Seedy Saturdays occur across Canada under the auspices of Seeds of Diversity. This organization aims to preserve, perpetuate, study and encourage the growth of heirloom and endangered food crops. The event has several goals: “encouraging the use of open-pollinated and heritage seeds, enabling a local seed exchange, and educating the public about seed saving and environmentally responsible gardening practices.”

In Saskatoon, this annual event has occurred under the sponsorship of CHEP Good Food since 1998. In pursuit of its vison for a food-secure community, CHEP Good Food works with children, families and communities to improve access to good food and promote food security. This mission takes multiple forms: volunteers packing and distributing biweekly produce boxes; facilitating communal cooking; operating fresh food markets for seniors and community stores; providing nutritious school lunches for kids who might otherwise go hungry; cooking workshops; community gardens; and urban farms. Hosting Seedy Saturday is a natural fit with the organization’s ethos.

I love Seedy Saturday. Seeds sold by local growers are the results of years of gardening in Saskatchewan’s challenging climate. It’s a fabulous way to tap into a communal wellspring of gardening knowledge and goodwill. I always come home with more seeds than I have gardening space for: seeds for varieties I have not tried before; seeds for new gardening beds I mean to dig; and seed varieties I have come to love for superior flavour, high yield, hardiness, disease resistance, being bolt-proof, early yield, late yield, climbing versus bush, and/or adaptation to our climate.

Carrots, for example, have suffered terribly in the hands of mass production. The orange sticks in the supermarket year-round are woody and bland, but bite into a freshly pulled Cosmic Purple, Purple Dragon, Solar Yellow, red-cored Chantenay, Little Finger, Scarlet Nantes, Danvers Half Long or Touchon, and you’ll remember why they are among the world’s favourite vegetables. My dog Jake is a discerning carrot consumer, turning his nose up at tattered commercial carrots but gobbling up freshly pulled varieties with an enthusiasm exceed only by his fondness for new sugar peas and beans.

At Seedy Saturday, a community seed exchange offers free seeds from local seed-savers, plus you’ll find educational presentations, live music, and stuff for kids to do, lots of seeds to choose among, and sustainability-minded gardeners who love what they do and are willing to share their knowledge. I spend lots of time talking with one and then another grower, discussing the merits of varietals, best practices, staking versus pruning, and how-tos that I have not yet imagined — all the learning that takes a lifetime of gardening to acquire.

There’s always something new to learn. This year, for example, I was astounded by hydroponic lettuces being grown in yogurt tubs. Who knew? My long months of arguing with my cat over my indoor plant beds may be supplanted by tubs that she’ll have no earthly interest in, tubs that offer her no way of scratching or digging or disturbing my plants. On top of all my seeds and dreams of this year’s garden, I came away with a sheet of information titled “Hydroponic Leafy Greens: Grow with USask” from the University of Saskatchewan’s Department of Plant Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. Yay! First we eat, then we start those carrot and greens growing.

Roasted roots

Dense cores make carrots good keepers, so they’re the last vegetable to give up — other than turnips,

carrots, and onions — when the winter larder runs bare. Carrots roast really well, which reveals their inherent sweetness. This fuss-proof method is a bonus when you have other things going on and just want to get something yummy made without fuss. Choose carrots of similar size or cut them to match. If you grow good carrots, their flavour alone is stellar. But to jack up the flavour of uninspired commercial carrots, add a wisp of cumin and cinnamon, paprika, chili powder or ground coriander. Really dull old carrots benefit from a bit of honey added at the end of the roasting time to add caramelized sweetness.

Serves 2-4.

• 1 lb. carrots, scrubbed and trimmed to match
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley or dill

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Toss the carrots in a bowl with the oil and seasonings, except the fresh herbs. Lay in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast until tender, 20-40 minutes, depending on the size. Toss with the minced herbs and serve hot.

The post Seedy Saturdays appeared first on Grainews.

The plant was listed as “squirrel tail grass,” but Bouw thought it looked awfully similar to a species with a more cursed name on the Prairies. A comparison of scientific names confirmed his suspicion. The catalogue was selling foxtail barley, a notorious weed and menace to his cattle.

“I kind of lost it,” Bouw said.

He is familiar with the risk this weed poses to his operation. The stiff, sharp awns of foxtail barley can lodge like slivers in the mouths of livestock, causing infections.

The plant is a common sight in ditches and saline areas all over Manitoba — but to Bouw’s way of thinking, there’s no need to propagate more.

“We don’t need to help the devil,” he said.

Foxtail barley is also a Tier 3 noxious weed in Manitoba, which requires it to “be controlled if the weed’s uncontrolled growth or spread would have a negative impact on the economy, the environment or the well-being of residents nearby,” according to a Manitoba Agriculture fact sheet.

Under that classification of the Manitoba Noxious Weeds Act, squirrel tail grass (a.k.a. foxtail barley) can’t be deliberately grown in Manitoba, said Kim Brown, weed specialist with Manitoba Agriculture.

Historical invaders

There’s a lengthy history of noxious or invasive ornamental plants, some of them imported for their beauty, only to spread past the garden bed and into a problem.

“Over 60 per cent of Canada’s invasive plants were intentionally introduced over the last 150 years based on their value for food, medicine, ecosystem services, as well as aesthetics,” says the Canadian Council on Invasive Species.

The oxeye daisy, a delicate, white-petaled flower with a yellow centre often seen along roadsides, is one example. It could be mistaken for a native wildflower but it isn’t. It was likely introduced from Europe in the 1800s through contaminated grass seed, says the Manitoba Invasive Species Council website.

This flower still appears in some “wildflower” seed mixes, the council added.

The more infamous purple loosestrife was introduced in a similar way, either through contaminated seed, soil used for ship ballast, or deliberately by beekeepers in the 19th century, according to the national Invasive Species Centre headquartered in Ontario.

That plant can produce as many as two million seeds in a growing season, the centre added, and has spread across almost every Canadian province and U.S. state, where it can choke out native plants.

Baby’s breath, a standard in many floral bouquets, is a Tier 2 noxious weed in Manitoba. The Manitoba Master Gardener Association also warns against planting periwinkle (vinca), queen anne’s lace, yellow clematis, common barberry and certain barberry hybrids, valerian, and many more — all because they’re noxious or invasive.

Taking action

If a seed company or greenhouse is selling plants that fall under Manitoba’s Noxious Weeds Act, the province may ask them to knock it off.

“They just may not know,” Brown said.

West Coast Seeds, in whose catalogue the foxtail barley appeared, is based in British Columbia. Foxtail barley doesn’t appear on that province’s noxious weeds list, nor does it feature on federal lists of noxious weeds or invasive plants regulated by Canada’s Plant Protection Act and Seeds Act.

West Coast Seeds did not respond to a request for comment.

(Editor’s Note, April 5, 2024: While listed in the company’s print catalogue, squirrel tail grass seed is no longer listed for sale on West Coast Seeds’ web site.)

Not all invasive species are federally or provincially regulated so there’s no legal way to stop garden centres from selling them.

