T wrote:
On 06/08/2016 05:54 PM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
I finally got the root out. The root didn't do a thing to the
soil around it. The whole experience was a bit amusing.

how did that hole get there? dandelion
might have drilled it for you, but once that
root is down there then worms will follow
the root and perhaps another plant will get
in there.

those tap roots are what i was talking about.

That is one tight fit. And once the worms get down there
(root has to die first), what will the eat? Decomposed
sandstone? Rocks?

depends upon the worm, but some will feed off what the
roots give off and any other bits of stuff in there. when
you cut back some plants (simulate grazing ) they will
balance the roots out with the foliage so that means some
roots will die back, which yes, become worm food eventually.
it's a pretty good way to build up topsoil and you can see
how well it works by examining the history of the Great
Plains and see how fertile those prairies were (and how
deeply too).


Oh yes, I found that swinging an axe actually helps my blood
sugar. (I am one of the 20% that exercise backfires on
T2 Diabetics.) So, the weeds now tremble in fear from me.
By the way, an axe is not a real effective way to remove
weeds, but it SURE is cathartic.

i did a few hundred deep knee bends today
picking strawberries. i'm sure i will
be feeling it tomorrow...


Plantain herb will help fix that.

plantains seem to be loved by bunnies, grasshoppers
and worms. when i weed them out i just turn them
over and leave the roots up in the air to dry out.
if they have been let go to seed or have seed stalks
on them i pull those off and put those on the weed
piles. the birds pick at them...


Oh, in case I forget, death to weeds!

if the spot ain't got nothing better i'll leave the
weed alone as long as i can. i'm too far behind now
to plant or transplant in most spaces, but as i do
get time i replace weeds by ground covers i do like.

we have some thymes that do well here and cover up
a lot of area and don't need a lot of weeding. and
i've also got some creeping phlox, creeping jenny
and i will also toss out old seeds from melons and
squash and see if any of them will get going in the
wilder areas. if they smother some stuff in the
process of growing that's all good...

the weeds i have to keep after are the thistles
(sow thistle and the purple globe thistle) and
some others that are really a pest because they
were brought in with a wildflower seed mix and the
one i don't like happens to be the one that survived
and spread all over the place and is almost impossible
to get rid of... the one i'm reactive to...

love in a mist and poppies we have both thrive and
grow in the crushed limestone. they don't seem to
need much dirt at all. spread like crazy too. but
we like them as they wander around and when they are
done flowering all those stems are free organic
material i bury. the love in a mist pods are
often used for decorative things by flower arrangers.

ok, ramble time over. peace, even to weeds...


songbird

On 06/09/2016 05:35 PM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
On 06/08/2016 05:54 PM, songbird wrote:
those tap roots are what i was talking about.

I was hoping purslane would accomplish the same thing.
parts of my yard are not glowing red, so maybe a bumper
crop?

hope so, any ground cover is better
than bare dirt if you're not using the space,
but if you can get something else going there
instead (buckwheat or winter rye are both
excellent) it's much better. also looks like
we have a good crop starting up of purselane
this season.


songbird


Thank you!

My wife is scared to death of buckwheat as thee is
a severe allergy in her family to it (but not her yet).

Is Winter Rye the same stuff that gives you diabetes,
such as what is used in Rye Bread, etc.? Is so, I'd
rather plant something I can eat. My purslane is
already giving me seeds, so maybe ...

On 06/09/2016 05:49 PM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
On 06/08/2016 05:54 PM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
I finally got the root out. The root didn't do a thing to the
soil around it. The whole experience was a bit amusing.

how did that hole get there? dandelion
might have drilled it for you, but once that
root is down there then worms will follow
the root and perhaps another plant will get
in there.

those tap roots are what i was talking about.

That is one tight fit. And once the worms get down there
(root has to die first), what will the eat? Decomposed
sandstone? Rocks?

depends upon the worm, but some will feed off what the
roots give off and any other bits of stuff in there. when
you cut back some plants (simulate grazing ) they will
balance the roots out with the foliage so that means some
roots will die back, which yes, become worm food eventually.
it's a pretty good way to build up topsoil and you can see
how well it works by examining the history of the Great
Plains and see how fertile those prairies were (and how
deeply too).


Oh yes, I found that swinging an axe actually helps my blood
sugar. (I am one of the 20% that exercise backfires on
T2 Diabetics.) So, the weeds now tremble in fear from me.
By the way, an axe is not a real effective way to remove
weeds, but it SURE is cathartic.

i did a few hundred deep knee bends today
picking strawberries. i'm sure i will
be feeling it tomorrow...


Plantain herb will help fix that.

plantains seem to be loved by bunnies, grasshoppers
and worms. when i weed them out i just turn them
over and leave the roots up in the air to dry out.
if they have been let go to seed or have seed stalks
on them i pull those off and put those on the weed
piles. the birds pick at them...


