with the scissors. Hang the swag upside down inside your closet or door.
http://www.taoherbfarm.com/herbs/herbs/mugwort.htm
Mugwort
Latin: Artemisia vulgaris
Family: Compositae
Climate range..................................
Aspect range....................................
Mature height...................................
Mature width....................................
Special purpose...............................
Foliage type.....................................
Soil Type..........................................
Propagation.....................................
Sow-Plant........................................
Space Apart.....................................
Flowering Season............................
Flower Color....................................
Temperate, Cool
Full sun, Half sun,
8”
2”
Medicinal, Culinary, Insect Repellent
Perennial
average
Root Division, Seed
Spring
1’
Summer, Autumn
Red-Brown
COMMENTS:
This aromatic perennial has medium green leaves with silver, downy undersides and red-brown florets.
Uses: An important herb in Asian and European folklore, the leaves are used in stuffing, in rice cakes in Asia, and rolled into cones for Chinese moxibustion (heat treatment). It is used to aid digestion and regulate menstruation. It is generally avoided when pregnant, but in China is given for excessive fetal activity and postpartum cramps. It helps with skin problems and is also an insect repellent. Mugwort is used to make dream pillows. For instructions on how to make herbal pillows please visit Comfy Country Creations.
Infusion Dosage: 1 OZ. whole herb to a pint of boiling water.
Insect Repellent Recipe
* 1 cup each of Mugwort, Santolina, Sage, Rose Geranium, and Lavender
* 1 tsp. Thyme oil dropped onto the mix with 1/2 cup salt
* 1 handful of Bay Leaves and Cloves
Mix all ingredients together. this combo is excellent for drawers, cupboards or anywhere bugs like to come.
For more Bug Repelling Recipes & Companion Planting
Dreamtime Salve
* 2 part Mugwort
* 1 part Rosemary
* 1/2 part Spearmint
* 1/2 part Calendula
* 1/2 part Sage
* 1/4 part Lavender
* Olive Oil
* Beeswax
* Tincture of Benzoin or Vitamin E
Apply Dreamtime Salve to your temples at bedtime to encourage imaginative dreams.
Please see How To Herbs for instructions on salves, tinctures and oils.
Edible weeds you can eat:
http://www.taoherbfarm.com/herbs/resources/weeds.htm
http://www.taoherbfarm.com/herbs/resources/weeds5.htm
Fiddleheads Asian style
# Boil or steam fiddleheads for 2-3 minutes until tender. 4 cups fiddleheads
# 4 Tbls. roasted sesame seeds
# 4 Tbls. soya sauce
# 2 Tbls. water
# 1 Tbls. sesame oil
# 1 Tbls vegetable oil
# 1 Tbls. lemon juice
# 1 tsp. fresh ginger juice ( press ginger root through a garlic press)
# 1 tsp. sugar
Clean and cook fiddleheads. Grind sesame seeds in a mortar. Combine all ingredients of the dressing and mix well. Pour over fiddleheads and serve warm or cold.
Chickweed Salad
# 2 cups chickweed
# 1 cup orpine, or dandelion, arugula, chicory
# 1 cup parsley
# 1 cup watercress
# 1 cup chervil
Combine all ingredients and pour your favorite dressing over.
Spring Salad
# 2 cups oxeye daisy sprigs
# 2 cups dandelion leaves
# 1 cup violet leaves and flowers
# 1 cup sheep sorrel
Combine all ingredients and pour your favorite dressing over.
Milkweed Gratin
# 4 cups milkweed flower buds
# 4 Tbls. butter
# 3 Tbls. flour
# 1 1/2 cup milk
# 1 cup grated cheese, cheddar or gruyere
# salt and pepper to taste
Cook milkweed buds in boiling water for 1 minute. Strain. Preheat oven to 375 F. Arrange Milkweed buds in a buttered baking dish. Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring then gradually whick in milk. Continue cooking and stirring until sauce is thickened and smooth. Pour white sauce over milkweed. Sprinkle cheese over. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Broil a few seconds until top is crisp and golden.
Curried Cattail Soup
# 3 Tbls. butter
# 1 onion, minced
# 1 Tbls. curry powder
# 3 Tbls flour
# 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
# 12 cattail shoots, minced
# salt, pepper
In a saucepan, melt butter and cook onion over medium heat until soft. Sprinkle with curry powder and flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring. Add chicken stock and cattails. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Cream of Sorrel Soup
# 2 Tbls. butter
# 1 cup tightly packed sheep sorrel
# 2 cups chicken stock
# 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
# 1 Tbls. heavy cream or sour cream
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add sorrel and stir 30 seconds. Add chicken stock and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are cooked. Puree in blender. Serve with a swirl of cream.
Cattail Pollen Muffins
# 1/4 cup butter
# 1/2 cup brown sugar
# 1/4 cup honey
# 2 eggs
# 1 tsp. vanilla
# 1 1/2 cups flour
# 1 cup cattail pollen
# 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
# 1/2 tsp. baking soda
# pinch of salt
# 1 cup milk
# garnishes optional, 1 cup elderberry flowers, or 1/2 cup bunchberries, or 1/2 cup raisins or dates.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Beat butter and sugar together until creamy and light in color. Add honey, eggs and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Sift together dry ingredients and add to butter mixture, alternating with milk until all is moistened and combined. Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake for 25 minutes or until well risen and golden.
Cooked Stinging Nettles
# 2 to 3 cups boiling water
# 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh chopped onion
# 1 pinch sea salt and pepper or lemon pepper
# 3 cups chopped stinging nettles
# butter
# fresh lemon or lime juice or vinegar
Bring water to boil. Put in chopped onion and salt. Add chopped nettles, pick the top 4-6 inches of young spring nettles for best results. Boil the greens until they no longer have their stinging qualities, about 5 minutes. Drain off liquid. Serve hot and onions topped with butter, several drops of lemon juice, and season to taste.
http://www.taoherbfarm.com/herbs/resources/weeds2.htm
[I buy Purslane seeds at Nichols Nursery..granny]
Kudzu
Pueraria lobata
Yes, even Kudzu can be used. A bit more difficult as is made into a starch but the southerners will admit there is no shortage of the weed. Asian shops sell Kudzu starch from the roots of this weed. Contains isoflavones which are being studied for the prevention of breast cancer.
To make Kudzu starch: dig up the root, pound them, and then add them to water. Let the starch settle to the bottom and then repeat the process. The resulting flour should be used like arrowroot or cornstarch and added as a thickener to sauces and gravies.
The leaves can also be eaten. Batter and deep fry for Tempura Kudzu.
Purslane
Portulaca oleracea
Purslane is one of the richest of our weeds in nutrients. Loaded with Vit.C and E and Beta carotene ( Vit.A). The glutathione it contains is a well known anti-oxidant that can even detoxify some pesticides. Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce cholesterol.
Purslane tastes a bit like spinach and like spinach can be eaten raw in salads or cooked.
http://www.taoherbfarm.com/herbs/resources/weeds3.htm
Lamb’s Quarter
Chenopodium album
Lamb’s Quarter is one of our earliest weeds to show itself in Spring. Pick the fresh new shoots as they come up. Very rich in iron.
Can be eaten raw or cooked.