“I think a lot of our retailers do a great effort of trying to do the research, but they have capacity limitations … they’re trying to run a business,” said Gabby Nichols, project co-ordinator with the Canadian Council on Invasive Species.

The council has developed a voluntary code of conduct for greenhouses and seed companies to help develop awareness of invasive species and prevent their introduction or spread.

Besides discouraging the growth or sale of invasive plants, the code promotes suitable alternatives. It also suggests labelling plants correctly, by both common and scientific name, and working with regional experts to keep informed on regional invasive plants.

The council has also developed resources to foster gardener awareness.

Gardener beware

For gardeners, lists of noxious and invasive plants are available through resources published by the Manitoba Master Gardener Association, the Invasive Species Council of Manitoba, the Canadian Council on Invasive Species, or provincial and federal noxious and invasive lists.

Gardeners should also approach online purchases of plants or seeds with caution, the Invasive Species Council of Manitoba says. As in the case of foxtail barley, plants native or benign in one area may be noxious in another.

The council suggests checking the scientific (Latin) name of plants when perusing the greenhouse or seed catalogue, and avoiding plants without that information.

Gardeners should also read the ingredients in wildflower mixes because they can contain invasive plants, and should be cautious when buying exotic plants.

“Ornamental plants imported and sold under this category have become some of our worst invaders,” the council reports.

The post Garden seeds lead to problem weeds appeared first on Grainews.

Broad beans were an essential staple protein food for many areas of the world, from Ireland to China. They had a protein content of around 28 per cent which, weight for weight, is more than 2-½ times that of an equal amount of beef steak which is around 11 per cent protein. In Europe, fava beans were called fasola fava in Poland, fèves in France and tuinbonen in the Netherlands.

In western parts of Europe and in southern areas of Europe, Asia and Australia, fava beans are grown as a winter annual or biennial crop. Traditionally they were planted in September or October and harvested the following spring. Fava bean seedlings are very frost-tolerant up to -8 C or lower. Even when frost-damaged, like peas, they can resprout from below ground.

In protein-poor areas of the world only 100 years ago, such as the U.K. and Ireland, the broad bean was a godsend to both humans and horses. I personally have eaten fava beans since childhood, with the exception of my time in the United States. I worked on fava beans in the 1970s in Ontario where I was able to demonstrate the bean yellow mosaic virus could be seed-borne up to 10 per cent in fava beans, despite the literature saying not so. My PhD thesis was based on aphid transmissibility of the bean yellow mosaic virus.

Since I have lived in Alberta, I have grown fava beans (broad beans) annually from 1974. I was unhappy with the commercially available home garden varieties, so I set out to develop my own fava bean. I collected Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, Polish and British varieties. The Spanish fava bean was a very deep purple. I used the purple colour as a marker and allowed the bean collection to crossbreed. Unlike peas, fava beans intercross very easily, just like sunflowers. I selected and reselected beans based on purple-coloured seed for both yield and quality. After some 20 years I now have a high-yielding, excellent-eating purple-seeded fava bean. Since fava beans for fresh eating and freezing must be picked when they are full-sized beans, the purple-coloured seed is a perfect marker. If the seeds have started to turn purple, then they must be picked as soon as possible; otherwise, they become overmature, lowering their best eating quality. Cooked fava beans, with a little salt, pepper and butter, are a gourmet treat. They have excellent flavour and texture. The Portuguese pickle fava beans, much like cucumbers.

In the field

As a farm-crop fava beans have their problems and advantages. Presently in Prairie Canada, fava bean production in all three provinces amounts to around 50,000 acres. The world’s biggest fava bean grower is China, and the world’s biggest exporter is Australia, with around 450,000 acres. In Australia, due to its milder winter climate, the beans are fall-planted and after overwintering (June, July) in Australia, they grow very rapidly in the spring (September, October).

Fava bean yields on the Prairies have been somewhat erratic, ranging from 20 to 100 bushels per acre under ideal growing conditions. Fava beans should be planted as early as possible since they are long-season crops with very frost-tolerant seedlings. Plant at two to three inches deep in moist soils to achieve four plants per square foot or 40 plants a square metre. That comes out to about 160,000 plants per acre (400,000 per hectare).

Fava beans are close members of the wild vetch family, a common prairie legume. Consequently, they nodulate readily in Prairie soils from the natural rhizobium inoculant that’s always present. It is thought preferable to use a strain of inoculant best suited to fix nitrogen for the fava bean.

Nitrogen fertilization is not recommended. A vigorously growing crop of fava beans that is well supplied with water in well drained soils can fix up to 200 pounds or more of nitrogen.

The information on nutrient use in the table shown here was taken from an excellent Alberta Agriculture publication titled “Pulse Crops in Alberta,” Agdex 142/20–1, published in 1999 — a must-have text for any legume grower.

Fava beans have a remarkable ability to fix nitrogen but under Prairie conditions they must be planted as early as possible due to their long-season growth requirements. Under dry or drought conditions, fava beans of all types grow very poorly and set little or no seed. This poor growth under dry conditions is despite the fact that they have a taproot system. Ideally fava beans do very well under irrigation or wet, cool summers in the central and more northern areas of the Prairies.

For human consumption, people prefer the tannin-containing types, which, by the way, are fine for cattle, but not for pigs or poultry. The tannin-free or small-seeded “Snowbird” types are the preferred variety. Tannin-free cultivars have white seeds and white flowers as opposed to the old-style large beans that have black and white flowers.

Much research has recently been carried out on fava beans and peas as to their suitability to the many proposed plant protein extraction industries for human consumption. Fava beans have an advantage over other legumes in that they have a very mild flavour — so much so that they are under research evaluation as a whipped cream substitute.

As far as diseases are concerned, they seem to be minor problems in Canada. I have seen ascochyta blight and in particular chocolate spot caused by both Botrytis fabae and Botrytis cinerea. I have seen rust (Uromyces fabae) once. In Europe, these four diseases can be major problems, but so far, they seem to be of little consequence in Prairie Canada.

Insect pests of fava beans are not numerous, but the black bean aphid (aphis fabae) can be a very destructive pest of the bean crop. The aphid is common in Europe and present in North America, but I have yet to see a black bean aphid infestation. Lygus bugs can be a pest of fava beans, not much in terms of yield loss, but when feeding on young bean pods they can leave distinct black dots on mature beans.

Back in my plant disease diagnostic days with Alberta Agriculture, I used fava bean seedlings to detect soil and compost contaminated with picloram. Picloram is used extensively on the Prairies to control roadside weeds and for weed control in permanent pastures. I found the fava bean, via young seedling shoot symptoms, could detect picloram at levels as low as one part per billion. I advised horticulturalists that anyone contemplating use of farm manure compost should first use fava beans to check the compost for picloram. The herbicide is very destructive on potatoes, tomatoes and all members of the pulse crop group. It does an excellent job of roadside weed and shrub control, but unfortunately roadside hay crops that received it can be very destructive in farm and home gardens.

Fava beans, like lentils and peanuts, also have somewhat of a dark side. During the Second World War the British government provided fava bean products in its dietary rations. It was found a small percentage of individuals of Mediterranean origin contracted a blood disorder called favism. It produced an allergic-like reaction to the fava bean and could even show up among these individuals if they walked into a growing fava bean crop.

For us older individuals, here’s an Abraham Lincoln quote: “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count, it’s life in your years.”

The post Fava beans for Prairie gardens — and fields appeared first on Grainews.

In my graduate years in central Florida, surprisingly there was only a short window for growing most vegetables and fruit from February after the winter frosts until early June when it became much too hot even for tomatoes to survive outdoors.

As far as Prairie gardening is concerned, we have essentially from April for frost-tolerant crops and mid- to late May for tender vegetables followed by four to five full months of long, sunny days hopefully in most years with adequate rainfall and perhaps access to irrigation in dry summers. We, in fact, due to our northern location and very long summer days, have some of the world’s best vegetable- and fruit-growing conditions.

During the early 1970s in Ontario as a diagnostic plant pathologist, I learned a lot about vegetable and fruit crop production as well as working with the provincial field crop industry. I was a frequent visitor to “Bradford Marsh,” Ontario’s intensive muck soil vegetable production cropland where micronutrients were every bit as important as macronutrients for optimal vegetable crop production.

In my five-acre garden just west of Edmonton, I grow a very broad range of fruits and vegetables. I have done a lot of plant breeding and selection over the years, and I am sure that many, if not most, of you have heard of the very popular Evans cherry, perhaps 10 million or more of these cherry trees are now grown across Canada and the northern United States. If you check the seed catalogues you will even find Evans Extra Early Tomatoes.

Vegetable-wise, I grow runner beans, peas, fava beans, potatoes, leeks, onions, asparagus, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, carrots, parsnips, corn, garlic, tomatoes, tomatillos, all of the cabbage family as well as herbs and some exotics.

In the fruit department, aside from cherries, I grow apples, apricots, pears, plums, grapes, melons, cantaloups, raspberries, blackberries, rhubarb, strawberries and lots of figs. I supply apple, pear and plum fruit budwood for propagation periodically to commercial nurseries from Ontario to British Columbia.

In my 20 or so years of active association with Robert Saik, formerly the president of Agritrend Agrology, I often gave talks on vegetable and fruit growing to Hutterite colonies in both Canada and the United States. There were very many times when I helped solve fruit and vegetable production problems at Hutterite gardens, particularly in Manitoba. I helped the colonies with tomatoes, onion, potato and asparagus on the vegetable side and, fruit-wise, with apple, raspberry, strawberry, rhubarb and cherry production.

The Hutterite colonies in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, North Dakota and Montana have a significant effect in their Prairie jurisdictions, particularly on vegetable production for the general populace via farm market gardens.

To put the Hutterite contribution into perspective, there are around 370 colonies in Canada and 140 in the United States. Each colony is around 100 individuals, making a total of more than 50,000 personnel. On the Canadian Prairies, there are 175 colonies in Alberta, 110 in Manitoba and 70 or so in Saskatchewan. Most of the U.S. colonies are located in either Montana or North Dakota. Each colony farms around 10,000 acres, with a range of three to 20,000 acres, making the Canadian total of cropland holdings by the colonies around 3.75 million acres.

Alberta has 52 million acres, of which 25 million is arable and 27 million acres are grazing lands or permanent pastures. Saskatchewan has 37 million arable acres greater than both Alberta and Manitoba combined. It also has 30-plus acres of pasture lands. Manitoba comes in third with 11.5 million acres of cropland and hay crops with considerable acres of permanent pasture and grazing land. In total, the Canadian Prairies have 74 million acres of cultivated cropland out of a national total of 94 million acres in Canada. A final statistic before I deal with specific topics on vegetable and fruit crops growing on Prairie farms is that in Canada only five per cent of our country’s total acreage is actually farmland.

In my next four columns, I will deal with farm and colony vegetable and fruit production along with the problems of production and, to my knowledge, solutions to known problems.

Farmers and Hutterite colonies have distinct advantages over vegetable- and fruit-growing small holdings and market gardens in their ability to move to new cropland for crop rotations. All have, when necessary, the right to use pest-appropriate control products for weed, diseases and insect problems.

Move garden to new growing area

A vegetable and fruit crop-growing problem that I was able to look at on both farms and colonies was the fact that despite having hundreds or thousands of acres of cropland, the “garden” had been in the same location for 20 to 40 years or even more. In several instances for both colonies and individual farms, I recommended it would be most beneficial if the garden, or gardens, were moved to a new growing area. Oftentimes, in the “old” growing area, the garden had become saline from using groundwater with a high mineral content combined with repeated livestock manures that had high salt levels. Besides, there were also more than a few soil-borne diseases at these old sites that could damage virtually every crop that was grown on the “old” garden.

I will begin the series with vegetable production and end with effective fruit-growing strategies, which can bring income and pleasure to our long and hot Prairie summers.

In all horticultural enterprises the quote “He or she who fails to plan, plans to fail,” could apply.

Seven Prairie farm vegetable crops I will cover will be a broad range of vegetables grouped according to family, for instance, vegetable crop plants that are closely related to each other.

1. The cabbage family — cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, rutabaga, kale, sprouts and kohlrabi
2. The potato family — potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and tomatillos
3. The cucumber family — cucumbers, squash, melon, pumpkin and zucchini
4. The carrot family — carrots, parsnips and dill
5. The beet family — beets, Swiss chard and spinach
6. The bean family — dry beans, pole beans, runner beans, peas, lentils, fava beans and soybeans (edamame)
7. The onion family — onions, shallots, chives, green onions, leeks and garlic

Rhubarb will be treated as fruit and, of course, tomatoes, peppers and melons as vegetables despite being fruit.

I came across this thought recently, “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Intelligence is not putting it in a fruit salad.”

There will be some vegetable or fruit crops I may not deal with in detail, but I will certainly mention them in context.

The post Prairie farm gardens appeared first on Grainews.

After attempting to calm her a little and out of concern for any swelling, I asked whether the bite area was anywhere close to her neck or throat and if she had considered going to emergency. “No! I haven’t seen the doctor. The bite is on my left forearm just above the elbow crease below the shoulder. But it’s angry red and sure swollen, burning and painful.” No need to remind my readers, but here it is midsummer — just a couple of weeks past Canada Day. We’re right in the thrust of biting insect season. Some suggestions I gave Marlene appear further along.

Back in May 11, 2021 Grainews issue I wrote about attracting hummingbirds to the yard and garden and you the readers — responded. The hummer picture shown in this issue was taken on Vancouver Island by Leanne Mortlock and thanks to her for sharing it with us. A bit about Leanne’s interaction with hummingbirds and their helicopter-like manoeuvres around sugar-syrup feeding stations and flowers follows straight ahead — right after my tip of the hat. More and more folks are setting up feeding stations where they can watch hummingbird antics during daylight hours.

