Shailor Clark

Interesting

I just read a few different web pages about solanum nigrum and all had mixed views.

Now I can see it in my Edible Wild Plant guide
"Warning: Although there is some controversy as to the edibility of the fully ripe berries, they should be left alone. The green berries contain solanine and can be fatal if eaten in sufficient quantity."

Though apparently like you said many cultures do eat the berries & even make jam from them as well as the leaves well-cooked.

I eat plenty of other greens so I don't figure I'll be using them for that but I could always have more berries around..

So I decided to go try one!

....

Well! It was kind of like.. a watermelon rind/slightly licorice-flavored extra large blueberry!?
But it wasn't very sweet.

Lots of little white seeds got spit into the edge of an herb garden.

Thanks for the reply.

About how often do you eat these?

We DID get a free packet of "garden huckleberry" seeds this year from a company we got dwarf trees from and some of the seeds did get scattered around here and there....!? Hmmm. However.. I dont see anyone using that name for Black nightshade.

This plant came up in a pot I have peppers growing in.
It has little white flowers as you can see in the picture and berry like fruits with a lot of white seeds in the middle.
The front doesn't have a smell to it when I opened it, but it sure looks tasty.

These pictures were taken about a week ago, there is a lot more ripe fruit on it now.
I live on the coast of North Carolina, some of the potting soil was used from an old pot so it could be something that we unknowingly planted.

Any ideas?


I can take more pictures if need be.

This is awesome!

I've started picking huckleberries and [mostly] deer berries for the first time this summer on Roanoke Island, in the last bits of wild forest left they are most abundant and delicious!

More 'meaningless' drivel !

I really like this design, although I dont have much input. It'd be great if you keep this thread updated as your project continues!

I live further north and on the coast, so I don't know exactly how well it would work for you but in some of yellow sections of the understory (in sun or shade) you could introduce a spineless variety of Prickly Pear. You can make a simple soap from the pads, eat the new tender pads like a vegetable, eat the sweet flowers & fruit raw. Also the fruit has many hard seeds which can be ground into flower. I just got a few of these and they are spreading quickly.

Also, red/Daikon radishes & carrots grow super well underneath of our pear tree, we never irrigate them and theyre the biggest radishes we have!

Cheers

The thistles I have around here are mostly field thistle I believe and we have probably about 20 or less around the entire 1/2 acre here. I do eat the leaves every now and then mostly cooked, however I've noticed a nother practical use for them while they are living.

They seem to be a "trap" crop for aphids!
I haven't had aphids on radishes, tomatoes, peppers or anything else other than the thistles at all this season where as last year when there were no thistles, they ate what we planted.

Wild Carrot A.K.A. Queen Anne's Lace seeds.

I've found a few great zines on this topic but I have yet to know of anyone personally try this.
http://zinelibrary.info/fertility-awareness-non-invasive-birth-control
http://zinelibrary.info/herbal-abortion


May this be helpful

Cheers

I have read that you can eat the plant itself however, and use the sap from the flower stalk raw, without processing.

I had just tried some of this from the store recently someone had got and the taste is like molassess to me, not as strong with a nice after taste but after reading that first article I believe I'm going to have a talk with them.

Well thanks for all the input folks

I was really hoping that maybe I could just melt them down inside within a container like a a clay plant pot tray or such in hot coals from a winter nights fire.

The Fresnel lens seems great though! I wonder if you could melt down bits of old steel like that and make nails?

I have however been using whole glass bottles as automatic plant waterers for some container plants. It works well for larger plants with deeper roots [in a pot]

Here's that video from growingyourgreens
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtcmR4ltv6Y

These folks are growing on straight up concrete in a few ways.

I really like the wire & burlap sack idea especially on a pallet.

Just found a nice amount of old potato sacks and I've got plenty of pieces of chicken wire.


I would love to see the trailer idea too! Maybe even a mini bicycle trailer garden with wind resistant plants like carrots, radishes and some mint for a treat after? Maybe some spineless 'prickly pear' cacti.
Living portable food.
You know what... I have to do this, I'll post some photos when I'm done.

Cheers

You can eat them, and the taste is not that different than their cousins in the sea, shrimp.

I've done this a few times, cooking them into a stir fry as well as alone with some greens.

I can't say I'm going to be eating them every night even though they are more than abundant.

Apparently some can taste a bit foul, though I've never had any bad ones. I was recommend to ick the ones which roll up into a ball when you uncover a hiding space.

This is all of course if the chickens don't eat them all as I flip a few stones.

Cheers