A few of the blogs that I read have been talking about pantry stuff: what they keep, how they plan, how they plant, how they store. Now a pantry is something that's always been very important to me; my mom has always had one, my aunt, my grandma, and probably further back whom I've never met. This is not to say that I learned the Fine Art of Perfect Pantry-ing at my Grandma's knee, but I picked up enough to realize it's importance. My grandma's problem was always not paying attention to what she had, planting for what she used (my grandpa actually did the garden, not her!), and actually cooking out of the pantry. Those 50 year old jars of canned wax beans are probably only good for dog food by now! My mother's problem was also not cooking out of pantry, but not realizing what she had. She learned that from Grandma. These are also women who have two full freezers, and still don't have food for dinner.
I would like to break the cycle! Now, as I have not grown my own food thus far, what I store in my pantry are dry goods (in mass quantities), and shelf stable items like jars of applesauce and dried fruit and nuts. We also have many many cans of pineapple -- I know, I know, it's shipped from far away, it doesn't grow anywheres near here (MA), and it being in metal cans makes it heavy for shipping to boot. But, sometimes you just want to open up a can of pineapple rings, and have a few for three days... and then make a smoothie with the juice and recycle the can. See? Not that bad.
One of the excellent ideas that the Matron of Husbandry discussed is just thinking: I am going to use at least one jar of applesauce a week, therefore I should have 52 jars of it. How many apples do I need to make 52 jars? Etc. If it's a crop that doesn't grow well for her, she plans for two years of food with it. She makes these plans starting around now, when she can look at her half empty pantry and go "hmm, I ate more of those than I thought" or vice versus.
With my garden plans for this year, a lot of what we're planting are beans. A lot of dried beans, and a handful of peas and wax beans as well. I bought so much, that I feel I need to start asking people for space to plant it all! I also have a lot of tomatoes and a nice pepper plant. Hopefully, my tomatoes will grow, and I can make my own salsa and canned tomatoes. (I would make sauce, but I feel like it will be better to can the tomatoes whole, and make sauce the day of -- any thoughts?) As most fruits are perennials or close to it, I am not planting any, which saddens me; so my fruit storage will continue to be jars of applesauce, dried fruit, and cans of pineapple.
At the very least, this will be a learning experience -- I feel that given all the options out there for obtaining food, I have a heavy curve in learning. 150 years ago, I would have had less options and hoped that I knew what I was doing (and would have learned from my mother as well). Whether we're better off or not, I'm thankful for the curve.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Notes from Sharon's on Books and Herbs
In January, I went to an internship weekend at the lovely Sharon Astyk's. We milked goats, chatted, ate food, chatted, knitted, chatted, hauled wood for the cookstove and just all around had a good time. Guess who's good at milking goats? Me! :-P
But I took down a bunch of notes in my little Moleskine (the poor thing is split all down the side! :-( ) and I should put them here for ease of access.
Et voila:
Random Books and Periodicals
Small Farmers Journal
Heirloom Gardner Magazine
Murray McMurray Catalogue (chickens)
Artisan book series: The _______ Pantry (i.e., Mediterranean)
Build Your Own Earth Oven Kiko Denzer
The Complete Tightwad Gazette Amy Dacyczyn (pronounced "decision")
Herbal and Medical Texts
The Herbal Home Remedy Book by Joyce A. Wardwell **Sharon's pick**
The Earthwise Herbal by Matthew Wood **buy this later on in your herbalism study**
The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook James Green **this and the book below are both excellent**
Making Plant Medicine Richo Cech
Growing 101 Herbs That Heal Tammi Hartung **best GROWING book**
Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places Steve Brill with Evelyn Dean **B/W line drawings**
Weeds of the Northeast Richard Uva, Joseph C. Neal, Joseph DiTomaso
Childbearing Year Susun Weed
Herbal Healing for Women Rosemary Gladstar
Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable Juliette de Bairacli Levy **also has one for cat and dog**
The Male Herbal James Green
Healing Wise Susun Wood **very touchy feely**
Herbal Renaissance Steven Foster
Herbal AntibioticsStephen Harrod Buhner **apocalypse book!**
Sacred and Healing Herbal Beers Stephen Harrod Buhner
Family Herbal Rosemary Gladstar
A Kid's Herb Book Leslie Tierra
A Weaver's Garden Rita Buchanan **also A Dyer's Garden**
The Village Herbalist Nancy and Michael Phillips **Sharon's pick**
Herbs For Sale Lee Sturdivant
The Complete Illustrated Holisitic Herbal David Hoffman
The Complete Medicinal Herbal Penelope Ody ** Sharon's pick**
Sharon's Starter Selection
How To Live On Almost Nothing and Have Plenty Janet Chadwick
The Contrary Farmer Gene Logsdon **or anything else by him :-P**
The Encyclopedia of Country Living Carla Emery ** everyone's pick!**
Four-Season Harvest Eliot Coleman
The Complete Book of Composting Rodale Books
Seed to Seed Suzanne Ashworth
The New Seed Starters Handbook Nancy Bubel
Anything Grows! Sheryl London
The Bountiful Container McGee and Stuckley's
Incredible Vegetables from Self-Watering Containers Edward Smith ** recommend take out of library
1001 Old Time Garden Tips Roger Yepsen
Gaia's Garden Toby Hemenway
Toolbox for Sustainable City Living Scott Kellogg and Stacy Pettigrew
Idiot's Guide to Vegetable Gardening
How To Grow More Vegetables John Jeavons
The New Victory Garden Bob Thompson ** from the 70s**
Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats Jerry Belanger
Root Cellaring Mike and Nancy Bubel
Herbalism Notes
- Sasparilla pulls heavy metals out of people
- Mullein or Garlic Oil for earaches
* if mullein grows crooked, it's in polluted/heavy metal ground
* mullein, sunflower, and sumac pull heavy metals and remediate your ground (if you compost the plants elsewhere!)
