Today he uncovered our strawberry bed, taking the wet straw down to the garden’s edge, piling it near the plum and cherry trees. After we clean up the rocks, we’ll use the used mulch that kept the strawberries cozy all winter around the base of the trees to keep down weeds. Now he’s busy building a furrower out of a junk plow from a neighbor’s scrap pile, some steel, and rod. The furrower will go on our tractor’s 3-point hitch so we can quickly make furrows for our new 250 strawberry and 100 asparagus plants. That would be a lot of holes to dig by hand, and a furrow would make quick work of it. We’re excited over the prospect, and I’ll keep you posted.

Readers’ Questions:

Deer Fencing

I hope you are getting some much needed rest. Taking care of an ill loved one is challenging and exhausting. I am a nurse who worked in a nursing home and understand your concerns about placing your mom in a facility and not continuing to care for her at home. Life is a challenge and my heart goes out to you.

Deb Motylinski
Brecksville, Ohio

We used 8′ long steel T posts with 6′ 2″x4″ welded wire fastened to it. We figured that IF the deer jumped that, we’d wire poles to that, with chicken wire up another three feet. It has never been necessary, as we’ve not had one deer in the garden, even though we have tons of deer in the area. Oh, yes, I did; I left the gate open one afternoon, and in went a young doe! She went OUT much faster!

Our fence is not electrified. And we did not put wire underground. I deter rodents with our dog, Spencer, and a .22 rifle. Both work very well.

Right now, our “gates” consist of wire that we pull open and hook closed. We will be building pole and wire gates this year that are both easier to handle, and look much nicer.

I’ve found that deer really aren’t as bad as one hears, providing that the garden/orchard are fenced well with “real” fence, instead of “alternative methods” of deer control, such as sprays, short fences, electric wire, etc. I’ve used ‘em all and still had deer in the garden. Once we fenced with 6′ high welded wire, that was that and life is SO much easier! — Jackie

Dehydrating cooked rice

I’m experimenting with dehydrating cooked rice. I’ve never heard of making your own “converted” rice, but it seems to be working. I cooked a batch of Jasmine rice, rinsed it well in cool water, drained it and put it on dehydrator sheets. Have you ever tried doing this or heard of a recipe?

Also, a question about canned salmon: do you have to boil it for 10 minutes (or more) when it’s prepared according to the recipe in “Self-Reliance,” page 80? I’ve wondered also about home canned meats that are baked, do they need boiling first before using in a recipe?

Flora Marie Stone
Greenfield, Indiana

Yes, you can dehydrate cooked rice, just like you are doing.

Home canned foods just need to be brought and held to “boiling temperature” for 10 minutes before eating. This can be boiling, steaming, roasting, or baking in a casserole, etc.

I’ve never talked to anyone who had luck dehydrating cheese at home; the fat beads the shreads and they get greasy, then go rancid. I’ve tried it myself, with yucky results. Sorry. I DO love my cheeses! — Jackie

Canning chicken noodle soup and milk

These two questions are about canning. I tried canning chicken noodle soup the other day and added a half a handful of noodles as it said in your book. But when they came out they were weird… the noodles were a semi-solid blob of mush at the bottom of the jar. The whole jars are cloudy and murky looking with mush at the bottom. What did I do wrong?

Angela Billings
Stronghurst, Illinois

Some noodles do that. I’d advise using the thicker “homemade-type” ones, instead of regular store noodles. But even the “yucky” looking noodles, when stirred up gently, make a tasty soup.

Not having been with you when you canned your milk, I don’t know what went wrong, but a lot of people routinely can up milk and have it turn out fine. I’d just give it another try, following directions. Who knows, you may have mis-read them or something. That happens to all of us one time or another. — Jackie

Bulk canning lids

Do you know of a good source for buying bulk canning lids?

Linda
Dorris, California

Unfortunately, no. I buy mine at our local dollar store for $1.00 a dozen (regular lids), and our local farm store on sale, for the wide mouth lids. I usually get the wide mouth lids for about $1.89 a dozen, which is cheaper than most other places. But I DO watch for the sale! Any readers have a better idea? — Jackie

Antibiotics for the first aid kit

…I was wondering about what we can use for antibiotics for our first aid kit that we have been making. If a situation happens, and one is unable to see a doctor, can one use animal antibiotics and if so how do you determine the dose?

Meredith Wendt
Rockford, Illinois

I’ll probably get hate mail for this, but yes, in a dire emergency, one can use “animal” antibiotics, such as penicillin, for human use. Most “animal” antibiotics are simply “human” antibiotics with a veterinary label. As dosage for animal use varies by body weight, so you would choose your dose for human use, by body weight. Again, only use this in a dire emergency situation, where no doctor is available. It’s also a good idea to have a vial of injectable epinephrine available, in case of rare, but possibly fatal, shock. — Jackie

Storing pecans

I have 12 pecan trees on my property and most years I get more pecans than I need. I crack and shell as much as I can and put them in the freezer where they will keep for a long time. But what about unshelled pecans? Can they be kept for a long time? I don’t want to put them in the freezer. Where should they be kept and how long will they keep?

