by Noel | Apr 6, 2014 | CobraHead, Gardening
This is my asparagus, which I planted in 1989. The picture was taken just before I cut down the stalks from last season’s growth. A lot of gardeners cut their stalks back in the fall, but I’ve read several sources which say it makes more sense to let the stalks keep growing and feeding the roots as long as possible. I normally cut the stalks back in March, but this March was too cold to want to do anything in the garden, so it didn’t happen until the first warm...
by Noel | Jan 29, 2014 | CobraHead, Gardening
Sweet potatoes store well, but they don’t keep forever. Above are the last of our 2012 harvest. These were dug up 15 months ago. They will still be edible, but we need to use them up as soon as possible. They’ve begun to sprout and that’s a good thing. For the last two years I’ve grown my sweet potatoes using sprouts like this, rather than starting new sprouts on a whole potato. This method is much easier. Vine cuttings would work nearly as well. The sprouts...
by Noel | Jan 18, 2014 | CobraHead, Gardening
This seed storage system is easy and inexpensive. It uses readily available off-the shelf CD storage boxes and zip-lock sandwich bags. It can be expanded as needed. Instructions follow. Prior to starting this system last year, I had my seeds mostly in a file folder box in zip lock bags, but the box was unwieldy, not large enough for all my seeds, and the file folders did not lend themselves to storage of really fat seed packets like corn, or home saved squash...
by Noel | Nov 23, 2013 | CobraHead, Gardening
It was 19 degrees today with a low of 2 predicted for tonight. I knew it was time to harvest the leeks before they froze into the ground. We’ve had a lot of below freezing temperatures, but I had the leeks well covered with a layer of agricultural fabric topped over with a layer of polyethylene. I was hoping they were doing alright. To my pleasant surprise, the earth under the cover was soft and moist even though the ground surrounding the leek bed was...
by Noel | Nov 17, 2013 | CobraHead, Gardening
Comfrey and Compost PilesI can’t remember how comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) got introduced into my garden, but it probably came from Geoff when he worked at Nokomis Gardens in East Troy, Wisconsin, about sixteen years ago. It’s now firmly established just north of the garden beds and west of the compost area. The plants are gradually expanding their area of control and comfrey can become a pest with its ability to spread, but I’m welcoming...