Via email – received June 11, 2021

Leanne Mortlock writes: “Hi Ted, thank you for your consideration. I read your article on attracting hummingbirds to the yard and garden and have a few photos for you. All the photos are taken on Vancouver Island, B.C. Photo-graphing hummingbirds became my pandemic hobby and I was quickly hooked. I have four Anna’s hummingbirds and two Rufous hummingbirds that come to my feeders and flowers daily. I have many more hummingbird photos, in flight, perched, and in flight with flowers. Unfortunately, my files are too large to send in one email. If you are interested in other options, please let me know and would be happy to send them.

I’m not from the Prairies. I was born and raised on Vancouver Island, about 45 minutes northwest from Nanaimo. The Island is beautiful, great for hiking and embracing nature! (I’m sure B.C. Tourism appreciates this — Ted.) Your article actually showed up in my news feed on Google. My husband and I ordered and planted the Hummingbird Seed Mix from West Coast Seeds this year, so I could relate to your article.

I do make my own syrup for my feeders, four parts water to one part white sugar. I boil the water in the kettle then dissolve the sugar in it and boil on the stove for 10 minutes, let it cool to room temperature, and then fill my feeders. I wash and refill the feeders weekly to avoid any bacteria from growing.

Unfortunately, I have yet to capture a hummingbird nest. I have a mom and two juvenile Anna’s hummingbirds that perch in our apple trees daily, but they did not nest in our yard (I assume in an evergreen tree nearby for shelter). Thanks again! Leanne.”

Bee and wasp stings – some preamble

Knowing which insect inflicted the bite will provide a clue to treatment. A honeybee can sting only once after leaving behind its barbed stinger imbedded in the skin. Without the stinger the bee dies. Right at the time after the sting or when appropriate, apply an ice pack or bag of frozen peas placed inside a large plastic freezer bag or wrapped in two or three layers of paper towel over the impacted area. A bee sting does produce pain, throbbing, redness and swelling that usually lessens in a few hours if the stinger is removed. When discomfort con-tinues or symptoms worsen beyond a day (24 hours) a doctor’s prescription might be required.

Bumblebees, wasps, hornets and yellow jackets by contrast have smooth stingers that can zap more venom into skin again and again. If stung by a honeybee, remove the stinger ASAP. Otherwise the venom sac continues to pump for up to three minutes longer, driving the stinger and its poison deeper. Be careful not to press or squeeze directly over the honeybee stinger site. Approach the bitten area with something firm like a bank card held sideways to try and dislodge the stinger and watch whether it becomes expelled. Any reader with an effective method to remove a honeybee stinger and/or their method to treat an insect bite can send it to: singinggardener@mts.net for the benefit of readers.

An insect sting to the neck or near the throat area may swell up quickly and impede ability to breathe. In such case get immediate medical assistance. Other severe reaction regardless of bite location might include symptoms such as chest tightness, hives, nausea, fainting, vomiting, hoarseness, swollen tongue and face or red streaks beyond the swollen area, any of which could lead to shock. Again, get immediate medical assistance.

Some home treatment remedies to consider

If camping or when away for an extended time, take some basic supplies along. Clean the impacted area first as best you can then apply your choice from the following:

ASA tablet — Moisten the skin and gently rub said tablet over the bite area, or moisten the tab first in a tablespoon with a touch of water. Once tablet falls apart spread it over the appropriate site.

Hair dryer — This may sound counterproductive to an ice pack but has received some favourable reports. Set the dryer on warm and aim it directly at the bite making sure the stinger has first been removed. Let the dryer heat neutralize one of the chemicals contained within the venom of a bee or wasp sting.

Brown sugar — Make a paste with a teaspoon of brown sugar and water. Gently rub the mixture over the sting site for a few minutes, making sure the stinger has been removed. Brown sugar water neutralizes poison in bee venom.

White vinegar — Moisten a cotton ball with white vinegar and hold for a few moments at the site of a bee or wasp sting. This neutralizes venom and relieves stinging pain.

Regular-drinking tea bag — Moisten a fresh tea bag in cool water. Apply over the sting site and hold in place 10 minutes to ease pain. Tannic acid in tea relieves stinging sensation and draws the stinger to the skin surface making it easier to remove.

Dislodging the stinger — Remove the stinger and venom sac from a bee sting left in the bite by lightly scraping around the skin using the side edge of a bank or credit card.

Household or laundry ammonia — Moisten a cotton ball with ammonia and place over the sting. Make sure the stinger is first removed. Ammonia appears to neutralize acids in bee venom and relieves pain quickly.

Preparation H — It isn’t just for piles and hemorrhoids. Applying it liberally coats the sting area, helps remove the stinger, reduces swelling and provides quick relief from stinging pain.

Windex — Spray this window cleaner on bee stings to fend off pain. The ammonia in this product neutralizes bee venom, reduces swelling and its mild soap disinfects the sting site.

Listerine — Dabbing some of this oral cavity product on bee and wasp stings relieves pain from the venom quickly and the antiseptic effect disinfects the skin area.

Tabasco hot pepper sauce — It contains the alkaloid capsaicin, a spicy compound proven to anesthetize pain, provide relief and disinfect the sting area when applied topically.

Lastly honey — After removing the stinger, coat the area with Canadian honey. It eases pain, reduces swelling and is a natural disinfectant with antibacterial and antiseptic qualities.

The post What to do if you get stung by an insect appeared first on Grainews.

A Grainews reader writes: “Hi. What do you recommend for treating cabbage that is becoming infested with beetles that are eating all the plants? Help! Liz.”

Also, am sending a big hello to Myrtle Hutlet at Cypress River, Manitoba who telephoned about blossom end rot on tomatoes.

Yours truly has gathered and compiled numerous ideas, formulas and recipes from various sources including my own from throughout many years. Suggestions provided may work well for some gardeners and perhaps only partially at best for others. The intent is to always lending a helping hand if we can, do no harm to the land or environment and practise natural gardening as much as possible.

There’s a lot to cover in this class so let’s assemble as though we are teachers and students learning together from each other. Invite a reading buddy to join us so that others facing similar challenges may benefit from our sharing. Here comes my tip of the hat and that means everyone’s welcome as always.

Clematis Wilt! How can we control it?

Nothing is “so-called” cheap anymore (including clematis) at garden centres and greenhouses. After all, owners and managers of such businesses are entitled to a reasonable living and income too. And let’s not complain about prices for fresh-from-the-earth veggies, herbs, flowers, fruit, honey, home baking and who knows what else at local-area farmers’ markets. But hey, I’m supposed to be talking about clematis wilt.

It’s an extreme disappointment when a clematis suddenly collapses while in full bud and not because of a mistakenly applied hoe or pruning shears. What it is and how it can be prevented has been debated for years by clematis experts and growers, yet none of their discussions have reached a definite conclusion. However, all is not lost when such wilt happens. Roots usually remain in full vigour and are not affected by upper growth that’s wilted. They are still capable of sending up new strong shoots, especially if the vine was planted deeply with a few inches of some stems placed below the soil. If clematis flower buds, leaves and stems are ever noticed hanging limply down, the entire plant should be cut off at ground level at once as it is too late to spray the vine. Drastic measures are needed or the plant will be lost. Remove and burn the affected foliage. Keep the roots moist and cool. Feed the roots weekly with plant food for vining plants and within a few weeks some new shoots should appear with the clematis none the worse from the wilt attacker. Be aware though that the roots could also remain dormant for several months without any growth happening and even until the following season, so do not despair. On very rare occasions any clematis can wilt two or three times and eventually outgrow it.

