Ironwoodbob reflects on the simple ways to create a sustainable, harmonious garden and to eat healthy foods that benefit you and our earth's ecosystem.
I just heard the birds chirping in the Garden of Gratitude outside. It is a call from the hidden forces in nature to begin another day within the "Circle of Life". It is the time to commune with the unknown and the ever present life force that surrounds us all the time. For some they may call it God. For me it is all the tillions of cells and microorganisms in my body and the almost infinite number of individul life forces like bacteria, fungi, viruses, animals, birds and plants that live in the air, soil and water all around us, each doing their job and so I can experience the joys of life and a new day of fulfillment as I reflect on the gratitude I have for the experience of yesterday. I have to go. I hear the call.
The Peach Faced Parrot is squawking for breakfast.
The Black Widow is spinning a new web.
The Salt March Caterpillar "Whooly Worm" is searching for lettuce
The Birdhouse Gourd is hiding for those who want to peck.
The White-lined Spix Caterpillar munches some Swiss Chard.
Gardening is good for your brain and the bacteria in the soil may be the cause, according to Dr. Raison, a University of Arizona researcher.
Scientists have found that contact with a bacterium that lives in the soil, Mycobacterium vaccae, can improve cognitive function and mood. “What is remarkable is that this microorganism seems to know how exactly to signal the brain areas we believe are most important for reducing depressive symptoms. It immediately goes on a mainline right up to this one particular area of the brain. “Dirt has a lot of microbes in it that we know impact the immune system in ways that actually enhance emotional resilience,” says Dr. Charles Raison. So far, most studies of M. vaccae have been done in animals, but Raison is hopeful that future studies in humans could yield a new tool for fighting depression and other mood disorders. Their physical benefits have been known for decades. “It’s been shown a number of times now that people who live near green spaces, who have access to natural environments, live longer than people who don’t,” Raison says. “There are now a number of studies to suggest that gardening in particular—therapeutic garden—may beneficially impact a range of conditions: obesity, dementia, schizophrenia, depression,”
Large leaves from Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Artichokes and squash are composting on my garden paths and also stabilize the soil.
The Centaurea cyanus, Blue Boy Bachelor Buttons and Lavatera trimestris, Silver Cup flowers are blooming and make great cut flowers. The tulip and ranacula bulbs are fading and the marigold are prolifc. My neighbor are talking about the Sunflowers that are six feet high and the nine foot hight, Holly Hocks with their red, pink and white flowers. I just finished harvesting the last of the broccoli, peas, spinach and lettuce. The beets, turnips, swiss chard and carrots are all huge and will be bolting soon. The brussel sprouts and celery are growing. The tomatoes are almost ready to eat and the cucmbers and peppers are blooming. The corn is knee high and the beans, melons and squash are beginning to growing fast. The bees are working late as I watch them at twilight on the Silver cup flowers and the Goldfinches love the Bachelor buttons. Today I planted Armenian cucumbers and tomorrow I am planting more Birdhouse gourds and String beans.
It is pea season in the garden....Hmm.good!. It reminds me of all the times I shucked peas with my maternal Grandfather, Albert Major who lived in LaPorte In.. The are so sweet...that's why the call them "sugar" snap peas.
Can you guess what the name of the plant below is? Yesterday, I took this photo in my garden and enhanced it today in Photoshop.. This is a planet for mold and bacteria. It is just another Mandala for me.
I won the lottery.... for Glass Gem Corn Seeds that is. These seeds are vary rare and I will be planting them this week and selling seeds next fall if all goes well for those who are interested. Check out this link. This sweet corn is too beautiful to eat.
Come For the Beautiful "Glass Gem" Corn; Stay for a Dose of Genetics.
No, this isn’t Photoshop or a gemstone-studded trinket—just an ear of corn.
Honey bees and Carpenter bees feast on Broccoli flowers in my garden today. The honey bees seemed pretty calm so I don't thing they are killer bees. Did you know that plants change the electrical field around their flowers when they "sense" honey bees. This gives the bees a special invite to come and feed. It is very subtle. It is time to take out my large format camera. The Arugula is flowering too.
