Gordon Chinnick

Next time maybe cut it back even further....

My sister-in-law had one go to bloom spring of 2024.  When the bloom was spent she cut off the 8 foot x 3/4" stem.  She was about to discard it, and let me take it.

I divided it into four sticks each 2 ft long; only the top one had leaves.  Potted all four into gallon pots of potting soil and kept them watered in our greenhouse through the summer.  Brought them into the house early fall to avoid our 6b frosts.

The top one continued its initial leaves.  The other three sticks just sat there for two months doing nothing before they each produced two buds that eventually grew into full green heads.

Konstantinos Karoubas wrote:Hello Dave,

Yeah, interesting discussion on the pines and controlled burns.

I am amazed at how fertile the land becomes after a fire.

The acidic, pine polluted soil becomes fertile.

It  gives us a window of 2 to 3 years to introduce other tree species and shrubs.

Do you think oak forests also need controlled burns?

Kostas

Hi Kostantinos,

Thanks for sharing this saga with us.  Please come back with periodic updates.

Fire and oak reminded me of a type of eco-systen in North America the Oak Savanna. Light periodic burns maintain the oaks as the dominant tree species and a dappled grassland.

Check out :
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_savanna
There is a section about Mediterranean versions.  

Also check this Dehesa link: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehesa "a multifunctional, agrosylvopastoral system (a type of agroforestry) and cultural landscape of southern and central Spain and southern Portugal".  Think of the acorn fattened pork and truffle hunting... yum yum!

I remember, in Portugal, seeing the cork oak trees growing in wheat savannas.

Here in southern Ontario, Canada, we have a few remnants of prarrie grasslands and oak savannas and lush Carolinian forest.  What gets expressed will depend on the soil, water, fire history and human histiry.

Our farm is largely sand based.  A prior owner established a couple of pine/oak blocks 20 years ago; already becoming a deer pasture and enjoyable walk.  A tree advisor suggested that it is time to start thinning the pine to open the canopy even more for the oaks.   I doubt that we will consider fire in our tool box because it is surrounded on three sides by Carolinian forest, but continual gradual thinning of the pine is planned.

Always keep learning and sharing; that is part of our human nature.

Hi Joshua,

No self-experience yet, but I am currently doing my own preparations for adding an RMH or masonry heater.

1) Do a web search on "shared chimney".  You will see many links.

A quick summary:
-possible flow of exhaust gases into other parts of your house
-some regions have bylaws against shared chimney/flues

2) RMH (or masonry heaters) predominantly rely on line-of-sight radiative distribution of heat, so it is common to contemplate more central location of the heater vs against the periphery.  Depending on the era or house designer your current chimney maybe along house edge.

3) It might be possible to put separate flues inside the current chimney to keep the gases separate and not need to create a new perforation in your roof.  It will depend on if there is enough capacity in the existing chimney for both, does it still allow chimney sweeping both flues or if even allowed.  Check with your local experts and bylaws.

4) You might be able to route the new chimney flue horizontally out a side wall then up the outside of your house.  I think there have been some discussions at permies.com around this topic in relation to this because exhaust gases are much cooler than typical chimney.  Again check with your local experts and more ideally find some local RMH users to visit.

Have fun with the new project.

Cheers.

Try:
https://oroseeds.com/shop/seeds/vegetables-spices/thai-rai-kaw-tok-pumpkin/

Hi Ronaldo,

1) I learned a bit more at this wiki link about cordyceps.  Cordyceps is a genus that has 600ish species that are parasitic to insects or aryhropods or fungi or amphibians.   One particular species from the Himalayas is very famous and is a spectacular rabbit hole to chase on its own.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordyceps

2) This last year, we watched a wonderful presentation from Daniel Winkler showing different cordyceps from around the world including Latin America rainforests.  He also discussed groups developing production systems to help save the wild cordyceps from being over harvested in Bhutan and providing local income.

3) Another rabbit hole to fall into:
Search for "cordyceps zombie ants" and "cordyceps zombie flies".

4) Warning: DO NOT taste test wild fungi without appropriate training.  There are some species that can kill you even on a taste sample size.  DO find a good local mentor to teach you how to identify mushrooms correctly (books and pictures are not enough): You will learn many other things to check before you do a taste test with a found fungi.

We started keeping muscovies, pekins and buff orpingtons ducks in 2021 in southern Ontario, similar lattitude to northern California, temp sometimes down to -20C (-5F).  We kept 55-ish birds, ducks and chickens, together in a stripped down 28' trailer, minimal insulation, windows cracked slightly all the time, birds locked in at night, straw covered floor (bedding starting 4-6" deep, emptied out in spring), some roosting bars.  

