Author: Erin Alladin
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Sheet Mulching Problems and Solutions
As with any technique, sheet mulching cannot be applied the exact same way in every environment. The most common problems practitioners encounter can be resolved by adapting it to their own climate and site.
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When Should I Add Nitrogen to My Garden?
The question of when to add nitrogen to a garden is a complex one. Nitrogen levels in soil change frequently, and they are affected by factors like temperature, soil drainage, and the plants the soil is supporting. This makes it hard for any expert to hand down universal advice about exactly when a garden needs…
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Can You Eat Rose Petals Raw?
While most parts of a rose can be prepared as food, the petals are a sweet snack when simply picked and eaten raw. Roses have been grown as food for millennia, and are still an everyday part of people’s diets in many Middle-Eastern countries as well as Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan.
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Edible Flowers: Are They Vegetables?
Botanically speaking, flowers are a feature that draw pollinators in to an access point where they can fertilize the plant’s ovary. The petals themselves are actually a kind of modified leaf. And flowers are indeed classed as a vegetable. Except for fruits and seeds, any part of a plant which is eaten by humans is…
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15 Things I Learned Through Practicing the Permaculture Principle of Observation for One Month
I have only been living on my current property for about a month, so observation during this time has been crucial. The land has revealed treasures I never expected, from berry shrubs to carpets of the wildflower called “spring beauty”. To inspire you in your own observation practice, here are fifteen useful things I have…
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Gardening With Sun Traps and Sun Scoops
When gardeners and permaculturists talk about a “sun trap” (or “sun scoop,”) they mean a landscape feature that catches solar rays throughout the day and blocks the coldest winds. The term can be used for naturally sheltered pockets created by chance, but it also refers to carefully crafted horseshoe-shaped design features. A human-created sun trap…
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Hügelkultur Gardening on Clay Soil
This spring, faced with establishing a new garden in hard clay soil, I wondered if hugelkultur might be a good strategy. The technique, which involves burying logs, branches, and mulch in a steep-sided mound, would certainly bring organic matter into my garden. But would they decompose properly when surrounded by clay?
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Four Solutions for Mold on Newspaper Pots
In most cases, mold does not spell disaster. Your seedlings can survive a small run-in with it, and there are a number of things you can do to discourage its growth. Just like every other living thing, mold favours certain conditions that help it thrive. You are creating those conditions if the following are true:
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Terra Preta: How Charred Wood Created Millennia of Soil Fertility
What is Terra Preta, how does it create so much fertility, and can I apply it on a home scale in my temperate-climate garden? These questions led me on a fascinating hunt through scientific journals, newspaper gardening columns, historical accounts, and biochar-making demonstrations from both American businesspeople and Brazilian Indigenous communities. Jump to the bibliography…
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Starting a Garden From Quarantine
If COVID-19 causes a full lockdown, can I still start growing food? What if I can’t go to any stores? What if I can’t even get deliveries?