Saturday Linkages: Soils, Prickly Pear and the Case for Going Outside

August 31, 2013

...essors. Let’s get (soil) physical… https://sharepoint.cahnrs.wsu.edu/blogs/urbanhort/Lists/Posts/ViewPost.aspx?ID=943 … The Science Behind Honey’s Eternal Shelf Life http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2013/08/the-science-behind-honeys-eternal-shelf-life/#.Uh0YB1lfCUw.twitter … Open Tech Forever: permaculture/open tech startup: http://boingboing.net/2013/08/21/open-tech-forever-permacultur.html … DIY Hanging Diamond Decor http://sugarandcloth....

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Sweet Potatoes for Breakfast

Mrs. Homegrown

September 11, 2013

Food

31 Comments

...tra effort. (ETA 9/27/13: I’ve been eating the sweet potatoes with yogurt, fruit and nuts and it is really, really good. Sort of like eating a Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole for breakfast. The fact that didn’t have the wherewithal to crack open the yogurt container and the nut jar until very recently speaks to my deep lethargy on hot summer mornings. ) Why do I do this? 1) This breakfast suits my complete and utter lack of morning ambition. I...

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Why is My Squash Bitter?

Mr. Homegrown

November 8, 2013

Gardening, Seeds, Squash Baby, Vegetable Gardening

6 Comments

...und called cucurbitacin . . . which can cause severe stomach pains. If the fruit are extremely bitter you might as well pull the plant up and start again because they will not likely become un-bitter. Cross-pollinated freak seeds are the culprit. And even reputable seed companies can screw up, especially with Cucurbitaceae. Glover goes on to note that mildly bitter squash could just be a symptom of stress: heat, cold or lack of nutrients. Have you...

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Straw Bale Garden: What I Learned

Mr. Homegrown

November 12, 2013

Gardening, Straw Bale Gardening, Vegetable Gardening

29 Comments

...y tomatoes flourished but, due to the high nitrogen, made more leaves than fruit. I’m not saying you shouldn’t plant tomatoes in straw bales–results will be better than in poor soil, but it’s hard to regulate the amount of nitrogen when prepping bales. Stake the bales. They will fall over eventually. I knew this but was too lazy to actually do it. Straw bale gardens are a great option for those cursed by poor or contaminated soil. I’ve got lot of...

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Hoshigaki Season

Mr. Homegrown

November 26, 2013

Food, Food Preservation

9 Comments

...licacy made by hanging peeled persimmons up in a window to dry. Hoshigaki are chewy and subtly sweet. The texture of hoshigaki is different than what you would get if you just put persimmons in a dehydrator. And if all goes right the sugar comes to the surface making it look like the fruit has been dipped in powdered sugar. If you can find them in a Japanese market they are extremely expensive. And the ones I saw at our local market were vastly in...

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