Sting me Sting me just one more time.
LOL Here is another reason to celebrate diversity and to live in harmony with bees! Current research show the melittin destroys some viruses and malignant tumor cells Melittin is a powerful toxin found ...in bee venom. It can poke holes in the protective viral envelope that surrounds the human immunodeficiency virus, as well as other viruses. Free melittin in large-enough quantities can cause considerable damage.
For a good portion of my life I have been involved landscaping and site development. When I read this article, I wanted to gain perspective. Landscaping 13 miles of Pima Road took 1 year with 100 people, landscaping 7 miles of Bell road too...k 80 people 1 year are two projects that came to mind that would be easy to compare. This means it took 180 men to landscape 120 arcres. This man landscaped by himself 1360 arce in 30 years. Thats 45 acres a year. AMAZING! NOW THIS IS SUCCESS. Thank you Jadav Molai Payeng for your contribution to the planet earth.
Lone Indian Man Plants 1,360 Acre Forest single-handedly!!
A little over 30 years ago, a teenager named Jadav “Molai” Payeng began burying seeds along a barren sandbar near his birthpla...ce in northern India’s Assam region to grow a refuge for wildlife. Not long after, he decided to dedicate his life to this endeavor, so he moved to the site where he could work full-time creating a lush new forest ecosystem. Incredibly, the spot today hosts a sprawling 1,360 acre of jungle that Payeng planted single-handedly.
It all started way back in 1979 when floods washed a large number of snakes ashore on the sandbar. One day, after the waters had receded, Payeng , only 16 then, found the place dotted with the dead reptiles. That was the turning point of his life.
“The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage. I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested,” says Payeng, now 47.
While it’s taken years for Payeng’s remarkable dedication to planting to receive some well-deserved recognition internationally, it didn’t take long for wildlife in the region to benefit from the manufactured forest. Demonstrating a keen understanding of ecological balance, Payeng even transplanted ants to his burgeoning ecosystem to bolster its natural harmony. Soon the shadeless sandbar was transformed into a self-functioning environment where a menagerie of creatures could dwell. The forest, called the Molai woods, now serves as a safe haven for numerous birds, deers, rhinos, tigers, and elephants — species increasingly at risk from habitat loss elsewhere.
Despite the conspicuousness of Payeng’s project, Forestry officials in the region first learned of this new forest in 2008 — and since then they’ve come to recognize his efforts as truly remarkable, but perhaps not enough.
“We’re amazed at Payeng,” says Assistant Conservator of Forests, Gunin Saikia. “He has been at it for 30 years. Had he been in any other country, he would have been made a hero.”
The chart below shows the effect of soil temperature on sown seeds showing the percentage of vegetable seedlings germinated and the days to emergence at different soil temperatures.
The percentage of any seeds to germinate is maximum at
the optimal temperature for that species. While
the percentage of seeds to germinate decreases, the number of days to
germination increases. For every species of seed, there is an optimal soil
temperature for germination, At that optimal temperature, the maximum number of
seeds will germinate and in less time than at any other temperature.
