Oh my Gourd!

Since the beginning of time, when Eve wore a fig leaf and Adam beat his fists on his hairy chest...(tires screeching).  Never mind, never mind.  That was George of the Jungle, not Adam, but at least since George's day, gourds have played an important part in ancient societies.

As I develop the homestead, gourds will play an ever increasing part in the transformation.  Not only will I be growing gourds, I will be using them for food storage, water storage, decor, and more.  Move over plastic disposables and teflon coatings, the gourd is here to stay!

This little gourd started it ALL

My fascination with gourds began innocently enough, when a friend presented me with five (5)  rather
unremarkable gourds that hadn't even started to cure.  That, in itself, was an experience, as the gourds developed an ugly wax coating followed by layers of mold.  It wasn't a pretty process and I nearly threw them out thinking they'd rotted under my negligent eye.  Instead, I did what I do best, I researched. And I slid right down that slippery little rabbit hole.

I discovered that ancient peoples used dried gourds as cooking and eating vessels. The hard wooden texture is tough and long-lasting. Treated with beeswax, it becomes water repellant.  I explored how to grow gourds, cure them, and later, turn them into works of art.  Not only will I be growing gourds for re-sale, I'll grow them for my own use.  I offer seeds for sale from only the very best gourds I grow. You can find them here.

It takes a good year from seedling to maturity, and that leaves me plenty of time to experiment with carving gourds for art, or transforming them into usable utensils.  I'll be sharing my adventures as I learn and grow.  If you have gourding experience, feel free to  share!  As always, drop a comment, I enjoy hearing from you.

Lazy gardening - the sustainable perennial garden

As  much as I enjoy working in the garden, life and time can get away from me.  I've been on a mission the past couple years to develop a vegetable garden that is not only self sustaining and a prolific producer, but one that will require only minimal effort on my end to thrive.  I'm experimenting now to find what does and doesn't work for me, and will carry this experience over to my off grid garden when I make my final move. 

I will continue to expand and update this list, so be sure to keep checking back!  

#1  Top of the list is Asparagus.  I started with three year old crowns - the root system of a mature plant.  These went directly into a permaculture bed up close to a fence.  As the plant matures through the season it sends up beautiful fern like shoots and creates a natural, ferny hedge.  the taller the ferns, the bigger your harvest will be the following year.  Asparagus is a heavy feeder and requires lots of fertilizing.  I've found that by composting each year and throughout the growing season, my Asparagus does well enough.  Occasionally I will mix up some fish emulsion and give the plants a little drink.  

#2  Jerusalem Artichoke.  A delicious substitute for potatoes and a perennial that requires next to zero maintenance.  A member of the sunflower family, this plant will grow upwards of 6' and produces pretty yellow flowers.                                                                                                                                                                                    
 I use these not only as a potato replacement but as a natural privacy fence around my property.  They're certainly pretty enough to disguise the fact they're part of my "farming".  The tubers can be prepared in much the same way as potatoes.  Raw they taste similar to a water chestnut.  A word of caution - these can become invasive, so unless you want them growing everywhere, you might want to section off a specific area for them or grow them in large containers. You won't be disappointed in the harvest from these tubers, they are prolific!  

#3 Walking Onions.  I can't say enough about this onion variety, from the ease in planting and harvesting to how hardy these onions are.  All parts of the plant can be used.  The bulblets on top, the green stems (like chives or green onions) and the bulb beneath the dirt.  Such a versatile, flavorful addition to the homestead.

#4  Strawberries.  No garden would be complete with this delicious addition.  Strawberries can live for many years , dying back in the winter, to reemerge in the spring.  Since they propogate through runners and seeds, a strawberry garden can grow and live indefinitely.  Admittedly, I'm successful at everything I grow, and I have successfully killed all of my strawberry plants for years.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I figure out the issue and somehow keep them alive this year.  I'm open to tips and tricks, so if you have some, drop me a comment!


#5 Taro.  I was told Taro wouldn't grow in this climate, but here I am, growing it.  Not only will it grow, but it will survive overwintering in the ground, and it comes back early in the spring. Be sure to mulch it with a good 6" of mulch in the fall (after cutting it back to the ground).  The roots/tubers are a wonderful substitute for potatoes.  Not as prolific as the Jerusalem Artichoke, but it's nice to have options.  

#6 Saffron Crocus.  Saffron is the world's most expensive spice (by weight), but it's one of

the easiest spices to grow. To plant saffron crocus, start with high quality corms. These can be purchased from several different online companies.  Choose a planting site that is well drained and has soil rich in organic matter.  Plant in the spring or early fall, to a depth of 4 to 6".  when the flower blooms in the autumn, the orangish-red stigmas are plucked from the flowers.  air dry for a few days before storing.   

