Welcome Thanks for stopping by. This blog is still new but I am working on transferring information from my old farm blog while making time for new posts. I hope you enjoy your visit. Please feel free to leave a comment.
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 There’s an old country road off the beaten path beside a big brown, muddy pond about two miles from my house, and the Glorious Goldenrod is proliferous there. Acres of yellow as far as the eye can see, along with Joe Pye Weed, Trumpet Vines, and Thistles. I’ve never seen so many bees and butterflies in my life!
Goldenrod is a very common, widespread plant of the Asteraceae (Aster) family, and she grows in dry, sunny areas. Unfortunately, she has earned a reputation she does not deserve as a harbinger of late summer and fall allergies/hay fever. The lowly ragweed, green and inconspicuous, usually blooms at the same time as Goldenrod but lurks in the shadows and so her bright and beautiful neighbor takes the blame. The opposite is actually true … Not only is she a sunny, friendly girl, Goldenrod is a very useful herb for the treatment of seasonal allergies and the red, itchy eyes and noses which accompany them. Matthew Wood states in his “Earthwise Herbal” that Goldenrod is specific for cat allergies. I’m hoping my friend Melissa, who suffers from a cat allergy, is going to test this for me in about six weeks, when my Goldenrod tincture is ready.
In “Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians”, Patricia Kyritsi Howell lists other names for Goldenrod as Farewell-to-Summer, Aaron’s rod, Woundwort (not Stachys palustris, a.k.a. Woundwort, a smelly European mint naturalized in North America), Sweet Goldenrod, and Anise-Scented Goldenrod. There are between 40 and 60 different species of Goldenrod, but the medicinal properties of most species are similar.
It’s too late to harvest the leaves (a wonderful stomach tonic) now because the prime time for Goldenrod Leaf harvest is before she blooms. But bloom she does and I make a tincture using coarsely chopped flowers (easily stripped from the stems) dropped carefully into a clean jar at a plant material to menstruum (50% alcohol – 100 proof vodka this time) ratio of 1:2 (herb weight x 2 = volume of menstruum), capped and labeled. I allow the flowers to sit and dry a few hours before chopping. My tincture will be ready to use in six to eight weeks (I prefer the latter, and I’ll give it a gentle shake or two each day in the meantime. I use the ‘weights and measures’ method to get a more consistent medicinal quality from each batch of tincture.
The simpler’s method is also perfectly acceptable – and preferred by many – for home use. Simply fill a clean jar with your plant material and cover with your mestruum (I use 100 proof vodka frequently), cap it, label it and you’re done. I like Susun Weed’s instructions for packing plant material into jars – she says to gently pack it in until it makes a firm but soft “fairy bed.”
My tincture is not only useful for allergies and upper respiratory inflammation/congestion but also for sinus infections, colds and flu, and kidney/bladder infections. Goldenrod is anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and antiseptic, and is a well-known kidney medicine, stimulating them to greater efficiency, particularly during times of disease or stress. Solidago virguauria, the European species of Goldenrod, has even been used to dissolve or eliminate kidney stones.
Goldenrod also makes a yummy medicinal tea (yes, I’ve tried it and it really is good), which is great for heartburn, indigestion, and diarrhea. Take that, Pepto Bismol! An infusion is a remarkable sore throat gargle. I used it with great success during a nasty bout of strep throat, along with two Poke Berries, swallowed whole, and two dropperfuls of yarrow tincture in a little water every day with lots of good, clean water and rest.
I hope you find some Goldenrod where you live and give her a try. At the very least, give her a kind nod and a “Fare-thee-well.”
Happy harvesting! 
Lord have mercy. I almost had a heart attack when I first read that there are people who actually *plant* this stuff. Wikipedia has a glowing page on it, but let me tell you, it makes me ITCH. Unrelenting, mind altering itch. I honestly think it affects me more than poison oak/ivy. I developed this strange Creeper “allergy” about five years ago after many, many years of pulling armloads of it off of my property. I also discovered that there are many folks who think it *is* poison ivy. Well, it’s not, but apparently they are good bedfellows and love to lay up together, plotting their next territorial takeover.
I am a truly devoted friend and fan of the plant world, so please don’t hate me for my bad Creeper attitude. I promise you I’ve earned it. We agree to disagree.
So, here’s what I’ve found: Virginia Creeper sap contains oxalate crystals and can be a skin irritant to some (like yours truly), and is definitely an irritant if eaten (shiver). The California Poison Control System lists it as a skin irritant. I can’t imagine why all of them don’t! It is *very* vigorous and will take over your property in short order.