- anise hyssop: great digestive aid, works in tea, leaves and flowers are usable
- garbling: after drying herbs on a stem, the process of crumbling the leaves off of the stem
- elecampane: dig up the root in 2nd year in fall or spring, dehydrate; immune stimulant, anti-inflammatory, used in tea or tincture
- valerian: anxiety, anti-depressant, some get jittery, valerian roots are used -- dig in fall or early spring
- viburnum (cramp bark): "cranberry bark viburnum" loves wet soil, sweetened berries for bird food. Use inner bark, harvest in winter. Don't fully girdle a tree, or it'll die. Dry inner bark, use in tea or tincture
- meadowsweet: flowers and leaves are used, asprin plant, loves damp ground, harvest when it first comes into flower
- willow bark: use the inner bark, harvest in winter, asprin plant, use in tea or tincture
- rose petals: soothing scent and can make jelly
- rose hips: dry (slice to dry) and use for Vitamin C, use in tea or straight, harvest when ripe (looks like a ripe berry)
- hawthorn berries: used for heart irregularities, use tea or eat straight, flowers can be used in tea or tincture
- motherwort: heart herb, leaves in tea or tincture, "cardiac stability", commonly given to laboring women to ease pain without relieving contractions
- raspberry leaf: helps uterus contract, menstrual cramps, good for menopause, use in tea
- chamomile: relaxing tea, milk pain reliever, can be given to infants, use stems in tea for cramps
- nettle: leaf and green seed are used, blood cleaners, high in iron, harvest with GLOVES
- calendula: blossoms are used, "pot marigolds", diaper rash, use in oil or cream, skin injury, burns
- comphrey: use for wounds -- can use a "spit poultice" -- chew it up, don't swallow, spit onto wound; green leaves for rabbits/goats after birth -- also good every day for them
- yarrow: soft bendable stem, leaves and flowers are used, immune stimulant, tincture or tea
- feverfew: use for migraines, really bitter, can eat fresh, flowers and leaves, tea, tincture or fresh
- betony (stachys officianalis): headaches, tincutre or tea, likes part shade, wet or dry, used as a tea substitute
- lambs ear: makes good bandaids, do not take during pregnancy, but can during labor, mouthwash
- scullcap: headache hearb, leaves and flowers, can mix with betony or feverfew, tincture or tea
- red clover: blood thinner, cholesterol lowerer, anti-oxidant, nice tea, maybe for allergy, dried/fresh aerial parts
- slippery elm bark: food -- if you're throwing up, it'll be the only thing you can keep down and keep you hydrated. Mix inner bark (dried and ground up) with water, maybe add a little honey. Does NOT reduce nausea.
- wormwood (artemisia absinthium): used for deworming, used as tea. NOT for pregnant women or people with liver problems.
- mugwort (artemisia vulgaris): used in tea or tincture, appetite stimulant, used to combat irregular periods
- pennyroyal: abortive, oil is toxic, can be used as flea control
- elderberry: vitamin c
- lavender: upset stomach
- marshmallow root: chop to dry, dry it, used for coughs, used in tea, NOT for tincture
- catnip: sedative, can give to young children, good for cholic, stomach relaxant, gas, cramping, will dry a rabbit's milk
- catmint: just a good tea
- lemon verbena: just smells good -- the plant will appear to die so don't worry!
