John Weiland

FWIW....from someone who never had or raised kids but was one once upon a time......

http://www.continuum-concept.org/

Lucrecia Anderson wrote:

Ebay. Be sure to read the ads carefully though, half the sellers list it as Ephedra Sinica but then put Ephedra Nevadensis/Mormon Tea in the description (and Mormon Tea does not contain ephedrine).

Thanks for the source and the extra concerns!.....

Lucrecia Anderson wrote:The only plant coming inside will be a small  Ephedra Sinica.

If you don't mind my asking, where does one get seed or stock of this plant?

The following advice will be a bit different since we rarely have the 'rebound' temperatures that you will likely have.

I would pick what beans look good for eating in the near future.....they can be stored in plastic bags in the fridge for a bit and still provide good meals or can be preserved by a method of your choosing.

Same with the peppers...., but store them open to the air on a counter or in a box.

Don't know enough about parsley.

Basil can withstand some frosting temperatures as long as it is covered.  I've found it goes downhill pretty fast after picked, but as you noted it may be destined soon for drying.  Freezing temps tend to do it in.

Pick your best bell peppers and use when able.

For ALL of your plants still in the garden:  You might be amazed at how well they can squeak through if well protected from overnight frosts and mild freezing.  If I lived in Georgia I would certainly be using that warmer climate as much to an advantage as possible.  You mentioned having plastic....any chance you have blankets or tarps on hand for the most valuable items?  These might be more protective than sheets of plastic. The fat beans for planting next year probably will be fine on the vine.....just protect the plants if possible and let the plants die on their own time with the larger bean pods drying down as much as possible (they can dry off the vine if far enough along).  Good luck!

Lucrecia Anderson wrote: "What was I watching that would put me in THAT category?" 

If you think about how lucrative advertising is through visual media (starting with print and taken to high form through video), you realize down the road how powerful the medium is at modifying one's behavior and even world view.  It's a short leap then to realize that "news and entertainment" are doing the same.  For sure they are valid in claiming it to be "news and entertainment", but the way we are built and incorporate 'quantity' (from being baby-sat by the TV through to being fixed on the modern phone-infotainment) eventually means a lot of what we think of as "me" is an amalgam that was influenced by the medium.  All of which is to opine that it's good to be as aware as humanly possible of the sources of manipulation in whatever form they arrive.

Here are the two links, Nicole...give it a shot!

http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/content/53/1/67.abstract

https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/cs/abstracts/57/5/2564

Nicole Alderman wrote:Looks like the red and goldens have lower levels, with the Chioggia the highest (https://www.justbeetit.com/beet-blog-index/beetroot-greens-varieties-types)

For beet non-enthusiasts interested in enjoying the benefits of beets without the intense "earthy" flavor, choose a Red (Detroit Dark Red or Red Ace) or Golden Beet variety and perhaps avoid the Chioggia Beet. This beetroot is strikingly beautiful (looking like a candy-cane) and quite sweet in taste; however, the Chioggia Beet has the highest level of geosmin which contributes to the "dirt-like" taste.

Good sleuthing, Nicole!.....I could only find one other article with the same authors looking at the geosmin content and both were subscription access only unfortunately.  But the link you found seems to have the important information about that flavor.  We've never tried the goldens before and will need to give them a go.

Wow....interesting note on the earthy flavor in beets.

Bryant RedHawk wrote:

Clay soil is not good beet soil, you would need to add compost and then add sand, in that order so the clay doesn't turn into brick making material.

It may be that the natural organic layer of our local soils combined with the glacial lake-bed sand combines to combat the abundance of clay.  Nevertheless, the high clay soils of the region still support high beet yields here, producing over 50% of the nation's sugar beet crop.  Some of the fields are still pretty crusty when dry on account of the clay content....like walking on boulders after fall cultivation....but it's a pretty wide mix with other fields being pretty sandy.

Lucrecia A. wrote:  "Last time I added the nutrient (potassium? or is it magnesium? Can't recall) that is supposed to help root development and it still fizzled. Sheesh some stray beets were over 6 months old and had teeny little roots. Carrots seem to do okay though."

Hmmmm...interesting that the carrots are okay. I would suggest looking into possible slow-acting root disease on your beets.  Note the similar issue on radishes in this link:  https://permies.com/t/40/57002/Garden-Failures#534991
Aphanomyces and some similar acting diseases like scab (caused by Streptomyces on beets) can reduce yield and cause scurfing of the surface.  And this disease would not affect your carrots per se.  Depending on the pH of your soil you could try natural approaches like adding lime to the soil as well as using biological control concoctions for root diseases in certain garden catalogs. (see number 2 under 'biological control measures' in the link http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Beet_RootRot.htm ).   Just some ideas.....

Edited to add that the beet bulletin from Cornell was dated 1986.....lots of new products for biological control from garden catalogs and online suppliers since that date.

Amit Enventres wrote:

I still haven't explored hulless oats. What other annual grains are out there that I'm missing?

Maybe also give hulless barley a shot?..  http://www.albertabarley.com/hulless-barley-something-for-everyone/