Cooking Garden » Have

For Those Of You That Have Turned Vegetarian For Health Reasons?

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:22:17 +0000

Do you miss the taste of things like steak on the grill, bbq ribs, a big ol’ bratwurst at the ballgame, etc? And have you found any vegetarian substitute that tastes like those things? I’d be interested to know and try something like that if it does. Most times I’ve tried my friend’s wifes cooking (they’re vegetarians) I had to add a lot of ketchup and/or hot sauce to make it more flavorful.
For those of you that are vegetarian/vegan because of animal cruelty, I know where you stand, and I agree with your decision to a point. But I’d rather not have that discussion on this thread.

Please Tell Me What I Have To Do After Taking Cuttings Of Herbs In Order To Grow Them?

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:22:08 +0000

Introduction
The idea here is to scarify the stem of your cutting so that there is more area in which the cutting can have the opportunity to grow roots and therefore hopefully increase your rooting success rate. You will need a sharp razor blade and a flat surface to scarify your stem.
Scarification Procedure:
The first thing you do is cut your clone at a 45-degree angle; this will expose both the inner and outer area of the stem. Now lay your cutting on a flat surface. Visualize about an inch from the cut end and place your razor blade at this point.
Gently, and with the slightest pressure, push the blade to the end removing a fine outer layer of the stem. Don’t be in a hurry – there is no going back. Gently scrape the stem with your blade until you can clearly see the internal tissue layers. You have just successfully scarified your cutting.
Cloning:
Now it is back to the regular cloning methods. Dip into your cloning gel or powder and place into rock wool, soil, water, peat pellet, or aero cloner. When dipping your stems into your preferred cloning solution, you will want to ensure that you get the very tip (remember the 45-degree angle cut) and the length, which you have scarred. I have used cloning powder for demonstration purposes so you can easily see where I have applied the powder to the cutting.
Rooting:
This last image shows a successfully rooted clone that has used this simple scarification method. As you can see there are roots that have emerged from the full length of the scarring and not just from the bottom. This will give your newly rooted plant a much better survival and initial growth rate.
This method is also very useful for hard to clone cuttings and woody cuts which do not take to rooting easily. It is also a good method to practice at all times and in general it greatly increases rooting success and shortens rooting time. Other tips that one can use for those stubborn cuttings are to cut the bottom of your stem into quadrants to expose more surface area. One could also scarify two or three sides of the stem as opposed to the one side illustrated here to really give an advantage to those stubborn cuttings that will just not take. Just remember when scarifying more than one surface it becomes crucial that removing too much material off any one surface will ensure failure.
Some plants which generally take around 8 to 10 days to root, once applying this method, it is not uncommon to have roots after 5 or 6 days.
One last tip, I like to soak my new cuts in a glass of cool tap water for 15-20 minutes before preparing them to root. The chlorine in the water will kill any bacteria present and the cool oxygen filled water will be absorbed by the plant, giving it lots of reserve strength to push out those roots.
Good luck and happy rooting!

Why Does My Capsicum Plant Have Black Spots On The Plant, Doesn’t Grow Fruit But Flowers Alot Then Dies?

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:23:41 +0000

The black spots are probably from a fungus or disease. Ask at your local garden shops to determine what is prevalent in your area and what to use on it.
The blossom drop is probably due to a lack of pollination. That is easily taken care of by hand pollination. When the blossoms open gently run your fingertip across the inside of each blossom. This will transfer the pollen from the male pollen manufacturers to the female pollen receptors and allow fruit set. If you are growing more than one variety of pepper you need to wash your hands after each variety if you want to keep the peppers true-to-type and avoid crosses between them. If you aren’t going to save seeds for next year it doesn’t matter; the peppers from this crop will be the same as you planted even if cross pollinated.
Good luck and enjoy!

This Question Is For People Who Have A Garden And Grow Vegetables…?

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:17:15 +0000

What is the disease on a zucchini plant that rots the bloom and zucchini both?

We Live In Southwest Michigan And Have Many Grape Vines That Grow Wild But Do Not Produce Fruit. Is There Some

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:21:55 +0000

thing that we can do to encourage fruit production for next year?? Many farmers and wineries in our area that grow grapes for wine and Welch’s.