Percentage of Normal Vegetable Seedlings Produced at
Different Temperatures
Numbers in ( ) are the days to seedling emergence. () in ITALIC is optimal soil temperatures
A list of garden planting in March 2013- March 2014
a = Planted in March 2013 b = Planted in Sept 2013 c = Planted in January February 2014
Vegetables
a Glass gem corn a Candy mountain corn a Pepino verde sabrosa cucumber
a Slicing cucumber marketmore 76
a National picking cucumber
a Empereur alexander cucumber
a Strait 8 cucumber
a Burpee pepino hibrido II cucumber
a Lemon cucumber
a Armenian cucumber
a Yellow crookneck summer squash a Spaghetti winter squash a Hopi squash a Hopi crenshaw winter squash
a Grey zucchini squash
a Yellow grape tomato transplant
a c Siberian tomato galina
a c Chico 111 tomato plum shaped
a c Roma tomato
a c Cayenne pepper a c Jalapeno pepper a c Serrano pepper a Yellow bell pepper
a French breakfast garden radish
a b c Scarlet nantes carrot 65 days b c Cherry Belle Radish 22 days b Easter Egg Radish
b c Romain Lettuce c Rouquette Arugula c Red White & Blue Potatoes Van Zyverden
Melons a Minnesota midget cantelope a Sugar baby watermelon a Honeydew melon
Grains a Quinoa
a Amaranth
a Safflower Beans a c Tamahunaua purple pole bean a c Tamahunaua marron cream stripe pole
bean
a Bluelake Burpee pole bean
Gourds a Bitter gourd vine a Birdhouse gourd a Nest egg gourd a Ugly gourd Herbs a c Mint a Basil ac Parsely a c Catnip
Misc a Wonderberry ground cherry a Vitex a b c Single bloom Chocolate Hollock b Chinese Lanterns b Catnip b Red Acre Cabbage 80 days b Trafalgar F1 Brussel sprouts 240 days b Brussel sprouts transplants b c Walla Walla Onion b De Cicco Broccoli 90 days b c Nasturtium b c Sweet Pea mixed
c John F Kennedy hybrid tea Rose c Tropicana Hybrid Tea Rose c Oklahoma hybrid tea Rose c Climbing Joseph's Coat climbing rose c Dorsett Golden Apple
WE ARE THE NURTURING CARETAKERS Of THE EARTH!
Celebrate diversity!
Live in harmony!
Change Reponsibility!
Dance of the Honey Bee
How to green the deserts and reverse climate change.
I thined my beets today by harvesting the larger ones, three inch diameter ones leaving the smaller one to continue growing. I will boil the leaves to make the make a vegetable soup stock. I also planted Ranunculus and Tulips scattered among the other flowers and vegetables as well as a Ginger root in a pot. I tilled in some steer manure into the top 2" of soil in the areas where I cleared the last of the Watermelons and Birdhouse Gourds plants. I planted Green Onion, Arugula, and Radishes, Turnips, Black Simpson Lettuce Seeds and Aritchokes transplants. I noticed that a weed, London Rocket is growing everywhere. I realized that it looks alot like some of my other green. It is edible too and so I began havesting it too.
The lone hummingbird found the feeder since I moved it close to an blooming Aloe vera plant that I knew he frequented. He was within arms length when I saw him. Then two more came it looked like a family. Mom, Dad and a small chick. The chick is no bigger than your thumb. I hope they survive the upcomming cold weather.
It has still been hot in December. from the high 70's to mid 60's
It is almost the last of the summer crops of watermelon and birdhouse gourds and now the lettuce is ready to trim. We should of enough for 3 salads a week until mid-May by just triming these Dynamite Soft -hearted Butterhead Lettuce plants. We still have more serrano peppers than we can use. The beets, kale, swiss chard and spinach are all ready as well as radishes and carrots. Here is a finally list of plantings that are in the garden currently.
The garden soil is still not quite right but it is the first year that it has been prepared. Seeds seem hard to germinate but once the roots get down a three of four inches they seem to grow fast. The broccoli is two and one half tall and is thriving. I have fertilized the last two weeks with 1/4 lb of nitrogen per 1000 square feet each time.
Winter vegatable plantings
Top Tall Early Wonder Beets
Detroit Dark Red, Morse's Strain
Beets
Bulls Blood Beets
Large Ribbed Dark Green Swiss Chard
Bloomsdale, long standing Spinach
Big Ruffle Spinach
Kale unknown variety
Early
Snowball A Cualiflower
Cauliflower unknown variety
DiCicco Broccollii
Broccoli unknown variety
Catskill Brussels Sprouts
Brussel sprouts unknown variety
Emerald
Artichokes
Celery species
Tokyo Long While Bunching Onions
Irish eyes Red Wethersfield Red Onion
Wando Peas
Snow Bird Peas
Oregon Sugar Pod Peas 2
Wando Peas
Tendergreen Bush Bean
Kentucky Blue Pole
French Breakfast Radishes
Easter Egg Radishes
Danvers Half Long Carrots... very sweet and grows in clay and poor soil.