There have been many theories regarding clematis wilt over the years but most scholars agree that a fungus is responsible. Another theory is that wilting seems to occur during periods of excessive high humidity. Growth is so fast that plant stems cannot cope with a sudden rush of sap, then get overloaded and seize up. The more stems coming up from the root system — the better — improving chances for survival. One grower has offered this suggestion. He recommends the following especially on well-drained, sandy and dry soils. Before planting, bury a container beneath the selected site about two feet down. Fill it with stones, top it off with water and cover over with moistened peat moss. Then, plant your clematis in the normal way on top with good potting soil. The plant will thus have a constant supply of water and hopefully be immune to clematis wilt. It’s been noticed that gardeners living near rivers or other bodies of water can grow magnificent clematis.

Problems with flea beetles, butterfiles and worms on cabbage

Elizabeth Tymchuk writes in an email: “I live in the Parkland… some 45 miles northeast of Dauphin in Rorketon, Man. Normally we’ve used potato dust on the cabbages and in the last several years we’ve used flour. We are very dry in this area so anything powdery just blows off and the rape beetles just destroy the leaves. Liz.”

Pest controls from various gardeners and sources

If you’ve never tried any of the following previously, remember that trial and error apply. Easy does it, so if at first you don’t succeed, try another formula.

Sage tea and powdered sage sprinkled and dusted in that order over radishes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts repel flea beetles and cabbage butterflies. Apply or drape a lightweight floating row cover (available at garden centres) or use old thin transparent curtains draped over cole crops as a barrier to egg-laying cabbage moth butterflies and flea beetles. Fasten down the outer edges at soil level to deny entry of flying pests. Spray cole crops especially when worms are small with Bacillus thuringiensis BTK Biological Insecticide, available at garden centres. Be sure to direct the spray on both sides of leaves. Once ingested the worms die from the BTK about 24 hours later. Other organic methods to control cabbage worms follow. Dust cole crop leaves with a mixture of one-half cup of salt combined with one cupful of flour. Apply this blend after each rainfall or mist plants first with water. Sprinkle dry baking soda on cabbages early in the morning. Once the dew dissolves the baking soda — pests and worms will be gone. Or, try sprinkling cornmeal on cabbages to eliminate worms.

Tomato blossom end rot and disease fighters

Give tomato plants extra protection. There are several ways. Mix one litre of soured skim milk with a litre of warm water and spread some on the ground around each plant. Or, you can mix six tablespoons of powdered skim milk with four litres of warm water and sprinkle from a watering can over each tomato plant during the early part of the day, letting it drip to the soil. What else can gardeners do to manage tomato plant diseases? Prune out bottom leaves so none ever touch the soil by removing all foliage on staked tomatoes as much as 12 to 18 inches or more above ground level. This allows for airflow and flower pollination and reduces soil from splashing onto leaves during rain.

You may want to try an ASA tablet and water spray applied during the early part of the day onto tomato foliage, so it drips down to the soil. (Generic name is salicylic acid) — Aspirin is a national brand. ASA solution can help prevent and ward off blight and fungal diseases from wiping out a tomato crop. Repeat the ASA spray in about two weeks. Next spring, soak tomato seeds for 20 minutes in a bit of ASA and water before planting them.

The solution is made by stirring one or two 325-mg ASA tablets into four litres of water. My suggestion is to start with one ASA tablet and work up to two tabs if necessary. Depending on your tomato varieties you may notice a thicker tomato leaf here or there while some tomato leaves may also curl. Another option is wettable sulphur spray that can also be used for tomato disease prevention. Follow directions on the label. Sulphur is available at garden centres. Avoid using cold water when mixing a spray as it can set tomato plants back by as much as eight hours. Remember — fruits of the vine are known as the shivering giant. Finally! Between mid- and end of August it’s time to pinch out newly developing tomato blossoms. Also remove the highest top growth and side growth of each tomato plant to direct energy into green and ripening fruits that are already formed.

The post Ted answers questions about clematis, cabbages and tomatoes appeared first on Grainews.

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest 
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day, 
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear 
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain; 
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me, 
But only God can make a tree.

If that suggests I’ve something further to write about trees, you’ve “hit the nail on the head.” Many of those old expressions composed of just a few words can also speak a lot when we know what they mean. For example, “Bob’s your uncle,” means everything is perfect or as good as it gets. Let’s say for example that you apply for a job at a tree nursery and describe yourself as a “Johnny Armstrong,” meaning you’re eager to work at manual labour, have strong arms and human hand power. You get hired “Johnny on the spot,” because the nursery owner remembers your name as a “Johnny Armstrong” — so “Bob’s your uncle.”

March winds can be mean and nasty so I’m grasping firmly onto the brim of my hat with one hand and ringing a hand bell in the other while I’m shouting out like the town crier: Hear Ye, Hear Ye  — Welcome All.

Questions about the hackberry tree

Brian Wallis from Tisdale, Sask., writes:

I have a question about the hackberry tree. Does it produce seeds like the Siberian elm and does it actually produce edible fruit? When I Googled it, that was mentioned. My folks planted a row of Siberian elm in the yard many years ago and the seeds drive us nuts. I keep telling my mother a D8 cat is the answer but that is not what she wants to hear. Looks like that could be a good replacement. Thank you. I always enjoy your articles. — Brian Wallis, Tisdale.

Ted replies:  I’m sharing the following in connection with the hackberry tree, its seeds and performance, after speaking with Wilbert Ronald and Philip Ronald. Together they co-authored their book Trees For Northern Landscapes.

Hackberry trees produce small hard seeds about one-quarter inch or so in diameter which turn dark brown when mature. The tree is not considered weedy as is the case with Siberian elm and box elder maple. The northern “Delta” seed is more of a Zone 3 strain and hasn’t been tested for hardiness in the Tisdale region which is in Zone 2. However, there is hope with hackberry in Zone 2 and other northern areas.

Here’s a suggestion for the gentleman from Tisdale.  Keep your existing elms for now as they sound well established. As replacement trees you might test some Delta hackberry, along with Dropmore linden or a fast-growing seedless poplar such as the new Sundancer. Then follow up with replacing your existing trees based on local performance of hackberry and the other two trees named. Two area nurseries to inquire at are Boughen Nurseries, Nipawin and Zosel Tree Farms, Pleasantdale.

Birds do eat hackberry seeds. During spring when they’re coming back this way from the south, hackberry seeds are one of their preferred foods along the journey. That’s probably how the tree got to Delta Marsh (Manitoba) in the first place. Although birds are definitely attracted to hackberry seeds, no parts are of any edible value for humans.

