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10 reasons Everyone Should Grow Edible Perennials

And 15 Great Perennials to Grow

• After initial planting perennials are less work.   Once established perennials can survive neglect, whereas annuals with their shallow roots need much more care and attention.  This is great for “lazy” or “busy” gardener like me.  Perennials don’t need much watering (once established) due to their deep roots.  These roots can be 8-11 feet deep.  Perennials also store energy in their roots making them healthier and more resistant to pests.
• A beautiful, edible landscape can be created with perennials.  The shoots, fruits, leaves, seeds, pods, beans, and roots or tubers can be consumed as food.  The flowers and foliage can beautify your landscape.  For instance groundnut (Apios americana) have a beautiful pink and white flower with green foliage and produce an edible tuber similar to nutty flavored potatoes.  The tubers are high protein.
• The growing season can be extended with perennials.  Perennials often produce much earlier than annuals.  In colder climates some perennials produce as soon as the snow subsides.  Also during different periods of growth a variety of edibles can be found.  For instance:  the shoots may be eaten first, then the fruit, stalk or root.
• Perennials can add variety to our diets with exotic, new (to us) edibles.    Varieties such as edible lotus, oca, canna lily.
• Perennials can be used to create microclimates to grow plants that normally couldn’t be grown in a specific area.  Perennials deep roots mine water and nutrients. Their large foliage can block out light and prevent weeds.  This makes for a cooler, moister environment – a micro climate…
• Perennials improve the soil.  Their deep roots pull water and minerals up from the earth which benefits their neighbors.  The extra foliage from trimming or pruning can also be used as mulch.
• Perennials can help you save money.  First you don’t have to buy so many seed every year.  Less watering, compost and other amendments are needed.  And they are easy to reproduce.  An example is artichokes.  Cut the plant at the end of the season.  Dig up part of the root system and replant.  Tubers can be grown from tubers.  Some plants shoot out runners.  And we can plant seeds.  Some even self seed. Of course you can grow from cuttings, such as elderberries.
• Perennials can produce more fruit or products than you could use.  Some may think this is a negative thing.  But I believe it is a positive.  As I mentioned before all the trimmings and extra foliage can be used for mulch.  This will help hold in moisture and provide nutrients to plants.  Any extra food products can be processed for storage, fed to livestock, or used as compost.  So for me perennials are a must in my Homestead Design.
• Perennials have multiple uses in a polyculture. Many of the beans and tubers are nitrogen fixers. Some are nutrient accumulators such as chicory, dandelion, the sorrels, stinging nettle, and watercress.  Some make excellent edible ground covers, many with nectar filled flowers attract beneficial insects.  They can be used as hedges.  Vining types can make good shade in the summer and then die back in the winter to let the sun shine in.
• Perennials Sequester Carbon.  Perennials use CO2 from the air use it for long term storage in soil and plant parts.  With so much deforestation today, this is important for the environment

• So What Perennials to Grow?

• Well as they say in Permaculture – it depends.  You have to decide what you like and what will grow in your climate.  But I am more than happy to give some ideas.

• Groundnuts (Apios americana):  As mentioned above they are a potato like tuber with a nutty flavor…yum!  Beautiful pink showy flowers green foliage and food.  It’s a winner in my book. These are hardy to zone 3.  The Native Americans grew them near a shrub used for support as they are a vining plant.  They need moisture and full sun or partial shade. Here is a link to more info: http://www.eattheweeds.com/groundnuts-anti-cancer-treat/
  

  Groundnut Flower

  

  Groundnuts

  

  Beautiful Groundnut

• Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis): Probably one of the best known perennials grown in America. It needs full sun and well drained soil.  It is hardy to zone 3.  
  

  Asparagus Plant

  

  Asparagus

• Ramps, or Wild leeks (Allium tiococcum):  Ramps are a relative of onion.  The leaves and bulbs are edible.  Ramps thrive as a shady border and they do well  in moist loam  They are hardy to zone 4.
  

