Annette Jones

Anne Miller wrote:Neat idea.  Some thoughts ...

I have not grown sunchokes because some folks say they cause gas.

My walking onions spread the first year doubling the amount of onions.

I did not have good luck with kale one the temperatures warm up the plants were attacked by aphids.  That was before I knew about using a soap spray and killing the ants farming them with vinegar.  I knew about vinegar just didn't know that ants farm aphids.

Anne, an easy way to stop the gas production. Par-boil your chokes then tip out the water and refill with new water. This will get rid of most of the chemical (inulin - a soluble fiber that causes fermentation in the gut of some people) that causes gas and bloating for some. You can then continue to boil or bake as usual.

You're right about the hugels turning a corner. A great feeling when something you've put a lot of effort into powers up.
That's a wonderful haul, you'll really be able to do great things with it all, I bet you'll find more stuff too.

Hi Stephen, Sorry to see the slugs are beating you to the produce after all your work. So hope some of this is helpful.

I use epsom salts (much safer and gentler on soil than salt) to get rid of them. It penetrates slug skin and dehydrates them meaning they also can't breed more either. It is Magnesium sulfate so a natural mineral in soils.

I also scatter broken eggshells around the actual plants quite thickly, they don't like crawling over rough surfaces it and it benefits things like the cucurbits, squash and tomatoes from blossom end rot.

Stale beer in easy to climb into containers also attracts snails and slugs from the malt smell, they climb in and drown, it needs to be close to the plant needing help.

Bird baths work well as birds are natural predators so having them throughout the garden helps.

Human hair clipping work well if you can get enough boots to donate :-) They simply won't go on it, added bonus is it adds nitrogen to the soil as it decomposes.

Diatomaceous Earth 4 tablespoons to a gallon of water, also works wonders but is a bit expensive so I tend to use the first 2 options. Amazing that there are so many cucumbers on such as small plant, always surprises me when you show the latest gardening offers :-) Fantastic work.

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:

Annette Jones wrote:Styn, is this program still operating, if so has it spread further. ...)

I don't know if Styn is still active here. When I read 'Amsterdam' I was curious, because I am in the Netherlands too (although at the other side of the country).
I found some official information about the worm(en)hotels in Amsterdam. It seems to have spread all over the city. But not to other parts of the country.
The information is in Dutch:
Wormenhotel Amsterdam

Thanks for the response Inge, I thought it such a great idea I am suggesting it to my permie group. With google translate I can look up your link, thank you for posting.

Styn, is this program still operating, if so has it spread further. With the climate change crisis this is a great way to get every house producing as many extra foods as possible to supplement their diet, rather than relying on supermarkets.

I have suggested this as an option to my local permaculture group. I wish it hadn't taken me so long to find this. Lucky permies had reposted your thread :-)

Only just came across this thread.

erich Knight I love your Terra Preta "Prayer" a fitting comment to this thread and all soil improvements in general, thanks for the laugh.

I tend to love the stronger more sharp ones, but since a health scare 4 years ago have dropped dairy from my diet :-( It's been the hardest thing to give up and here's probably why

Cheese contains opiate-like compounds. Specifically casein which breaks down during digestion to release casomorphins, a type of opiate that can affect the brain's opioid receptors. Additional research shows that trace amounts of morphine, a highly addictive opiate can also be found. These compound explain the highly addictive nature of cheese making it difficult for most people to resist.

Now I know why I found it the toughest thing to give up. I found this very interesting.

Study Shows That Cheese Affects the Opioid Receptors in the Brain
Scientists have found that cheese is particularly addictive because it contains casein. According to Dr. Neal Barnard of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, casein “…
https://www.good.is › articles › cheese-addiction-is-no-joke

Mount Sinai Health System
"Study Reveals that Cheese Triggers the Same Part of the Brain as Many ...

Free From Harm
Addicted to Cheese? Here’s Why. - Free From Harm

A call out to Skandi Rogers, only just found this thread so apologies for late answer.
Regarding jam/conserves going mouldy soo after opening. My grandmother taught me this tip and I have used it for the past 60 years successfully.
Once you have opened the jar and used some of the contents, make sure the lid is on tight and turn the jar upside down so no oxygen is able to get to the fruit.
It keeps weeks, (if it lasts that long), in the fridge.
I use this method for health reasons as I am diabetic. I can eat fruit with the fibre in like you have in conserve and jam, but can't have added sugar like in jelly that has the fibre removed.
Hope this helps others looking to make no-sugar conserves and jams.

Definitely worth the nearly 2 hours of hugelkultur info, so much to go away and process, my brain's full :-)
Thanks Paul, that must have been some summit

Very impressive all of you, that's a lot of fruit. What a great stash for the colder months.