Nynke Muller

Great podcast, interesting information, insiring examples! Thank you Hans for sharing!
I started some experiments with cover crops this year, and I realise now that I am being way too carefull. Way too worried about the best combination, and the right crop for the right patch. Next year, I will put them all together and already next summer, i will sow some more!

Pine

The digestion is a good hint: Since about one year ago, when having problems with seeds, I put them in my mouth first. I wet them well. It is supposed to give the seeds bacteria which will stimulate soil biology around the seed. I read somewhere that plants can stimulate the bacteria they need for good health and growth. Since I started dowing this, I have more seedlings when direct sowing. Whether that is because of better germination or healthier plants that are not attacked by slugs I dont know. When I red this at first, I thought it was really weird, but it wouldn't hurt to try. I still giggle when somebody catches me with a mouthful of seeds...  you have to find a method: I use my left hand to poke a hole in the ground with my finger, and than take a seed out of my mouth with the right hand, so I wont have to eat soil. Because it was so succesfull, iI pay a lot more attention to the soil biology in my garden. Any addition of bacteria has a positive effect (on weeds as well). Good luck!

COOL!
Verry inspiring, thank you!

I cannot grow mint. Everybody warns me that it will take over everything. I would love mint to take over everything (until it does probably). I have had many varieties in different spots. Of some of them, I can ocassionaly harvest. Some of them I have for years but won't grow and some just die. I even had a variety that once send out a runner, so I could at least see what that was like. But nothing is growing vigorously as I would like. I have wet ground in the winter and dryer in summer. I seldomly water. I have placed them on hills and just on flat ground; in full sun as well as shade. Does anyone know what I am doing wrong?

Hi Dan,
do you have an update on your project?
I wanted to try something with oyster mushrooms and grasclippings myself. I hope to learn something from you.
Kind regards, Nynke

Hi Dan,

I am sorry that your post got so few reactions. I think this is a very interesting plant, that I might be growing some day. I did not reply because I have no experience yet, but I did find some interesting on the internet that I would like to share with you since nobody reported this from actual experience. It was mainly on Dutch and Belgium sites. I would send a link, but you might have some trouble reading it.

This plant is so interesting because it is a natural protection against certains potato pests. The roots attract parisites that harm potatoes (Globodera pallida en G. rostochiensis), but they find nothing to feed of and die. Therefore it would be useful to plant them in combination with potatoes or before potatoes.
The reports on the taste varies per site: some call it "the most delicious thing ever eaten"  and other "awful taste" The latter do plant it because of the benefits in combination with tomatoes.

Your request on winter hardiness: The plant perenial, but not fully hardy, but it makes rhizomes that might survive the winter if your freezing is not to deep (maybe some cover might help?). In the Netherlands they do stand a change and they appear in the "wild" as well.

The downsides of this plant are nasty thorns; so don't plant them near a path and wear gloves during harvest. The rhizomes might result in some invasiveness in your garden as well. If it is tasty  it might balance with the thorns.  Maybe somebody on permies can breed out the thorns?

Hi Pearl,
A Medlar is a beautifull tree with large blossoms & edible fruit. The blossom is like apple blossoms, but larger, about 7 to 10cm across. The fruit ripens in december and actually needs some frost to improve the taste. You can eat medlar fruit fresh, you can store it for a while in a cool place and you can make jelly and some kind of liqor etc. The fruit tastes good once you dare to bite them. You have to let them go slightly soft before you eat them (but not rotten of course).  It is a winterproof fruit tree in my climate (7b), but please check for yours. It is an easy tree. Good luck!
Nynke