  Ramps / Wild Leek

• Jerusalem Artichoke or Sunchoke (helianthus tuberosus) Another plant grown by Native Americans.  They have beautiful sunflower like blooms and edible tubers.  The stalks are 6-12 ft high.   The raw tubers are sweet and crisp.  They contain inulin, so it doesn’t spike your blood sugar. As a bonus they attract beneficial insects. Plant in spring, harvest in fall and winter.  Hardy to zone 2.
  

  Jerusalem Artichoke Tubers

  

  Jerusalem Artichoke Flowers from my own

• Crosnes, or Chinese Artichoke (Stachys affinis):  A relative of mint also called mintroot  forms a dense, foot high ground cover.  It produces small, white, crunchy, sweet tubers.  They are great in salads.  Tubers need to be harvested annually. They grow in partial shade with well drained soil.  They are hardy to zone 5.  
  

  Chinese Artichoke Tubers

  

  Chinese Artichoke

• Rhubarb (Rheum x cultorum):  Most people have heard about rhubarb pie.  But the red stems are also used as vegetables for soups in Asia.  The leaves and roots are poisonous.  Rhubarb likes full sun and rich well drained soil.  Rhubarb is hardy to zone 5.  Rhubarb is harvested in spring.
  

  Rhubarb

• French Sorrel (Rumex acetosa): The edible leaves have a lemony tang, great for soups and salads.  Sorrel can be harvested early spring to late fall.  It grows in sun or shade and is hardy to zone 3.  
  

  French Sorrel

• Good king Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus):  It has tasty edible shoots, leaves, and flower buds harvested in spring.  It is a relative of spinach and thrives in sun, or partial shade in well drained moist soil. Good King Henry should be planted in composted soil.  It is hardy to zone 3.  
  

  Good King Henry

• Lovage (lefisticum officinale):  This 6 ft. tall perennial is an excellent substitute for celery.  It is often used in soups.  The seeds and roots are also edible.  It has umbel flowers that attract beneficial insects.  It can grow in sun or partial shade and is hardy to zone 4.
  

  Lovage

• Sea Kale (Crambie Maritime):  It is a coastal native sometimes grown as an ornamental.  The plant is 3 ft tall with gray-blue leaves and white flowers.  The shoots have a hazelnut flavor when harvested at propagate from seed – nick the seeds and plant in moist, well drained soil in full sun.  It is hardy to zone 4.
  

  Sea Kale

   

• Tree Collards (Brassica oleracea):  These were originally grown as animal fodder.  The tall stalks were actually treated and used as walking sticks.  Most varieties do well in the Pacific Northwest.  But some varieties as B.o. acephala (Tropical Tree Kale) can tolerate the heat. This is actually a kale closely related to tree collards. They can be trimmed like a tree or can get up to 20 ft tall.  They are grown from cuttings taken before they get woody for best results.
  

  Tree Collard

• Air Potato (Discorea bulbifera):  Native to Africa and Asia and considered invasive in Florida.  Air potato is a true yam. It forms bulbils in the leaf axis and underground tubers.  They are often bitter but this can be removed by boiling.  They reproduce from the bulbils and can grow 8 ft.  a day and up to 150 ft.  Some uncultivated varieties can be poisonous. 
  

  Air Potato

• Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus):  Hyacinth bean is believed to be native to Africa and Asia.  It is often grown as an ornamental.  The young pods, flowers, young leaves and tubers are edible.  The young pods are said to taste like sweet green peas. The dry seeds contain toxins that are deactivated by cooking.  
  

  Hyacinth Bean

• Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea):  Sometimes called German turnip.   The taste and texture is similar to a broccoli stem or cabbage, but much sweeter and milder.  The young stem can be as juicy and crisp as an apple. The leaves have a spinach color and taste like bok choy crossed with Swiss chard.
  