- blackberry: root for diarrhea
- burdock: increasing urine, helps liver
- dandelion: very nutritional, stimulate urine
- garlic: anti-oxidant
Recipes... of a sort
* with comphrey, beeswax and olive oil [cook comphrey in water just a little to soften, then infuse into olive oil, mix with beeswax] use as a lotion for those mere flesh wounds in your life
* 350 mL cheap vodka, qt. raspberries, couple lemons, bunch of lemon verbena leaves -- mash raspberries, squeeze lemons, throw in leaves, 2 c. sugar, pour vodka over and let sit for a few weeks, turning occasionally
* lavender flower, dill seeds, and peppermint tea for upset stomach
* ginger tea for nausea
* catnip and chamomile for calming tea
* honey, lemon and ground culinary flax for coughs
* whiskey with honey helps coughs and helps sleep
* sage tea is good for hot flashes
* sage dries up breast milk
* raspberry leaves, nettle leaves, alfalfa leaves (anti-oxident), oat straw tea -- high in calcium, mild relaxant
Miscellaneous
* decoction: steep in hot water
* infusion: bring to a boil with herbs, steep for a while
* ATTRA: free brochure on how to secure land -- government program
* Abebooks.com: a place to get books fairly cheap
* mangle beets: use for animal feed, up to 35 lbs. Bountiful Gardens, FedCo, Seed Savers, etc.
* officinalis means it was the official medicinal plant used (in lieu of other varieties)
* Vitamin C will help constipation
* oregano is good anti-fungal and anti-biotic
* ginko as tea helps blood circulation
* gotu kola leaves are good for alzheimers
But I took down a bunch of notes in my little Moleskine (the poor thing is split all down the side! :-( ) and I should put them here for ease of access.
Et voila:
Random Books and Periodicals
Small Farmers Journal
Heirloom Gardner Magazine
Murray McMurray Catalogue (chickens)
Artisan book series: The _______ Pantry (i.e., Mediterranean)
Build Your Own Earth Oven Kiko Denzer
The Complete Tightwad Gazette Amy Dacyczyn (pronounced "decision")
Herbal and Medical Texts
The Herbal Home Remedy Book by Joyce A. Wardwell **Sharon's pick**
The Earthwise Herbal by Matthew Wood **buy this later on in your herbalism study**
The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook James Green **this and the book below are both excellent**
Making Plant Medicine Richo Cech
Growing 101 Herbs That Heal Tammi Hartung **best GROWING book**
Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places Steve Brill with Evelyn Dean **B/W line drawings**
Weeds of the Northeast Richard Uva, Joseph C. Neal, Joseph DiTomaso
Childbearing Year Susun Weed
Herbal Healing for Women Rosemary Gladstar
Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable Juliette de Bairacli Levy **also has one for cat and dog**
The Male Herbal James Green
Healing Wise Susun Wood **very touchy feely**
Herbal Renaissance Steven Foster
Herbal AntibioticsStephen Harrod Buhner **apocalypse book!**
Sacred and Healing Herbal Beers Stephen Harrod Buhner
Family Herbal Rosemary Gladstar
A Kid's Herb Book Leslie Tierra
A Weaver's Garden Rita Buchanan **also A Dyer's Garden**
The Village Herbalist Nancy and Michael Phillips **Sharon's pick**
Herbs For Sale Lee Sturdivant
The Complete Illustrated Holisitic Herbal David Hoffman
The Complete Medicinal Herbal Penelope Ody ** Sharon's pick**
Sharon's Starter Selection
How To Live On Almost Nothing and Have Plenty Janet Chadwick
The Contrary Farmer Gene Logsdon **or anything else by him :-P**
The Encyclopedia of Country Living Carla Emery ** everyone's pick!**
Four-Season Harvest Eliot Coleman
The Complete Book of Composting Rodale Books
Seed to Seed Suzanne Ashworth
The New Seed Starters Handbook Nancy Bubel
Anything Grows! Sheryl London
The Bountiful Container McGee and Stuckley's
Incredible Vegetables from Self-Watering Containers Edward Smith ** recommend take out of library
1001 Old Time Garden Tips Roger Yepsen
Gaia's Garden Toby Hemenway
Toolbox for Sustainable City Living Scott Kellogg and Stacy Pettigrew
Idiot's Guide to Vegetable Gardening
How To Grow More Vegetables John Jeavons
The New Victory Garden Bob Thompson ** from the 70s**
Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats Jerry Belanger
Root Cellaring Mike and Nancy Bubel
Herbalism Notes
- Sasparilla pulls heavy metals out of people
- Mullein or Garlic Oil for earaches
* if mullein grows crooked, it's in polluted/heavy metal ground
* mullein, sunflower, and sumac pull heavy metals and remediate your ground (if you compost the plants elsewhere!)
- anise hyssop: great digestive aid, works in tea, leaves and flowers are usable
- garbling: after drying herbs on a stem, the process of crumbling the leaves off of the stem
- elecampane: dig up the root in 2nd year in fall or spring, dehydrate; immune stimulant, anti-inflammatory, used in tea or tincture
- valerian: anxiety, anti-depressant, some get jittery, valerian roots are used -- dig in fall or early spring
- viburnum (cramp bark): "cranberry bark viburnum" loves wet soil, sweetened berries for bird food. Use inner bark, harvest in winter. Don't fully girdle a tree, or it'll die. Dry inner bark, use in tea or tincture
- meadowsweet: flowers and leaves are used, asprin plant, loves damp ground, harvest when it first comes into flower
- willow bark: use the inner bark, harvest in winter, asprin plant, use in tea or tincture
- rose petals: soothing scent and can make jelly
- rose hips: dry (slice to dry) and use for Vitamin C, use in tea or straight, harvest when ripe (looks like a ripe berry)
- hawthorn berries: used for heart irregularities, use tea or eat straight, flowers can be used in tea or tincture
- motherwort: heart herb, leaves in tea or tincture, "cardiac stability", commonly given to laboring women to ease pain without relieving contractions
- raspberry leaf: helps uterus contract, menstrual cramps, good for menopause, use in tea
- chamomile: relaxing tea, milk pain reliever, can be given to infants, use stems in tea for cramps
- nettle: leaf and green seed are used, blood cleaners, high in iron, harvest with GLOVES
- calendula: blossoms are used, "pot marigolds", diaper rash, use in oil or cream, skin injury, burns
- comphrey: use for wounds -- can use a "spit poultice" -- chew it up, don't swallow, spit onto wound; green leaves for rabbits/goats after birth -- also good every day for them
- yarrow: soft bendable stem, leaves and flowers are used, immune stimulant, tincture or tea
- feverfew: use for migraines, really bitter, can eat fresh, flowers and leaves, tea, tincture or fresh
- betony (stachys officianalis): headaches, tincutre or tea, likes part shade, wet or dry, used as a tea substitute
- lambs ear: makes good bandaids, do not take during pregnancy, but can during labor, mouthwash
- scullcap: headache hearb, leaves and flowers, can mix with betony or feverfew, tincture or tea
- red clover: blood thinner, cholesterol lowerer, anti-oxidant, nice tea, maybe for allergy, dried/fresh aerial parts
- slippery elm bark: food -- if you're throwing up, it'll be the only thing you can keep down and keep you hydrated. Mix inner bark (dried and ground up) with water, maybe add a little honey. Does NOT reduce nausea.
- wormwood (artemisia absinthium): used for deworming, used as tea. NOT for pregnant women or people with liver problems.
- mugwort (artemisia vulgaris): used in tea or tincture, appetite stimulant, used to combat irregular periods
- pennyroyal: abortive, oil is toxic, can be used as flea control
- elderberry: vitamin c
- lavender: upset stomach
- marshmallow root: chop to dry, dry it, used for coughs, used in tea, NOT for tincture
- catnip: sedative, can give to young children, good for cholic, stomach relaxant, gas, cramping, will dry a rabbit's milk
- catmint: just a good tea
- lemon verbena: just smells good -- the plant will appear to die so don't worry!
- blackberry: root for diarrhea
- burdock: increasing urine, helps liver
- dandelion: very nutritional, stimulate urine
- garlic: anti-oxidant
Recipes... of a sort
* with comphrey, beeswax and olive oil [cook comphrey in water just a little to soften, then infuse into olive oil, mix with beeswax] use as a lotion for those mere flesh wounds in your life
* 350 mL cheap vodka, qt. raspberries, couple lemons, bunch of lemon verbena leaves -- mash raspberries, squeeze lemons, throw in leaves, 2 c. sugar, pour vodka over and let sit for a few weeks, turning occasionally
* lavender flower, dill seeds, and peppermint tea for upset stomach
* ginger tea for nausea
* catnip and chamomile for calming tea
* honey, lemon and ground culinary flax for coughs
* whiskey with honey helps coughs and helps sleep
* sage tea is good for hot flashes
* sage dries up breast milk
* raspberry leaves, nettle leaves, alfalfa leaves (anti-oxident), oat straw tea -- high in calcium, mild relaxant
Miscellaneous
* decoction: steep in hot water
* infusion: bring to a boil with herbs, steep for a while
* ATTRA: free brochure on how to secure land -- government program
* Abebooks.com: a place to get books fairly cheap
* mangle beets: use for animal feed, up to 35 lbs. Bountiful Gardens, FedCo, Seed Savers, etc.
* officinalis means it was the official medicinal plant used (in lieu of other varieties)
* Vitamin C will help constipation
* oregano is good anti-fungal and anti-biotic
* ginko as tea helps blood circulation
* gotu kola leaves are good for alzheimers
Buckets!