Although it pains me, in the name of fairness I think I should list what it’s good for. Just don’t stuff your britches with it until you know for sure that *you* aren’t sensitive to it, too.
{{loud sigh}}
If we’re gonna say it, let’s try and say it correctly. “Parthenocissus quinquefolia” – par-then-oh-KISS-us kwin-kway-FOH-lee-uh.
- a valuable cover for trellises, tree stumps, walls and rock piles (not at my house, friend)
- enhances the appearance of older buildings (like tombs, where no living being can be eaten alive by it)
- it has pretty autumn color (so do saddleback caterpillars, ever given one of those a squeeze?)
- The fruit is edible. You know, if you’re lost and the woods and starving to death. It is also supposedly good for treating fevers, but I’ve not tried it, obviously. The stalks and roots can also be cooked and eaten.
- According to Foster and Duke’s Field Guide to Medicinal Plants, Eastern and Central North America, a tea made from the leaves is aperient, astringent and diuretic, and is used as a wash on swellings and poison ivy rash. I find this terribly ironic. A tea made from the plant is used in the treatment of jaundice, and a tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of gonorrhea and diarrhea.
- Mrs. M. Grieve said it is stimulating, diaphoretic and cathartic. You can read the rest of what she had to say about it here. Lots of people on the web have copied and pasted her info about it.
- Virginia Creeper berries are eaten by a variety of animals (birds, deer, skunks, mice, foxes, and the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar eats the leaves). A truly redeeming characteristic.
- Some invertebrates and amphibians (including my favorite, the American Toad) use the foliage of Virginia creeper as shelter, and may be responsible for assisting in pollination as they move from plant to plant. Okay, I’m softening up a bit. Anything for my sweet little toadies!
(reposted from Cove Rock Farm blog!)
Yes, I skipped May! Sorry about that. I’ve been a very busy woman.
June:
•Vegetable Seed – Plant beans, field peas, pumpkins, squash, corn, cantaloupes and watermelons.
•Vegetable Plants – Plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and sweet potato vine cuttings.
•Harvest vegetables such as beans, peas, squash, cucumbers and okra regularly to prolong production and enjoy peak freshness.
•Eat “high on the hog” this month and in July and preserve enough to last during the winter months ahead.
•For best results, harvest onions and Irish potatoes when two-thirds of the tops have died down. Store potatoes in a cool, dark place and onions in a dry, airy place.
•Clean off rows of early crops as soon as they are through bearing and use rows for replanting or keep them fallow for fall crops.
•Water as needed.
•Plant sweet potatoes and a second planting of Southern peas.
This is when we can/preserve from our first planting of beans, peas, and squash. We also pickle cucumbers, peppers, and okra. Dehydrate strawberries and preserve strawberry jam. Pickle early baby beets, if possible. Freeze snap peas, dehydrate sweet shelling peas. Dehydrate greens (this is great for greens on the verge of bolting late in the month – they are wonderful crumbled up and added to soups). Dry onions.
Happy gardening! 
My list of garden jobs for April!
• Plant your choices of the following “warm-season” or “frost-tender” crops: beans (snap, pole and lima), cantaloupe, corn (sweet), cucumbers, eggplant, okra, field peas, peppers, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, parsley, and watermelon.
• Plant tall-growing crops such as okra, pole beans and corn on the north side of other vegetables to avoid shading. Plant two or more rows of corn for better pollination.
• After danger of frost is past (sometime by the end of this month), plant tender vegetables.
• Make a second planting within two to three weeks of the first planting of snap beans, corn and squash.
• Within three to four weeks of the first planting, plant more lima beans and corn. Remember: for better pollination, plant at least two or more rows.
• Be sure to plant enough vegetables for canning and freezing.
• Cultivate to control weeds and grass, to break crusty soil and to provide aeration.
• Maintain mulch between rows.
• Side dress earlier planted crops.
• Plant tender herbs.
• Remember: Do not work in your garden when the foliage is wet to avoid spreading diseases from one plant to another.
 Plantain is one of my favorite herbs of all time. It grows profusely on my property and I’m never without plantain-infused oil and salve. The fresh juice (a good old fashioned spit poultice) is indispensible. We literally use it for just about every skin condition on ourselves and our pets, from cuts, scrapes and burns to insect bites. It’s incredibly versatile and tremendously effective at taking the itch out of rashes, including those from poison oak/ivy, poison sumac and viriginia creeper reactions. Oh yes, and we eat it, too.  If you’re ever going to try your hand at salve making, I highly recommend plantago!
