Cécile Stelzer Johnson

Joao Winckler wrote:Garlic is the obvious one but fresh ginger roots easily too, just needs a bit of warmth. Got a decent patch going from a chunk I bought for cooking a couple years back.

Garlic is great! I'm working on ginger and turmeric, that are somewhat related and need the same climate: warm and humid.. I think my ginger needs a little more shade, but both, this year especially need more humidity than I can give them: We are in a serious drought.
Ginger, I found a bit tricky: I have to buy *fresh* ginger, and around here, when they put it on the shelf, they make sure it will not sprout by cutting every eye out of it! I told them I won't  buy if the eyes are gouged out. They keep on doing it. AARRGH
I need to find myself a new producer. there's an Asian market nearby, and I asked them to call me as soon as they have fresh ones, and to please NOT gouge the eyes out! My turmeric is growing pretty well, but It's a challenge right now.
I also need to figure out the proper container, as there is just no comparison between store bought and fresh new ginger.

I have a dozen black currants cuttings in a pail, and I've done it successfully with other plants in the ribes family. The cuttings are about a foot long now and the pail has a few holes 2" up the sides (To make sure there's always moist soil under the cuttings, even when I forget to water them).
Take cuttings from this year's growth, just as they are starting to get some  wood in them (they feel stiffer). Plunge them deep, water and don't disturb during the whole growing season. This fall, as it gets close to dormancy, I'll transplant in the ground.
Some folks say don't transplant until spring, but I'm in Wisconsin zone 4b, so frost-wise, they'll be safer in the ground. Also less crowded. It's also a good time to remove the 'duds', Most of them will have some roots, but if they don't have any come October, they probably won't be your star players. Soak abundantly before you try to get them out of the homer pail.
All the currants are good candidates for the softwood cutting treatment. I didn't put any rooting hormones this time.
The reason I didn't just plain "stick them in the ground" is that I don't want to give them a lot of real estate until I know that they are successful. I can monitor better in the pail pull weeds, add amendments etc.

A comfrey circle is certainly something to try. Just make sure that you don't ever want to move that comfrey: Roots are very deep, and transplanting them would be hard. I'm just not sure the Johnson grass could not escape. They are the devil and will travel underground very far, and quite deep.
Comfrey gets nourishment from very deep roots, but  we do need to replenish their food: We cannot take, take, take, and expect consistent high returns.

I make yogurt or cheese with expired milk, but other fresh foods (meat, fish, bacon) that are expired, I don't trust.
Realize also that the processed food industry will slap expiration dates on everything to get you to buy more.  ( I mean water? beer?) Those noodles/ pastas in particular: unless they got damp or were visited by critters, should still be OK. Canned goods are usually OK, unless they start leaking: There isn't that much of a difference in taste.
Otherwise, your chickens will love... everything you toss, or just about. (lemons, oranges, raw beans, chocolate, and green potatoes)
My trick, in the pantry, is when you put your groceries away, place them *behind* your older stuff.
Also, when you are thinking of going to the grocery store, go to your pantry first. You will save gas and have less clutter. Think of your pantry as YOUR STORE.
Being consistently confronted with what you still have not eaten can help you make the decision: Keep or chuck.

They are indeed gorgeous!. Silly me, I thought you meant parasol *mushrooms*, one of my favorites!.
We are not getting any mushrooms or rain now as we're suffering from a nasty heat wave: No rain for over a month an a half. Cornfields are grilled and the farmers around me are watering every day (and night, sometimes!)
Yesterday, my Spyder registered 105F, in Central Wisconsin, so I cut my trip short. Parasols are really nice if you don't need both hands, like for weeding. I'm looking for large sombreros with a lot of ventilation.

John Suavecito wrote: They are better pollinators, also because there are more flowers per tree.  The whole tree doesn't have to be crabapple. You can graft in a crabapple on one branch, and another crabapple on a branch on another tree.

John S
PDX OR

That's such an interesting take, John. I would not want my orchard to be dominated by crabapples, and certainly, for folks who only have limited space, the grafting solution is the best.
One thing I was wondering: when grafted, would that branch flower at the same time as what it is grafted on, or would it flower at the normal time for this crabapple? Some apple trees bear every other year. How does the grafting influence fruiting in this respect?
That's what I've been wondering also with multiple apples grafted on one apple tree.

Summer Cole wrote:

Milan Broz wrote:In newly planted food forest I have already several varieties of apple, besides other trees. Is there a reason to include crab apple in design also? I red about it is good for cider, and can't remember what else. But cider can be made from every apple, right? So, does crab apple have any advantage over domesticated apple? Like better pollinator, more frost hardy, more tolerant to poor soil, better for cider, better for jams, wildlife, etc?

They are better pollinators in the sense that they provide pollen over the entire apple season (if you have different crabapples, otherwise, no. If you have early and late apples or many different apple trees, the chances are you will have at least 2 pollinating their little hearts out at the right time.
Frost hardy: They are generally more frost hardy, surviving  in zone 2 (-50F) The Antonovka has the reputation of being the hardiest cultivar, surviving in zones 3 and 2b.
Poor soil? I don't know: There are so many different kinds of "poor soil", but I don't think that they are over all as finicky.
Better for cider: Yes, they are better for hard cider as they have more tannin, acid an even more sugars (But with the tannin and the acidity, your tongue doesn't experience the taste as very sweet.
Add yeast and the fermentation will take off fast!
Better for jams/ jellies: Yes, as they have a lot more pectin than regular apples, which are bred for eating fresh, as most cultivars are. If you don't have pectin, you can add a few crabapples instead of buying sore bought pectin. (The problem, though, is knowing exactly how much to add, as there will be variations with the degree of ripeness and even the crabapple cultivar.
Attractive to wildlife? Deer will stand on its hind legs to get crabapples, but they do that with my prized sweet sixteen too. And yes, they are also attractive to birds: these are more pests because they love to "sample" each and everyone to check if they are ripe enough! [AARGH!] and if you think about ripening them off the tree, nope: an apple does not get sweeter off the tree.

Most of the fruit everyone grows like strawberries, blueberries, apples etc. still fulfill the veggies requirements of vitamins, roughage, etc. that veggies do, so  as far as I'm concerned, they might as well be veggies, especially in a tight food situation. They can be eaten raw, so that's top for ease of preparation!
Otherwise, most have already be mentioned: Asparagus, sunchokes rhubarb.
I need to get some walking onions but my hubby found some ramps (Allium Tricoccum) and I'm trying to grow a patch but they aren't multiplying, so I'm doing something wrong. Garlic, although they will do better if lifted, sorted and replanted right away. (does that count as perennial? I think so as you do not need to buy new seeds each year.
I get some purslane, which, if well swollen is really good, but you need to get a lot for a meal but a few stems & leaves are easy enough to toss in a salad.
My new veggie is more of an herb and is called lovage. It tastes very much like celery but some people say stronger (so you put less in) and will come back year after year in my zone (4b). They are thinner than celery, so you can't slather them with cream cheese, but a couple of stalks will add a lot to any soup or stew, as well as the leaves.

Using tiles for mulch should work great in a bed where you never set foot (or you might break the tiles...). It will concentrate water, fertilizer etc. where it's most needed, so perhaps save you a few $$$ in fertilizer?
You will definitely save time on weeding!

Thekla McDaniels wrote:Thanks Kevin, John and Cecile.

“Short” 🤣 answers:
I was wondering what the hot in hot mixed mortars was referring to, so I began to read one of the links.  I didn’t get that far before I noticed
“air” mortar, and something about construction above ground, and something else that may address my situation of the inside of a structure to store water…. All of which will require more than I can give the issue right now, however fascinated I am with the idea of an ancient material superior to modern, toxic ubiquitous options.
Then there’s “pozzolean” a term which apparently I can’t spell, and the autocorrect function has never heard of!  I think it might be akin to the additive “fly ash”….
I would love to know about “hot” and “air” and “pozzolean” parts of the practices of ancient roman masons.  It will help me understand and plan for the upcoming phase of repair for my water system…. Which will have to include a pressure system that is protected from freezing. If there aren’t simple answers to the vocabulary question's, then I am glad to know there is material available, and knowledgeable support standing by.  Thanks.

As far as protection from freezing, if you have a frostline that is deeper than your cistern, the best way to address that, now that the cistern is built, is to cover it with enough soil to place it lower than your frost line. Google can answer "frostline in [zip code , or city]
This is what I got from Google/AI. Remember that my real knowledge in these matters is extremely limited. You do have it right that "pozzolan" (no "e") seems to refer to volcanic ash, also pumice.
"AI Overview:                
Pozzolan powder is a supplementary cementitious material that reacts with calcium hydroxide in concrete or lime mortars.
When mixed with water, it produces additional cementitious compounds. This significantly increases strength, prevents cracking, and reduces moisture permeability. Pozzolan powders generally fall into two categories, each offering distinct advantages depending on your building and restoration needs:
Natural Pozzolans Volcanic Ash & Pumice:
These include classic Roman volcanic ash and ultrafine pumice like UltraPozz: Ultrafine Pumice Pozzolan (often around $11/2 lbs). They are ideal for high-end architectural precast and Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC).
Calcined Clays (Metakaolin): These thermally treated clays react very quickly, making them a popular choice for high-strength SCMs in Concrete: Natural Pozzolans and bright white concrete mixes.
Artificial & Glass Pozzolans Glass-Based Powders:
Fine powders manufactured from recycled post-industrial glass, such as those produced by Vitro Minerals, help mitigate Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) while avoiding the gray tint of fly ash.
Fly Ash & Silica Fume: By-products from industrial processes that are added to lower the heat of hydration, drastically increasing density and resistance to chemical attacks.
Applications in Building:
When used in Portland cement, pozzolans typically replace 10% to 30% of the cement powder. For lime mortars, they enable the mortar to set hydraulically and resist dissolution in wet environments. (So they can set under water.) Products like Lancaster Lime Works Pozzolan (about $10-$15 per gallon) are specifically used in traditional lime putties. To read in-depth guides about incorporating these powders into historic or modern mixes, refer to the Building Conservation Directory."
This is their free, online directory (This appears to be a British site):
https://www.buildingconservation.com/books/bcd2025/index.html