Recipes
Lamb’s Quarters Rolls
# 2 cups cooked Lamb’s quarters, chopped
# 1 cup cottage or ricotta cheese
# 1 egg
# 1/2 cup mixed chopped tarragon, parsley or sheep sorrel
# 12 sheets of filo pastry
# olive oil
Preheat oven to 375 C. Combine lamb’s qaurters, cheese , egg and herbs. work with 2 sheets of pastry at a time, keeping remaining pastry covered with a damp towel to prevent drying. Brush one sheet with olive oil, place other on top and divide sheets in 2 lengthwise. Place 2 tbls. of filling at one end of each strip, tuck in sides and roll up. Brush ends of rolls with oil and press lightly to seal. Repeat with remaining sheets of pastry to make 12 rolls. Place rolls, seam side down on baking sheet. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
# Lamb’s Quarters Lasagne 2 cups cooked lamb’s quarters, chopped
# 2 cups cooked spinach or rapini(Italian brocoli)
# 1 medium onion
# oil, salt, pepper
# 2 cups cottage or ricotta cheese
# 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
# 2 cups tomato sauce
# lasagna sheets, oven ready
Preheat oven to 350 C. Saute onion in a small amount of oil until transparent. Combine lamb’s qaurters and spinach with onion , cheese, salt and pepper. Pour some tomatoe sauce in bottom of oven proof dish. spread of layer of lasagne, cover with filling. Peat until all ingredients are used. Finish with tomatoe sauce. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake 30 to 40 minutes. Serves 4
Lamb’s Quarters Quiche
# Pie Pastry 2 cups flour
# 1/3 cup butter
# 1/3 cup shortening
# cold water
Filling
# 2 cups cooked lamb’s quarter, chopped
# 3 eggs
# 1 cup cottage cheese
# pinch nutmeg, salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375 C. sift flour. cut or rub in butter and shortening until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add enough cold water to form a soft but not sticky dough. Wrap and chill for 15 minutes. Roll out dough and line pie dish. Combine the filling ingredients, mixing well. pour filling into pie pastry and bake 30 to 40 minutes.
Test on growing Basil vertically:
http://www.imok.ufl.edu/LIV/groups/cultural/trial/basil.htm
Vertical Gardening and Hydroponics are our specialty!
http://www.actahort.org/books/491/491_64.htm
ISHS Acta Horticulturae 491: International Symposium Greenhouse Management for Better Yield & Quality in Mild Winter Climates
INVESTIGATIONS ON THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT GROWING MEDIA ON THE YIELD AND QUALITY OF STRAWBERRIES GROWN IN VERTICAL BAGS
Authors: E. Özeker, R.Z. Eltez, Y. Tüzel, A. Gül, K. Önal, A. Tanrisever
Keywords: Strawberry, soilless culture, vertical bags, growing media
Abstract:
Strawberry plants were grown in vertical bags, 200 cm in length and 20 cm in diameter in 1997. The bags were located at a distances of 80 cm in and 120 cm between rows at the north-south direction. Each bag contained 32 litres of substrate and 36 plants. Growing media which were compared in the trial were: (1) pumice, (2): perlite, (3): 1:1 perlite-pumice (v/v) and (4): 1:1 perlite-peat (v/v). Tioga and Cruz varieties were used as plant material to test the above mentioned media, and plantings were made on 5 August and 3 September, 1997 (Summer planting system). Higher yield was obtained with planting on 3 September compared to 5 August. Tioga variety gave better results than Cruz both in early and total yields. There were no significant differences among the growing media in respect to yield and quality.
* Full Text (PDF format, 233434 bytes)
* Citation
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files)
http://www.actahort.org/books/779/779_5.htm
MICRO-ORGANISMS OF HUMAN HEALTH IMPORTANCE IN GROWING MEDIA
Authors: W.R. Carlile, S.J. Hammonds
Keywords: peat, bark, Legionella, coliforms, E. coli, Salmonella, antagonism
Abstract:
During the last decade, pressure from environmental lobbies to restrict the use of peat in the UK has led to an increase in the use of alternative materials such as timber wastes, green composts and composted bark. Epidemiological studies conducted in Australia in the late 1980s and early 1990s demonstrated a link between illness among elderly gardeners and the use of growing media based on composted bark, although the species from which bark is derived are very different in Australia compared to those in Western Europe. Pathological effects were attributed to elevated levels of human pathogens including species of Legionella, notably L. longbeachae. The legionella bacteria have also been detected in growing media in California, New Zealand and Japan. In view of the detection of micro-organisms such as Legionella spp. noted above, media from the UK have been investigated for the presence and levels of human pathogens. The incidence and survival of micro-organisms that may cause problems to public health has formed part of studies into microbial activity in growing media at Nottingham Trent University from 1995 to the present. Investigations have included studies on Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Legionella spp. in a range of peat-based and non-peat based media. The presence of Legionella spp. has not been conclusively demonstrated in any media examined over the period of study. Coliforms have often been isolated from media, but at levels that constitute a very low risk to public health. These organisms, and another pathogen, Salmonella typhimurium, were able to survive for a month or more in heat-sterilised, inoculated media. Patterns of survival differed in inoculated unsterilised media: in most cases populations of the bacteria declined. This decline was far more marked in composted materials than in peat-based media. The antagonistic properties of some composted materials to plant pathogens are well known, and it appears that this antagonism may also extend to micro-organisms that have the capacity to cause disease in human beings.
