Plant Update

Pepper Plant

Tomatillo Plant

 It's now week 5 for most of our plants, here's some updated pictures.

James and I put the fence up around the garden last week to keep deer and other animals (including Oscar!) out.  We increased the size of our garden(s) by 1/3 this year! Very exciting! We also switched to the raised bed method. James dug down 16" last fall and put compost on top of each bed. The snow melt really broke up the soil and it looks much better then last year! Because of the cost of wood (and the time it'd take) we're not boxing them in, but I think they'll be fine without the border. We're really excited to have all that depth of soft soil for the roots to grow in!
My mom and I planted cabbage, lettuce plants and seeds and onions over the weekend. James and I are going to wait a week before planting peas (it's killing me!) because of next weeks temps in the 30s and 40s.

My mom and I planted the cabbage plants on 3/20

 

Tomato Plant

Our Garden

Foraging in Early Spring: To the woods we go!

(Written by Julie)

This weekend my parents came to visit and we took them out foraging. We were looking for an edible weed called Chickweed and Stinging Nettles. About a month ago James and I had already went out and successfully found chickweed. The Nettles are just now coming up. From what I've researched chickweed grows even though the winter, its just a matter of finding it because of snow on the ground.

We did find both chickweed and the nettles. We found the majority of Chickweed on little hills facing South or West where the sun has most exposure. It also was more common growing under or right next to trees or fallen logs. I think most of that has to do with the deer getting the easily exposed stuff.

Stinging Nettles - We brought a pair of rubber gloves to get pick them, they will sting you if you touch them with your bare hands! These we just found randomly springing up here and there. There did seem to have a quite a few patches around each other. They're very young right now and just sprouting up from the ground.


We're anxious to look for Morel Mushrooms in a few weeks.. we searched last year without finding any but we're hoping to make the find this year!

 Chickweed

Stinging Nettles

Eating:
Chickweed- We have put on salads, sandwiches and in smoothies. I think it can be used just like lettuce or any other green.
Nettles- These MUST be cooked up to 120 degrees in order for the stingers to break down. We put some butter and seasoning on them and they tasted much like cooked Spinach. More information at the end of this post is a link to a syrup that can be made for allergies.

NUTRITION:

Chickweed
is an excellent source of vitamins A, D, B complex, C, and rutin (an accompanying flavonoid), as well as iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, sodium, copper, and silica.

Nettles
Stinging Nettles have to be one of the most nutritious foods out there.
Properties:
Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, anti-anaphylactic,anti-

rheumatic, anti-asthmatic, anti-convulsant, anti-dandruff, anti-histamine, astringent, decongestant, depurative, diuretic, haemostatic, hypoglycaemic, hypotensive, galactagogue, immunomodulator, prostate tonic, stimulating tonic.
Indicated for:
Seasonal allergies, arthritis, bronchitis, bursitis, gingivitis, laryngitis, prostatitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, tendinitis, BPH, rheumatism and other inflammatory conditions. High blood pressure, hair loss, anaemia, excessive menstruation, haemorrhoids, eczema, gout, sciatica, neuralgia, haemorrhoids. Alzheimer's disease, asthma, bladder infections, hives, kidney stones, multiple sclerosis, PMS, prostate enlargement and sciatica

Numbers indicate mg per 100g of Nettles,
Calcium (2900) Magnesium (860) Chromium (3.9) Cobalt (13.2) Iron (41.8) Phosphorus (447) Potassium (1750 )Zinc (4.7) Thiamine (0.54) Riboflavin (0.43) Vitamin A (15,700IU) Niacin (5.2) Protein (10.2%) Manganese (7.8) Selenium (2.2) Silicon (10.3) Tin (2.7) Vitamin C (83) Sodium (4.9) Copper, Sulfur, Vitamin D, Vitamin K

More information : http://kcorganic.ws/ and 

http://www.veria.com/concentrated-allergy-relief.html?utm_source=veria&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_03-21-11&mailer_id=36&user_id=NDY3MQ==

Seeds started

This year we decided that we were going to plant our garden from all heirloom seeds; no hybrid plants at all.  We bought a bunch of seeds from Baker Creek Seed Catalog, and got them started in trays in mid-February.  At first we were growing them under a single-bulb fluorescent light we had in the basement, but it was hard to get everyone good time close to the light.  We went to the Habitat ReStore to try and find a fixture with multiple bulbs, and we found a 2x4' fixture with room for 4 bulbs (the kind that usually hangs in drop-ceilings) and the results were amazing!  Every plant started growing exponentially better and fuller.  I'm not quite nerdy enough to calculate this precisely, but it seems like the leaves have 20% growth every day.  We also got some handy advice from a local organic farmer (who is also leading a wild-plant foraging trip on April 15th near our house) to surround the light with aluminum foil, since it reflects something like 98% of the light.

As the little seedlings started getting bigger and their true leaves sprouted, we transferred them from their seed-starting trays into 2-liter bottles that we got from a lady on craigslist.  We cut off the tops, washed them, and then drilled holes in the bottom for water drainage.  Julie's idea is to keep putting more dirt in there as they grow taller, so that new roots shoot out from the stems, so by the time they make the journey outside, the root structure is 6-8" deep, instead of 2-3".  I married a brilliant woman.

 As of today, we're at the point where we need more 2-liter bottles, so we're going to go recycling-dumpster-diving at a recycling center this afternoon.  Hopefully the thing is full, so I don't have to actually "dive" in, but some of our tomato plants look like miniature trees and have outgrown their little 1" seed cutting tray.

There's so much information and energy in those little seeds!
 
Edit:  Wife took some pictures!!!

These are the little guys pre-germination.  We started them in the bathroom was the warmest, darkest place in the house.  It's small, so all the heat gets trapped in there.  Started on Feb. 13th.

The tomatoes had germinated by the 17th!  So crazy! (The normal time is 7 days)

That's our celery and lettuce enjoying their new light

This is where the action's at folks.  It's sitting next to the south window for maximum natural light too.  The aluminum foil really makes a big difference in there.

One of our tomato plants at 3 weeks. 

Lettuce.