steven Hendon

Xisca Nicolas wrote:Hostas are edible!!??
In what form? cooked?
They are supposed to be toxic to dogs because of saponins, so do we need to cook them and get rid of the water?

Are there some recommended species for an edible use? There are a lot of hostas...

yes they are. When the shoots break through in the spring,i cut them and steam them and treat them like I would asparagus. If you're not familiar with it plants for a future is a great resource in determining the edibility of plants.

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Hosta+longipes

Thanks so much, that's exactly the type of response I wanted. Makes such a hefty purchase a little easier on thee mind.

Have you tried sea kale? I like it. Also, hostas are edible (the young shoots in the spring). The taste can be hit or miss but I was very lucky with some that came with the house (i wish I knew the variety) that are delectable.

this is a bit different, but I like amaranth leaves when they are young. I'm in NC, zone 7 and have found that they reseed themselves quite easily here. I love chickweed and it grows so prolifically here.

That's such a great use of resources. Bravo. Do you have any other EGo tools? I lost all my tools in a fire and am going between Ego and Greenworks for the chainsaw, blower, trimmer, and string trimmer. Advice?

I also meant to ask... does anyone know if dead (winter killed) blackberry canes are edible/healthy for goats?

I have purchased several acres in the Piedmont of NC and am trying to figure out how to convert the land to a food forest. About 3 acres was pasture 10-12 years ago but is now overgrown mostly with blackberries and other nuisance plants. It does have a few edibles like persimmon and pecan. I plan to leave those in place but am trying to figure the best way to clear the other stuff. My plan is to get goats (I plan to have them anyway) and let them do most of the work. My question is how do I keep the stuff from coming back? Can I seed heavy with vetch, clover, alfalfa...? Ideas? Most everything is goat friendly but I know poison ivy and blackberries can be really hard to kill at the root. Thanks in advance.