Gabriel Goto

I recently set up two two-foot high raised garden beds. I have layers of woody materials and other plant matter at the bottom of the beds, and am going to top those off with wood chips. I have some forest acreage as well. For the top soil level of the beds, can I use forest soil?

This year I had been planning to introduce worms to my place on the Hudson River in the Adirondacks. I am now thinking more research is needed before I do so.

Excellent article! I have wanted to add turmeric to my diet. I tried capsules but was not happy with the retults.

I was listening to podcast 415 - Fall events follow up. There was a discussion of the pizza party, which my son Matthew and I attended. We stayed in the tepee.

During the podcast, Paul and Jocelyn mentioned that the occupants of the tepee (Matthew and I) had smoke back the first night and an ahah moment the next day, but they did not know if we had then figured it out. We did. I think the first night struggles were necessary for us to understand what we did not understand. The next day's discussions and demonstrations were very helpful and we were successful in our subsequent attempts at starting and maintaining the tepee stove. We left with a reasonable shot at operating a rocket mass heater. The whole experience was awesome. Thank you for the opportunity to learn from and participate in an great group.

Jocelyn and Paul,

I heartily second Matthew's thanks.

During the garden tour, we were all trying to identify the red plant on the hugel in zone 1. Google Lens believes it to be red valerian. Paul asked me to email this to him, but I did not know his email address. It may be somewhere on the site.

Pat

In the most recent podcast, part 3, Paul cautioned against using purchased top soil and other items due to concerns about persistent herbicides. I have used seed starting mixes to start my seeds indoors. If I did not want to buy seed starting mixes, what would I start my seeds in?

Excellent! Thank you for your reply.

Found two of these in my garden. I think they are black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. The supposedly eat plants from the carrot family, though they are not in my carrot bed (yet?). Should i be worried about them?