Monthly Archives: April 2012

Biochar Compost FTW

Back in October, I wrote this and this about the process of making biochar.  This weekend, I put the finished product to use!  Backing up a step…after crushing the charcoal and soaking it thoroughly, I mixed it with compost and … Continue reading

Posted in Vegetables | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

The Bear Is Back

A year ago (or was it 2?), a sow and her yearling cubs killed my three ducks, and perhaps 24 neighbor chickens, over the course of three nights. A couple of nights ago, a bear – likely the American black … Continue reading

Posted in Animals | Tagged | 7 Comments

Rapini and Other Flowers

A few days of warm weather, and most everything that can bloom is blooming.  Pictured here is rapini, and the rest of the October-planted fall/winter vegetables – broccoli, mustards, collards, cabbage – are throwing flowers like crazy as well.  They’re … Continue reading

Posted in Food Forest, Propagation | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Thai Red Roselle

One of the things I love about gardening is the opportunity to grow things that are rare an unusual.  That is, things that aren’t typically found in the local produce aisle or farmers market, either because they are unfamiliar and … Continue reading

Posted in Vegetables | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Have a Look at this Handsome Beast!

When I teach classes, I encourage gardeners to visit their gardens at night.  So much of the “bad” things that happen to plants – chiefly insect damage – happen at night. Just a short while ago, while wandering the garden … Continue reading

Posted in Insects | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Allium Update

A warm spring day, and all of the various Allium species are soaking up the sun.  Pictured here are shallots (you can see their baby picture here), and they seem  to be happy.  Some of these I saved from last … Continue reading

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What Comes Around Goes Around

Literally and figuratively. Have a look at this beauty.  The problem with most compost tumblers is that they just aren’t big enough.  That is, they don’t hold enough compost to really hit the sweet spot, the critical mass that gets … Continue reading

Posted in Permaculture | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Ever the Optimist, I Planted a Mandarin…

…by which I don’t mean a bureaucrat of Imperial China, but Citrus reticulata. The climate here is pretty far outside the range of most citrus, and my dream – long ago shattered – has always been to have a lime … Continue reading

Posted in Fruit | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Finally Hazels or A Quest to Plant Protein

A surprise package arrived in the mail the other day, containing 3 Corylus – hazel –  varieties that I ordered in 2010.  For whatever reason, they didn’t ship in 2011. The only hazel commonly available in nurseries in this part … Continue reading

Posted in Food Forest | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments