Robyn has some questions:
“I just ‘gobbled up’ your composting essay, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I started enjoying your food forest videos in 2014, and I must have seen your front yard clips at least a dozen times. My teen son has recently become a huge fan, as well…toss in some good, old-fashioned explosions, and the boys are all in 😉
Januaries here in frigid [a very cold state] are when I delve into garden-planning in earnest. We loathe the cold, and are on the slow track toward moving to central FL, where we plan on some big-time survival gardening.
I’m sure you and Mrs. ‘The Good’ are plenty busy there in the tropics, but I have a few questions I’ll run by you…
Whatever happened to the tortoise that lived beside your driveway?”
I found out from my children that the tortoise, God rest his soul, was caught by a neighborhood kid a house down the road, then kept in a bucket for a day or so, then died because the bucket was in the sun. Sad.
“Do you have any ideas, aside from explosions, to get rid of Japanese Knotweed? We’ve dug it up, blasted it with Roundup (shudder. I know. Crazy-bad stuff), mowed it every other day, but it’s relentless. It’s killed off about 15 trees, and is emerging up THROUGH our 6″ thick driveway blacktop. A neighbor tried kerosene last year on his property, with minimal effect. I’ll chop-n-drop the begeebers out of it this year. Just DANG.”
Yeah, that’s a terrible weed. According to this article, a long term strategy of shading/smothering, weed killer and chopping may be your only hope.
Also, BTW, knotweed makes good bee houses.
Also, according to Green Deane, it’s edible:
“Foragers take advantage of it eating — raw or cooked — young shoots, growing tips of larger plants and unfurled leaves on the stalk and branches. Many folks say it tastes like rhubarb but I think a lemony green is more accurate, crunchy and tender.”
“Have you had mosquito problems with your Jacuzzi ponds?”
No. I added goldfish and “mosquito fish” to them to eat the larvae. They never seemed to be much trouble. You can also throw in mosquito dunks, but fish work better long term.
“Do you augment with phosphorous and potassium?”
Yes. Manure and bonemeal for phosphorus, plus I compost meat and bones. For potassium, ashes and seaweed.
As a biologist, I appreciate your ongoing work. Your family has inspired mine!
Again, thank you so very much!
God bless,
Robyn”
You are very welcome! May your thumbs always be green.
*Image at top by dankogreen – album here. CC license.
You can have greener thumbs by this weekend!
1 comment
What is the scientific name of these magical mosquito fish? Is it a particular species or will any minnow do? I can’t find it in any of your mentions of these guys, and I don’t know fish. Thank you.
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