Oh, in case I forget, death to weeds!

if the spot ain't got nothing better i'll leave the
weed alone as long as i can. i'm too far behind now
to plant or transplant in most spaces, but as i do
get time i replace weeds by ground covers i do like.

we have some thymes that do well here and cover up
a lot of area and don't need a lot of weeding. and
i've also got some creeping phlox, creeping jenny
and i will also toss out old seeds from melons and
squash and see if any of them will get going in the
wilder areas. if they smother some stuff in the
process of growing that's all good...

the weeds i have to keep after are the thistles
(sow thistle and the purple globe thistle) and
some others that are really a pest because they
were brought in with a wildflower seed mix and the
one i don't like happens to be the one that survived
and spread all over the place and is almost impossible
to get rid of... the one i'm reactive to...

love in a mist and poppies we have both thrive and
grow in the crushed limestone. they don't seem to
need much dirt at all. spread like crazy too. but
we like them as they wander around and when they are
done flowering all those stems are free organic
material i bury. the love in a mist pods are
often used for decorative things by flower arrangers.

ok, ramble time over. peace, even to weeds...


songbird



You cut the top of a dandelion (the only one I will not chop at
with my axe) and they will grow back and back and back. Them
I pickle.

Death to weeds, except purslane, which is yummy!

T wrote:
....
My wife is scared to death of buckwheat as thee is
a severe allergy in her family to it (but not her yet).

interesting! i've never heard of an
allergy to it before. they are no fun for
sure as i have reactions to some plants too
ones that i actually like (lilacs, lavender,
yarrow).


Is Winter Rye the same stuff that gives you diabetes,
such as what is used in Rye Bread, etc.? Is so, I'd
rather plant something I can eat. My purslane is
already giving me seeds, so maybe ...

it doesn't bother me. no, the point was, when you
have extra space that you don't have planted with
veggies is to fill it with a benificial ground cover
plant, to help suppress weeds and create topsoil/humus.
weeds are opportunists, fill the niche with a more
useful plant and you get topsoil faster. winter rye
is one of the most common used plants to break up
hard soil. it sends out huge amounts of roots. i've
done it here in this clay in the fall, turned it under
in the spring and the soil was great that season. you
don't have to let it get to seed/head stage, just chop
it back and turn it under before the soil dries out.


songbird

T wrote:
....
You cut the top of a dandelion (the only one I will not chop at
with my axe) and they will grow back and back and back. Them
I pickle.

Death to weeds, except purslane, which is yummy!

keep finding other plants to try instead, from
bulk seed, radish, daikon radish, the leaves/sprouts
are good at first too.


songbird

On 06/11/2016 04:16 AM, songbird wrote:
interesting! i've never heard of an
allergy to it before. they are no fun for
sure as i have reactions to some plants too
ones that i actually like (lilacs, lavender,
yarrow).

My wife mother was given something in the hospital
with something else she as allergic to. The reaction
was secondary effect of the original allergy.

On 06/11/2016 04:16 AM, songbird wrote:
Is Winter Rye the same stuff that gives you diabetes,
such as what is used in Rye Bread, etc.? Is so, I'd
rather plant something I can eat. My purslane is
already giving me seeds, so maybe ...

it doesn't bother me. no, the point was, when you
have extra space that you don't have planted with
veggies is to fill it with a benificial ground cover
plant, to help suppress weeds and create topsoil/humus.
weeds are opportunists, fill the niche with a more
useful plant and you get topsoil faster. winter rye
is one of the most common used plants to break up
hard soil. it sends out huge amounts of roots. i've
done it here in this clay in the fall, turned it under
in the spring and the soil was great that season. you
don't have to let it get to seed/head stage, just chop
it back and turn it under before the soil dries out.

My Purslane is already producing seeds. So when I pick it,
I make a pint of rinsing it off over a patch of the yard
that doesn't have any growing in it yet.

I will have to look into the Rye solution too.

On 06/11/2016 04:19 AM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
You cut the top of a dandelion (the only one I will not chop at
with my axe) and they will grow back and back and back. Them
I pickle.

Death to weeds, except purslane, which is yummy!

keep finding other plants to try instead, from
bulk seed, radish, daikon radish, the leaves/sprouts
are good at first too.


songbird


Is there a good tasting radish? The ones I get from the
store have zero taste and are only hot.

On 6/13/2016 7:53 PM, T wrote:
On 06/11/2016 04:19 AM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
You cut the top of a dandelion (the only one I will not chop at
with my axe) and they will grow back and back and back. Them
I pickle.

