~ firefly-dreaming a virtual home to learn (or teach!) alternative methods of solving problems we find facing us each day. By sharing ideas & knowledge on living with less stress, more joy & embracing tolerance & compassion we are working towards building a sustainable future for all living beings.
Both
<--leeks & onions -->
are biennials usually grown as annuals.
Leeks are milder flavored than most other onion-family crops, you can mulch long-season varieties in fall for winter and spring harvest. Long-season varieties have a dark, bluish-green color.
Whether harvested early for scallions (green onions), for summer meals, or winter storage, onions need rich, well-drained soil and good weed control. Tightly spaced green onions fit well in ornamental plantings.
When onions are first planted, their growth is concentrated on new roots and green leaves or tops. The onion will first form a top and then when a specific combination of daylight, darkness, and temperature is reached, bulb formation starts. The size of the mature onion bulb is dependent on the number and size of the tops. For each leaf, there will be a ring of onion; the larger the leaf, the larger the ring will be.
(all photos may be clicked to see a larger version)
<--Cabbage
and Kale-->
are cool-season vegetables high in nutrients, low in calories, and very tolerant of frost. They are used in many of the world's cuisines - think egg rolls, sauerkraut, and stuffed cabbage, to name just a few! - and some varieties are ideal as ornamental annual plants. They come in a wide range of colors, head shapes, and flavors, so you are certain to find a favorite among the many delicious (and beautiful) varieties!
When you're deciding what variety of Cabbage or Kale to plant in your garden, your decision will be mainly based on your taste and storage needs. Large-headed late Cabbages usually store well and are good for cooking, proving especially appropriate for turning into sauerkraut. Savoy and conical types are more tender and therefore good for slaws and salads, while Chinese cabbage is heat tolerant and quite versatile - it's delicious cooked or raw! As far as choosing a Kale, green ones tend to be sweeter while red varieties are somewhat more appealing to the eye. Red Kale also contains anthocyanins, an antioxidant!
If you want vegetables that are loaded with vitamins and nutrients as well as delicious flavors and beautiful, eye-catching colors, look no further than the numerous varieties of Broccoli and Cauliflower! These really are "super-veggies", packing a healthy punch in every scrumptious bite, offering heavy yields so you'll have plenty of fresh produce for every meal, and proving hardy and versatile enough to satisfy everyone!
All Broccoli and Cauliflower are packed with vitamins and nutrients, so when choosing what varieties to grow, you'll base your decision mostly on size and color. There are several compact types that don't require a lot of space, so they're the best choice for a limited gardening area. Heat tolerance is also a factor, especially for those living in the south. And if you're wanting to get your children to eat more healthy veggies, you might want to look at the more colorful, fun varieties!
a quick photo essay on seed starting....
(these pictures will open in another window if you'd like to view full size)
i finally got a seed heat mat (that's it on the left)
and a seed tray w/humidity cover...
well actually i got 2.
for years i just cut toilet paper rolls in half (paper towel rolls in 4)
cut 4 slits in their ends & fold up like a box....
it's been 13 yrs since i've started seeds. i hope this works!
(thank you Leo in NJ
& puzzled!
- promoted by RiaD)
This is a re-printing of Leo in NJ's DK diary, brought here with his permission:
Nothing beats fresh, homegrown vegetables and fruits. The taste and nutrition can't be beat. No fossil fuels are burned trucking them all over the continent. You know where they came from and what fertilizers and chemicals they've come in contact with. And the price can't be beat. The process of growing them can be laborious, but it's not rocket science, and I find it very rewarding.
Before you can get growing there is one thing you must have.... SEEDs!
When I started gardening there were only a couple places you could buy "good quality seed"... the local hardware store or the local feed & seed store.
Now, it seems, seeds are for sale at almost every store you go to- the dollar store, the big-box stores... even grocery stores often have seeds.
The question is- are all seeds the same?
Little did I know when i started but most seed from the local feed & seed store have been treated with chemicals. At that time organics was NOT a very well known concept. Almost all gardens were planted in rows (about 18 inches apart) & seeds for home gardeners came in packages designed to plant 100 foot row. If you ran out of seed before you ran out of row you were planting too close!
Alma has an eye problem just now. With her blessing (& her list!) I am taking over posting until she can pick it back up.
Feel Better!!! {{{{ Alma}}}}
Continuing on the Garden theme:
Firefly Dreaming is a year old and I thought it might be fun to look back at some of our first year posts that exemplify our firefly dreaming spirit and mission.
Original post with comments can be found here: Enabled Gardening 1 by Alma
I have Scoliosis which by itself is bad enough but to complicate matters I have a lateral listhesis That web site is for Spondylolisthesis which is the same as what I have but Spondylolisthesis is front to back, or back to front, where as mine is side to side. Mines much rarer so they never have really given it its own name.
