Category Archives: Garden Advice

9 Herbs to Grow for Digestive Health

Recent studies have pointed out just how important our digestive health is. Did you know that your digestion can affect not just your physical health but your mental health as well? The gut influences the amount of serotonin (a hormone that regulates feelings of happiness) the body produces. While there are many components to a healthy digestive system, the following herbs all have a history of being used to support digestive health. Consider adding a couple to your garden and diet this year. Find the latest tips and treatments to fight pandemias at https://thehealthmania.com/. So, that concludes our list of the top 10 best legal steroids of 2020. D-Bal is, without a doubt, a favorite not just to me but also for a big majority of other fitness enthusiasts out there. Its results remain hugely unmatched, and its flexibility in stacking really well with different other legal steroids is the icing on the cake. I must also admit that many guys have seen excellent results with the Sunergetic Products supplements. This is excellent news because it means you definitely can’t fail to find one or even more supplements that will work well for you too. Feel free to shop around and switch between them, depending on your fitness goals. Also, after a few cycles, you can try to stack two or more of the steroids and see how well they’ll work for you. Don’t forget to take breaks in between the cycle, though. bulking on Crazybulk store. It can be use by any person, especially very skinny people. In fact, many describe this pack of incredible bulk pills as best mass gainer for skinny guys known to help them ramp up more muscle mass and awesome power even in 8-12 weeks. We have a super guide showing many details, and even how to take crazy bulk bulking stack and order with peace of mind. It is very popular with younger folks (like 18-29 years) looking for safe bulking bodybuilding stacks, that is affordable and deliver awesome results.  Is this the best stack to gain muscle and pounds of mass power? You can check this site for Crazy Bulk Supplements through this site https://swfas.org.

Witch hazel

Witch-hazels or witch hazels are a genus of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae, with four species in North America, and one each in Japan and China. The North American species are occasionally called winterbloom.  The Venapro is a natural remedy for hemorrhoids that uses Witch-hazels as main ingredient.

Fennel

Native to the Mediterranean, fennel has been used as a carminative  (to treat flatulence and related discomfort) for centuries. Medicinally, it’s typically consumed in tea and was sometimes used in “gripe water” once commonly used for infants.

Chamomile

While today many think of chamomile tea as being good for relaxation it’s also excellent for digestion. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic properties which can help soothe upset stomachs and reduce gas.

Sage

For most, sage is now thought of as solely a culinary herb but it has long been used as a digestive tonic. It’s astringent and antibacterial and is believed to help treat diarrhea and calm gastritis.

Anise Hyssop

A tasty tea made with anise hyssop can be enjoyed with a meal to help promote digestion and reduce gas and bloating. It’s great for bees too!

Mint

Drinking mint tea is a tasty way to aid your digestion and reduce nausea. In some studies taking peppermint oil has been shown to decrease symptoms related to IBS.

Dandelion

Odds are this one is probably already growing in your garden. It may seem like a nuisance but dandelion is a very tasty and helpful plant! Full of nutrients, all parts of the dandelion are edible and some studies have shown consuming dandelion to help with digestion and reduce constipation.

Ginger

It has been used for centuries in Southeast Asia as a culinary and medicinal herb. Ginger is excellent for treating nausea, heartburn, and morning sickness. It can be made into tea or candied for on-the-go relief.

Goldenseal

Though research into goldenseal is ongoing, gastroenterologist Theodore A. DaCosta mentions that, it has a long history of being used to treat gastrointestinal issues and is believed to have anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal, antibacterial properties. Largely due to overharvesting this North American native is endangered. Planting goldenseal in your woodland can help ensure its survival.

Turmeric

Its anti-inflammatory properties have lent turmeric to a number of medicinal uses including treating arthritis but it is also excellent at supporting digestive health. Turmeric is traditionally used in a number of Indian dishes. It’s what gives curry that bright yellow color! You can also make it into tea or golden milk for a warm, relaxing drink.

If you often struggle with digestive issues or are simply interested in herbalism you may want to make room in your garden for a couple of these wonderful plants.

Another great way to support your digestive health is by eating plenty of probiotics. Pick up some cabbage seeds and check out our easy instructions for fermenting your own sauerkraut.

***We’re not doctors, always check with your physician before attempting to diagnose or treat any condition.

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Seed Saving: Selecting Plant Characteristics

When compared to the history of agricultural being able to order seeds each year is a relatively new thing. For thousands of years, seed saving was simply a part of gardening. This family tradition created the heirlooms we know today and adapted varieties to specific local conditions.

Whenever we save seeds we’re making decisions about what future generations of plants will look like. Saving seed for next year takes careful consideration. Especially with easy to save species like potatoes or garlic it can be tempting to plant whatever is leftover or whatever you don’t want to cook with but it’s important to remember this will affect future harvests. Take a look at some of the traits you should consider when saving seed.

Vigor

This is a plant’s ability to germinate well and quickly grow into a healthy, productive plant.