  Kholabri

• Edible Canna Lily (Canna indica var. edulis):  Also called Queensland Arrowroot is related to garden canna.  It can grow 6 ft. tall and has beautiful red flowers. It grows well in dry conditions, but also tolerates moist boggy soil.  The thickening agent arrowroot powder can be made from the roasted tubers.  The bottom of the first foot of stems can be peeled and used in stir fry dishes.  Flowers can be used in salads.  The leaves can be used to wrap food for roasting or grilling – similar to using banana leaves.  Here is a wonderful article on Cannas: http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1315/ANR-1315.pdf
  

  Canna Lily
  Canna indica

   

  

  Canna Rhizome

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After getting this adorable 8 week old Dwarf Nigerian goat, we had to learn fast.  He was supposed to be weaned.  However when my son went to pick him up he noticed him sucking the fingers of the man selling him.  When we got him home, he wouldn’t eat, but he would nuzzle for milk.  So we decided to bottle feed him a while in addition to hay and goat good. I also discuss what to do with baby goats:  how to get them tame, bottle feeding vs attention,  what to look for and what is normal, castration methods, dehorning, and when to separate from the mother. My son reminds me he is not a dog.  I want him to be tame like a dog.

Artichokes and asparagus  

I also talk about artichoke, which I repeatedly call asparagus.  I did talk a little about asparagus too.

 I talk about honey locusts

We discuss honey locust trees and why they are great for the homestead.  They are good mulch for homesteader, good fodder for animals and wonderful wood for fence posts and such.  But will they grow where I live. These are pics of my  2 varieties and one ready to flower.

Hop teas as medicine

And we talk about hop teas as medicine.  Good for all kinds of ailments, especially for menopausal symptoms.  And much safer than hormone replacement therapy.

 Ostrich fern

We also discuss ostrich fern – a wild edible.  I loved eating this in Hawaii and you have to be careful as there are inedible look a likes.

 And as always farm updates.

Spring is in the air and here are pics of 3 baby cardinals on a gardenia tree by my front door.

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LATIN FOR BOTANY

One may ask, “Why bother to learn any Latin?” I would like to learn it to help identify plants. Latin names give information about plant histories, native habitats and how to grow them.  A plant may have many common names, but only one Latin name.  This is it’s true botanical name.  One thing  like about Latin names is since Latin is a dead language, you don’t have to worry so much about mispronunciation.  So no one can pick at me about my “Redneck Latin”.  If one obtains a plant with the botanical name, you could be sure you have the correct plant. There are two parts – the GENUS (genera is plural for genus) is the family name.  It is capitalized.  An example would be ALLIUM.  This would be the family of cultivated onions.  Another is CUCURBITACEAE –  squash family.  This family (collection of related genera) contains CUCUBITA (squash and pumpkins), CITRULLUS (watermelons), and CUCUMIS  (melons and cucumbers).  The genus (family name) is abbreviated ( ALLIUM would be A.) if mentioned a times in a series.  The second name is the species.  Where  as the GENUS is noun, species would be a descriptive adjective. Sometimes a third name is added for further description.  For example: Acer palmatum dissectum _ Acer is maple;   palmatum describes it as ” shaped  like a hand”; dissectum is finely dissected.  This is the name for Japanese maple.  A capitalized name in quotation marks represents a hybrid plant.

KIWI

Kiwi or Chinese gooseberry is native to southern China, growing wild in the hills and bushes.  kiwi was brought to the US, UK, and New Zealand around 1900-1910.  In 1930 they were grown commercially in New Zealand.  The genus is Actinidia and they have over 50 species.  Some examples are:

A. deliciosa – A commercial variety also known as ” Hayward – the female variety”  It is fuzzy brown with good fruit that keeps up to 6 months.  It is tart sweet and commonly grown in California.  It is hardy to 10 degrees F.

A. aruguta is hardy to -25 degrees F. it is commonly grown in the west by home gardeners.  This is known as the hardy kiwi.  It is a cousin of A.chinesis; and native to northeastern Asia. A. chinesis is native to southern China.  It is smaller, about  the size of a cherry.  The skin is smooth and edible.  Fruit is green yellow and acidic when unripe.  When ripe, it is considered superior.  A. kolomita is another cold hardy fruit.  Neither of these are grown commercially.

