Posted on 02/08/2020 7:01:00 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
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Because of the growing concern over the coronavirus, and how even if it doesn’t spread any further, it is already devastating supply lines in ways that will be felt here, I feel the need to post a list of useful plants that can be used in place of common household items that might be in short supply. This list is for things that are NOT food or medicine, as those lists would take a year to type.
Soapwort: As the name implies, this can be used to make soap. Using it is fairly simple, just take the fresh or dried plant (all parts are usable) and simmer gently in plain water. After straining, you can use the resulting liquid the way you would any liquid soap.
Horse Chestnut: This can’t be eaten like other chestnuts. But, after removing the hulls, you can use the kernels exactly the same as you would soapnuts. Do a search on “soapnuts” for different ways of using them.
Pyrethrum Daisy: This flower is the original source of Permethrin, a common insecticide. There are different varieties on the market, some selected for looks and some selected for usefulness. Richters carries one selected for usefulness. I’m sure there are others, but that’s the only one I’m familiar with. The flowers contain the insecticide. Gather the whole flowerheads shortly after they open, and dry as is. To use, grind or mash the flowerheads, and either sprinkle the powder where you need it, or else soak in water to make a tea, which can then be sprayed. Be aware that while the daisy is less toxic than the synthetic form, it’s still possible to get an overdose, so try not to get it on yourself, and keep pets and small children away. If using the tea, treated surfaces should be safe to touch once it’s completely dry.
Luffa Gourd: You’ve probably seen these around. This is a scrubbing sponge that grows like a squash. There are a few varieties on the market, but most are loaf-shaped and look like a zucchini. These vines do love to climb, so I suggest planting them near a fence or other structure. They’re ripe when the fruits start to turn yellowish, but if you know a freeze is coming harvest them anyway. If they get frostbitten while still on the vine, the fibers turn to mush. (That last part is secondhand information. If anyone has had different results, please chime in.) To make the sponges, let the fruits dry in a well-ventilated place, turning them daily. Try not to let them mold, but don’t panic if they do. When dry, tear off the stem end and shake out as many of the seeds as you can. Then soak the fruit in a pail of water for just a few minutes, squishing it so the water reaches the whole inside. This will help the skin separate, and you should be able to peel it off in long strips. Rinse and squeeze the peeled sponge until the water comes out clear, then dry and cut into whatever shape you like.
I’m sure I’ll think of more. Feel free to add more if you can.
Thanks for the ping.
We have had a roller coaster of weather this week. We had sunny 60s followed by snow/sleet/snow and school was canceled for 2 days. Today is sunny and the greenhouse is 82 degrees.
Hubby has onions started, and today is starting kale and cool weather crops. We have carrots that are ready to eat under cover.
Lemon tree has olive size lemons. Rosemary is still alive-beginning to look a little spindly. Will be starting Tomato seeds soon.
Garlic, vetch, rye, and winter wheat are all doing great. Hope everyone is doing well. God Bless.
Has anyone started their tomato seeds yet?
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We are beginning to start those this weekend. I live south of St. Louis.
LOL! Thanks for the reminder on the wipers. We’re in for 3-6” of snow on Sunday. Not that that will cover up my car, but it makes the window easier to clean off! :)
Chew on Willow branches for the Salicylic Acid. Nature’s Aspirin!
https://www.healthline.com/health/willow-bark-natures-aspirin
Make Nettle Tea for a Spring Tonic. ;) Beau does this. I have a HUGE reaction to Nettles, so all I can imagine is my throat closing up if I drink it! (I know that’s not true, though!)
https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-nettle-tea-765166
Hello! Enjoying the nice WI weather today. Sun is even out! Fair weather clouds....very nice. Watching the birds at the feeders. They are having a nice day too. So nice I need to refill some feeders!
It is good to make the distinction. However, the regular 11 yr. cycle continues even during a Grand Solar Minimum.
Discussion is ongoing regarding a grand solar minimum such as the Dalton or Maunder Minimum and cycles of around 400 years, which coincide with increased volcanic and seismic activity- Which I find very interesting.
A few excerpts and links for any one interested in reading about the differences between the regular solar minimum 11 yr. cycle and the grand solar minimum are below.
“During the 20th and early 21st centuries, Earth’s inhabitants have enjoyed an epoch of very high solar activity that is rare or unique in the context of the last several thousand years.
The higher solar activity and warmer temperatures have allowed the planet to briefly emerge from the depths of the successive solar minima periods and “Little Ice Age” cooling that lasted from the 1300s to the early 1900s.