Plantain’s common names: Ribwort, ripplegrass, waybread, broad-leaved plantain, snakeweed, Englishman’s foot, greater plantain, and lamb’s tongue.
There are a number of species of plantain. The two major species are Plantago major, the broad-leafed plantain, and Plantago lanceolata, the lance leafed plantain. These plants look very different but are treated as medicinal equivalents.
Both species are very familiar perennial weeds and are found anywhere in the country, by the roadside, in pastures, in lawns and in city parks worldwide. The Native Americans called Plantain “White Man’s Foot”, as it came with the Europeans, and followed them westward across the land. Plantain has been naturalized throughout North America and can be found around people: in lawns, fields and disturbed soil. It is often found on trail sides, as people walk through and spread the seed.
Plantain has a very wide range of medicinal uses (see below), particularly in first aid situations as the fresh leaves quickly relieve the itch and heat from insect bites and stings, and the styptic quality will stop bleeding of minor cuts and wounds. Plantain has been reported to heal infected wounds when used as a poultice and taken internally simultaneously. It is also a very useful blood cleanser with a special affinity with the kidneys, bladder, and digestive system.
Parts Used: Leaves, root, flower spikes, and seeds.
Collection: Plantain is such a common weed it is generally collected from the wild. The fresh mature leaves may be used, but are best collected just before flowering. Remember when collecting wild herbs and weeds never collect from the side of the road! Plants absorb toxic substances such as lead and cadmium that would contaminate any medicine prepared from them. Rinse any dirt or debris from plant and pat dry. Dry as quickly as possible but not in the sun. The herb becomes ineffective if dried slowly.
Adult dosage: all 3 to 4 times daily unless stated otherwise.
Infusion: 3 to 4 T.
Powder: ¼ to ½ t.
Tincture: ½ to 2 t.
Administration:
Bites, boils, bruises, cuts, mastitis, ringworm, scratches, & wounds:
Apply the freshly crushed leaves or juice, over, and keep moist. An infusion of leaves internally can be used simultaneously.
Burns and scalds:
Wash are with a strong infusion and give the infusion internally.
Constipation:
Use the seeds: for adults 2 to 4 t., children 1 t. Soak seeds in a glass of cold water until mixture becomes thick. Stir frequently and drink. It may be flavored with a squeeze of lemon or eaten with yogurt and fruit. This is a mild laxative and will cause no griping.
Cystitis, diarrhea, kidney trouble, leucorrhoea (excessive discharge), lumbago & water retention:
Use the infusion or tincture.
Eczema:
Use the tincture or extract. The affected area can be washed with the infusion.
Hemorrhoids:
Prepare an ointment/salve or use the fresh juice externally.
Inflamed Eyes:
Bathe the eyes with the strained infusion
Toothache:
Apply the powdered roots and leaves to area. The homeopathic preparation Plantago is also useful.
Thrush:
Use a decoction of the seeds.
Culinary uses: Plantain can be steamed, the leaves dipped in batter and fried, or the young leaves eaten raw.
Precautions: Excessive internal use should be avoided during pregnancy. Internal overuse can also have a laxative effect.
If you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em!
Dandelion is one of the most valuable wild herbs available to an herbalist, or it is to me, anyway. I wish I had a quarter for every time I’ve recommended it. Almost every part is useful; root (fresh and dried), leaves, flowers and juice!
Dandelion is useful for treating anemia, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, breast problems, bronchitis, bruises, circulatory problems, constipation, diabetes, eczema, fevers, gout, heartburn, hypoglycemia, indigestion, kidney complaints, premenstrual fluid retention, psoriasis, sluggish digestion, skin problems, stiff, joints, and much more! The milky stem juice is even useful against warts, pimples, sores and blisters. Preparations for use are usually leaf infusion, root decoction, fluid extract, or tincture.
With the current popularity of bitter salad herbs such as endive and chicory, most people won’t cringe in horror because of something a little odd in their salad bowl, and they might not even notice a few little dandelion leaves. For those who would like to make the plunge, follow these tips:
**Gather the leaves when young, before they have flowered in the spring.
**Be sure to collect from a spray-free area, away from the road, or in your own (preferably organic!) garden.
**After flowering, you can cut the plant back to the top of the roots, and then harvest the new growth.
**Harvest or grow dandelions in the shade for the least bitter flavor.
**You can plant dandelions too: you don’t need to rely on the wild ones!
Be aware that some other plants look like Dandelion. You can identify a Dandelion by its stem, which is hollow and smooth, and exudes a milky bitter juice when crushed. The leaves are hairless and have serrated edges. Dandelion usually bears a single flower, which is bright yellow and made up of many narrow petals. The flowers close up at night and in rainy weather. Use the young leaves, as the older leaves are bitter.
