Debbie Ang

Thanks, Jen, for the reminder that seeds don't all have the same behavior.  Isn't it correct that seeds from the same wild species and maybe even the same plant don't all germinate at the same time to moderate their risk of sprouting during unfavorable conditions?  Makes sense in an uncertain world!

Hello, Steve.  Would love to test some of your seed here in dry, hot Utah.  This year I purchased several moschata varieties from Baker Creek and planted them in a sunny area of sandy loam amended with some homemade compost.  It was watered a couple times per week (we had a much hotter summer than usual, with more than 30 days of triple-digit temperatures).  The harvest was unimpressive - very few, mostly small fruits.  I plan to save the seed from all of them and plant them out next year.  Adding some of your seeds will likely help the overall population genetics.  Thanks.

Hello, Honey.  Several different beans, including adzuki and mung, are commonly used in Asian desserts, either as a paste used to stuff steamed buns/mochi/glutinous rice, or whole in sweet soups or over shaved ice.  Try searching "Asian bean desserts" for ideas.  Have you tried black bean brownies?  They are flourless and have a rich, fudgy texture.  Chickpea peanut butter cookies?  Many recipes available on the internet.  Great way to get extra protein and fiber!

I vote for How to grow yarn in an apartment or small space.  I also like the idea of harvesting wild plants for fiber.  How about identifying plants that offer food and fiber?  R Ranson, thank you for offering your knowledge.

I would like to start a landrace of winter squash.  I am wondering how many seeds to plant out.  Do you plant more densely than usually recommended, then select against weak plants?  Do you make a point of planting out equal numbers of seeds from each fruit?  Or just mix and plant out as many as you have room for?  Thanks.

We have friends in La Jolla, CA, near San Diego, who have a macadamia nut tree in their backyard.  I don't know if it was from seed, but it makes an abundant crop of nuts each year.  The dogs love chewing on them.

Nicolas, that is excellent.  I'm glad to know that some people may enjoy the smell.  And for those who don't, at least they won't be trampling my plants!  Thank you for your reply.

To those of you who have access to buffalo gourd, can you tell me if it smells from far away, or only when the leaves are crushed?  I was thinking of growing one in a dry ditch at the front of our property.  But if it is malodorous from more than let's say 10 ft away, I'm not sure my neighbors will appreciate it.  Thanks in advance for your help.

Hello all.  I'm not a regular contributor to this site, but truly enjoy learning from everyone here.  I just purchased a scythe this past summer, and so far have had a very positive experience with it.  I'm the outlier in our neighborhood (some of our neighbors thought we had moved this summer because I let the grass get quite long!), but thankfully they are all good sports and tolerate my experiments in permaculture.  I'm looking forward to learning better scything technique with Ian's book.  Thank you, Ian, for sharing your knowledge!

Hello, David,

Is burial the best method of keeping rodents out of meat and dairy waste? Any other methods?

Does a compost pile result in more snails and slugs in the garden? Does it help keep them away from the vegetables by offering an alternate food source?

Thanks.