The seeds fall straight down to the ground from the tree and are not wind driven elsewhere. They can be readily collected in fall and must be stratified. In horticulture, stratification is a process of treating seeds to simulate natural conditions that the seeds must experience before germination can occur. Hackberry is similar to any other seed species that have an embryonic dormancy phase, and generally will not sprout until this dormancy is broken.

There are two ways to complete the stratification process. Place gathered hackberry seeds in moist sand or moist peat in a plastic bag and store in the fridge for about 90 to 120 days. Keep in mind moisture is an essential part. That method usually breaks dormancy. Following fridge stratification the seeds can be planted outside in chosen locations. Seeds that fall naturally to the ground are simply left there on the surface and become stratified by nature over winter and can be gathered or left for birds and squirrels. The Delta hackberry strain tree should work in Zone 2 as long as it’s not openly exposed to the elements and there’s some shelter. The general opinion is there’s no reason why hackberry trees won’t work at Tisdale. Take note there’s no issue with any weeds from hackberry; not even close. Common hackberry is easily distinguished from elms by its cork-like bark with wart-like protuberances. The leaves lack symmetry. Although hackberry is not a widely planted tree yet, change is now coming.

Peonies with people names

Peonies are among the most beautiful and easily cared for perennials that grow well and survive in our Canadian climate. Investing in peonies gives the gardener a lifetime of visual pleasure from blooms and attractive foliage during the rest of the season. Some varieties are a bit slow to become established but they make up for it with an abundance of  flower power during decades afterward. Many peonies generate sweet-smelling and highly scented perfume. Some nurseries that grow their own peonies have the largest selection of varieties for sale and may only sell roots in the fall. Garden centres that bring them in from a supplier may be more inclined to sell peony root divisions both spring and autumn but name choices can be limited.

Well, there’s no peony, nor any other plant I’m aware of that’s named simply: Ted. There are, however, peonies with plenty of people names. Here are just a few of them: Peter Barr, A.B. Franklin, A.G. Perry, Ann Cousins, Marie Jacquin, Edgar Jessep, Edward Flynn, and Linda K. Jack.

Why there’s even a peony called “Bessie,” a lovely pink double with very large blooms. That name “Bessie” brings memories and takes me back to my early teen years when I was responsible for looking after a cow. Duties included tethering her out into the pasture, pumping water to fill the trough, daily hand milking and separating the cream and making butter once cream turned sour. That cow’s name was Bessie. Watch for winners’ names of Cosmonaut Volkov tomato seeds in April 9, 2019 Grainews.

The post Singing Gardener: Get acquainted with peonies that have people names appeared first on Grainews.

Our lake arrived suddenly and unannounced in April 2011 with the flood that inundated much of the province of Saskatchewan. We’d been in residence at what we’d named Dogpatch for less than a year, and we didn’t yet have a sense of the strategies that any resident of an old house in a rural setting can tell you are de rigueur.

We went from dryland to nearly drowned within a week, as the winter’s large snowmelt met an unexpectedly high water table, gift of a very wet summer and fall. Water over a metre deep in places covered the low-lying driveway, swamped the fields south, west and east of the yard, drowned the contents of the pole barn, and knocked at the house, lapping 20 feet from the front door.

Fortuitously, our cars were parked at the outside edge of our long driveway — that half-kilometre now an impassable stretch of water — so we did have wheels once we reached the road. But getting in and out was interesting. Our good neighbours, Ken and Sharon, did us the biggest in a long list of helping hands over the years, and gave us the use of an ATV.

For almost a year, as we awaited the rebuilding of our flooded road, we splashed through the adjacent field on board the ATV, hauling in groceries, computer parts and paper, dog food, kitty litter, wine, beer. On a dark, cold or rainy night, surrounded by mosquitoes, there was nothing pleasurable about that trip except for its end — and the carolling of the coyotes a few hundred metres away.

Eventually, in an amazing feat of winter engineering, the driveway was built up into a causeway, with front-end loaders breaking through metre-thick ice to build the foundation. A berm went up around the house as well, burying the well-tended garden beneath its protective shoulders.

But outweighing all these challenges was the sheer beauty of the new ecology that engulfed our land. Shorebirds, water birds, boreal tree frogs, cattails, bulrushes, black snails, muskrats, dragonflies — we were suddenly in a birder’s paradise. On my daily walks, I learned to identify a dozen species of waterfowl, among them grebes, coots, canvasbacks, teals, pintails, buffleheads, ruddy ducks, and mergansers; and shorebirds that included avocets and killdeer by the dozen. Occasionally a blue heron or pelican showed up, and Canada geese by the multitude.

We were forewarned. Within weeks of the lake’s arrival, I’d called Trevor Herriot, a Saskatchewan naturalist. “Lakes come and go on the prairie,” he said. “In eight or 10 years, it’ll be gone again.”

Sure enough, it’s gone. But the raised beds we built after the garden drowned have borne a wondrous crop. And for that, and for the memory of all those birds, we are grateful. So before embarking on our annual autumn yard cleanup, first we eat — new-crop vegetables made into pickles as addictive as any dessert.

Shon’s Jardineria

The best pickles ever, from my Eastend friend Shon Profit’s prodigious kitchen. Hot packing and stuffing the full jars into the fridge without processing makes a crisp pickle with a dense bite. Processing softens the end result somewhat. Yield: 2 x 2-litre jars plus 8 pints.

Brine

• 5 c. white vinegar
• 5 c. rice wine vinegar 10 c. water
• 3/4 c. salt
• 1 c. white sugar
• 3/4 tsp. ground turmeric

Dry spice

For 2-litre jar:

• 1 tbsp. coriander
• 1 tbsp. mustard seed
• 1 tbsp. cumin seed
• 1 tsp. fennel seed
• 1 tbsp. peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp. hot chili flakes

For 1-pint jar:

• 1/2 tsp. coriander
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seed
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seed
• 1/8 tsp. fennel seed
• 1/2 tsp. peppercorns
• A pinch hot chili flakes

Seasonings

In each 2-litre jar; reduce amount to taste for pints:

• 1 lime, rind in strips, flesh in 1/8s
• 1-2 whole hot peppers
• 6 peeled garlic cloves
• 6 batons ginger root cut in narrow strips 3 inches long

Your choice of raw vegetables

Cut in batons to length:

• Carrots in several colours
• Zucchini in 2 colours
• Beans in several colours
• Cauliflower florets
  White/yellow and purple onion wedges

Bring brine to boil and keep hot. Measure spices into hot sterile jars. Drop in seasonings. Pack in vegetables, softest textures first, packing with a pair of chopsticks for a tidy vertical look. Add carrots last to line outside and fill gaps.

Either refrigerate for 4-6 weeks before eating or process in canner.

The post Why not pickle some of those garden veggies? appeared first on Grainews.

Speaking of “sneaking,” let me put a question to you. Have you ever snuck a potato or two by inserting a hand into a potato plant hill early in the season to check out the size of forming tubers? Someone I know who sells early-maturing potato varieties does it regularly. Something tells me this page could be devoted mostly to spuds. Hope you’re OK with that ’cause next to fruits of the vine, “apples of the earth” continue to generate a lot of interest among home gardeners. By the way, I’ll also touch briefly on strawberries.