Dandelions distinctive taste goes great in sandwiches, with vinaigrette dressings, with meats, cheeses, pasta, and in tomato sauces.
Here in the south we gather dandelion roots from October to late spring, beginnging after the first frost when the plant dies back and sends it’s nutrients below ground to store for next season. Be sure to collect in a spray free environment, away from roads!
To make your own dandelion coffee, wash the roots well, slice lengthwise in half, and then air dry for several days. Cut into one-inch sections, and roast on a baking sheet at 375 degrees for 2 to 4 hours. Turn them regularly so that they brown evenly. There should be a coffee-like odor coming from the oven by the time they are done. Grind as needed, and use in place of coffee beans! You can also grate the raw roots into salads, or stir-fry.
Why don’t you go dig up some sunny dandelions and enjoy them today?
Just a note; you should avoid dandelion root if you have blocked bile ducts, gallbladder inflammation or intestinal blockage.
One of my favorites! Sweet Aunt Vi is in the Violaceae (vy-oh-LAY-see-ay) family, and Viola (vy-OH-la) genus. She grows 2 – 5 inches tall and is found throughout the United States, except for the Rocky Mountains, or so I’ve read. She also grows in Europe, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, India and other places. She loves moist gardens, shady wood edges, and meadows. She is a “clumping” perennial with a fibrous root system, and she is aggressive. She walks over with a purpose, hikes up her ample skirts, and plops right down to stay.
There are many other species of violet, including V. arvensis, V.calcarata, V. canadensis, V. clandistina, V. diffusa, V. heterophylla, V. japonica, V. kauaiensis, V. palmata, V. pedata, V. pubescens, V. rotundifoli, and maybe a hundred or more others (S. Weed: Healing Wise, 1989, Ash Tree Publishing). Some of her common names include Blue Violet, Butterfly Violet, Common Violet & Sweet Violet.
Vi is easily identified by her beautiful green, smallish, heart-shaped leaves which are rolled in around the egdes, especially the young ones. They often take on a funnel shape. Click on the pic above to get a closer view. The leaves have been known to externally irritate some with sensitive skin (they’ve never bothered me at all, and are safe and yummy to eat), but that’s just Aunt Vi. She doesn’t mean you harm … she just wants some respect. Keep in mind, though, that large doses of her roots or seeds could be toxic, causing upset stomach, nervousness, breathing problems, and also may affect blood pressure. Violet leaves are very nourishing and are wonderful in salads. They are alterative, anodyne, antineoplastic, antiseptic, demulcent, depurative, dissolvent, diuretic, emmolient, expectorant, laxative, mucilaginous, nutritive, suppurative & vulnerary. Whew! That’s a mouthful! Violet is a cooling, soothing herb. Imagine a kindly aunt smiling sweetly while gently stroking your fevered brow with her cool, soft hand. That’s Sweet Aunt Violet.
Her flowers (Thanks for the bloom pics, Mel!) range from white to blue to purple, and appear in my area (Zone 7) from March to May. The flowers have three lower petals and two lateral petals on long single flower stalks. I love that you can pick violet flowers to your heart’s content. They don’t set seed! In Susun Weed’s “Healing Wise“, she says that some botanists say violet’s flowers are “just for fun” and “out of sheer joy”. I love that! The seed-making flowers don’t appear until autumn, and are green (can you say camoflage?). The flowers are antiscorbutic, aperient, and are all edible. They are used in syrups for sore throats and coughs, and given to children for digestive upsets. Violet flower oil is used for relief from tinnitus. They are also absolutely dreamy crystallized in sugar. YUM! Besides having her on the menu, I love to make Violet vinegar, oil & tincture.
Now, in my Master Gardener class, Wild Violets were a topic of conversation during our “Weeds” lecture, which I have to say annoyed me to no end. I was suprised to learn that I was the only person in a class of 12 who loves Wild Violets, and was horrified to sit and listen to all of the creative ways mankind has devised to torture and kill her! Okay, so she’s agressive and resistant to some herbicides. I loathe the very word “herbicides”, and hope you do, too! She’s prolific, and I love that about her. I can see why people who are lawn-obsessed harbor ill-will toward Wild Violets, but I’ve never been a “Lawn” person, so I allow her to run wild and free wherever she may roam in my yard. The more the merrier! Grass doesn’t grow under Aunt Vi, and that’s just fine with me.