Death to weeds, except purslane, which is yummy!

keep finding other plants to try instead, from
bulk seed, radish, daikon radish, the leaves/sprouts
are good at first too.


songbird


Is there a good tasting radish? The ones I get from the
store have zero taste and are only hot.
Look online for heirloom radishes. That's how we got our sweet radishes,
just like the ones we grew fifty years ago. Some how hot radishes became
the standard but we never liked those anyway.

On 06/13/2016 06:33 PM, George Shirley wrote:
On 6/13/2016 7:53 PM, T wrote:
On 06/11/2016 04:19 AM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
You cut the top of a dandelion (the only one I will not chop at
with my axe) and they will grow back and back and back. Them
I pickle.

Death to weeds, except purslane, which is yummy!

keep finding other plants to try instead, from
bulk seed, radish, daikon radish, the leaves/sprouts
are good at first too.


songbird


Is there a good tasting radish? The ones I get from the
store have zero taste and are only hot.

Look online for heirloom radishes. That's how we got our sweet radishes,
just like the ones we grew fifty years ago. Some how hot radishes became
the standard but we never liked those anyway.

Thank you!

T wrote:
....
Is there a good tasting radish? The ones I get from the
store have zero taste and are only hot.

i like radish sprout leaves more than i like radishes.


songbird

On 06/13/2016 06:33 PM, George Shirley wrote:
On 6/13/2016 7:53 PM, T wrote:
On 06/11/2016 04:19 AM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
You cut the top of a dandelion (the only one I will not chop at
with my axe) and they will grow back and back and back. Them
I pickle.

Death to weeds, except purslane, which is yummy!

keep finding other plants to try instead, from
bulk seed, radish, daikon radish, the leaves/sprouts
are good at first too.


songbird


Is there a good tasting radish? The ones I get from the
store have zero taste and are only hot.
Look online for heirloom radishes. That's how we got our sweet radishes,
just like the ones we grew fifty years ago. Some how hot radishes became
the standard but we never liked those anyway.


Which ones do you like?
http://www.rareseeds.com/search/?F_Keyword=radish

On 6/13/2016 9:15 PM, T wrote:
On 06/13/2016 06:33 PM, George Shirley wrote:
On 6/13/2016 7:53 PM, T wrote:
On 06/11/2016 04:19 AM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
You cut the top of a dandelion (the only one I will not chop at
with my axe) and they will grow back and back and back. Them
I pickle.

Death to weeds, except purslane, which is yummy!

keep finding other plants to try instead, from
bulk seed, radish, daikon radish, the leaves/sprouts
are good at first too.


songbird


Is there a good tasting radish? The ones I get from the
store have zero taste and are only hot.
Look online for heirloom radishes. That's how we got our sweet radishes,
just like the ones we grew fifty years ago. Some how hot radishes became
the standard but we never liked those anyway.


Which ones do you like?
http://www.rareseeds.com/search/?F_Keyword=radish
We've grown Long Scarlet and China Rose with good results. A lot of the
hotness of radishes can be caused by letting them get to big. I prefer
them when young and sweet.

On 06/13/2016 07:28 PM, George Shirley wrote:
On 6/13/2016 9:15 PM, T wrote:
On 06/13/2016 06:33 PM, George Shirley wrote:
On 6/13/2016 7:53 PM, T wrote:
On 06/11/2016 04:19 AM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
You cut the top of a dandelion (the only one I will not chop at
with my axe) and they will grow back and back and back. Them
I pickle.

Death to weeds, except purslane, which is yummy!

keep finding other plants to try instead, from
bulk seed, radish, daikon radish, the leaves/sprouts
are good at first too.


songbird


Is there a good tasting radish? The ones I get from the
store have zero taste and are only hot.
Look online for heirloom radishes. That's how we got our sweet radishes,
just like the ones we grew fifty years ago. Some how hot radishes became
the standard but we never liked those anyway.


Which ones do you like?
http://www.rareseeds.com/search/?F_Keyword=radish
We've grown Long Scarlet and China Rose with good results. A lot of the
hotness of radishes can be caused by letting them get to big. I prefer
them when young and sweet.

These two:

http://www.rareseeds.com/long-scarle...Keyword=radish
http://www.rareseeds.com/china-rose-...Keyword=radish

The china rose one like cold weather too!

I wonder if it is too late to try this year? Our growing season
is really short. Early October comes the first freeze.

Thank you!

On Mon, 13 Jun 2016 17:53:21 -0700, T wrote:

On 06/11/2016 04:19 AM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
You cut the top of a dandelion (the only one I will not chop at
with my axe) and they will grow back and back and back. Them
I pickle.

Death to weeds, except purslane, which is yummy!

keep finding other plants to try instead, from
bulk seed, radish, daikon radish, the leaves/sprouts
are good at first too.


songbird


Is there a good tasting radish? The ones I get from the
store have zero taste and are only hot.

French breakfast radishes.