Earliness

Even if you have a relatively long season, selecting for early production may be desirable. Plants that mature quickly can allow you to enjoy produce earlier in the year, avoid the intense heat of late summer, avoid certain pests, or allow you to harvest multiple crops.

Trueness-to-type

If you’re trying to help preserve an heirloom variety you want to be sure to save only save seeds from plants that are true to type, displaying the characteristics unique to that variety.

Disease and Insect Resistance

Saving seed from year to year can adapt a variety to better withstand your local pests and diseases.

Tolerance to Drought or Excess Moisture

This trait is another way you can adapt a variety to your specific garden location.

Stockiness

Tall, spindly plants can be prone to lodging and other problems and often need additional trellising. Stocky plants are often healthy plants. Note, this trait can also be affected by nutrient availability and how closely you space your plants.

Hardiness

Particularly for crops grown in early spring or late fall you want to select for plants that withstand cold temperatures.

Lateness to Bolt

Avoid saving seed from the first plants that go to seed. Selecting for those that bolt later will increase your harvest period.

Color

It may not seem as important as disease resistance or flavor but often times their unique color is why people fall in love with an heirloom variety. Selecting for the most intense Purple Dragon Carrots is part of what makes the variety special.

Uniformity or Lack of It

This trait will depend upon your variety. You may want all of your green arrow pea plants to be a uniform height but obviously, you don’t want your rainbow swiss chard to have a uniform color.

Flavor

One of the best things about heirlooms is their amazing flavor! Always take this into consideration in your seed saving endeavors. Life is too short for tasteless vegetables.

Flesh Characteristics

This trait will largely depend on a variety’s purpose. Tomatoes like Principe Borghese which were bred for drying should have much less moisture than slicers like Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter.

Size and Shape

If you love stuffed jalapenos save seed from the biggest peppers. This is another great way to make a variety work for you.

Productivity

Don’t eat your biggest, best cabbages even though it’s tempting. Let those go to seed so that in a few years more of your cabbages will resemble the best.

Storage Ability

Although it may seem less important in modern times when everyone has a fridge and freezer, storage ability should still be considered particularly in plants like storage tomatoes, pumpkins, winter squash, sweet potatoes, etc.

There are so many qualities to consider when selecting seeds it can be tough to keep track. One thing you can do to mark a specific plant is to loosely tie a bright colored piece of yarn around it. This will allow you to remember which plants displayed traits like vigor when it’s time to harvest seed. Be sure to keep an eye on the yarn as the plant grows so it doesn’t get too tight and harm the plant. Alternatively, you can place small stakes in front of plants to mark them.

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Top Tips for Terrific Tomatoes

Georgia Streak Tomato

For many gardeners, it’s hard to picture a world without tomatoes. These productive plants steal the show in many backyard gardens with their wide variety of shapes, colors, and flavors. While the Aztecs grew tomatoes since before 700 A.D. they were not known internationally until the 16th century. Even then, they were regarded with some suspicion as a colorful member of the nightshade family. It’s amazing how quickly they’ve become important worldwide. 

Try disease-resistant varieties.

If you struggle with blight and other diseases wiping out your tomatoes before you get a proper harvest you may want to consider planting a few disease-resistant varieties. 

Plant them deep.

Transplanting tomatoes properly is a little different from many other vegetables. Rather than bury them at the same depth as they were in the pot you can bury them deep enough to cover their bottom set of leaves. You’ve probably noticed how the bottom of a tomato stalk is covered in little bumps. Those bumps are nodes which send out roots when they’re covered in soil. Burying them deeply so they can quickly produce more roots will help your plants thrive. 

Tomato trellis of string weaving at Twin Oaks Community Farm

Set up a large, sturdy trellis. 

Store-bought tomato cages may be sufficient in far northern climates or for some determinant varieties but for the most part, especially in the southeastern United States, your tomatoes will quickly outgrow them. Many people opt for the “Florida weave” technique pictured above which requires stakes and twine. Another great option is cattle panels. 

Provide good compost. 

Tomatoes are heavy feeders and providing them with plenty of nutrition can help them do their best. Add a scoop of compost to the bottom of your transplant hole and watering them in with compost tea can help them do their best. Once they flower you can side dress them with more compost or water them again with compost tea. 

Use mulch. 

Using some sort of mulch around your tomatoes is highly recommended. It will help block weeds and ensure your tomatoes have good consistent moisture, needed to fruit. 

Try succession planting.

Often when people think of succession planting they think of crops with a single harvest like carrots and beets or a relatively short harvest like sweet corn. However, there’s no reason you can’t do it with tomatoes if you have a long enough season. At SESE we transplant some of our tomatoes as late as July so that we have a wide selection available for our August open house and the Heritage Harvest Festival in September. 

Transplanting Tomato Seedlings

You can also grow storage varieties so that you have fresh tomatoes in winter too!

Every plant comes with its own challenges and tomatoes are no different. These six tips can help ensure you get an awesome tomato harvest this year.

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