Atomic Carrots... very colorful and full flavor and great for cooking yet not sweet.
Carrots unknown variety
Black Simpson, Baijou, Cerize, New Red Fire, Pentared,
Sioux Leaf Lettuce
Black Simpson Leaf Lettuce
Dynamite Soft -hearted Butterhead Lettuce Lactuca sativa 72 days harvest
Chives
Herbs for seasoning
Basil
Mint
Cacti and succulents
Aloe Vera
Prickley Pear Opuntia ficus indica (Cows tongue)
Summer Garden Crop Planting Still Producing
Armenian Cucumber.
Serrano Peppers
Cantelope unknown species
Watermelon unknown species
Birdhouse gourds
Medicinal Plants
Datura
Morning glory
San Pedro Cactus
Deadly nightshade (altrop belladonna)
Medicinal Weeds in garden that were not planted
London Dock
Flowers (bulbs, perennials and annuals)
Lavatera silver cup
Mexican Heather Cuphea
Bluebells
Nastursum
Marigold Crakerjack mixed colors (yellow and orange)
Spanish Lavender madrid purple
King African Daisy Osteospermum orange symphony
Purple Petunia
Snap Dragon
Pansy
Daffodil
Roses
Trees, srubs and vines
Moringa Tree
Navel Orange
Ruby Red Grapefruit
Bonanza improved dwarf peach
Blackberry
Thompson seedless grapes
Trees along the Alleyway
Pecan Trees
All types of Citrus
Black Mission Figs
Apples
For consumers, it can be difficult to stay up-to-date on food ingredients that are at-risk of being genetically modified, as the list of at-risk agricultural ingredients is frequently changing. As part of the Non-GMO Project’s commitment to informed consumer choice, we work diligently to maintain an accurate list of risk ingredients.
Agricultural products are segmented into two groups: (1) those that are high-risk of being GMO because they are currently in commercial production, and (2) those that have a monitored risk because suspected or known incidents of contamination have occurred and/or the crops have genetically modified relatives in commercial production with which cross-pollination (and consequently contamination) is possible. For more information on the Non-GMO Project’s testing and verification of risk ingredients and processed foods, please see the Non-GMO Project Standard. High-Risk Crops (in commercial production; ingredients derived from these must be tested every time prior to use in Non-GMO Project Verified products (as of December 2011):
Alfalfa (first planting 2011)
Canola (approx. 90% of U.S. crop)
Corn (approx. 88% of U.S. crop in 2011)
Cotton (approx. 90% of U.S. crop in 2011)
Papaya (most of Hawaiian crop; approximately 988 acres)
Soy (approx. 94% of U.S. crop in 2011)
Sugar Beets (approx. 95% of U.S. crop in 2010)
Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash (approx. 25,000 acres)
ALSO high-risk: animal products (milk, meat, eggs, honey, etc.) because of contamination in feed. Monitored Crops (those for which suspected or known incidents of contamination have occurred, and those crops which have genetically modified relatives in commercial production with which cross-pollination is possible; we test regularly to assess risk, and move to “High-Risk” category for ongoing testing if we see contamination):
Beta vulgaris (e.g., chard, table beets)
Brassica napa (e.g., rutabaga, Siberian kale)
Brassica rapa (e.g., bok choy, mizuna, Chinese cabbage, turnip, rapini, tatsoi)
Common Ingredients Derived from GMO Risk Crops Amino Acids, Aspartame, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbate, Vitamin C, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethanol, Flavorings (“natural” and “artificial”), High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Lactic Acid, Maltodextrins, Molasses, Monosodium Glutamate, Sucrose, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Xanthan Gum, Vitamins, Yeast Products. You may also be wondering about…
Tomatoes: In 1994, genetically modified Flavr Savr tomatoes became the first commercially produced GMOs. They were brought out of production just a few years later, in 1997, due to problems with flavor and ability to hold up in shipping. There are no genetically engineered tomatoes in commercial production, and tomatoes are considered “low-risk” by the Non-GMO Project Standard.