All food and water bowls outdoors.  The birds all run out to eat and will filter in and out during the day as they see fit.

Muscovies and chickens prefer to roost.  The mallard ducks can't roost and sleep on the floor.

We feed a duck grower ration all the time.  Chickens are fine with it, and provides some of the essentials required for the ducks.  They are free range (within electro fencing) and will top up to the hearts content with whatever they can find.   (Beware: chickens do dig dust bowls just so they might dine on some extra proteun when someone when twists an ankle.)

They will eat cracked corn but that is not a wide enough nutrient profile if that is all they have.

---

Suggestions:

Top up the straw periodically if it gets too damp or fouled.  The chickens will often scratch through it helping to keep in drier.

Straw will usually be much cheaper than hay.  Hay is feed for horses, cattle and other animals but not much for these birds.

Don't seal up your hut too much; ducks produce a lot of humidity.  Main thing is block precipitation on birds and bedding and block wind and drafts at bird levels.

All feeding and watering done outside  of sleeping area will be important; all ducks are messy, sloppy, wet, slurpy, muddy, yucky eaters.  (They are fun animals, just never invited inside my house.)

You will want to dump out yesterday's water /ice bowls and provide todays clean water.   Rubberish flexible livestock bowls work well because we can tip them over and stomp on them to break out most of the ice.  (Tractor Supply or feed supply store, 6-8" deep bowls.)   We carry water by bucket to them in the morning; hint: two buckets 1/3 full is balanced and much easier to carry.

Have fun.  Have your camera in your pocket because antics are always near.

We listen to a weekly gardening show here in Ontario with guest Ed Lawrence.  He normally addresses listener questions about house and garden plants.  

I have heard him prescribe this recipe for scale many times, but have not heard him prescribe it for tree yet.  Read some of the cautions in the Globe and Mail article before using outside.

---

"Ed Lawrence, the CBC Radio gardening guru, recommends soap and water as effective on aphids and spider mites - 40 parts water to 1 part liquid soap (not detergent), which converts to 1 tablespoon or half an ounce of soap in a 20-ounce spray bottle. Add 8 parts rubbing alcohol to penetrate the waxy protection of mealy bug or scale."
https://www.returnofthenative.ca/snippets/174-good-bugs-come-in-all-shapes-and-sizes

Best to read this other article by Ed about knowing this enemy and how to utilise this recipe.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/scale-infestation-calls-for-drastic-measures/article18429080/

---

Quick summary:
Recipe:
40 parts water
1 part liquid soap (not detergent)
8 parts rubbing alcohol

1 Spray on all surfaces of plant to point of dripping off.
2 Leave on for 10 minutes.
3 Rinse off completely.
4 Do this process 3 times in ten days.

Hi Jodi,  

I do not have first hand experience with baking at other elevations but I remember first learning about the altitude baking tweaks.  

We were  visiting the bother-in-law of my brother-in-law who was a baker in Calgary, Alberta (elev 1047m / 3435feet) while I hailed from near Toronto, Ontario  (elev 209 m / 686 ft).  When looking through his recipe book, I noticed that he had scratched out and adjusted various parameters in each baking recipe and I had to ask why.

---
Today, I web searched for "elevation baking recipe changes".
https://engine.presearch.org/search?q=elevation+baking+recipe+changes

I like the three web links below because they each discuss how much to tweak based on your elevation and why for each of the following parameters in your recipes :
- oven temperature (increase)
- baking time (decrease)
- sugar (decrease)
- liquid (increase)
- flour (decrease)
- baking powder / baking soda / yeast (decrease)
These pages discuss differences for breads and cakes and cookies as well.

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
https://www.wheatmontana.com/content/high-altitude-baking-how-make-your-recipes-work-mountains
https://bakingnaturally.org/high-altitude-baking-adjustments/
Looks like searching for "high altitude baking" is the common theme.

So Jodi, have fun tweaking as your baking.  Maybe chat up some neighbours/bakers and see if they agree.  They might have some fun stories to share.

Mix some baking soda with the oil in a thick paste.  Apply to the label/glue and let oil soak in for a period of time.  The soda keeps the oil from flowing away during the sitting time and then gives grit when you add a little elbow grease.

A big caution on Goo-Gone: it can disolve some plastics!

I was cleaning a display case that had a textured surface like wallet/purse leather that was black.  Using Goo-Gone, it started melting the peaks into the valleys of the textured surface and add a grey/white petina  that could not be removed.  If using on plastic, then test in an inconspicuous area first.