Adele Poe

Nothing to see here.....

I'm wondering if great piles of leaves, from raking leaves in the fall, would count as "tree hay." The chickens would scratch around in them and eat what they pleased, and if they were deep enough, would shelter the bugs that the chickens desire, at least for a while into winter. I'm planning to try this, hopefully under cover if I can get the plastic to stay in place over hoop cattle panels. I've tried it before, but underestimated the strength of the wind vs my attempts to secure the plastic. However, if it works, I imagine the plastic trapping enough heat and the leaves being insulating enough that....well, that's as far as my imagination can take it. Good things happen, that's my hope.

I have reached my mid-60s without ever making a bucket list. I think I was just too busy to think about it. (or maybe not stoned enough [winking face]) But now, I have my list of things I want to do, but this isn't a bucket list, it's my Things to Do list. Like landscaping my entire property into food production and beauty.

And in the aftermath of taking a trip to the west coast with my kids earlier this year, I find I do have a bucket list, and everything on the list are the places I want to visit. So planning to visit Mesa Verde in Colorado this October, and the Redwoods in California next summer. The list will grow, I have never been to Yellowstone....

I just read an article which claimed that scarlet runner beans are perennial, even down to usda zone 4 if well mulched. Does anyone have experience with growing these beans as perennial in a colder zone? I did find another article which stated they were perennial to zone 7, which seems pretty reasonable. I so want to believe the zone 4 thing is real.....

I see this thread has been quiet for a while, and am wondering how many of you are still permaculturing in Nebraska, or who might be new.  I'm in central Nebraska, trying to grow a few trees, and a garden....

Nothing to back this up but a somewhat vague memory of being told that bleach is actually counterproductive in removing mold, but that vinegar is the way to go.

Except now that we know about pet slugs.....!!!  I think it would be a bit traumatic if one had to get up in the night, though. ... My imagination has taken this way too far!

In the greens department, Lamb's quarters grows wild in my area, and is pretty tasty, I'll munch it raw when walking in the yard, or use it in things cooked. I'll bet you have other "weeds" that are edible. I know I have a lot more green things growing in my yard than I know how to use.

The weed Henbit grows wild in my area, and is said to deter Colorado Potato Beetle. The one time I had it volunteer as a ground cover in my potatoes, I did not have the beetles. So, preliminary trials are positive....

David Belliveau wrote:I'm gonna do about an acre of lawn into sunflowers this year. The plan is to see how well the heads do in the furnace. How many heads a day will it take to keep the house warm? We'll see.

David, was this experiment successful? I'm curious what you learned, I'm always looking for things I can use in my stove.

I have discovered American hog peanut growing nearby, and my research has yielded conflicting information about how edible the above-ground seeds are. One source said they are inedible for people but good for wildlife, another said they were edible when cooked. Does anyone have experience with eating this plant?