Tom Hutyra
West, Texas

Unshelled nuts will usually keep for several months in cool, dry storage. But they won’t keep a long time before the nut meat shrivels and gets hard. How about doing your big batch, then slowly pecking away at the leftovers and canning them up? My friend Junita Saunders, down in New Mexico, and I used to get together and shell and can pecans all winter. It was fun, we weren’t “under the gun” to get ‘em done, and we got to visit a whole bunch. I’m still eating pecans from six years back! — Jackie

Canning pork and beans with franks

Can you, and if so, how do you can pork and beans with franks?

Bo Suddueth
Jacksonville, Florida

It’s easy. Just make up a big batch of your favorite pork and beans, using chopped franks as the “pork.” Don’t bake it till done, just until thoroughly hot. Then pack it in pint jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Process at 10 pounds pressure for 75 minutes in a pressure canner. (If you live at an altitude over 1,000 feet, check your canning book for directions on increasing your pressure to suit your altitude, if necessary.)

Two handy, all around catalogs for equipment/supplies are Lehmans Hardware and Northern Tool. I also love Murray McMurray for poultry stuff and Hoeggers for goat supplies. — Jackie

Will has been working on our haying equipment. He finished repairing the wheel rake we got with our old New Holland baler and now has the hay wagon back in the shop, cutting the 2×6s (that we saved from that old mobile home), painting them with oil preservative and getting ready to screw them down to the frame. It’s looking very nice!

Meanwhile, I’m transplanting baby plants in the greenhouse. Since we will plant them out in the garden in late April in Wall o’ Water plant protectors, I start my pepper and tomato seeds earlier than I would if I were setting them out after our last spring frost date…June 16th! This year our plants look great. And so far, I’ve spent two days potting peppers, tomatoes, and petunias into 20 oz. styrofoam cups, with holes poked in the bottom. This lets us only transplant once, planting in the garden directly out of the cups. I reuse the cups and the plants seem to love them. Gee! I’m running out of “sunny windows.”

But boy do those plants look fantastic. And today it was 52 degrees. Our snow is going fast; I wish the MUD was too. I’m getting anxious to at least walk in the garden. And also to see how the orchard trees are doing. Maybe tomorrow after I run in to see Mom.

Readers’ Questions:

Tiny eggs

We have 14 hens of all different breeds. We are getting about a dozen eggs a day right now. The hens will be a year in May. We have 6 hens that I believe are Hamburg Chickens. My question is, we are getting two very tiny eggs from this breed. They are not laying daily, but when they do there is no yolk in these eggs and they are very very tiny, Will these eggs get bigger? So far its been a month and the eggs are NOT getting bigger.

Stephanie
Kinsey, Montana

These no yolk eggs are most often found in pullets who are just beginning to lay. But they can occur in any hen, regardless of age or breed. They are simply a “warp” in the hen’s reproductive process and are nothing to be concerned about. — Jackie

Preserving meat with salt

I would like to know about preserving meat by salting it. Is it safe with any kind of meat? Is there a special kind of salt that you use? How is the meat generally prepared afterwards? How long does it generally take to dry the meat…and how long will it generally last once it is dried?

Joy Goepfert
Alba, Missouri

Although people long ago did preserve meat and fish by salting it down, I don’t recommend it today. First of all, the food, even when soaked to de-salt it before eating, remains very salty. This is just not good for us. Then, there is no way of knowing if the meat is sufficiently salted so that it (or parts of it) doesn’t spoil. My own grandmother salted down Montana whitefish when a flood left them high and dry in their pasture. She worked hard for 24 hours, cleaning and salting down all those fish. And every one spoiled on her! Better to can that meat, rather than salt it. — Jackie

Last year, we used Miracle Gro potting soil to start the seeds and boy was that a bust! My friend, Jeri, did too and her seeds had poor germination and just didn’t grow at all, just like mine. This year, I bought professional seed starting mix from our local greenhouse and it’s made all the difference in the world. I’ve made my own seed starting soil in the past, but lately I just haven’t had the time. It’s made from good garden soil, well-rotted compost, vermiculite, and perlite. You bake the soil and compost to kill weed seeds and any pathogens present, then mix everything to lighten the soil. It works well and I hope to do it again soon. But for now, our plants are great and I can’t wait to get in the garden!