Links to a collection of short reports on tests run, many subjects:
http://www.actahort.org/books/779/
Articles on food and health, using certain plants:
http://www.actahort.org/books/765/
Medical tests using plants: [very interesting]
http://www.actahort.org/books/756/
ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF ESSENTIAL OILS OBTAINED FROM FRESH AND DRIED LEAVES OF OCIMUM SANCTUM (L.) AGAINST ENTERIC BACTERIA AND YEAST
http://www.actahort.org/books/756/756_28.htm
[Basil is interesting, I have not used it, but do use several essential oils, and know that Oregano will knock a sinus infection, in a day or less, all you need to do is take the lid off the bottle, ‘smell it’ pull it into your nose/sinus and repeat as needed. You do not ‘apply the oil’, just the fumes.
sure beats a trip to the doctor........
granny]
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY COMPOUNDS FROM MEDICINAL PLANT RUTA GRAVEOLENS
http://www.actahort.org/books/756/756_41.htm
[This site would like to sell you a book, but the mini reports are interesting enough to take time to read the ones that might interest you..]
http://www.actahort.org/index.htm
Each link in the index, leads to a page of links to the articles.
[An interesting page with lots of photos, links and knowledge]
http://ecosyn.us/ecocity/Ecosyn/writings/MarketGarden.html
Grow Serious Profits Market Gardening in Intensive Raised Beds
The most important reasons to grow market fruits and vegetables in intensive beds are (1) Simplifies permanent planning of what areas may be compacted and which areas are protected from crushing field traffic, (2) contributes to overall strategy to boost yields to four to sixteen times conventional yields per equal-sized areas, (3) improves efficiency of labor, fertilizers, materials, (4) improves plant growth and health, (5) makes major savings of irrigation water, (6) extends growing season length.
1. Beds (with frequent pathways) discourage “shortcuts” through the plants, keeping feet and vehicles on the clearly defined pathways.
2. Close plantings, rapid rotations, vertical efficiency, season extension, reduced costs all focus on how much you get for how little you use with less work and less investment.
3. Fertilize only the plants, not the empty 60% of groundspace between rows. Reduce labor time (costs) by easier sowing, weeding, thining, amendment applications, inspections and harvesting techniques. Reinvest these cost savings into permanent drip irrigation, and reap more savings in water, power, and time (costs) of watering.
4. Raised beds improve drainage and oxygenation of soil, reducing threat of weak diseased plants from root rots. Well drained aerated lush feeder rootsystems grow plants rapidly to race to harvest before pests accumulate. Companion planting reduces diseases spread by pests and restricts insect damage directly.
5. Close plant spacing makes a living mulch which shades roots and reduces evaporation losses. Water the roots, not the empty spaces in rows. Permanent beds allow permanent water lines. Drip irrigation does not need to be taken out of field at end of season, making it less labor intensive than row-cultivated fields. Wise decisions become easier to make when they are substantially more profitable. Savings of up to five-sixths of the normal water wasted in row-cropping have been established. Become drought resistant.
6. Raised beds drain faster in spring allowing earlier planting because the soil is never too soggy to work with. Adding row covers, cloches, cold-frame accessories is more practical and economical with compact plantings instead of widespread rows. (For example: it takes 11 feet by 7 feet (77 sq.ft.) of row cover to protect one bed of 38 plants of lettuce, but it requires 4 feet by 41 feet (164 sq.ft.) to protect the same number of plants in a row. Materials cost savings equal better than 50%.)