Warning: I’m about to rant.
When exactly did the term “age gracefully” become so twisted? When did it become fashionable to pull out every stop in the effort to make yourself as plastic and polyurethaned as possible? Please tell me when did becoming wise and weathered turn into a bad thing?
I watched a show on television the other night, which is rarely a good thing to begin with, called “Secret Lives of Women”. It was like the proverbial train wreck. I could not turn away. I’ve heard of people becoming addicted to plastic surgery before, but this program really hit it home for me, and started me thinking, rather painfully, that too many people in society today have forgotten – or never got the memo in the first place – about real beauty, and what it means to “age gracefully”.
I don’t believe aging gracefully equates staying as “young looking” as possible for as long as you can, at any cost. It does not mean spending your entire nest egg on plastic surgery, and truly, many people end up bankrupt because of it. A naturally beautiful woman on the show I watched spent so much money on unnecessary plastic surgery that she ended up financially strapping her family and forcing them into selling their gorgeous home and relocating.
Don’t get me wrong. My father had a near-fatal auto accident in 1981, and cosmetic surgeons had to replace his face, literally, from a photo. There is a time and place for this kind of surgery, and for my father, I am grateful for it.
But what has happened to natural beauty? Where is the joy in weathered skin and wise gray locks? I stopped coloring my hair six years ago. I’m 39 and maybe 35% gray. It is incredible to me how many people – men and women – have asked me why in the world don’t I color my hair; I’m too young for gray, coloring would make me look so much younger. Honestly, the stares alone are startling. On the other hand, there are a blessed few who smile or even offer a compliment, but my point is, I am disturbed that it is even an issue. It shouldn’t make me an oddball because I’ve stopped using chemicals on my hair.
I am certainly not criticizing those who choose to color their hair or anything else in the name of beauty. I started coloring my own hair when I was 17 years old. The articles I read on the dangers of chemical hair color (there *are* healthy alternatives, including henna!) and certain other beauty products over the years compelled me to change my ways. You make your own decisions. Make them with intelligence and confidence, believe in yourself and stand your ground. Be true to You.
To me, aging gracefully is allowing Mother Nature to hold you, to turn you in her hands and leave the memories and mementos, the good and the bad of your life all over your body and soul. It’s about leaving behind childish fears and facing the future with experience and wisdom. It’s about the life in the lines of your hands and face, and the laughter and hardship there for all the world to see. It’s about secret, knowing smiles and quiet reverence. I believe aging gracefully is taking pride in the lines you’ve earned, and not being ashamed of the gray which gently softens the light and hard edges around you. How much precious time do we waste in our relentless and useless attempts to backpedal into our youth? Allowing ourselves to age gracefully is not giving in or giving up. It does not mean you must become someone you don’t like or want to be, nor must it mean an end to the fun and frivolity of life. It’s accepting the life we’ve led with dignity and honor, embracing time, reveling in the moments of our lives, and hopefully, sharing with future generations the important things we learn along the way.
(I wrote this in 2008 and reposted from my farm blog. ~Leanne)
Spring makes me happy. It makes me want to open the windows and listen to birdsong. It makes me want to get out into my garden and plunge my hands into cool, black soil. To plant seeds and feel the sun on my back. And it makes me want to eat weeds.
My first experience with weed eating (the kind that doesn’t involve fuel and safety goggles) was many years ago while sitting on the ground pulling weeds from a flower bed. I spent several minutes studying what I knew from my herbal studies to be chickweed. Armloads of the stuff was spilling over my border rocks and into my yard. So I did what any aspiring herbalist would do, I pulled up a handful and stuck it in my mouth.
I was taken by surprise. It was cool, moist and tasted, well, green. For me, if green were a flavor, it would be chickweed. I sat there a bit longer, observing the shape, feel and smell of the plant and took note of how it made me feel, which was happy, energized, somewhat nourished and eager to experiment with more weed eating.
And so I did.