Readers’ Questions:

Bay leaves to deter moths

I am preparing a 12 month storage area in my home. I have read that bay leaves can be placed in grain to deter moths. Can bay leaves also be used in flour?

Jean Ann Wenger
Fairbury, Illinois

Yes. Place a few on top of your flour, inside its container, for best results. Don’t mix it up IN the flour. And make sure the container you choose is airtight, rodent proof, and moisture proof. — Jackie

Canning sandwich spread

I make a sandwich spread that of course contains mayonnaise. If I made a large batch of it could it be canned?

Tammie Stiltner
Vancouver, Washington

No. There is no current information on safe canning of mayonnaise or salad dressing. — Jackie

Salsa using canned tomatoes

Do you have a salsa recipe using canned tomatoes? Would I be able to can it?

Alison Martin
Waretown, New Jersey

You can use any salsa recipe to use your already canned tomatoes. But it will be less chunky than fresh tomato salsa as tomatoes cook down quickly. It will be safe and tasty, though. — Jackie

Perennial vegetable bed

I talked to you on here before about a gas stove that wouldn’t go down low enough to let me pressure can. Just wanted to let you know we had a guy come and fix it, and now it works wonderful!

Angela Billings
Stronghurst, Illinois

I really don’t think I’d plant these together, if it were me. You’ll be digging the garlic and horseradish at different times, in all likelihood, and the walking onions at another time, if you do (you often just use the top bulbs). Horseradish has a way of taking over a garden, so I’d advise against putting it in at all. Put your horseradish far away from your garden and flower beds and you’ll be much happier! My friend, Jeri, now has horseradish in her flowers, rhubarb rows, and along her greenhouse, from a small planting on one end of her flower bed.

The walking onions and garlic could go together in the same bed, but in separate areas for ease of harvest. — Jackie

Goats hair falling out

I have a six year old Nubian doe, about twice a year all of her hair falls out. It isn’t lice or fleas. And it doesn’t ever affect our other goat that is penned with her. Someone said to try brewer yeast in her feed, didn’t help. Someone else said she must be Vitamin A deficient, that didn’t help either. They have a mineral block, get grass alfalfa hay, and a handful of three way grain daily. Neither doe has been bred in several years. When her hair falls out, I mean all of it. Not just patches. And sometimes its in the winter here in Montana so we have to set up heat lamps for her. Any ideas?

Terri Ogle
Kalispell, Montana

Our wether, Oreo, does the same thing. It’s kind of shocking, but the best I can figure out is that it is his body’s way of changing hair coats from winter to spring and vice versa. You might consider making a goat coat for her, similar to a horse blanket, to save on electricity from those heat lamps. — Jackie

Canning on a propane turkey cooker

We have recently moved into a house that has a glass top stove. After watching the stove cook for a while, I have decided that I will need to come up with an alternative way to can. I know you have talked about propane stoves. I have a propane turkey cooker, would that work?

Cindy Adams
Florence, Alabama

I’ve never had or seen a turkey cooker in action, but anything that is sturdy enough to support a full canner and produces sufficient heat should do the job. Any readers have any thoughts here? I’m sure someone has a turkey cooker and could give Cindy some help. — Jackie

Canning pork loin

I canned pork loin on two different occasions months apart using the same instructions for raw pack loin with water. In the first batch the water is clear with no color. In the second batch the water has kind of a brothy color to it. It is still transparent just with a little tint. I’m wondering if the color difference could be due to different brands of pork or different solutions used when packaged back at the plant. I bought the loin at the same store just a few months apart. Should I be concerned with the difference?

Marlana Ward
Mountain City, Tennessee

I wouldn’t worry about the color, provided you followed instructions and the jars are sealed. You’re right; it may be a different pork loin solution or even packing process. Some are packed with a mild brine to keep it moist; others are not. Enjoy it and have fun with your new chickens! — Jackie

We struck paydirt a month ago when I saw a neighbor’s ad for a fish pond on Craigslist. We bought the pre-formed pond (good buy!), and Will noticed an old mobile home her husband had started to tear apart. He asked her what Gene was going to do with the frame. She said, “Do you want it? You can HAVE it!”

Luckily, it still had tires and axles on it. So last Saturday, Will, David, and friends went over with our neighbor, Jerry Yourczek’s huge four wheel drive tractor to move it home. I cringed at how UGLY it was! But I kept saying “bridge, bridge, bridge.” They worked hours, only succeeding on popping three right hand tires off the bead because the tires were frozen in the ground. But the next day, another friend brought three other tires and they hauled it away with no problems.

Now it sits, being dismantled, in our yard, up by our mobile home. Did I mention that it’s UGLY? But we’re harvesting much good material from it, from switches, gas lines, a good gas stove, furnace, siding, and windows. Plus the sturdy frame for our bridge. I’ll be SO glad when it’s disassembled and better looking! Will figures he’ll have it down to the floor by Saturday. Whew!