There are many advantages to raised beds:
* Perfect drainage; Raised beds cannot waterlog - ever.
* Cannot erode topsoil if walled or bordered.
* Warms faster than flat soil; Raised Beds retain soil heat for more even day/night temperatures; Plant earlier in spring.
* More Efficient use of growing space; Intensive planting creates living mulch which conserves water while detering weeds.
* Never gets walked on, Never gets compacted, so never needs digging again!
There are many proven methods to increase productiveness:
* Staggered rows (Diamond pattern) instead of rectangular order (Square pattern) gives 20% more plants without any plants actually being closer than the recommended spacing.
* Rapid Rotations, replanting immediately with nursery transplants can increase production 50% to 150% more than replanting harvested spots with direct seeding.
* Vertical Efficiency; using highrise techniques can give four to sixteen the production per square foot of ground space. See these websites for photos of extraordinary highrise:
1. Missouri strawberry grower gets extra early crop in unheated plastic tunnel (10 feet by 50 feet) for premium value of early crop. Estimated production of 1,000 pounds in 500 sq.ft. using raised beds to warm soil for April-May harvest season extension.
2. Acres of strawberries: Florida farmer grows 36 plants each on towers which occupy one square foot of groundspace per tower. Average production half to three-quarter pound per plant.
3. Strawberries in perlite: 80,784 pounds per crop per acre (4000 square meters).
4. INVESTIGATIONS ON THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT GROWING MEDIA ON THE YIELD AND QUALITY OF STRAWBERRIES GROWN IN VERTICAL BAGS.
5. High-Rise Basil.
Walled beds provide a place to sit your ass while planting seeds, weeding, thinning, harvesting, or inspecting. Bed size means you are never more than an arm’s length from the center of the bed. Wall allow raised soil to higher levels, making everything easier with less “stooping”. Wall provides firm base for accessories, keeping them up out of the dirt, and increasing their useful lifespan. Walls can be made out of a wide variety of materials, new, recycled and scavenged, including: plywood, boards, bricks, blocks, stone, “earthcrete”, “papercrete”, concrete, stucco, FRP, fiberglass, metal sheeting and woodlot thinnings small diameter logs, to name some choices. From the extra profits of increased production from unwalled beds, one can reinvest in walled raised beds, and still pocket the same income as a neighbor row-cropper in one year, building plywood beds from new material.
A large variety of economical accessories can be devised to control micro-climate, provide insect-barrier protection, improve harvest access. Low cost items can be fabricated from poly tarps, plastic waterpipe, home-grown bamboo ( saplings or sunflower/corn stalks). A-Frame Cloches can be stacked in very small storage area if designed with removable end pieces. Bed size makes one-person handling of lightweight accessories more possible.
More durable materials at higher cost can provide long-term cost savings at the trade-off of short term higher investment
Last updated 24.8.2001
Author: Lion Kuntz
http://ecosyn.us/ecocity/Ecosyn/writings/
Don’t blame me if it is a weird site, it is where I found the raised bed planters that I just posted, and there are other articles here that we might gain something by reading.
I will ignore the crackpot ones............LOL
granny
Earthworms, Rabbits and much more, articles and links:
http://h2-pv.us/ecocity/Ecosyn/IBS_Rabbits_Worms_Poultry.html
I have too many pages open to really check this page of all kinds of container plants, good for ideas as it is, but there are links of some kind:
http://h2-pv.us/ecocity/Ecosyn/Container_Plants/index.html
Ideas on worms:
http://ecosyn.us/ecocity/Ecosyn/writings/intro1.html
Gardening articles:
http://www.humeseeds.com/qa_ndx.htm
Pages from Companion Planting sites:
[[world wide sites]]
http://h2-pv.us/ecocity/Links/Visual_Pages/CompanionPlanting/CompanionPlanting_01.html
Over 10 years of garden questions and answers:
http://www.humeseeds.com/qa_ndx.htm
House Plants that help purify the air:
http://www.humeseeds.com/purify.htm