#7 Ginseng.  I was told repeatedly this wouldn't grow in my zone, and against all nay sayers, it's not only growing, but thriving.  I started with 3 year old roots that I ordered online.  Each winter I cover the bed with a good 6" of leaves to protect them against the cold The leaves break down through the seasons, creating a nice compost and fertile soil for the roots.  Research what ginseng needs to grow and create your own "micro-climate".  Rules were meant to be broken, right?

#8 Turmeric and Ginger.  Turmeric and Ginger grow in the same manner with very similar needs.  Once you figure it out, they're both relatively easy.  I recommend growing in planters or big pots, because they really don't overwinter well in many climates.  I'll post specifically about growing these two tubers, complete with photos to help explain the process.  Keep checking back and I will provide a link here with the instructions. 

         

ginger developing buds for planting

turmeric pre-budding

#9 Malabar Spinach.  This is actually an edible ornamental, so don't hesitate to use it in some of your landscaping/yardscaping.  Since it vines, it's beautiful kept in a container with a trellis.  The thick, dark green leaves provide tasty greens throughout the summer, when traditional spinach will not grow. The mild flavor makes Red Stem equally good cooked or fresh.  Children often prefer this variety over the cooler season spinaches.

As you can see in the below photograph, this vine gets tall.  About 6' of vertical salad, right at your fingertips! Perfect for container gardening when ground space is limited.  

               

I'm talking Trash! (And it's delicious!)

Help yourself to a big ol' plate of trash.  Seriously!  This may look like trash to you, and it often ends up in the waste can of most kitchens, but everything on this plate can be re-grown in your home garden - and you can harvest it to eat later.

You can re-grow romaine lettuce from the bottom of the stalks where the roots are. When you cut your lettuce, leave about 1" of the root end of it for replanting.  It's recommended this be started in a bowl of water (1/2" full) and to change the water every other day.  When you see roots, transfer to your garden bed.  I'm not that motivated so I take my "stump" and stick it straight in the garden, then promptly forget all about it.  So far, it's worked well for me, check it out:

Lettuce from kitchen scraps

Celery grown from the "stump"

Celery  can be started the same way, and is super easy to get going.  You won't get those nice thick stalks that you do when it's grown from seed, but the tops are great for soups and stews, garnish, or adding to a salad.  Here's the celery stump I stuck right into the garden (no bowl or water needed). This is two weeks after I planted it, and it's growing nicely.

Potatoes from skins

Most people know you can grow potatoes from whole potatoes, by cutting sections with "eyes" or buds on them, and planting. Did you know you can grow potatoes from the peelings?  I'm here to tell you, you can!
Make sure the peels have eyes on them and are about 2" in length.  Allow the peels to dry overnight and then plant them about 4" deep and 2' apart.  Be sure the eyes are facing up, since that's the direction they'll grow.  In a few weeks, you should see them begin to sprout.



Garlic is really easy to grow! When you buy garlic, you get several cloves so  pull one off and plant it with the roots facing down in the soil. Garlic likes plenty of direct sunlight so choose a spot in the garden where it will get plenty. Once you notice new shoots have established, cut the shoots back and your plant will produce a bulb. When the bulbs are big enough to harvest, set a couple aside so you can replant, time and again.  Who doesn't like free garlic?

While you can grow carrot tops, you will not get a new carrot. Rather, the top will end up going to seed  and you can gather these to plant later. The green leaves are edible and make a pretty garnish in salads.  I use the leafy greens in roasts as well, to give it a nice punch of carrot flavor.

                    

I've grown oyster mushrooms from kits and they grew quite successfully.  I have not, however, tried to grow mushrooms from cuttings, though it is possible.  The instructions state that you need a warm area with high humidity and a soil that is rich in nutrients.  I have those things.  While it's suggested that you start the mushrooms in pots, I'm rather willy-nilly in following instructions, so straight into the garden bed they'll go.  It's a toss up whether or not they'll succeed doing it my way, but if they grow, you can bet I'll be posting pictures. 

To start your mushrooms in a container - which is suggested so you can control the "climate" better, cut away the head of the mushroom and plant the stem in the soil.  Leave the very top of the stem poking out of the dirt and the base should grow a  new head.  If you try this and it works, please drop me a comment! 


Basil and Rosemary are relatively easy to regrow. You need a stem about four inches high. Remove the lower leaves and place the stem  in a glass of water keeping the leaves  above the water line. Place the glass  in a bright area but not in direct sunlight. In a few days, roots should begin to form. When the roots are a couple inches long, transplant them into soil.  Basil and rosemary make very attractive container plants, and I have mine placed around my covered porch in brightly colored pots.  

So that's my trash talk for today! I hope you've enjoyed it, and I look forward to hearing of your trash planting successes.