In the meantime, Mom was back in the hospital again. I didn’t get any sleep for three nights, so I was pooped when we started the whole moving-the-trailer thing. But antibiotics got her infection cleared up pronto, and she only was in the hospital for three days and is home now. And today, Mom ordered flowers for spring planting: daylilies, peonies, and lilies! Not bad for 94 years old in April, huh?

Readers’ Questions:

Re canning fruit cocktail

I have looked on internet for information on re canning fruit cocktail. I got 18 big cans for .50 a can. It is outdated. Such a deal. I need to put it into smaller jars. Can’t find directions to do so. Can you in your infinite wisdom tell me?

Nancy Foster
Dallas City, Illinois

You’ll be draining the cans and heating the liquid to simmering, then add the fruit. Pack hot into hot jars, leaving 1/2″ of headspace. Process pints for 20 minutes and quarts for 25 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. I’ve re-canned store bought fruit cocktail this way and had it turn out fine. — Jackie

Canning nuts

Hi! Quick question: Is it possible to can jars of different kinds of nuts in the same canner (pressure) for the same amount of time? IE: Jars of almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.

Jan Eylar
Savannah, Missouri

Quick answer: YES! Enjoy! — Jackie

Hopi Pale Grey, recovering soil from herbicides and pesticides, and canning meats

I’ve read in the past about your Hopi grey squash. I looked for seed sources and only found reference to Hopi pale gray cushaw and Hopi black squash. Is the cushaw and your Hopi gray the same thing?

Sue McBride
Bethany, Illinois

No, Hopi Pale Grey (Cucurbita maxima) is more of a hubbard-type. The only commercial seed sources that I know of now are Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (website only) and Seed Dreams, gowantoseed@yahoo.com.

Congratulations on your new homestead! While it’s better if chemicals have never been used on land, it’s amazing at what some good stewardship can do in a short time. There are huge arguments over just how long land takes to “get over” having chemicals applied to it, but I’m sure that with some great care and natural gardening, your little piece of paradise will rejoice and reward you hugely.

While canning does slightly reduce the nutritional value of some foods, when you combine these foods with other home-raised, chemical-free foods, I believe it more than makes up for this slight reduction. — Jackie

Canning chocolate sauce

I’m a big fan and have been telling my friends how much I enjoy putting things up and how much I’ve learned from you. One of those friends asked if it would be possible to pressure can her mother-in-laws ‘Chocolate Gravy’. I had NO idea but figured you might. Can you help?

Wendy
San Antonio, Texas

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find any information on canning anything chocolate: sauce, mix, etc. It would sure be nice, though! — Jackie

Planting squash

Thank you for your great canning book! I used it a lot this fall and winter. It’s time to plan my garden. I know you’ve addressed this issue before, but can’t find it. There are four varieties of summer and winter squash I’d like to plant. How far apart do they have to be planted? My garden space is fairly limited. Could I erect one or two foot walls between rows to separate the varieties?

Jean in northern lower Michigan

There are five common varieties of squash (Cucurbita), C. pepo, C. maxima, C. argyrosperma, C. mixta and C. moschata. These varieties each have many varieties in them and these varieties will cross if not separated by planting far apart. It is recommended that they be planted 1/2 mile or more apart, although I’ve had great luck by planting them several hundred feet apart, separated by hills and woodlands. You can still grow a variety of squash and save seed from only one or two different varieties of the species. For instance, you can grow several summer squash (C. pepo) and a pumpkin, (also a C. pepo) and not save seed, but grow Hopi Pale Grey or Hubbard squash (C. maxima) and save THAT seed, as well as a butternut (C. moschata) and a cushaw (C. mixta), also saving seed. It IS kind of hard to understand, at first. But with a little bit of study, I’m sure you can figure it out!

No, planting a two foot divider between varieties will not work. Squash is chiefly insect pollinated and where bees and other insects can go, the pollen they carry will go. Plant breeders build isolation cages over their squash beds to prevent insects from carrying pollen, so they can plant different varieties much closer. However, when you do this, you often have to hand-pollinate the blossoms, which is labor-intensive. It’s easier to only grow a few different varieties each year and save pure seed from them. Then on other years, try a new one or two, also saving seed. Not only is it economical, but tons of fun, too. If you are not interested in saving seed, it doesn’t matter how many squash varieties you plant. The cross breeding will only affect NEXT year’s crop, through the seeds. — Jackie

Keeping pasta sauce

If I purchase pasta sauce in jars that are sealed how long will they last and how long will the jar last past the expiration date?