Over at the Just in Case Book blog, she made a post today about where to find ridiculously cheap, food-grade storage buckets. Does that sound like useful information to you? It does to me!
http://www.fivestarpreparedness.com/
There's the website. They have storage containers, storage aids (like drying packets and such), shelf stable food, and manners of cooking said food. Their tag line is: "We make preparing possible! Delivering Peace of Mind through preparation!" along with a kitchy little pic of a 1950s style mom. Because everyone knows, Mom back in the day could fix anything. :-P [N.B. they appear to be Mormons, so if you have a problem with that, you know now!]
In reading the JiCBB (Just in Case Book Blog -- too lazy to fully write it), she talks about the prep for what will basically be the end times -- i.e., her son keeps 5 jugs of gas in his basement, so that when the world ends, he can get to his mom's house. Isn't that kinda cute? As well as very doomer. I approve.
But that brings to mind: how would I manage if the world ended tomorrow? I'm not sure, but probably not that well. [Side note, why does the teakettle smell like soup cooking...? Whoops! Wrong burner!] Just that, is an example. We don't have any alternate form of cooking! Well, we have a small grill, but that runs on propane, and I'm sad to say, it noms it up ridiculously fast. So if I were to have that as my backup plan, I should probably get more propane cans. Then, I have the crockpot (if the electric still runs but not the gas lines -- you never know!), but that should not be counted on. Now, I love Zu'ul, and we are perhaps MORE prepared than a lot, but there is so much to be done.
Items Needed To Survive the Apocalypse
-- large, full pantry and root cellar (halfway there I feel)
-- alternate source of heat
-- alternate form of cooking
-- source of transportation independent upon outside influences (Dan has a bike -- if the apocalypse was tomorrow, I'd get my bike from my mother)
-- cat food stockpiled
-- medicine stockpiled (VERY important, and probably very difficult)
-- manner of paying rent (ouch)
-- water stockpiled (we have some)
I'm trying to think of what else -- basic necessities are: food, water and shelter. Yet, I feel that if we dropped into a barter economy tomorrow, we'd be ok. We'll be better when we get the chickens from Beth! :-D Oh fresh eggs to eat and to barter... looking forward to it.
The dependence upon the stove does bother me -- if we were using a wood burning cookstove, that would also be heat! Two birds with one stone. Ah well -- that is waiting for the day I have my own place.
http://www.fivestarpreparedness.com/
There's the website. They have storage containers, storage aids (like drying packets and such), shelf stable food, and manners of cooking said food. Their tag line is: "We make preparing possible! Delivering Peace of Mind through preparation!" along with a kitchy little pic of a 1950s style mom. Because everyone knows, Mom back in the day could fix anything. :-P [N.B. they appear to be Mormons, so if you have a problem with that, you know now!]
In reading the JiCBB (Just in Case Book Blog -- too lazy to fully write it), she talks about the prep for what will basically be the end times -- i.e., her son keeps 5 jugs of gas in his basement, so that when the world ends, he can get to his mom's house. Isn't that kinda cute? As well as very doomer. I approve.
But that brings to mind: how would I manage if the world ended tomorrow? I'm not sure, but probably not that well. [Side note, why does the teakettle smell like soup cooking...? Whoops! Wrong burner!] Just that, is an example. We don't have any alternate form of cooking! Well, we have a small grill, but that runs on propane, and I'm sad to say, it noms it up ridiculously fast. So if I were to have that as my backup plan, I should probably get more propane cans. Then, I have the crockpot (if the electric still runs but not the gas lines -- you never know!), but that should not be counted on. Now, I love Zu'ul, and we are perhaps MORE prepared than a lot, but there is so much to be done.
Items Needed To Survive the Apocalypse
-- large, full pantry and root cellar (halfway there I feel)
-- alternate source of heat
-- alternate form of cooking
-- source of transportation independent upon outside influences (Dan has a bike -- if the apocalypse was tomorrow, I'd get my bike from my mother)
-- cat food stockpiled
-- medicine stockpiled (VERY important, and probably very difficult)
-- manner of paying rent (ouch)
-- water stockpiled (we have some)
I'm trying to think of what else -- basic necessities are: food, water and shelter. Yet, I feel that if we dropped into a barter economy tomorrow, we'd be ok. We'll be better when we get the chickens from Beth! :-D Oh fresh eggs to eat and to barter... looking forward to it.