A while ago, the NYT ran a story about growing mushrooms at home: shiitake, oyster, and a bunch of other varieties turn out to be fairly reliable for the home gardener, and there are even "mushrooming parties" to get things started. (Chanterelles & truffles, alas, are not among the ones that people can cultivate easily.)
There are perhaps 200 billets now, stacked like Lincoln Logs. While the wood sits impassively, as logs will do, long strands of mushroom - or mycelium - are infiltrating the grain and starting to decompose it. Later this spring and in the fall, the logs should flush with "fruit" where the spawn went in.
The reward? About a pound of edible mushrooms per log.
This is a picture of yummy sunflower sprouts ready to be cut for a salad
Fireflies we need to talk.....
The elephant in the room when it comes to growing is what if there is no sunlight? There are a number of things that can happen that can cause this and because this is a site for survival and helping each other this is the one thing you can grow without sunlight that is a complete food for humans and pets. This alone with fresh water is the most important thing to have stored in your pantry/garage/under the bed. Most of them do not require dirt but the ones that do just need a tray of dirt.
I love sprouts and have been growing them for over 30 years to add to my salads and sandwiches. Sprouts are quick, easy and fun (great for kids), nutritious, a complete food. I had a hard time writing this because there is so much to say, so I am going to just cover the basic and if you want to learn more I am adding links.
As children we learned you need three things to get your seeds to grow:
Sunshine, Water & Dirt
Sunshine~ most places have sufficient sunshine, even if you want to grow a few pots of veggies indoors you can easily purchase fluorescent lighting to imitate sunlight.
Water~ between rain and a hose this is generally easily accomplished.
DirtorSoil~ if you are container gardening this is easier for you than those growing directly in the ground. by purchasing bags of organic seed starter, organic soil, mushroom compost & composted manure you can start with nearly perfect soil. the thing is you will have to replace the soil in your pots EVERY year.
For the rest of us.....
Yes. Everyone has dirt but not all of it is the same...
It has been said that organic agriculture consists of growing soil - bountiful crops that are full of nutrition are merely a side effect of good land stewardship.
Before we can build dirt into soil we must know what makes up good soil.
Today we'll look at what is in your dirt....
From sweet to spicy to downright sizzling, there's a perfect Pepper for everyone! whether you're wanting a fresh and colorful garnish for your salads or you need to spice up those Mexican and Oriental dishes or you're simply looking for a tasty and nutritious snack food, Peppers are happy to provide what you need. If you've never attempted to grow these versatile veggies before, now is the time!
What makes peppers hot? The heat comes from a chemical compound called capsaicin. It is the pepper plant's best defense against mammals who would eat its foliage.
Capsaicin is created in the white pith of the chili pepper (not in the seeds, as many people think), and it works by stimulating nerve endings in the skin, especially the mucous membranes. Birds are not affected by the heat, which makes them perfect for dispersing the seed in the wild. They swallow pepper seeds without destroying them, and disperse the seeds later, wherever they happen to be -- which means that pepper seeds can often "travel" great distances from their parent plants!
Last week, the NYT ran a story about growing mushrooms at home: shiitake, oyster, and a bunch of other varieties turn out to be fairly reliable for the home gardener, and there are even "mushrooming parties" to get things started. (Chanterelles & truffles, alas, are not among the ones that people can cultivate easily.)
There are perhaps 200 billets now, stacked like Lincoln Logs. While the wood sits impassively, as logs will do, long strands of mushroom - or mycelium - are infiltrating the grain and starting to decompose it. Later this spring and in the fall, the logs should flush with "fruit" where the spawn went in.
The reward? About a pound of edible mushrooms per log.
Fruit or Vegetable? The definitions of "fruit" and "vegetable" are as numerous as the people writing them, but generally speaking, a fruit is the fleshy seed-bearing part of a flowering plant. By this definition, Tomato is a fruit, as are Squashes, Eggplants, and Cucumbers.
The trouble comes in when we stop thinking botanically and start thinking practically. In cooking, Tomatoes, Squash, and Cucumbers are considered vegetables, because they aren't as sweet as we expect "fruit" to be. Legally, according to an 1893 U.S. Supreme Court declaration, Tomato is classified as a vegetable because that is how it is used in cooking. (The legal case arose based on differing tariffs applied to fruits and vegetables.)
Perhaps Arkansas solved the problem best by declaring the Tomato to be both its state fruit and its state vegetable!
I have Scoliosis which by itself is bad enough but to complicate matters I have a lateral listhesis That web site is for Spondylolisthesis which is the same as what I have but Spondylolisthesis is front to back, or back to front, where as mine is side to side. Mines much rarer so they never have really given it its own name.