Renee Rains
Marthaville, Louisiana

Nearly forever. Like home-canned foods, store bought foods will stay fine as long as they are sealed. Things that can cause a seal to break are a rusting lid, over-heating during storage, and rough handling. — Jackie

Storing root vegetables

How do I go about storing beets, carrots, celeriac, rutabagas, turnips, and parsnips? Trim tops and leaves or not? If so, how far down? Bury in sand? Upright or in a jumble? I have a hallway which will stay around 40-45 degrees during the winter, but the problem seems to be generating humidity. How can I turn my chilly hallway into a root cellar?

Kristina Dickinson
Montague, Massachusetts

Most root crops store well with the tops trimmed down to only an inch; more and the tops rot and cause the loss of the food. It’s always best to store crops separately. I’m using large plastic coolers and tubs with tops and that’s working well without adding sand or other material. It’s February now and my root crops are just as firm and nice as they were when harvested. I think you’ll have luck using the plastic coolers/tubs, as they hold in humidity, without getting TOO wet. Do check them from time to time to make sure there isn’t excess condensation in the containers. If that seems to be happening, just prop the tops open for a day or so.

I don’t think it matters how you lay your root crops. I just pack mine flat to save space. — Jackie

Deep bed gardening

While I have been hibernating, I have been reading a lot about deep bed gardening. But for some reason I just can’t figure out how to do this without tilling. I have a 24′x 24′ garden space and last year I put in 4′ strips across, leaving about 1 foot for walking space. I tilled the whole thing except where I have my herbs growing across the front. And I had such a time with weeds! I figured I must have tilled too deep? So this year I would like to try the deep bed method. Is there any advise you can share with me or direct me in accomplishing this? If I put in the 4′ strips again, Do I build these up so they are higher than ground level? and then mulch? At the end of the growing season I planted an oats/barley mix so I will have some green manure residue on the garden for spring.

Pamela Lawstuen
Alma, Wisconsin

Regarding your weed problem: weed seeds sometimes lie dormant in the soil for a long time and when you work the soil, new seeds come to the surface and germinate. It can be a problem, but if you are steadfast, you’ll overcome it in time. Double digging does improve your soil and harvest. To do this remove the soil from the first row, all across your garden, piling it in a wheelbarrow or on a tarp. Then dig down again, in the same spot, while standing in the trench, turning over the soil. Move to the next row, turning the top layer over into your first trench, filling it all across the area. Repeat this process, until your entire plot has been dug.

If your soil is not fertile, adding an inch or two of rotted compost on top of the area before double digging will help out. Your green manure, chopped and added to your garden, will add fertility and tilth to the soil, as well.

For a detailed look at double digging and intensive gardening, read the book, HOW TO GROW MORE VEGETABLES by John Jeavons. — Jackie

Moving berries and fruit trees

I will be relocating in a few weeks. I want to take my asparagus, blackberries, strawberries, grapes and fruit trees with me when I move. The asparagus and blackberries are about three years old and the grapes, strawberries, and fruit trees were planted last spring. What is the best way to do this?

Nana Texas
Celina , Texas

First of all, be sure you can legally take your perennial plants & trees. Sometimes, if you sold your place, the owner legally owns them; be sure.

If you’re not moving a great distance, dig your plants with as much soil around the roots as possible and pack them in plastic lined heavy boxes/tubs, for the trip. Even if you are moving a long way, sometimes you can still do this, if you have the room. Otherwise, if the plants are dormant, you’ll have to gently remove the soil from the roots, then pack the roots in damp shredded newspaper or peat moss, then wrap the roots in plastic. This conserves room/shipping weight. Try to plant as soon as you get to your new home. Meanwhile, keep the plants as cool and damp as necessary to keep the roots from drying out. But don’t soak them, as they may mold or rot. All the best luck with your move! — Jackie

New to self-reliant living

I’m new to the concept of living “off grid” and being self-sufficient. How do I find all the information I need to make the best decision possible. I’m a widow with no kids at home, so I would be doing this solo. Any ideas?

Diane Waite
Middletown, Pennsylvania

I’d pick up several of the BHM anthologies, as this is a concentrated spot for tons of practical information. Go to the library and READ, READ, read everything pertaining to the type of lifestyle you are aiming for. Doing it solo may seem hard, but it also has a few benefits; you only have yourself to provide for. Your needs are really quite small. You only have to be responsible for yourself, so there are fewer distractions along the way (arguments, other peoples’ wants and needs, etc.). I’m not saying it is better to do it alone, only that it certainly can be done if you have the patience to do it a bit slower than if you have a helper. Keep in touch through the blog and ask any specific questions you have, along the way. I’ll try to help as often as you ask! All the very best with your quest. You are starting on a terrific adventure! — Jackie

Cotton seed

Do you know of a source for open-pollinated, non-hybrid cotton seed? I know your expertise leans more towards food products, but I figured if anybody out there could answer this, you could.