This is where the garden train stops long enough for gardeners to get on board and toot their own horn, blow their own whistle and have a right to brag about their gardens. A tip of my hat means howdy do! You’re all as welcome as hummingbirds, house wrens and hollyhocks.

Followup to sangre potato

Received the following in my inbox: “Re: the May 17-16 Grainews. The problem with the Sangre potatoes is tuber flea beetles. These flea beetles feed on the new potato growth and the larvae migrate into the new potatoes. Control: Sevin insecticide at spud emergence, floating cloth, grow potatoes well away from the old site. This problem is very common in Alberta.” Dr. Ieuan R. Evans 780-987-4398, former Alberta provincial plant pathologist.

I, Ted, followed up with a telephone call to Dr. Evans and we had an in-depth conversation about flea beetles. I learned they are a diverse group.

The pest known as solanaceous flea beetles is also called tuber flea beetles. They attack potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and sometimes beans, according to Dr. Evans. This beetle is the most serious insect pest of potatoes in B.C. More recently they’ve been found in Alberta and appear to be moving eastward. Flea beetles are highly mobile making control a challenge. Adults of this species primarily feed on potato leaves, and inflict injury by giving them a shot-holed appearance. The larvae inflict the main damage by feeding on the tubers causing pimples, surface channels, and shallow networks of fine tunnels. Vacant tunnels are lined with brown, corky skin and can be removed by deeper peeling. This leads to annoyance and waste, plus obvious reduction in marketability of potatoes.

Dr. Evans points out that “canola flea beetles, cabbage flea beetles and potato flea beetles are all very different. Potato flea beetles begin eating leaves as soon as plants emerge, later moving to potato stems where their eggs are deposited. “Hatched maggots move down the stems and burrow into developing tubers where they feed and make those little funny feeding channel marks. Later, maggots pupate and emerge as adult beetles usually in August, remaining in the soil over winter. The following year beetles surface when temperature is right and attack newly planted potatoes again.”

For controls Dr. Evans suggests “spraying potato plants once or twice early on with Sevin or Ambush available at garden supply stores. Otherwise you’ll have to cover them with horticultural cloth from time of planting until about the end of June or let remain all season if desired.” Dr. Evans places similar floating row cover cloth over broccoli, cabbages and cauliflower with absolutely excellent defence against flea beetles that attack them.

Thanks to Dr. Ieuan R. Evans and many others out there in Grainews reader land who take time to email, write and phone. You’re all distinguished in my book. What I like about Grainews and books is the printed page is always there.

Crop protection cloth

Lightweight and heavyweight row cover barrier cloth does a good job at foiling insect pests such as flea beetles, thrips, aphids, cabbage moth worms, maggot flies, leaf miner flies, carrot rust flies and many others. The material insulates crops from frost and provides shade from sun, allows misty entry of rainfall and provides moisture retention.

Floating row cover is reusable and can be stored out of season for future use. It’s available at some garden centres or contact the following:

1. West Coast Seeds
   3925-64th St.,
   Delta, B.C., V4K 3N2
   phone toll free 1-888-804-8820
   or visit westcoastseeds.com
2. Natural Insect Control
   3737 Netherby Rd.,
   Stevensville, Ont., L0S 1S0
   phone toll free 1-866-926-2904
   or visit naturalinsectcontrol.com

Among other additional alternative controls NIC also sells live beneficial insects, traps, lures, barriers, bat and purple martin houses.

Tarnished plant bug

Early on before flowering begins cover strawberry plants with floating row cloth (described earlier). This halts or impedes entry of the tarnished plant bug (Lygus). Both the adults and their nymphs inflict damage by feeding and sucking sap from all parts of strawberry plants including blossoms. Embryos within seeds on forming fruit are destroyed preventing proper fruit tissue growth. Affected strawberries take on a stunted, malformed cat-faced appearance that’s hard like a button. Tarnished plant bugs are winged weevils capable of flying about and spend winter above ground in plant debris under snow and in hedgerows. These pests can be a major concern in commercial strawberry production.

Ted’s personal research notes

Let me ask: Did any home potato growers add onion skins at time of planting? If yes, I’d appreciate your feedback. This year from a personal perspective I, Ted, placed a handful of mixed dried skins from yellow, white and purple onions beneath each seed potato planted in over 100 holes with one exception. This did not include a baker’s dozen of a purple-flesh variety that was planted without onion skins. From among 100 onion skin-treated plants I’ve hand-picked less than two dozen adult potato beetles and one cluster of eggs up to this point (June 24-16). Of course it’s still early in the season and weather has certainly fluctuated a lot and left its mark. I’m not jumping to any conclusions just yet as to whether adding dried onion skins at planting time makes any difference. By contrast, the aforesaid purple-fleshed potato variety planted without onion skins had many more adult potato beetles and hatched potato bugs. This is unscientific of course, but since I’m my own backyard scientist I shall pursue this further by experimenting again next season. Meanwhile I’m now saving more dried onion skins.

Essential oils

Most gardeners have heard of essential oils. Scientists in Turkey have been testing control of potato bugs without pesticides using essential oils. So far, Turkish researchers have found that essential oils of oregano, thyme, wormwood and yarrow are toxic to adult potato beetles. Concentrations ranged between 10 to 20 ml of essential oil mixed separately with one litre of water and applied as a spray (20 ml equals about four Canadian teaspoonsful). At lower concentrations than indicated, each separate preparation repelled some adult beetles and fewer larvae emerged from their eggs. Effectiveness began to appear between six to 24 hours depending on which oil and how much was used. This is a chance to do some backyard experimenting if you so choose and enjoy being your own at-home garden scientist.

Researchers didn’t assess whether beneficial soil organisms were impacted in any way by use of aforementioned essential oil sprays, or if harvested potatoes acquired a different seasonal flavour. Essential oils are available at health food and specialty stores and prices vary depending on selection.

It’s long been known that many herbs are beneficial to the well-being of humans. Herbs also attract pollinators and repel insect pests. Seeding oregano and thyme by your potato plants may also help repel beetles.

The post More information on potatoes appeared first on Grainews.

Next, a lot of households anticipate preparing for Halloween, especially where young children are involved. Europeans of earlier times observed an autumn festival that included feasting on all kinds of food that had been grown during summer. It later sprang into Halloween; using leaves, pumpkins and cornstalks as decorations. A black cat crossing one’s path convinced some superstitious folks to reverse and go in the opposite direction, whether they were walking, running, riding in a horse-drawn wagon, travelling by vehicle or other means.

You’ve probably heard slang words such as: so and so is a cheapskate, a cheapjack or cheapjohn. It means tightwad or miserly, especially when it comes to opening the purse strings. Such old expressions are supposedly attributed to long-ago street salespeople who sold all sorts of home elixirs for whatever the ailment. Prices began high and then supposedly fell to near rock bottom; suggesting a real bargain was had.

