Rebecca Branham

+ Follow
since Aug 09, 2015
Merit badge: bb list bbv list
For More
Apples and Likes
Apples
Total received
In last 30 days
0
Forums and Threads

Recent posts by Rebecca Branham

At a former garden, I had everbearing strawberry plants that were called a "crown" variety.  They were entirely runnerless (unless stressed---then there would sometimes be some runners.)   To reproduce, they made another plant(s) right along side the original = every 3-4 years you had to dig up the clump that was now 50+ plants.  The original and older center plants had deteriorated, thus forming the ring/crown of younger plants.
This past spring, I wanted to establish a strawberry bed.  I spent hours on the Internet and couldn't find anything but alpine strawberries that were runnerless.  I've raised red and yellow alpine strawberries from seed before---totally different from what i was looking for.
Does anyone recognize what I've described?
1 year ago
YouTube has a couple of videos about manual hay balers.
1 year ago
Revitalized old post.  Writing to comment on the stinky compost.  It smells because it is too wet; it is anaerobic.  Anaerobic bacteria are not the ones you want.  The stinky compost will have to dry out and become populated with aerobic bacteria before it is useful.  Actually, before it is not harmful.
The solution is to also put in dry carbonous material when filling the bucket---to balance the wet nitrogen rich vegies.
3 years ago
I make ghee because I can't tolerate the cassein protein = I discard the bottom-of-the-pan stuff.  Am writing to just say it's not necessary to skim the foam during the process, because it is the water boiling off and will soon be gone.  When the foam is all gone and you can see the bottom of the pan through the clear ghee, it's time to pour out of the pan.  If all the milk solids haven't settled, straining will catch them, but you have clarified butter.  More cooking will get you to ghee.
3 years ago
I've experienced gophers not crossing a bed of daffodils to get into the garden....
3 years ago
My question would be to ask you about her diet.  How much research have you done on the topic?  Wet food vs dry food.  Any raw?  Grain free isn't enough, because some brands use potato and tapioca starch.  Carrageenan and gum free?  American pet food rules say if the food contains more than 25% fish, vitamin K must be added (because vitamin K isn't available from fish) and the only approved (synthetic) vitamin k supplement is bad.

I'm sorry you all are having such a difficult time.  It sounds like you are investing lots of effort and energy into reversing the flea situation.  I wish you all a success!

Until it freezes, you could be bringing fleas into the house from the yard on your shoes.  I went through the flea fight with my indoor cats---even in a 3rd floor apt. in a cement block building!
3 years ago
I've never been able to get the little brown thingee they give you for priming the new filters to seal sufficiently around a faucet to work.  I found a turkey baster accomplished the task.  Slow, but it worked to fill the filter with water.
4 years ago
Cooked pumpkin/squash seeds will grow.  Numerous volunteers in the compost pile.
4 years ago
When my tree collards get too tall to harvest, I make cuttings and start over.  I cut the stem tip about 6" below the first/smallest leaf---usually trimming off all the other leaves---to cause less stress to the plant when it has only that small leaf surface to support.  I plant the cutting up to it's leaf(s) in a one gallon pot, cover with an inverted plastic bag (for humidity and to not need to water it) for 2 months.  By that time the new plant has enough of a root system to be planted out.
4 years ago
I want to put up a 16' x 16' x 9.6' Solexx Conservatory (quonset style) greenhouse and power it off grid.  I figure my wattage requirement will be 400 watts---running 2-4 18 w heat mats, 2 48 w LED grow lights, a 33 w submersible air pump for a 600 gallon fish tank, and 200w for a fan.  Besides season extension, my use for the greenhouse is plant starts.  I have symphylans in the garden that eat roothairs.  If I transplant from a 4" pot when the plant is more mature, the soil has also warmed up enough that the symphylans have gone deeper.  
Does anyone have experience/advice to share?
I'm in SW Oregon, zone 8 if that's important.
7 years ago