i watched some utubers on that process....we decided not to get a dehydrator and used the air fry oven...it has dehydration setting and temps can be changed.... drying all the wild plants in there...maybe no power ...one day...that oven is high wattage...so we're building an outside screen table ...i 'd like to hinge an old window above so I can raise it or lower...bottom open for circulation ... i decided that i will dry slice potatoes..sweet potatoes and other veggies there if no power next year... preparing the compost and garden for next plant ...we've never done a large garden...takes a lot of advance info and planning... aphids are the worst here..and the big farms all round us ...lots of soy beans...corn...they use aerial insecticide on beans...it's been weeks of that....i decided to concentrate on the farmer ants that are protecting those aphids... prepping compost with deterrent waste...companion plants in with vegetables..so much research...while we have internet and power...i gotta print off lots of pdf files.. as we're not using any commercial products...i guess we'll be shoveling out somebody's barn around here...if we can... i've never typed this much in here...sorry bout the length...i thought our "haul it or drag it" days we're done...guess not..almost 70 years old..Lord help us all
We use our own manure. But will have to ammend soon. Diatomaceous earth works on ants and aphids. Not poisonous to us but don't breathe it in. Working the farm this year seems harder than in the past. 70's not for sissies?
We have always started our own seeds, seldom purchased plants. Added worms we raised in our worm farm to our raised bed, but not sure we can handle too much more work.
you know..i 'd forgot about lime...years back i put it in the crawl space of our old house...you oughta saw what happened when central air came on..
slow and steady ....you got enough worries to get vehicles going... my husband had already split wood this morning..then...decided to mulch mow yard...it's small and we use a self propel mower...but the sun popped out and turned on the furnace...he wanted to keep on...I had him to stop..get inside...cool down...now he's gone to get some big catch water barrels from a guy who had a marketplace ad...he has to be reminded he's 70 years old...
Comfrey is exceptional for soil build up. Peppermint deters a lot of things but I don't know if it works as compost.
Ya know, I have always fought the term 'You can't'. I CAN!. But lately, it may give me heat stroke because of dehydration because I don't want to add the additional mileage to walk back to get something to drink. And now the sun is back out. I thought I might be finished with the pastures today. Then I can get back to the beans.
thank you Mary...maybe I can get that comfrey going...i have loads of peppermint.....creeping charlie..which i'd....need to be careful with..tall marigold stalks and leaves...oh...some others
@Mary Stetler I forgot to mention another thing in connection with vinegar culture (and sourdough). One source I read stated that to get real regional vinegar, collect blooming edible flowers in your area and put them into the "wine" you ware turning into vinegar. It said that the nectar of the flowers collects available bacteria and yeasts in your area, and makes your vinegar or sourdough somewhat unique to your area. Raw honey from your area could do the same thing if it wasn't heated much. Your own grapes might have the same thing as well, but if you are using fruit or vegetables NOT from your property/area, the flowers would add a local touch and once yu get the culture going, it is yours.
I didn’t think it warrants a new thread to say the biting and stinging things are starting to get aggressive.
A big ugly wasp. I guess he just got me at the right place. I was going to pull up the security camera video, the more I thought about it the more I didn't want to see a old man with a bad back and banged up knee steppin and fetching like his hair was on fire and my butt was catching . So I cleared the history unseen.