Since that day I have tasted or eaten dozens of wild herbs I’ve come across that I was reasonably certain were safe for consumption. Eating weeds is fun. It’s exciting and adventurous. It makes you feel strong and self reliant. When I’m out wildcrafting I am like a child who instinctively puts everything in her mouth. I simply can’t resist tasting plants. Granted, some folks find weed eating a bit odd, but there is much joy and nourishment to be found in wild places, if you only take the time to look for them. Open your heart and perhaps they will find you.
So today, for lunch, I took five minutes to wander around my yard and garden with a gathering basket and pick some green for a salad. I’ve added some annoyingly vague little snips of info under each photo but I’ll give each plant in this post the attention it deserves later on. I hope you’ll be inspired to do your own research on these lovelies!
 Chickweed (Stellaria media)
Best eaten fresh. Very nutritious – high in vitamins and minerals. Mild flavor somewhat resembles spinach. Cooling, soothing, nourishing with properties including astringent, diuretic and expectorant (so many more, but that’s a later post). Assists the body in ridding itself of excess fat cells. A lovely article on Chickweed by Susun Weed may be found HERE.
 Dandelion Leaf (Taraxacum officinale)
Young leaves taste best, before the flowers appear, with a slightly bitter flavor resembling endive. Large, mature leaves are very bitter. If you dislike any bitterness, dandelion leaves are yummy cooked with onions and other ‘sweet’ vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes. There are soooo many wonderful ways to eat this plant. High in vitamins and minerals (with more beta carotene than carrots!), dandelion is (among other things) alterative, digestive, tonic and a diuretic that does not deplete the body of potassium.
 Wild Violet Leaf (Viola Spp.)
Lovely heart-shaped leaves have a peppery flavor and hold their shape wonderfully in salads. Medicinal properties include alterative, demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, laxative, mucilaginous and nutritive. The rhizomes are poisonous, so leav’em in the ground.
 Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)
Doesn’t sound very appetizing, does it? Well, it grows all over my yard and my philosophy is if you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em. It has a ‘hot’, peppery (not really all that bitter) flavor, a great addition to salads, or wilted in salted water. It’s also really tasty chopped up and mixed with cream cheese, eaten on a cracker. Not sure about it’s nutritional value. Someone told me it’s high in vitamins and iron, but I can’t verify that. If you know the answer to this I’d love to hear your comments.
Italian Parsley (P. neapolitanum) & Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) from the garden.
Fragrant, vibrant parsley is very nutritious – an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K, beta carotene, iron and folic acid. Italian flatleaf parsley has a strong flavor, so it’s best used in moderation raw. Chives, one of my most favorite kitchen herbs, is also high in vitamins and minerals. Medicinal properties include stimulant, diuretic and anti inflammatory.
 Lunch
Rinsed my greens, spun them dry (gotta love those salad spinners), tossed with a a tablespoon of olive oil and seasoned rice vinegar, and I had myself a tasty, healthy, spicy, energizing weed salad!
And stay tuned, there are many more edible weed posts to come ….
 February is almost gone, and it’s time to really get moving! The garden is truly coming to life now and the chore lists are getting longer and more urgent. Spring is in the air … let’s get to work!
March:
• Vegetable Seeds – Continue to plant hardy crops recommended for January and February.
• Vegetable Plants – Plant cabbage, onions, lettuce, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts in North Alabama.
• Thin plants when they are 2 to 3 inches tall to give the plants room to grow.
• Carry out any February jobs not completed.
• Treat seed before planting or buy treated seed for protection against seed-borne diseases, seed decay, seedling “damping off” and soil insects such as seed-corn maggots
• Early-planted crops may need a nitrogen side-dressing, particularly if the soil is cool. Place the fertilizer several inches to the side of the plants and water it in. A little fertilizer throughout the growing period is better than too much at one time.
• Before settling them in the garden, harden-off transplants – place them in their containers outdoors in a sheltered place a few days ahead of planting them
• Get rows ready for “warm-season” vegetables to be planted during the last week of March or first week or two of April as weather permits.
• You might want to risk planting out a few of the more tender crops and keeping them covered during bad weather.
• Watch out for insects, especially cutworms, plant lice (aphids) and red spider mites.
• Put down mulch between rows to control weeds.
• Move inside herbs out into the garden after danger of frost has passed. Make the transition gradually, allowing the plants time to harden off.
“Plants cry their gratitude for the sun in green joy.” ~Astrid Alauda
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Words To Live By "Do what you love. Know your own bone; gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw it still." ~Henry David Thoreau
Garden Chores Turning & cleaning beds, building new beds, planting, transplanting, composting, clearing aisles, hopefully starting the garden shed soon.
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