13 Comments
Apr 30, 2023Liked by DoorlessCarp🐭

Love it; hills are so good for you overall, and cycling is another fave!

Precision Hydration in the UK has some interesting info...especially for heavy sweat-ers.

I can always use more compost than my 2 bins create; and also have a big leaf mulch pile. Here in New England, the "Coast of Maine" company makes an interesting Lobster Compost. Orchid and carnivorous growing media sounds intriguing!

With ~ 2 acres for our own use; our soil is tested in small batches and I use no heavy equipment; so I am always busy in our rocky soil. And I use local soil that I amend organically and with green manure cover crops; always cultivate organic practices even stricter standards than MOGFA Certified Organic (e.g., no Bt); but not tested or claimed Certified-it's just for us.

I call our little place of green organisms a "Plant Zoo" because I like growing a variety of Heirloom and Local habitat plants, and like to explore companion planting.

Nice chat-Back to work I go!

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Oh the taste of heritage varieties. I used to take the grade-outs home for Sunday lunch. Purple & white carrots & tasty taters.

The Heritage Seed Library

https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/what-we-do/hsl

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Apr 30, 2023Liked by DoorlessCarp🐭

Nice!

My favorite is an heirloom variety of blackeye peas that are green when harvested; I save seed prolifically of what I can in the time I have...planting red potatoes and 2 sweet potatoes in big pots this year; also do several colors of carrots...we are peas in a pod...

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Apr 29, 2023Liked by DoorlessCarp🐭

Love that background of horticulture and organic composts!

I did a hugelkutur bed I created with forest soil & mycorrhizae for the ginseng and goldenseal. Artemesia annua, Melissa officianalis, Echinacea purpurea, Oregano a few spp. multiplied like mad here...looking for Sarracenia and Epimedium...and silica-rich horsetails, etc to counter Aluminum from chemtrails...another subject for your Substack that I am interested in-soil science remediation! I am harvesting dandelion and stinging nettles now. And dividing Houttouynia chordata, Schisandra chinensis vines, etc...

Much food for thought; too bad we're not closer! I could send some Baikal or connect to let you know some of my seed sources if you wish.

I am a little over an hour to the start of the Boston Marathon; so interested in Sports Physiology too- if you are a runner, like me, I have boycotted Abbott World Marathon Majors because you can't participate if not jabbed with their mandatory Bioweapon. Shame on the BAA; and the rest of these events I had planned on running.

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Apr 29, 2023·edited Apr 29, 2023Author

I'm more into hill walking & a little cycling than running, but staying hydrated can be a challenge and a colleague suggested it.

Soil wise I go for a top down approach using my own compost. But I've done lab soil sample tests for N & pH and mix all my own orchid & carnivorous growing media, happy to write about remediation, both mineral & organic as we move on from Covid (mentally if not physically!).

At the farm scale you can diagnose deficiencies from satellite images and use GPS to precisely address it on the tractor. At home we don't have such luxuries and may need to carpet bomb areas instead.

I tend to plant specimen plants in their own island of media, idealised to their native conditions.

Any UK Scutellaria baicalensis sources would be welcome. I have eBay but they are pricey.

But don't ask me about Cypripediums. They are like the saying about horses, always trying to kill themselves and our job is to stop it🥴.

I failed. Several times.

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Apr 29, 2023Liked by DoorlessCarp🐭

Please keep em coming and Thank You!

I do have some interesting herb seeds I could share in gratitude...

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Hi Andrea, interesting, what do you have?

Scutellaria are of particular interest, they are scarce and priced individually (much like particular varieties of seed of a very famous, er, herb).

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I have quite a few, some may be difficult to germinate, but I have been learning techniques after years of exploration and trial w/Bio/Chem & Master Gardener background...I do have Scutellaria baicalensis, Echinacea angustifolia, Andrographis paniculata, Schisandra chinensis, Topas St. Johs Wort, Anthos Valerian, Bodegold Chamomile, Astragalus, Ashwagandha and quite a lot else, too many to list and would love to connect/send some to you in gratitude-if you are passing by NE CT I could give you some plants...

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You've got a very useful range there, my background long ago was commercial horticulture & a year spent researching organic composts.

For this year I've got Artemisia annua, Melissa officinalis & Echinacea purpurea from seed, and Origanum onites & Epimedium grandiflorum bought as mature plants. I've also got some 30 year old sarracenia & drosera you could use herbally, but I'd prefer to chop up dandelions first!

Unfortunately I'm in the UK or I'd pop round...

DC

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Another tome~

A fantastic compilation that I am endeavoring to read and share.

Hope that your wormwood is flourishing! Interestingly enough, Dr. Clark favored the artemisia absynthe variety..

Thank you!!!

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Hi Sally, Thanks! I checked in on them, added a little water and they coming on fine, and my first Melissa officinalis are showing now :)

The common wormwood has its own benefits but tox issues too. Definitely has its place but care needed

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Mar 10, 2023Liked by DoorlessCarp🐭

Thank you for all of the useful links.

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