Mark Davis
California, Missouri

Well, I kind of do….Native Seeds/SEARCH has open pollinated cotton seed, but only sells to AZ, NM, and TX. Do any readers have help here? I’ll keep looking. — Jackie

Lame chicken

I have backyard chickens, and one of them has suddenly become lame. She balances on one leg, occasionally putting her “bad” foot down, but generally holds it up with the toes splayed and occasionally shaking. I check “the girls” over each weekend, and her sensitive leg does correspond to when I had her out of the coop. I’m hoping she’s just sprained something in her rush to get out of my hands – sometimes they get excited and fight being handled or scratch and flap to get put down. I’ve been checking her over, and against the other two members of the flock, she is bright-eyed, with good colour, no sign of mites or scale, and is gamely hopping up into the nesting box to lay each day (we have light from a heat lamp). I have given her extra protein – with tuna and small portions of cat food, and checked for everything else I can think of. Do you have any experience with lameness, or any other suggestions? Due to her poor balance, her grooming is lacking, and I’m worried about secondary problems due to her dirtiness. I hesitate to wet her, as the temperatures are low outside, and I don’t want her to catch a chill.

Ellen
Surrey, British Columbia

Like us, chickens, being two-leggeds, sometimes sprain or strain muscles or tendons and have to hop about for awhile. Hopefully, that’s all that’s happened with your gimpy hen. I don’t think her dirtiness will cause problems. Sometimes if you bed the coop with shavings, it will help absorb manure, which, in turn may help with that until she recovers.

Do check the bottom of her foot. Sometimes chickens bruise the bottom of their foot and get “bumble foot,” which is an abscess in the soft tissue in the center of the foot. This can be drained and treated with betadine. — Jackie

Composting chicken manure

I have been practicing organic gardening for many years. In the past few years I have added chickens and have plans to add a couple of dwarf goats. To get the maximum advantage of the nitrogen in the manure without burning plant roots, how long do you compost the manure products?

Debbie Boutelier
Prattville, Alabama

It kind of depends on how “good” a composter you are. Some people have time and the inclination to water and turn their piles, which makes them decompose much faster than mine does. We pile all of our manure and miscellaneous plant waste in a huge pile that gets watered by the rain, but not turned or pampered by us. That is put up in the spring from barn and yard cleanings. By fall, it is composted well enough to haul to the garden and spread. It is either tilled in (hopefully!) or let lay on the garden until it gets worked in when the soil can be tilled in the early spring. By then, either way, it is decomposed well and provides our plants with plenty of nitrogen, but not too much.

Someone with more inclination could compost their spring waste and have it garden ready in about six weeks. We’re not in that much of a hurry. — Jackie

The new pasture has a flat piece of lower ground that was logged off and had grown back to scattered young poplar trees and willow brush. As our bulldozer “Old Yeller” is again working, Will first shoved all the old logs, stumps, and trees off the patch. Then, today, he worked over the same ground with the Ford tractor bucket and back-blade, scraping the smaller stuff into windrows, which were shoved along the woods. Here we’ll keep at it, flattening it out to help it rot away and make new soil.

Tonight, we walked over the ground and were amazed at how wonderfully flat it looks — no stumps, no rotten logs, no brush piles, just beautiful frozen soil, just waiting to be planted into orchard grass, clovers, and trefoil this spring. We can’t wait.

Oh, just an update on the old hay wagon we’re rebuilding. It now has not only new (take-off) tires that are round, 3″x12″ stringers, but also flattened, bolted-on cross pieces. It’s now ready for a deck. But that’s got to wait until we get a little more cash. How nice it looks, already! As with our whole place, it’s built as cash and time allow. We’re content to wait; there’s always something else to do to improve our lives.

Readers’ Questions:

Buying and storing non-hybrid seeds

I am researching non-hybrid seeds. I know nothing about gardening. This is a new venture and we feel a necessary one due to the current crisis in the U.S., which is likely to worsen. After reading about all the different survival seed companies I feel lost. It seems that the type of seeds and how they are packed are both important. Plus, I am finding it hard to determine which are reputable companies. Can you please give us a name, or a couple of names of companies you have used that have good non-hybrid seeds that are packaged for proper storage life? We love your articles in Backwoods Home, thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge.

