First Time Medicinal Herb Garden

Simple success with just one herb is a great inroad.  Start by planting some seeds of at least one of these easy medicinals in a pot on the windowsill or in a prepared bed in the garden. Richo Cech Easy not Peasy Why is this introductory collection of herb seeds needed?  A little bird told me that new growers…

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Weeding With Feelers Out

The higher you are on the pyramid, up there collecting your volunteers, the better the view! — Richo Cech The Wasabi (Wasabia japonica) patch was long overdue for a bit of upkeep and rejuvenation.  Plants planted in midwinter were developing slowly beneath a cover of grasses and forbs.  My extended fingers pushed in toward the crown of the plant,…

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Advanced Seed Planting Tips

Know your seed.  Examine the seed before planting.  Large seeds, especially those from the Legume (Fabaceae) family, have impermeable seed-coats that may require scarification (nicking or rubbing) before planting.  Smaller seeds in the Lamiacea (the mint family) also appreciate scarification to wake them up — rub on a #8 seed-screen or on medium grit sandpaper.   Needle-like seeds in the Asteracea…

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Why Grow Open-Pollinated Seeds

  Cultivating a direct connection to the earth and all her goodness is the core value of gardening.  One trades the sweat of the brow for sustenance at table, for remedies in the medicine cabinet.  This is the birthright of humans, and can be accomplished simply, locally, inexpensively, and without advanced education.  You plant a patch of pumpkins, and…

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Seed Growing, Harvest and Storage

This is a synopsis of a talk given at AMMA’s Chicago ashram on Sep 30, 2017 to a crowd of 50 participants. The talk contains ruminations, advice, theory and and methodology for growing, harvesting, cleaning and storing seeds of medicinal plants. What is a seed?  One can describe its parts:  the seedcoat or testa that surrounds the fatty endosperm–the energy…

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