I’ll expand on a made-at-home brown sugar and carrot recipe for “cheap Ted cough and cold syrup” (hey that’s me) that appeared in one of my earlier Grainews columns with input from a reader. We’ll also meet Kelowna Dan who grew the longest cucumber I’m aware of.

My preamble is longer than intended, so next may I suggest we all get comfortable while I, Ted, let loose with words that hopefully grab your attention like honking geese in flight. I’m waving hello to all of you out there with a tip of my hat. Imagination is a great thing, so I anticipate readers are waving back to me.

Speaking of geese

It’s that time of year when we’re more aware of their movement, although locally where I am geese won’t abandon Crescent Lake for a trip south until the tiniest pool of water is finally frozen over and remains covered in ice.

I’m certain most everyone has watched migrating geese in flight. It’s especially thrilling to view those streams and streams of airborne wild and free honkers during evening and nighttime against a backdrop of moonlight. Mother Nature enchants us to look skyward between now and next full moon on October 27. That visible full moon then moves into the third quarter as light begins receding more and more until finally reaching the fourth quarter on November 3. That period is commonly referred to as dark of the moon. The cycle of waxing light returns again with the next new moon during the evening of Remembrance Day, on November 11, 2015.

Most everyone knows that geese usually fly in an uneven V formation. It’s my understanding (call it a given) that the leader is almost always a wise and prudent senior female goose. She doesn’t necessarily lead the formation continuously, but drops back when she requires a break and another female goose is always prepared to assume the lead position. With all that goose talk via honking, who’s to know what communication they exchange? Share your knowledge if you have something to express in this connection.

Raw carrot and brown sugar cough syrup

There was a time not that far back in our history when there were no pharmacies or drugstores. The closest thing might have been a local-area herbalist or perhaps mom’s or grandmother’s home apothecary; a place where ingredients were stored to make home medicines for common ailments. Remedy formulas were mostly passed on from neighbour to neighbour and between friends and families for generations. Much of this knowledge has been sidestepped in favour of prescriptions. The good news is a lot of these traditional remedies are still effective with few side-effects or none at all. Here’s a made-at-home cough and cold remedy. Keep in mind it’s not meant to displace a visit to the doctor when necessary.

With a vegetable brush, gently scrub a good-size raw carrot and then slice it as thinly as possible. (No need to peel it.) Place carrot slices in a bowl and generously sprinkle dark-brown sugar on top and let sit overnight. (Do not refrigerate.)

By morning, brown syrup will have formed. Take a tablespoonful of the liquid as often as required to diffuse tickling in the throat and ease a cough. Make a fresh batch daily until symptoms subside. It won’t create drowsiness and you cannot overdose on it. Note: Not recommended for those on a sugar-restricted diet without medical supervision.

Almost a year ago Clarence Worona from Beausejour, Man., wrote to say:

“Hi Ted: I enjoy reading your articles every time. I tried the cough cure for sore throat with carrots and brown sugar. I added honey, cayenne pepper and a strong cough candy to dissolve in it. It works better than Buckley’s. P.S. I eat the carrot slices. I’m 66 years young and plant an acre of garden for myself and everyone who comes over. Only one problem — they only come during harvest when it’s ready.”

Note from Ted: Clarence turned 67 August 17, 2015. During our phone discussion he further explained his method for preparing the syrup from carrot slices and brown sugar. Clarence adds no more than 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (it’s strong stuff) and some honey to taste for each batch, then slowly sips 1/2 to a teaspoonful of the mixture at a time whenever required. Don’t forget the strong cough drop.

Clarence also passed along this remedy learned from his parents to treat a tickling, raw or sore throat. “Place a small amount such as 1/4 teaspoonful of dry Epsom salts into the mouth (not too much now, it has laxative properties) then slowly dissolve it in your salvia and let it seep down into the throat area before swallowing. It sure has healing properties.” I, Ted, then thought this: For a really sore throat you might also consider gargling with Epsom salts in warm water for a minute or two then spit it out.

Also according to Clarence: “Epsom salts can be sprinkled in the garden trench before planting onion seeds or setting out onion transplants to prevent maggots.” He also sprinkles dry Epsom salts on soil surface and waters it in around plants. “The onions just kept on growing so nice and no maggots.”

Painted serpent cucumber

We’ve all heard of whopper tomatoes, humongous cabbage heads, giant pumpkins and world-heavyweight squash. Dan Tomelin from Kelowna, B.C. can now lay claim to fame for growing the longest cuke in Canada in 2015, perhaps internationally. His Painted Serpent cucumber eventually reached a whopping 112 cm (44-1/2 inches) in length.

Dan’s submission for growing the world’s longest cucumber to Guinness World Records is still in process at time of this writing. What’s become of said cuke now? It’s been fermented whole (that is, uncut) in a fashion Dan devised. He claims it “as the longest pickled cuke in the world in a category that doesn’t yet exist.” Dan now calls it “Big Larry, the swimming submerged pickle inside a specially made glass container that contains an eight per cent salt brine. The process is known as lacto fermentation.”

In Dan’s email to me, you may detect touches of humour. “Hi Ted: I bought seeds from a booth at our spring seed swap. Can’t remember the fellow’s name. He’s a hippie grower dude from the Oliver area about 60 miles south down the Okanagan Valley. Had a taste from another Painted Serpent cuke. Skin was softish, definitely sweet and falling into the melon flavour a bit, rather than the tartness of some overripe cukes. I collected around 100 very viable seeds and will probably sell most in lots of three. Not sure about price. Already got paid unlimited dances with a girlfriend for one batch. A second batch of three seeds is going to a nice girl in Vancouver to grow with her gramma. They are paying me two handfuls of joy. The rest I may break down to highest bidders for that yucky money stuff. I still use it for things I cannot trade. Funny your name. Our Okanagan Symphony Orchestra choir just started up last week. We are singing ‘Carmina Burano’ in spring. I love German Latin. Easy peasy! Something to do when not dancing or gardening. If someone wants to contact me they can find my landline 1-250-860-3693 works great. Happy Harvesting!”

Rosemary hand sanitizer preparation

You see the other kind of sanitizers everywhere… in hospitals, at schools, food-service venues and near washrooms in malls to name a few places. The following easy made-at-home antibacterial infusion can be sprayed on kitchen and bathroom counters, tables, chairs, on doorknobs, telephone surface, TV remote, computer mouse and of course the hands, plus dozens of other surfaces you want to sanitize. Just spray on a light coating and wipe clean.

Put 1/4 cup fresh or dried rosemary short needle-like leaves in a fireproof glass or stainless steel pot. Pour 2 cups of filtered or steam distilled water over them. Gradually bring the heat up until the water is just shy of boiling point but not there yet. Remove the pot from the heat, cover it, and let the leaves steep for 20 minutes to a half-hour. If desired you can add 2 drops of rosemary essential oil to the cooled infusion, but that’s optional. Next, pour rosemary water into a reusable spray misting bottle for household use and into a smaller reusable spray bottle to place in the car or carry with you whenever a sanitizer is needed.

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