John and Suzanne Fenlason
Clyde, North Carolina

I really prefer to choose and store my own varieties, not someone else’s, from a different climate. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Seed Savers Exchange, and Fedco Seeds all have dependable open pollinated seeds and plenty of tips for growing. Choose your own seeds, then keep them in an airtight jar, or better yet, in your freezer, in an airtight container. Most seeds will remain great for years. Onions and leeks are one exception — only a year, or a little more, if you’re lucky. Like my storage pantry, I rotate my seeds, planting the oldest ones, and replacing them with new. Watch the magazine; I’m working on a seed saving article right now that should help clear up a lot of the mystery of seed selection and seed saving/storage. — Jackie

Starting plants by a window

As you’re the master gardener, and I admire the greenhouse you’ve attached to your home, I have a question regarding gardening. I’ve tried for several years to start tomatoes, peppers, and other hot-weather plants in the house in a window. Of course they always bolt for the light and become stringy and weak. Even after I tried to harden them by taking them outside for an hour or two each day to get used to sun and wind, they always ended up dying. To try something else, I bought a portable greenhouse a few years ago and started some plants in it in December (our last frost date is March 15 here in Phoenix). One night the outside temperature got to 19 degrees and killed all of my seedlings, even though they had a light on them. Anyway, I basically gave up. This year, I am trying it again in the greenhouse with a portable heater for the coldest nights. Everything is coming up well, but I’m afraid that when I put the veggies out in the garden in March, they’ll die because they’ve been in a protected greenhouse, away from the wind and other elements. Can you explain how you move your tomatoes, etc, from your greenhouse to the outdoors (even in wall-o-waters) without them dying? What am I doing wrong?

Dallen Timothy
Gilbert, Arizona

When you use the Wall’o Waters, you don’t need to harden the plants. But when you’re going to set plants out, you DO need to harden them off or you will lose them. To do this, they need to be gently exposed to the wind and sun. The key here is gently. I set my flats of plants out mid-morning, in a protected area, out of the wind and direct sun. This is usually on the west side of the house, on our deck. If the wind is blowing from the west, I’ll switch and use the north side of the house, but put the plants close enough to the house for protection. Only leave them out for an hour at first, temperature permitting. Then, after a week, gradually lengthen this to two, three, four, and half a day. DO NOT let the flats or pots dry out during this hardening off period. They will need more water, so check them frequently. The more soil around the roots, the slower they’ll dry out. For instance, if they’re in a four-inch pot, they’ll dry out slower than if they are in a flat that is 1 1/2″ deep. With your portable greenhouse, simple roll/carry it out and gradually leave the front and sides more open to the elements. As before, keep careful watch of the dryness of the soil.

Also, be sure that they are not in the direct sun outdoors, in your covered greenhouse, when the temp gets warmer or they’ll cook!

You definitely CAN grow your own plants, but like everything else, it takes practice. Keep me posted and I’ll help all I can. — Jackie

Three sisters growing method

This past growing season I tried to grow the 3 sisters to give my tomato patch a break from tomatoes. The corn did well. The beans were slow and stunted from being shaded by the corn and the squash was very slow and even later because of being shaded by the corn. I planted to thick. The squash variety I planted was Hopi Pale Grey. I got my seeds from one of the seed handlers that you have mentioned in your articles located in my area. There were 4 plants that developed to set on squash but only two squash made to what I would call maturity. One is shaped like a squat pumpkin with a coffee cup sized belly button on the bottom. The other is football shaped only shorter than a football and bigger around the girth. Having never raised Hopi Pale Grey I have no idea what they are really supposed to look like. Which squash should I save the seed from and which one should I roast the seeds and eat them?

John Peine
Springfield, Missouri

It’s too bad your three sisters garden wasn’t more productive. You really don’t want to plant it too thickly, for the reason you gave. I plant my beans when the corn is up about four inches, and the squash about the same time. Did you plant pole beans? They climb the corn stalks as they grow and find sunlight, where bush beans stay on the ground and get puny. Some varieties of beans do better on corn than others. I’ve had good luck with Kentucky Wonder and Cherokee Cornfield beans.

Hopi Pale Grey squash come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but all have the “belly button” bulge on the blossom end and are some shade of blue gray. When choosing squash to save seed from, I usually choose either the largest or the best tasting one. You can eat one, save the seed, then later on try the other one, saving that seed. Hopi Pale Greys don’t make real good eating seeds because the shell on the seed is pretty hard. You CAN toast the seeds, then shell them, like sunflower seeds, then put them back in the oven, salt them and roast them a little more, with a very light coat of oil. — Jackie

Gardening in the woods

I wanted to ask you about gardening in the woods. Three years ago we moved our family out of California’s Bay Area and into the woods. We are at 3,500 feet in a somewhat densely wooded area. Whereas before I could grow anything I stuck in the ground, now my plants are lush and healthy, but bear almost no fruit. I know you are at a much higher elevation, so do you think the suspect is lack of sun? I have experimented with 2 different areas with no improvement. I also grow everything in containers, so I’m wondering if that could be part of the problem.