I Planted A Cherry Tomato Plant Over 1 Yr. Ago And Want To Have It Grow Fruit Year Round. Anyone Know How?

admin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:21:47 +0000

i live in southern ca and the weather right now is very hot. i know my plant needs plenty of sun but not too much heat. i have already harvested a few tomatoes and there are more yet to turn red. and also over 50 buds flowering. i just want them to grow year round…

I Have Enough Room In My Garden To Grow A Fruit Tree , Any Suggestions As To What And Why?

admin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:21:33 +0000

What and why……hmmm.
Unless you are in a very warm climate where citrus rule, then the standard apple/pear/cherry/peach/etc type fruits are what you are going towards.
Problem is if you have room for only one tree, then you want one that will pollinate itself. This cuts us back quite a bit. Most apples need a friend, Golden Delicious might pollinate itself, but prefers a buddy. Pears also need a friend…..usually. Sweet cherries need a friend except for Stella. Sour or pie cherries Don’t! You can grow sour cherry.
Peach and nectarine don’t….you can grow just one of these. Apricots don’t and plums vary….blue plums don’t, reds are iffy.
Size…..ah, here’s the rub. How big is big? Standard apples are huge! Semi dwarf are just 10-15% smaller than huge. Dwarf…….ah, these are better, about 8 feet tall. Standard peach is OK for most areas as is a nectarine….they can get somewhat big. Pie cherries……Dwarf North Star is 8 feet, the other varieties are larger. Plums are 12+
We haven’t really touched on late spring frosts……..which kill the flowers of the early bloomers such as apricots and red plums.
So first do some homework: http://starkbros.com/
And then contact your Cooperative Extension Service (google your “state” cooperative extension service to get your local office) and ask them for varieties that do the best in your area. It’s there job to know what works best for you.

Can I Still Grow My Own Fruit And Vegetables If I Don’t Have A Garden?

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 23:19:42 +0000

Is there anything I can grow in a pot, I have a conservatory which acts as a lovely sun trap on hot days, I’d like to utilise it the best I can, but unfortunately I don’t ave the facilities to plant anything in the ground outside. Can someone give me inspiration?

Does Anyone Have The Brussels Gratin Recipe From The Book “vegetables And Vegetarian Cooking”?

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:23:46 +0000

2 pounds Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Roasted Garlic, recipe follows
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup sherry
1 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus 1/2 cup
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel off any damaged outer layers of Brussels sprouts. Trim the stem to make it flush. Quarter each sprout and score the stem on each quarter with a 1/4-inch-deep “X.”
Add the garlic and Brussels sprouts to the melted butter and stir continuously for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour and continue stirring for 2 minutes.
Add the cream, half-and-half, and sherry. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat and continue simmering for 7 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by 1/3.
Stir in the 1 cup of Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Transfer to an ovenproof casserole dish. Cover with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Serve immediately.
Serves 6-8.
Roasted Garlic:
1 head garlic
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut off the papery tip of the garlic head, exposing the top of each garlic clove. Brush the exposed cloves with olive oil.
Place the garlic, root side down, on the center of a piece of aluminum foil. Bundle the garlic with the foil, leaving a small vent on top. Roast the garlic for 45 minutes or until the cloves turn beige and are fork tender. Remove from the oven and let stand until cool enough to handle.
Squeeze the garlic head upside down over a small bowl and the cloves will pop out. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.

I’m Wanting To Grow Vegetables, Have No Idea About Mushrooms, Can You Help?

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:17:21 +0000

There is an easier way of growing mushrooms.You can buy kits ,with compost and spores ready done in a box, then just follow instructions as to where to place it and watering.I’ve tried this its easy and fascinating watching them grow.I got 3 crops.
Also you can buy plugs of mushroom spores impregnated into a plug of wood,which you ‘plug’ into a log or piece of wood and leave outside to grow.I’ve just bought some from a seed company online. It came with full instructions but I’ve yet to ‘plug’ them I’ve found this website to help youhttp://www.letsgogardening.co.uk/Informa…
Sorry about all the ‘plug’ words!!!