All actinidia are sensitive to frost when young.  They can be damaged by even 30 F.  Spring frost can damage the flower buds.  The trunks can also be damaged by frost and need protection. They need 220 days of a frost free growing season.  Kiwis often die the first season due to poor drainage or frost damage. They can, however be grown in 5 gallon buckets the first year.  This would solve the drainage problem and they could easily be tented for frost protection.  The roots must also be protected from freezing.  A planting site must have protection from wind and good drainage.  Ph needs to be around 6.5 and they can be planted 15-18 ft apart.  A male pollinator is needed for  8 female plants.  Fertilize with 2-4 oz slow release 10-10-10 fertilizer at planting time.  After that twice a year in spring and early June. One kiwi plant can  produce up to 200 pounds of fruit, so a  strong trellis is needed.  6 inch posts 6 ft high are good.  You will need strong 18 -12 guage wire. They need to be cross braced for added strength.  Young plants need to be trained up the trellis. A single shoot running up.  Don’t allow it to wrap around the post.  On top of trellis train to center in one direction.  Next year train a long center wire in the opposite direction.  ”Permanent leaders”of the lateral canes will produce fruit the following year.  When pruning leave the main leaders, replace all other wood yearly for better production.  Plants usually fruit in their 4th year and reach full production by the eighth  year.  They can live 50  years or more,

Kiwis can be propagated from hard wood cutting – after 500 chill hours, softwood cuttings in July, by air layering, and from seed.

Hardy Kiwi fruit matures in October, so may be picked earlier to avoid frost.  They may be ripened in the refrigerator, but with a shorter storage life than the fuzzy kiwi.

Kiwi is considered a very healthy food.  High in vitamin C, beta carotenes, a variety of flavenoids carotenoids and phytonutrients.  It has an ability to protect DNA from oxygen related damage.  It’s fiber is good for decreasing cholesterol, preventing heart disease, stabilizing blood sugar, and preventing colon cancer by removing toxins.  A published study of 18,00 children showed improvement from asthma after 5-7 servings of kiwi per week.  Of course the one you grow at home would be fresher with much better with more antioxidants.

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• Today we talk about wood sorrel – identification, uses as an edible and medicinal uses.
• Kiwi, I started but will finish info on this plant on the next podcast.
• Perennials
• Shitake mushroom. How delicious it is, medicinal uses, and substrates to grow it on.
• Milk thistle and other thistles. Noxious weed or wonderful herb?  How to use it for medicine.
• And of course farm updates, especially my pregnant boer goats.
• And  as always; jibber jabber!

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Here is a link to 2 great free videos on identifying wild mushrooms:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlKhBX-cmhs  The seond video is slow in the beginning but lots of great info!

YOU CAN GROW MUSHROOMS!!

1. Growing mushrooms is easy and fun.  Before we get started lets learn a little.  We talk about:
2. History of mushrooms
3. Classified in 3 groups: Mycorrhizal, parasitic, and sacrophytic
4. Primary, secondary, and tertiary decomposers
5. Mushrooms used for cleaning toxic wastes
6. Mycofiltration

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• Today we talk about growing potatoes, different waya and varieites
• Growing and processing sweet potatoes – how to make them sweeter
• FBI moneypak virus
• Oca the wonderful little known tuber
• Ideas for land management – Ancient Inca style
• National Acadimies Press - free books and lots of them
• Nematode control naturally

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I  have an update on growing blueberries.  Companion planting.  what plants grow well with blueberries.  Well, they have to be acid loving plants, and here is a list:

Wintergreen a good ground cover.

Landscape plants: rhododendron, comptonia, juniper, heath, blue hydrangea, holly (winterberry), petunia, pansy, azalea, viola, cranberry, bleeding heart, stokes aster, camellia, foxglove.