Molly
Sonora, California

Actually, here in Minnesota, we are only at 1,500 feet, whereas in Montana, we lived at 7,500 feet. Usually when you have a lack of sun, your plants will get leggy and pale. I’d suspect that maybe you worked in lots of nice rotted manure into your containers; it sounds like the plants got too much nitrogen. That makes lush plants, but no fruit. It’s especially evident on tomatoes and peppers. Usually, if you use the same soil again, the nitrogen level has gone down. You can test your soil with a cheap garden soil test and see if that is, in fact, the case. You do want your plants to receive at least 6 hours of sunlight a day for best growth and production. — Jackie

Canning tuna

I have a friend who goes to Newport, Oregon every year to pick up some tuna to can. I was going through my canning books and was wondering why I cannot find directions for canning tuna, in fact my book says “fish, except tuna.” What do you know about canning tuna?

Shirley Wikstrom
Stevenson, Washington

You don’t have MY canning book! On page 183-184, there are directions on canning tuna. It definitely is possible. Here is one easy way:

Hot pack: Place cleaned tuna pieces that will fit into a large roasting pan in an oven and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. If a meat thermometer is used, the internal temperature of the meat should be 165-170 degrees. Cool and refrigerate meat overnight. Remove skin and lightly scrape flesh to remove blood vessels and dark meat. Cut fish into quarters and remove all bones. Discard all dark meat. Pack tuna into half-pint and pint jars only, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp water or vegetable oil to each half pint jar and 1 tsp salt and 2 Tbsp water or vegetable oil to each pint jar. Remove air bubbles. Process pints and half pints for 100 minutes at 10 pounds pressure. If you live at an altitude above 1,000 feet, consult your canning book for directions on increasing your pressure, if necessary. Enjoy your tuna! — Jackie

Getting started with chickens

Can you please tell me what are the steps I need to follow to start my first chickens? I live in eastern Washington state. So it gets very cold in winter and very hot in summer. And what is a good bird for eggs and cooking?

Hamm
Kennewick, Washington

For an easy primer on chickens, why not pick up the handbook “CHICKENS, A Beginner’s Handbook” available from Backwoods Home Magazine? It’s cheap and will answer all your questions along your path to chicken raising. There are many different dual purpose breeds, which will not only give you plenty of eggs, but are heavy enough to provide lots of meat, too. White Rocks are a real nice breed, and easy to pull the feathers off of too. Check out the handbook, and enter the wonderful world of chicken ownership! — Jackie

Homemade noodles

My husband and I are planning on selling items at a farmers market. He loves to make homemade noodles. We are thinking of drying them by using the dehydrator. Is there any chance of the noodles would not be a good idea to sell. How do we keep them fresh before selling them? Can we put them in ziplock bags or do we need to keep them in the freezer? Can noodles produce bacteria that would cause problems selling them to the public?

Diana Scandridge
Sully, Iowa

I really think I’d skip selling the noodles at your farmers’ market. The reason for this is the eggs in the noodle dough could possibly introduce salmonella into your noodles; hardly likely, but possible. I’ve never heard of a person getting sick from salmonella from eating homemade noodles, but with today’s sue-happy public, it’s best to be cautious. — Jackie

Buggy apples

Just had to tell you how much I appreciate your recipes. I tried the boiled vegetables with the canned pork and Italian dressing and it was a big hit. I used a little more salad dressing than you did but it was really good. I just started this year to can meats and they have turned out really good, but I wasn’t sure on how to fix them. I also canned your beans in mustard sauce and when I was finished with the beans I put the remaining mustard sauce on chicken and baked it and oh was it good. My husband only liked meat and potatoes with salt and pepper so I never was able to try different things and now at 75 I’m learning a new way to cook with different spices and all. Even hot peppers which my son is happy about. So thanks for the inspiration you give everyone. Now I need help with my apple trees. I have fourteen and I can’t get any apples to eat because of the bugs. I tried the red spheres one year and got a lot but still no edible apples. I don’t want to spray with regular spray because then I won’t want to eat them. I thought my neighbor said once he used Fels Naptha soap in a spray. He has since passed and I wondered if you thought this might work. Sure would like to taste some of my apples. Do you have the same problem as far north as you are?

Joan Toothman
New Carlisle, Indiana

Luckily, it’s so cold here that we don’t have a bad apple bug problem. (One of the perks!) Here are a few tips: Keep all area around the trees clear of “apple debris,” fallen branches, fallen apples, etc. Do use the sticky apple spheres, but you’ll need about 3-4 for every larger tree and put them out pretty early; don’t wait until you have apples hanging on the trees…that’s too late. Hang them from the time your tree is budding out, prior to blossom drop. It also helps to hang large sticky yellow traps, which catch immature female apple maggot flies. You CAN eat apples from your trees; in some areas, organic growers just need to fight harder! — Jackie