Selected articles on herb and food plants from around the world.
BR 2012
Here is a good idea for your west coast winter project !
This article in Mother Earth News has a fantastic overview of the main considerations for a
passively heated green house design.
How to Design a Year-Round Solar Greenhouse
Blogs by Brian Richardson
End2End Walking the Vancouver Island Trail
Vancouver Island Botanical Adventures – West Coast Gardening
Duncan House Dogs – Home Recordings and Re-purposed Musical Instruments
This “semievergreen” hardy perennial can be harvested year round on Vancouver Island.
Not only is this plant deer resistant, but it is listed as an aromatic herb that Repels deer!
That’s quite a claim !
Check out what the Sonoma County Master Gardener’s have to say about discouraging deer using aromatic herbs at:
http://ucanr.edu/sites/scmg/2013_Feature_Articles/Aromatic_Herbs_Discourage_Deer/
Just a interesting little article I have found. I have tried them all !
Here are some wonderful podcasts on botanical history and current information, great to listen to while commuting to work or while gardening.
BBC Radio Plants From Roots to Riches
October Storm over Vancouver Island
Here is a review of interesting horticultural experiences and news from the past week that I hope will enjoy !
Recipes
I found this great site with Recipes that feature herbs by the American Herb Society.
Soil Mixes for Plant Growing
For those of us inclined to a more scientific approach here is an extensive article on Peat Moss, Compost , Limestone and PH Control.
Fall Herb Propagation Tips for Vancouver Island
The September 1 – Nov 1 time frame is really good for perennial plant propagation by division and cuttings because:
a) Generally a less busy time of year for plant growing, compared to the “spring rush”.
b) Summer heat has passed , so less sun, heat and misting issues.
c) Plants started this time of year are bigger, better and ready earlier than plants propagated early spring.
d) If for some reason the fall cuttings don’t take, you get a second chance in the spring.
e) Additional bottom heat is always beneficial for cuttings, however this time of year there is a natural tendency for the soil to be warmer than the air.
And Finally the Weather !
We have been having quite a storm over the last 24 hours, click here for an interesting real time update.
I have found this seed catalog that has an absolutely incredible amount of information on Leafy Green crops.
Here is a selection of interesting news articles on Growing Vegetables, that I have found over the last couple of weeks.
You may find this article interesting…Insects as effective as bees for pollination.
Swallowtail on echinacea at Hazelwood Herb Farm, Ladysmith BC
Not that long ago Aquaculture used to be a bunch of re-purposed 55 gallon drums merged with a creative home grown plumbing project under the benches of a backyard greenhouse. Now even the World bank is getting into the act.
“With the world’s population predicted to increase to 9 billion people by 2050 – particularly in areas that have high rates of food insecurity – aquaculture, if responsibly developed and practiced, can make a significant contribution to global food security and economic growth,”
( Árni M. Mathiesen, Assistant Director-General of FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Department )
My first horticulture job was working a market garden in Victoria, where as part of my duties I had to look after 5000 tomato starts in 4″ pots until they were sold to home gardeners or transplanted into hoop houses on the farm. Just seeing a picture of a tomato reminds me of that job.
It is just about time to start seeding tomatoes, so as an incentive for you to get started here is an article on the Health Benefits of Eating Tomatoes.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
You might be interested in some of the organic pest control methods described in this article.
Please leave me a comment if you have used any of these methods.
Comox Glacier Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Vancouver Island, Coast and Gulf Islands Agricultural Show is happening in beautiful Courtenay BC this year.
Lots to see and learn !
Fresh food for the future…how about a refrigerator sized appliance that automatically grows herbs and greens in your home ?
http://www.biv.com/article/2015/1/herb-technology-seeds-retail-franchise-business/
More news on my favorite form of energy ! Sadly Canada is not on the list.
Here are the details !
http://www.guelphmercury.com/news-story/5243635-organic-expo-conference-hits-growth-spurt/
Here is another floating greenhouse article. It features some design details and photos of the greenhouse actually being used.
http://www.jetsongreen.com/2014/12/a-simple-floating-greenhouse.html
An Interesting Article in Entomology Today
Canadian Teen Publishes Research on Diamondback Moth Parasitoids
Healthy Soil, Healthy People, Healthy Planet is the tag line of the UK based Soil association. Founded in the 1940’s with the vision that ” Farming must be fair, humane, healthy and ecologically based”, they have come up with a very detailed plan for the future in the report “The Road To 2020”
http://www.soilassociation.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=jtqYSMwxR7c%3D&tabid=303
Basically this technology uses solar energy to capture CO2 from the atmosphere which could possibly help combat global warming and/or be a renewable energy source.
 Toshiba Corporation announced the development of a new technology that uses solar energy, the power of the sun, to generate carbon compounds from carbon dioxide and water, and to deliver a viable chemical feedstock or fuel with potential for use in industry. Toshiba introduced the technology at the 2014 International Conference on Artificial Photosynthesis (ICARP2014) on 26 November, at the Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center in Japan. |
| Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, widely understood to be a major cause of global warming(Note 1), continue to increase. There are also concerns about the exhaustion of fossil fuels, which are spurring interest in adoption of renewable energy sources(Note 2). Artificial photosynthesis technologies that use solar energy to generate carbon compounds from carbon dioxide and water are seen as promising means to resolve both issues. |
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| Toshiba has developed an artificial photosynthesis technology that converts energy into carbon compounds from… |
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Bananas growing in a greenhouse in Iceland
Photo by Alistair Lockyer
Heating a greenhouse with “free” energy from beneath the earth’s crust is a greenhouse growers dream ! Wow the ultimate sustainable energy solution. The trick is finding the right location and moving from Vancouver Island to Iceland would be quite a relocation project !
This is my favorite news item this year !
A wonderful article on this common garden pest with amazing microscopic photography.
I was always curious about why over fertilizing with Nitrogen attracts aphids, the section on the feeding habits of aphids sheds some light on this situation.
http://www.harper-adams.ac.uk/news/202390/taking-a-closer-look-at-insects#.VE_kKiLF8vx
This picture says it all…..
Wikimedia Commons : Lufa Farms in sunlight, the world’s first commercial rooftop greenhouses. Montreal neighborhood of Ahuntsic-Cartierville.
http://seedstock.com/2014/11/06/precisely-sustainable-5-big-ideas-transforming-agriculture/
I bumped into this article in a greenhouse grower’s magazine….. Kalettes, I can’t wait to grow these !
NOV. 2014 Update -Kalette seeds are now listed for sale at Johnny’s – but they are pricey ! Maybe this is what we have to expect for Trade Marked plants ? Yikes !
USDA Food Web Graphic
Read this amazing story at:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/09/140924-google-science-fair-hunger-bacteria-ngfood/
If you are interested in growing your own soil microbes check this out:
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e12fe3897c234e42aed2aaa8d405e956/saffron-growers-look-get-foothold-us
Vancouver Island Gardening Adventures 