TO LINK BACK TO THE JANUARY 8/14/2020 GARDENING THREAD
(The resource area is posted at the end of the the July 3-6 Gardening Thread beginning after post 112!)
Posted on 01/15/2022 6:47:06 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
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.
If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located.
This thread is a non-political respite. 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. Planting, Harvest to Table Recipes, Preserving, Good Living - there is no telling where it will go - and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to our New & Improved Ping List.
NOTE: This is a once a week Ping List. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Gardeners are welcomed any time!
I thought I was being smart getting there before the rush. I’ve been so cozy here this winter I forgot what 12 degree temps felt like! Since I’m retired now how grateful I am I no longer have to tackle the weather....unless I put offf a grocery run until the last moment! Ha!
Well, I’ve been storing non-perishable food for the Zombie Apocalypse, so I won’t have to go out today! LOL.
The recipe I use for brussel sprouts is to chop up some bacon into about 1“ square pieces and fry them but not until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and set aside.
Then in the bacon fat, fry Brussel sprout halves for 10 mins, then toss in some coursely diced onions and stir fry those until desired tenderness. Add the bacon back in and reheat until hot and serve.
(The resource area is posted at the end of the the July 3-6 Gardening Thread beginning after post 112!)
I’ve been well stocked I just decided there were certain meals I want to cook during this storm I didn’t have on hand....tomatoes for Tacos, carrots for Roast beef, and potatoes for potato soup. That’s the plan. Had I not run out of coffee creamer I probably wouldn’t have bothered to go out.
With rice, though, white rice can store indefinitely but brown rice can go rancid.
I put my brown rice in canning jars and stack them in the freezer. Same for nuts to keep them from going rancid.
People need to remember to buy salt. Salt is critical for survival and not easily found in most of the country. To store salt, I use used spaghetti sauce jars. They usually come with tight fitting lids with the built in gasket. They do not work for canning, but they do work great for storing dry goods as the seal keeps out moisture and vermin, and then you are not wasting canning jars and lids on salt that will corrode the lids.
The canning jars can then be used for more critical stuff, like canning and pressure canning meat.
FWIW, pressure canners are available again I see. Anyone who is considering learning to pressure can meat should consider buying one now while they are available and your money is worth something to buy it with.
And canning jars are around now. Buy them off season while they are available. Our local Wal-Mart has had lots of lids recently so I buy some every time I am in there.
Diana! Beautiful picture of the roasted winter vegetables!
I keep creamer in for guests, but I drink my coffee undiluted and unadulterated. LOL.
Hello Diana,
New to FR so I read your thread. I was a caregiver to my mother of 89 who passed Dec 17 from Covid. She will be missed but also today is 30 day celebration of her being in heaven. Absent from the body, present with the Lord. I will be 64 soon (31) tall, blonde, blue eyed and Conservative with slogan “trust but verify.”
I am a retired Commercial real estate professor and developer. As I have more time now, I turn to gardening. I have small acreage SE Iowa. Please ping me also.
Thx
Colonialman
We bottomed out at -9 this morning.and while it’s sunny, it’s only up to -2
right now.
I don’t even want to try to guess at the wind chill.
I’m just the opposite...I have a little coffee with my creamer. In fact I never realized how weak I made coffee until my sons wife mentioned to him how bad it was. HA!
I’ve tried brown rice and couldn’t stand it so yes, white rice and I should have specified.
I’ve got a bucket of salt too. Didn’t put any desiccant in it so it’s a block now but could still be scraped, chipped and pulverized.
YIKES!
11 Reasons Why Berries Are Among the Healthiest Foods on Earth
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-reasons-to-eat-berries
Antioxidents
Good for blood sugar levels
High in Fiber
Full of Vitamins & Minerals
Fight inflammation
Lowers Cholesterol
Good for your skin
Cancer-fighting agents
OK for all types of diets
Blood flow
They’re Delicious
I got the OK from ‘The Chairman’ to add Blueberries and Blackberries this coming Spring. We already have Raspberries & Strawberries, which we both love.
“Grow and preserve your own food, so that others who cannot can rely on the store.”
Nope. You don’t WORK, you don’t EAT, Grandma! ;) I wish! We are SO far removed from that, it’s ridiculous. We are living in a nation that is at least 50% GRASSHOPPERS. Grrrr.
You’re in! Welcome! :)
That list looks like they were going by “nutrients per calorie”. Which gives you completely different results than “nutrients per volume” or “nutrients per square foot of garden space”.
That explains why potatoes aren’t on the list. But, taken per-volume or per-square-foot, potatoes are a superfood! They are one of the most concentrated natural sources of potassium around, and are chock-full of other vitamins and minerals as well. And if food is in short supply, those calories will literally save your life.
There are lots of ads and pinterest posts about how, if you keep adding dirt, the potatoes will grow more spuds along the vines. I have NEVER found a potato variety that will do that, and neither have any of the plant-breeders I know. Instead, the plant had to put so much energy into replacing the buried leaves, that they produced LESS than potatoes grown conventionally.
A potato plant will form spuds pretty much horizontally from where the seed potato was planted. Hilling is done to keep the growing spuds covered so they don’t turn green and toxic from sunlight.
The easiest way I’ve found to grow big crops of potatoes is to use straw. Lay the seed potatoes on top of the ground, then cover with a thick layer of straw. And I mean a THICK layer! 6-8 inches is good. Don’t worry, the potatoes can handle it. You could use spoiled hay instead of straw, but make sure to inspect it closely first, as hay often carries viable seeds with it and can make weeds worse.
If you’re gardening in a windy area like I am, top the straw with a piece of mesh fencing laid flat, and pin it down securely. That should hold the straw in place without interfering with the potatoes.
If the straw was thick enough, you shouldn’t need to do any hilling. By the time harvest season comes around, the straw that was closest to the dirt will have broken down into a nice, soft duff. Pull off the fencing, sweep away the straw on top, and sift your spuds out of the duff. No digging required, no hilling required, and if the straw does its job right, no weeding required either!
Many years ago, I put together a list of menu plans that would provide 100% or more of all macro- and micro-nutrients, using real food. My original research got lost between computers, but 2 of those menu plans were written down, so I still have those. The plants portion calls for:
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Peas
Carrots
Parsley
Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds
Flax seeds
Those plants, plus meat, milk, and eggs, can provide everything the human body needs. Personally, I would also grow squash, beans, corn, garlic, and a long list of other things. But, if you want to maximize nutrition from a small space, those would be the plants to focus on.
That sounds good. I do something similar with green beans & bacon. :)
Thanks, Pete! :)
or
I have 2' X 6' planting frames but Instead of using hoops I use 3 or 4' long sections of 4"x4" Rabbit fencing fir my hoops. Don't have to worry about keeping it taught all the time.
https://www.johnnyseeds.com/search/?q=row+covers&lang=en_US
https://www.groworganic.com/pages/visit-our-store-nursery
Sources for row covers.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.