Unfortunately, solar scientists have increasingly been forecasting a return to a solar minimum period in the coming decades, as well as the concomitant cooler temperatures.” ...snip...
https://principia-scientific.org/modern-solar-grand-maximum-ends-little-ice-age-cooling-coming
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Why a ‘Super’ Grand Solar Minimum Is Upon Us | PSI Intl
https://principia-scientific.org/why-a-super-grand-solar-minimum-is-upon-us/
Professor Valentina Zharkova explains and confirms why a “Super” Grand Solar Minimum is upon us: “If the world was looking for an Epiphany moment, this should be it.” Professor Zharkova gave a presentation of her Climate and the Solar Magnetic Field hypothesis at the Global Warming Policy Foundation in October, 2018.
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Solar Minimum Approaching | A Mini Ice Age? | Old Farmer’s ...
https://www.almanac.com/news/astronomy/astronomy/solar-minimum-approaching-mini-ice-age
But if this strange recent solar activity means that another Maunder Minimum is nearly upon us, as a few solar researchers believe, the global cooling would be mitigating Earth’s warming at the best possible time. However, if we do have a “Maunder Minimum,” it would not be a return to the “Little Ice Age.”
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Is a mini ICE AGE on the way? Scientists warn the sun will ...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3156594/Is-mini-ICE-AGE-way-Scientists-warn-sun-sleep-2020-cause-temperatures-plummet.html
Is a mini ICE AGE on the way? Scientists warn the sun will ‘go to sleep’ in 2030 and could cause temperatures to plummet. New study claims to have cracked predicting solar cycles
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Keyword: zharkova
https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/zharkova/index
She has been attacked savagely for her theory that the weakened solar magnetosphere during a Grand Solar Minimum is the main factor in driving global cooling on Earth, but she is increasingly being vindicated as global cooling progresses. Recently, Professor Zharkova gave a lecture to the Global Warming Policy Foundation.
“During the 20th and early 21st centuries, Earth’s inhabitants have enjoyed an epoch of very high solar activity that is rare or unique in the context of the last several thousand years.”
Looks like we all picked a good time to be born and to enjoy gardening! :)
LOL. Ain’t it the truth.
Don't forget to sharpen them as well.
A sharp blade cuts through turf like a hot knife through butter. Okay not that easily but a lot more easily then a dull blade will.
My Dad always said you were more likely to cut yourself on a DULL blade, versus a sharp one.
I’ve proven his theory a time or two through the years! ;)
The Artwork Of Bees Can Be Absolutely Stunning
Have you ever seen honeycomb as beautiful as this?
It's what happens if you leave it to the bees and do not put frames in the box.
This particular heart-shaped honeycomb was constructed by bees at Bodiam Castle in Robertsbridge, United Kingdom.
And these shapes are certainly not random! They are specifically built that way to regulate airflow inside the colony to maintain an ideal temperature.
According to Arnia Remote Hive Monitoring: "Brood nest temperature is of extreme importance to the colony and is controlled with utmost precision. Honey bees maintain the temperature of the brood nest between 32°C and optimally 35°C so that the brood develops normally."
If the temperature of the hive is too high or too low, the bees make adjustments.
"When the temperature in the nest is too high the bees ventilate by fanning the hot air out of the nest or use evaporative cooling mechanisms, ARHM says. "When the temperature is too low bees generate metabolic heat by contracting and relaxing their flight muscles."
Diana’s Beneficial Bug Mix:
Blue Bachelor Button
Calendula
Orange Cosmos
Cilantro
Dill (short variety)
Fennel
Sweet Alyssum
I mix together a packet of each of the above seeds and start them inside in 4” pots 4-6 weeks prior to planting outdoors.
I either dedicate a corner of each raised garden bed for a few of these ‘plugs’ or I plant them in containers (at least 3 gallon size, each, three plugs in each pot) and place them throughout my garden beds. (They DO take additional daily watering if you plant the plugs in pots versus the garden beds.)
This combo brings in the Good Guys; lacewings, hover flies, true ladybugs and parasitic wasps, who will kill off the Bad Guys such as aphids, thrips, caterpillars and mites.
I’ve done this for years. I garden 100% organically, and this works! :)
(And, this combo also makes a lovely bouquet if you want to cut some stems for in the house.)
That reminded me, there’s another use for willow. You can use it to make a rooting stimulant, similar to rooting hormone powder but in liquid form.
Chop some fresh green willow twigs into small pieces. Add boiling water, just enough to cover, and let steep overnight. In the morning, strain and refrigerate. It works best if used right away, but it can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 months. A little goes a long way, so a pint-sized jar is probably plenty.
I have a pretty good idea where you live. A friend of mine lives in the same county. I’ll probably start mine this week.
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