I also will talk about edible landscaping.  I hope to include some plants you may never have heard of.  We already talked about some: blueberries, elderberries, medlar, etc.  Today I will go into detail on Juneberries:  They look like a blueberry and taste like a cherry with an almond flavored seed.  That sounds delicious!  They are the size of blueberries and usually blue or purple.  They are a pom fruit related to the apple and pear. They can be red and even creamy white.  There are many species. They have grown in Asia, Europe, and North America.  The grow in every state in the continental US and all over Canada.  The American Indians used the berries in making pemmican by pounding the meat into the fat of deer, moose, caribou and buffalo.   With all the different species they range in size from shrubby plants to trees reaching 50 feet in height.  They are also beautiful plants.  In early spring they are covered in white blossoms.  In the summer they have the fruit and soft green leaves.  In the fall they bear purple, orange and yellow colors.  Then in winter they bear a striated gray bark.  One variety known as Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia) is a mispronounced Cree Indian name (mis-sask-quah-too-min)  It is very cold hardy and can tolerate -60 degrees F.  Fruit color comes in blue, creamy white and red.  Berries can reach over 1/2 inch in size. Hardiness zones for Juneberries are 3-8.  They can fruit in sun or partial shade and tolerate a wide variety of soils.  They bear fruit 2-4 years after planting.  It will be easier to harvest with plants that only get about 6 feet tall.  And they should be about 8 feet apart.  Pruning every winter will produce more and juicier fruit.  Some species put out suckers and can be propagated by a sucker with lots of roots.  The type for trees can be planted from seed.  They often grow true to seed. (exception white Juneberries)  If planting from seed, don’t et them dry out and stratify for 3-4 months. Softwood stem cuttings can be rooted also, but must be taken at just the right time.  They must be harvested as soon as they are ripe or they will shrivel quickly.  They are great fresh, in jams, jellies or frozen.

Cornelian Cherry:  Cornelian cherries are basically dogwoods with edible seeds. This fruit has been eaten for over 7000 years.  Trace of it were found  at a site in Northern Greece with remains of einkorn wheat, barley, lentils, and peas.  It can grow to 25 ft. tall.

We also discuss in the podcast:

Making deodorant, bath bombs, dishwashing liquid.  And I go into greater detail on soap making.  And as always I’ll talk about updates around the farm.

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An interview with Greg Harvey, we talk about maple syrup and how to do it.  What is happening on his homestead, pigs, goats, guinea fowl, pig tillers, an ice house, gardening with wood chips and hugel beds.

I had so much fun yesterday.  I made my own chap stick and deodorant.

The chap stick is absolutely luscious.  Creamy cocoa butter, coconut oil, olive oil, beeswax.  Clean and pure. Pretty easy just get a pot with boiling water,  a pyrex cup set inside.  Put in 2 tsp coconut oil (slightly less) 1-1/8 tsp cocoa butter, 3 tsp olive oil, 1-1/2 tsp beeswax, 3 vitamin E caps – or use a few drops of liquid.  Put everything except vitamin e in the pyrex and heat it in boiling water.  When it is melted squeeze the vitamin E from the caps.  Stir and put in chapstick holders. It makes 7. Delicious!!

And I am giving homeade deodorant another try.  I did it before and it burned my pits and didn’t work.  But I tried it again with shea butter, coconut oil, baking soda, and arrowroot powder. And lavender oil.  I am still waiting on my rose oil to come in.  I have some on now and it is burning slightly… So we will see!  Here is a link to the recipe, thanks Doodle:

http://jojoandeloise.com/2012/08/diy-lavender-and-rose-deodorant/ Be careful with the baking soda.  Some have aluminum.   That kind of defeats the purpose. You can buy it aluminum free from Bulk Apothecary.  I haven’t purchased from them yet.  But their prices look great.  I will update you!

This week I ran out of dishwashing liquid, so I made my own.  So easy and much cheaper than buying it.  I think it is easier on my septic system too!   Just put a little white vinegar in the rinse cycle.  It will make your dishes sparkling and help clean the mineral deposits off the pipes!  Here is the recipe:  1 cup washing soda, 1 cup borax, 1/2 cup citric acid (we will talk about this and substitutes on the podcast.), 1/2 cup salt.  This worked great. I don’t plan on buying the stuff from the store anymore!  (hmmm sounds like a country song. LOL)

And I found something I can use to de-ice my truck windows.  1 & 1/2 cups vinegar to 1/2 cup water. in a spray bottle.  It really did work much faster.  I tried it with the spray and 1/2 without.  It de-iced much quicker with the spray!