The dependence upon the stove does bother me -- if we were using a wood burning cookstove, that would also be heat! Two birds with one stone. Ah well -- that is waiting for the day I have my own place.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Garden Timetable
So I went through the calendar and my seeds tonight and have put together a vague outline of what will happen when. Luckily, because I can do succession planting, I DON'T have a shitton of seeds like I thought... just a regular ton. :-P
So to keep myself on track, and have this all written in ONE space, I'll put my timetable here. N.B. -- after harvest of any one item, if there is to be a second planting, due to variables in growth, I have not noted an "official" second planting date.
Random Times etc.
-- Long Red Narrow Cayenne Pepper: 75 day growth; sow indoors, keep near 80 F, can transplant in early June
-- Be My Baby Gene Pool Cherry Tomato: 65 day growth; sow indoors, keep warm, can transplant after frost
-- Heirloom Tomato Mix: 65-90 day growth; sow indoors, keep warm, can transplant after frost
-- Rutgers Tomato: 75 day growth; sow indoors, keep warm, can transplant after frost
-- Bouquet Dill: direct seed in spring
-- Sweet Basil: start inside ~4/1, sow outdoors after ~4/20
-- German Chamomile: direct seed in spring
-- Cilantro: direct seed in spring every 3 weeks
First Planting
-- Melissa Savoy Cabbage: 85 day growth; plant ~3/14-3/20; 2 plantings; ready ~6/7, 9/5
Second Planting
-- Sugar Snax 54 Carrot: 68 day growth; plant week of ~4/4-4/10; 2 plantings; ready ~7/11, 8/20
Third Planting
-- Arugula (Rouquette): 47 day growth; plant ~4/20; 3 plantings; ready ~6/6, 7/29, 9/16
-- Salad Bowl Lettuce: 46 day growth; plant ~4/20; 4 plantings; ready 6/5, 7/23, 9/10, 10/30
-- Vermont Cranberry Shell/Dry Bean: 70 day growth; plant ~4/20; 2 plantings; ready ~ 6/29, 9/12
-- Tiger Eye Dry Bean: 60-85 day growth; plant ~4/20; 2 plantings; ready ~ 6/29, 9/12
-- Midnight Black Turtle Dry Bean: 104 day growth; plant ~4/20; 1 planting; ready ~ 8/3
-- Indy Gold Bush Wax Bean: 54 day growth; plant ~4/20; 3 plantings; ready ~ 6/13, 8/12, 10/10
Fourth Planting
-- Arava Cantaloupe: 80 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 2 plantings; ready ~ 7/14, 10/5 (temps above 40 F)
-- General Lee Slicing Cuke: 66 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 2 plantings; ready ~ 7/7, 9/14
-- Baby Pam Pumpkin: 99 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 1 planting; ready ~ 8/5
-- Raven Zucchini: 48 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 3 plantings; ready ~ 6/9, 8/8, 9/27
-- Sugar Baby Watermelon: 80 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 2 plantings; ready ~ 7/14, 10/5 (temps above 60 F)
-- Small Ornamental Gourds Mix: 95 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 1 planting; ready ~ 8/1
-- Saffron Summer Squash: 42 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 3 plantings; ready ~ 6/13, 7/27, 9/11
-- Lincoln Shell Pea: 70 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 2 plantings; ready ~ 7/11, 9/26
-- Dwarf Grey Sugar Snow Pea: 59 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 2 plantings; ready ~ 6/1, 9/11
With the succession planting, hopefully I'll have learned from one planting to the next, and get more successful with each succession. :-P With the schedule that I have, I do not have anything (except maybe herbs) that I will be trying to overwinter, and that's just as well -- no need to try even MORE at once!
The Average Last Spring Frost for my area is: April 20
The Average First Fall Frost for my area is: October 20
Zu'ul is located in USDA Zone 6.
We'll see how that holds.
So to keep myself on track, and have this all written in ONE space, I'll put my timetable here. N.B. -- after harvest of any one item, if there is to be a second planting, due to variables in growth, I have not noted an "official" second planting date.
Random Times etc.