Potatoes: Genetically modified NewLeaf potatoes were introduced by Monsanto in 1996. Due to consumer rejection several fast-food chains and chip makers, the product was never successful and was discontinued in the spring of 2001. There are no genetically engineered potatoes in commercial production, and potatoes are considered “low-risk” by the Non-GMO Project Standard.
Wheat: There is not currently, nor has there ever been, any genetically engineered wheat on the market. Of all “low-risk” crops, this is the one most commonly (and incorrectly) assumed to be GMO. It is a key commodity crop, and the biotech industry is pushing hard to bring GMO varieties to market. The Non-GMO Project closely watches all development on this front.
Salmon: A company called AquaBounty is currently petitioning the FDA to approve its genetically engineered variety of salmon, which has met with fierce consumer resistance. Find out more here.
Pigs: A genetically engineered variety of pig, called Enviropig was developed by scientists at the University of Guelph, with research starting in 1995 and government approval sought beginning in 2009. In 2012 the University announced an end to the Enviropig program, and the pigs themselves were euthanized in June 2012.
Article published the Thursday 20 September 2012 - Latest update : Friday 28 September 2012
Monsanto GM maize may face Europe ban after French study links to cancer
Rats that had undergone the Caen University tests
France will ask for a Europe-wide ban on a genetically modified maize developed by US agribusiness Monsanto if the findings of tests made public Wednesday prove to be true. The study found that rats fed on the corn for two years developed tumours the size of ping-pong balls, liver damage and digestive problems.
France will call for a ban “at a European level” if the national health agency (Anses) backs up the findings of the study by French scientist Gilles-Eric Seralini, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told an audience in the Burgundy city of Dijon on Thursday.
And a communiqué from Agriculture Minister Stéphane Foll, Ecology Minister Delphine Batho and Health Minister Marisol Touraine said that Paris may demand a ban on the import of Monsanto’s NK603 corn, the subject of the tests.
The question will also be taken to the European Union’s Food Safety Agency, which green campaigners have often accused of conflict of interest because several members are alleged to be connected to seed companies.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, found that rats fed on a diet of 33 per cent NK603 corn and others exposed to Roundup, the weedkiller used with it, developed tumours, liver damage and digestive problems.
Premature deaths and sickness were particularly prevalent among females.
While previous studies have usually lasted only about three months, Seralini’s lasted two years, the average rat’s lifespan, and the illnesses developed later in the period covered.
NK603 is a type of corn, or maize, that has been engineered to make it resistant to the herbicide Roundup, which is also manufactured by Monsanto, and is used by farmers to maximise yields.
It can be imported but not grown in Europe.
Only Monsanto's MON810 transgenic corn and BASF's Amflora potato can be grown in the European Union.
France, Austria, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg and Romania have outlawed the growing of MON810 on their territory.
Monsanto said it was “too soon” to comment when the findings were made public but some of Seralini’s colleagues criticised him for working with journalists to ensure that they were covered in the media before his peers had had time to examine them.
Gilles-Eric Seralini, who works at the University of Caen in Normandy, has publicly opposed GM agriculture for some time and often found himself in a minority when he sat on a government committee examining them.
His study cost three million euros, he says, and was funded by and anti-GM campaign, Criigen, the Charles Mayer Foundation and Ceres, a group formed by major retailers.
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More info...
Following an explosive French study indicating a link between Monsanto's controversial genetically engineered corn and cancer, Russian authorities have suspended all imports and use of GMO corn.
And it's not just Russia that's appalled by what's been learned. The French government asked European authorities to "take all necessary measures to protect human and animal health, measures that could go as far as emergency suspension of imports" of GM corn in the entire European Union.
All 15 nations in the European Union already require labeling of foods containing genetically engineered ingredients, and many countries in Europe restrict or ban the planting of genetically engineered crops. But U.S. diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks show that the U.S. government has been conspiring to retaliate against Europe for refusing to use GM seeds, by engaging in aggressive trade wars against reluctant nations.