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The acid heads of the garden, very powerful antioxidants and on the dirty dozen for pesticides in non organic foods.  But who can afford organic blueberries; not me!  I have a link to a wonderful little kindle book I got for free.  I hope you can get it too!  http://www.amazon.com/Blueberries-Your-Backyard-Antioxidant-ebook/dp/B0085YNZD2/ref=zg_bs_292975011_f_22

So, why would we want to grow blueberries?  In my personal opinion they are a perfect plant for homesteaders.  They can grow in a multitude of environments including in containers.  They have beautiful foliage. They are a super food, high in antioxidants.  And best of all they are yummy.  Just thinking of little blue faced, smurf looking children raiding the blueberry bushes makes me smile.  So let’s dive in!

1. Health benefits: The  highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit, Neutralizes  free radicals which can affect disease and aging in the body, Aid  in reducing belly fat, Helps promote urinary tract health, Preserves vision, Great for brain health, Prevents heart disease, Lowers cholesterol,  Improves digestion,  Prevents constipation, Prevents cancer,  they Improve mood and Prevent depression.  Here are links for more information: http://www.womenfitness.net/blueberries.htm  http://www.naturalnews.com/030927_grape_seed_extract_brain_health.html  http://www.naturalnews.com/blueberries.html  a breakdown of  nutrition – http://www.blueberrycouncil.org/health-benefits-of-blueberries/blueberry-nutrition/
2. The blueberry bush is a beautiful plant and a wonderful food hedge.  In the spring the flowers form in clusters of tiny, pink-tinged white bells on the twigs of the blueberry bushes. In the summer, the leaves turn a deep rich green with a shiny texture.  In the fall  leaves of the blueberry bushes go from green to a deep dark red, then the red color will brighten and you will see some bright orange in the foliage. The leaves remain on the bush a good portion of the fall; and you should get several weeks of outstanding fall color. In the winter Blueberry bushes display red color in their twigs and buds.  And lets not forget about the beautiful tiny white flowers and dark purple, green and pink berries in different stages of ripening. So what could be better for an ornamental in the yard, or a hedge of food producing plants (a fedge), or a nice potted plant for the porch?
3. There are 3 basic types of blueberries: highbush, lowbush, and rabbiteye.  Lowbush grow 1-3 ft tall, more like a groundcover.  They thrive in Eastern Canada, new England and the upper Midwest. Highbush usually reach 5-6 ft. tall and up to 10 ft.  Highbush grow in the Mid-Atlantic states and on the West Coast.  Norhern Highbush varieties include: Bluecrop, Elizabeth, Rubel, Duke, Jersey, and Legacy.  Originally the Highbush varieties couldn’t be grown in the South; but fortunately Southern Highbush Varieties have been developed. They have a lower chill requirement and would fruit better in the heat. Some of these varieties are: Southmoon, Sharpblue, Misty, O’Neal, Jubilee’ and the 3-4 foot dwarf Sunshine Blue.  Rabbiteye Blueberries are native to the Southeast; from Texas to North Carolina to Florida.  There are best adapted to the hot climate of the deep  south.  Varieties include:  Brightwell, Climax, Beckyblue,  Powder Blue, Tifblue, Chaucer, and Centurion.  here is a link for more info on Rabbiteye blueberries from Texas A&M; http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut/files/2010/10/blueberries.pdf
4. Blueberries do have special growing requirements that some say make growing them in a pot even easier.  You will get more fruit and larger plants if grown in the ground however.  The main thing is they are acid lovers.  Ph should be about 4.0 to 5.5.  This can be accomplished with the right soil and amendments.  Just invest in a ph meter.  They are cheap and easy to use. Just poke the prongs in the ground and read it.  For the soil mix there are many recipes, all require lots of pine straw, bark or compost to lower the ph. Here is a typical one: 1/3 bark, 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 forest product potting soil.(Dave Wilson Nursery Recipe).  Another from Raintree Nursery: 80% shredded bark, 10% pumice, and 10% peat moss. Another way is:. Use a one-third mix of potting soil intended for camellias and azaleas, peat moss, and small pathway bark, along with a handful of soil sulfur.
   A good rule of thumb is to have 60 -80% of your “soil” as pine bark, needles or peat moss to keep  the ph low and have good drainage.  If  planted in a container at least 15 gallon size would be the best. Unless you grow a smaller variety like the Top Hat Blueberry.  Every year add more acid mulch, compost or sulphur.  I have read even coffee grounds work!  Blueberries need more plants to fruit well for pollination.
5. Suggestions are to plant several varieties that flower at the same time for better pollination.  I’d like to have different varieties that flower all through the season for a longer harvest.  Another good thing about blueberries is the fruit doesn’t come all at once.  So you aren’t overwhelmed, but rather a few ripen at a time. Another reason they are so expensive to buy, they can’t be harvested all at once. Link for charts on chill hours, fruiting time from a nursery: http://www.fallcreeknursery.com/nursery/two_column/fruiting_season_chart
6. If planted in a container make sure they get afternoon shade as they could easily get too hot. And don’t forget to provide good drainage.
7. Blueberries produce only 2-3 years on each limb.  So if you want heavy production, they must be pruned.  And don’t forget the bird netting – as they love the berries too.
8. When your over abundance happens they can be frozen, canned, made into jelly, jam, pies, cookies, smoothies, ice cream, wine, mead, beer, etc.  Also don’t forget they can be dehydrated.  I love dehydrated blueberries in my salad or with my 85% dark chocolate… Food of the Gods.
9. Did I convince you yet?
10. We also talk al little bit about birthing goats.
11. Tumeric, the miracle herb.
12. A fun you tube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqArHwtvE9Y