-- Long Red Narrow Cayenne Pepper: 75 day growth; sow indoors, keep near 80 F, can transplant in early June
-- Be My Baby Gene Pool Cherry Tomato: 65 day growth; sow indoors, keep warm, can transplant after frost
-- Heirloom Tomato Mix: 65-90 day growth; sow indoors, keep warm, can transplant after frost
-- Rutgers Tomato: 75 day growth; sow indoors, keep warm, can transplant after frost
-- Bouquet Dill: direct seed in spring
-- Sweet Basil: start inside ~4/1, sow outdoors after ~4/20
-- German Chamomile: direct seed in spring
-- Cilantro: direct seed in spring every 3 weeks
First Planting
-- Melissa Savoy Cabbage: 85 day growth; plant ~3/14-3/20; 2 plantings; ready ~6/7, 9/5
Second Planting
-- Sugar Snax 54 Carrot: 68 day growth; plant week of ~4/4-4/10; 2 plantings; ready ~7/11, 8/20
Third Planting
-- Arugula (Rouquette): 47 day growth; plant ~4/20; 3 plantings; ready ~6/6, 7/29, 9/16
-- Salad Bowl Lettuce: 46 day growth; plant ~4/20; 4 plantings; ready 6/5, 7/23, 9/10, 10/30
-- Vermont Cranberry Shell/Dry Bean: 70 day growth; plant ~4/20; 2 plantings; ready ~ 6/29, 9/12
-- Tiger Eye Dry Bean: 60-85 day growth; plant ~4/20; 2 plantings; ready ~ 6/29, 9/12
-- Midnight Black Turtle Dry Bean: 104 day growth; plant ~4/20; 1 planting; ready ~ 8/3
-- Indy Gold Bush Wax Bean: 54 day growth; plant ~4/20; 3 plantings; ready ~ 6/13, 8/12, 10/10
Fourth Planting
-- Arava Cantaloupe: 80 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 2 plantings; ready ~ 7/14, 10/5 (temps above 40 F)
-- General Lee Slicing Cuke: 66 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 2 plantings; ready ~ 7/7, 9/14
-- Baby Pam Pumpkin: 99 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 1 planting; ready ~ 8/5
-- Raven Zucchini: 48 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 3 plantings; ready ~ 6/9, 8/8, 9/27
-- Sugar Baby Watermelon: 80 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 2 plantings; ready ~ 7/14, 10/5 (temps above 60 F)
-- Small Ornamental Gourds Mix: 95 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 1 planting; ready ~ 8/1
-- Saffron Summer Squash: 42 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 3 plantings; ready ~ 6/13, 7/27, 9/11
-- Lincoln Shell Pea: 70 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 2 plantings; ready ~ 7/11, 9/26
-- Dwarf Grey Sugar Snow Pea: 59 day growth; plant week of ~5/2-5/8; 2 plantings; ready ~ 6/1, 9/11
With the succession planting, hopefully I'll have learned from one planting to the next, and get more successful with each succession. :-P With the schedule that I have, I do not have anything (except maybe herbs) that I will be trying to overwinter, and that's just as well -- no need to try even MORE at once!
The Average Last Spring Frost for my area is: April 20
The Average First Fall Frost for my area is: October 20
Zu'ul is located in USDA Zone 6.
We'll see how that holds.
Food Challenge
So I've joined Zu'ul into Crunchy Chicken's Food Waste Reduction Challenge for 2010. Basically, the idea is to lower food wastes for the month of February. For us, this will mostly mean cooking/eating at home, eating leftovers, and eating what's in our fridge.
I don't think this will be TOO difficult for us, but we are notorious for looking in a full fridge and pantry and deciding to order pizza instead. :-P
So, starting with dinner tonight, we're having a go! Because the package of tofu that I bought the first week of December might be going fairly soon, I fried it up, and made a yummy, yummy sauce with pineapple juice, soy paste, duck sauce and a smidgen of potato starch. Served that over some rice that may or may not be slightly infested (what I cooked wound up not having anybody float) and needed to be used up before any of our large containers of stored rice. (Also, then it'd be another container for storage!) Threw in some frozen peas that had been in the very back of the freezer for a LONG TIME, and I consider it a fabulous meal.
We're on our way.
I don't think this will be TOO difficult for us, but we are notorious for looking in a full fridge and pantry and deciding to order pizza instead. :-P
So, starting with dinner tonight, we're having a go! Because the package of tofu that I bought the first week of December might be going fairly soon, I fried it up, and made a yummy, yummy sauce with pineapple juice, soy paste, duck sauce and a smidgen of potato starch. Served that over some rice that may or may not be slightly infested (what I cooked wound up not having anybody float) and needed to be used up before any of our large containers of stored rice. (Also, then it'd be another container for storage!) Threw in some frozen peas that had been in the very back of the freezer for a LONG TIME, and I consider it a fabulous meal.
We're on our way.
Pantry Thoughts
One of the things that makes me incredibly sad is the fact that I cannot have fruit plants in my apartment. Technically I can, but most fruit plants are not movable, and last much longer than one year. (Hmm... strawberries... nope, I have no room.)
With this lack of fruit, much of what I would store in a pantry is bought, sadly. This is rice, flours of all shapes and sizes, nuts, and anything involving fruit.
However, some of my garden ideas CAN be pantrified.
-- Tiger Eye Beans: dried
-- Vermont Cranberry Bean: dried
-- Wax Bean: canned
-- Midnight Black Turtle Bean: dried
-- Sugar Snow Pea: frozen
-- Herbs of all shapes and sizes: dried/keep growing :-P
-- Tomatoes: canned, tomato sauce, etc.
