Tomato Grafting Fail

...ven managed to attract tomato hornworms for the first time ever. Two early mistakes led to subsequent problems. First, I should have purchased or made a seed starting mix rather than the potting soil I used. I ended up with weak seedlings. Secondly, I did not manage the post-graft period well. Having a greenhouse within which to create a “healing chamber” for the grafted plants would have made the process much easier. Since I have no space or desi...

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Food Preservation Disasters

...in’t 24/7 kittens and rainbows at the Root Simple compound. We do have our homesteading disasters. I was reminded of this after I emptied a box full of failed home preservation projects and contemplated a stinky trash can filled with a slurry of bad pickles and too-loose jams. Of course you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet and, in the interest of learning from mistakes, I thought I’d review two lessons learned. Not Using Tested Recipes I...

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We are all gardeners

...practice was perfect all over the world for all time, that they never made mistakes or got greedy, but I will hold on to a vision of humankind returning to a respectful, reciprocal relationship with the rest of life after a long, destructive period of exile. We can do this by becoming conscious gardeners, Edenic gardners. I know we can do it because evidence says we’ve done it before. And I know we have to do it, if we want to craft a decent futur...

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Composting: Nothing is Wasted

...how nourishment can come out of loss, how new experience rises out of past mistakes. We see also the great cycle of life. Everything changes, but nothing is lost. What can compost not accept? What can it not forgive? Simply put, keeping a compost pile is good is as good for your soul as it is for your soil. Waste Not If you can’t keep a compost pile, agitate to make your city adopt more comprehensive “green waste” policies. Many cities have dispos...

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