The cables showed that the U.S. government, working with biotech firms, has planned to "retaliate" against those who attempted to stop the spread of GM crops. They recommended causing "pain" in the EU and to be prepared for a prolonged battle.
The U.S. is far and away the world's driving political and agricultural force behind GMOs in the food supply, but even here change is on the horizon. Surveys find that 91 percent of the American public supports the labeling of genetically engineered foods, and that 53 percent of Americans in 2009 said they would choose non-GMO brands if labels gave them a choice.
Monsanto is terrified that the "right to know" through labeling of GMOs could well be a tipping point.
On November 6, Californians will vote on the "right to know" ballot initiative (Proposition 37), which would require labeling of genetically engineered foods in the Golden State.
Because labeling in California would likely lead to labeling nationwide, the stakes are high. Monsanto and the biotech industry are spending many tens of millions of dollars trying to fight Proposition 37 with what many observers call pseudo-studies and scare tactics. But so far, voters aren't buying it. More than two-thirds of California's voters in a recent LA Times poll said they support Proposition 37. Support the Right to Know
Organizers around the world are rallying around California's Proposition 37 as a point of leverage in the world's GMO struggle. Meanwhile, concern is growing that Monsanto's virtual stranglehold on federal government policy could lead to federal interference if Proposition 37 does pass.
That's why the Food Revolution Network, in partnership with Care2 and its 20 million members, the Institute for Responsible Technology, and many other organizations, has launched a major national petition calling on the U.S. Congress to mandate strong and effective labeling of genetically engineered foods. In an election year, the petition is calling for members of Congress to side with their constituents, instead of with the short-term economic interests of the biotech industry. Sign the petition here. Can Americans win the right to know? The stakes are high, but so, too, is the opportunity to make a difference. We're at a turning point that will impact the lives of billions of people now and for generations to come.
Can a company as powerful as Monsanto be stopped? Here are short and extremely powerful statements from GMO experts John Robbins and Andrew Kimbrell on how it can be done:
Set 15, 2012
After digging 2 feet down and mixing 18 yards of compost in my 1000 square foot garden, I planted Armenian Cucumbers, Birdhouse Gourds, Watermelons Dwarf Bolero Marigolds. It was too hot to plant much else after I prepared the soil and I wanted most of the soil to rest for a while while I waited to plant the Winter Garden.
In mid-August I began planing to get an early start for the winter crops. However, I had to keep planting through September since if was such a hot September. Finally I began to see small seedlings sprouting in early October.
Below are the Varieties:
Moringa Trees
Top Tall Early Wonder Beets
Detroit Dark Red, Morse's Strain Beets
Bulls Blood Beets
Large Ribbed Dark Green Swiss Chard
Early Snowball A Cauliflower
DiCicco Broccollii
Bloomsdale, long standing Spinach
Big Ruffle Spinach
Catskill Brussels Sprouts
Emerald Artichokes
Tokyo Long While Bunching Onions
Wando Peas
Snow Bird Peas
Oregon Sugar Pod Peas 2
French Breakfast Radishes
Easter Egg Radishes
Danvers half long Carrots
Atomic Carrots
Celery
Tasty Soft-Hearted Butterhead Lettuce
Black Simpson, Baijou, Cerize, New Red Fire, Pentared, Sioux Leaf Lettuce
Black Simpson Leaf Lettuce.
Saturday, September 08, 2012
Planted my Moringa trees today
I'm Singin in the rain... Just singin in the rain... What a glorious feelin' ... Plantin Moringas again, A tree I can eat, In a year grows 16 feet... I'm plantin and singin.. in the rain.
I am testing this first postt of my blog.
Here is the garden after digging and adding 18 cubic yards of into a 1 1/2 feet depth late this spring.
I did alittle digging every day in my bare feet with only a shovel. The garden is now about 1200 square feet and I am planting a winter garden in the next two weeks. It is a side yard of my home.