-- Cabbage: lactofermented, canned
-- Cucumber: pickled
-- Zucchini: frozen
-- Summer Squash: frozen
Root Cellar Storage Items:
-- Cabbage
-- Carrot
-- Watermelon
-- Cantaloupe
Here's to hoping that I have enough of my plantings to actually store!
With this lack of fruit, much of what I would store in a pantry is bought, sadly. This is rice, flours of all shapes and sizes, nuts, and anything involving fruit.
However, some of my garden ideas CAN be pantrified.
-- Tiger Eye Beans: dried
-- Vermont Cranberry Bean: dried
-- Wax Bean: canned
-- Midnight Black Turtle Bean: dried
-- Sugar Snow Pea: frozen
-- Herbs of all shapes and sizes: dried/keep growing :-P
-- Tomatoes: canned, tomato sauce, etc.
-- Cabbage: lactofermented, canned
-- Cucumber: pickled
-- Zucchini: frozen
-- Summer Squash: frozen
Root Cellar Storage Items:
-- Cabbage
-- Carrot
-- Watermelon
-- Cantaloupe
Here's to hoping that I have enough of my plantings to actually store!
Seeds!
So my order from FedCo arrived on Saturday -- now I just have to figure out what to do with all of it! Here's my rather optimistic, hopeful, newbie order:
- Cilantro (1 gram)
- German Chamomile (1 gram)
- Sweet Basil (4 grams)
- Bouquet Dill (4 grams)
- Heirloom Tomato Mix (1/5 gram)
- "Be My Baby Gene Pool" Cherry Tomato (1/5 gram)
- Rutgers Tomato (1/5 gram)
- Long Red Narrow Cayenne Pepper (1/2 gram)
- Melissa Savoy Cabbage (1/2 gram)
- Arugula (1/16 oz.)
- Salad Bowl Lettuce (2 grams)
- Sugar Snax 54 Carrot (1 gram)
- Sugar Baby Watermelon (1/16 oz.)
- Arava Cantaloupe (1 gram)
- General Lee Slicing Cuke (1/16 oz.)
- Raven Zucchini (1/8 oz.)
- Saffron Summer Squash (1/8 oz.)
- Baby Pam Pumpkin (1/4 oz.)
- Small Ornamental Gourds Mix (1/8 oz.)
- Tiger Eye Dry Bean (2 oz.)
- Vermont Cranberry Shell/Dry Bean (2 oz.)
- Indy Gold Bush Wax Bean (2 oz.)
- Midnight Black Turtle Dry Bean (2 oz.)
- Lincoln Shell Pea (2 oz.)
- Dwarf Grey Sugar Snow Pea (2 oz.)
Woof! We'll see how well any if all of them turn out! My worries are where I'm going to find space for it all... I'll probably mostly be doing container gardening, with some on the boy's deck, and some outside. A few problems with this: I don't have anything set up for starting plants inside, I don't have anything set up for plants that require runners, and my cat eats plants!
Now I have to figure out the schedule for planting...
- Cilantro (1 gram)
- German Chamomile (1 gram)
- Sweet Basil (4 grams)
- Bouquet Dill (4 grams)
- Heirloom Tomato Mix (1/5 gram)
- "Be My Baby Gene Pool" Cherry Tomato (1/5 gram)
- Rutgers Tomato (1/5 gram)
- Long Red Narrow Cayenne Pepper (1/2 gram)
- Melissa Savoy Cabbage (1/2 gram)
- Arugula (1/16 oz.)
- Salad Bowl Lettuce (2 grams)
- Sugar Snax 54 Carrot (1 gram)
- Sugar Baby Watermelon (1/16 oz.)
- Arava Cantaloupe (1 gram)
- General Lee Slicing Cuke (1/16 oz.)
- Raven Zucchini (1/8 oz.)
- Saffron Summer Squash (1/8 oz.)
- Baby Pam Pumpkin (1/4 oz.)
- Small Ornamental Gourds Mix (1/8 oz.)
- Tiger Eye Dry Bean (2 oz.)
- Vermont Cranberry Shell/Dry Bean (2 oz.)
- Indy Gold Bush Wax Bean (2 oz.)
- Midnight Black Turtle Dry Bean (2 oz.)
- Lincoln Shell Pea (2 oz.)
- Dwarf Grey Sugar Snow Pea (2 oz.)
Woof! We'll see how well any if all of them turn out! My worries are where I'm going to find space for it all... I'll probably mostly be doing container gardening, with some on the boy's deck, and some outside. A few problems with this: I don't have anything set up for starting plants inside, I don't have anything set up for plants that require runners, and my cat eats plants!
Now I have to figure out the schedule for planting...
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