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The wonderful world of vinegar!

Vinegar can easily be made from any fruit or even old wine or beer.   You can easily make it from fresh apple cider, or fruit scraps.  Here are some ideas:  Recycling fruits for vinegars:

Pineapple vinegar – to 1 pineapple peeling chopped add 1/4 cup sugar and about a quart or liter of water.  Cover with cheesecloth to keep flies out.  After about 1 week it will darken.  At this point strain.  Let it age at least 2-3 weeks more.

Think also about apples – peels and cores, bananas, grapes, berries, pears, plums, peaches.  Think about blueberries or black berries.  Same recipe 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar to 1 quart water over fruit scraps!

Switchel (vinegar based soft drink) : 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup molasses, 2 inches grated gingerroot.

How about a blackberry vinegar?
1.  Stir 2 cups blackberries and 2-3 TBL sugar together in a non-reactive pan and heat
on low .
2.  Pour berry-sugar mixture into a glass jar or bowl.  Add 2 cups vinegar.
Stir and mash to combine ingredients and release juice from berries.
Cover bowl completely with plastic wrap or cheesecloth
3.  Stir the mixture once every two or three days.
3.  In two weeks, stir the mixture and then strain the mixture through a
cheesecloth or sieve (to remove seeds).
Then strain again through coffee or tea filters (for a very clear vinegar).
Keeps up to a year in the fridge.

Here is an idea just for fun; coffee vinegar: http://frombellytobacon.com/2012/10/25/coffee-vinegar-and-kombucha/

Hmmm, isn’t kombucha just a fermented (vinegar) tea….

I noticed a lot of recipes for fruit vinegars were just simmering fruit in white vinegar.  I’m sure these taste fine and are probably great for salad dressings and marinating meat.  However, I would like to make mine with “the Mother”.  This way you also get all the probiotic goodness.

I interview Gregg Cole (AKA Gregg Carter) and here is a link to his blog:www.theruraleconomist.blogspot.com

More on herbs:

Chamomile, cleavers, comfrey and crampbark.

Dog urine removal link: http://www.dogchatforum.com/dog_urine_odor.htm#.USpiC8Ao7LQ

I keep forgetting to mention this:In answer to question: sauerkraut salt to cabbage ratio.  For 5# cabbage add 3 TBL salt.