Gardening with Mr. C. - Save money with DIY Gardening

A reader responded to our survey (see archive 09/18 - 09/25 comments) asking how to eliminate mushrooms growing in her lawn . Since I have been fighting the same problem, I gleaned the following information from an informative website. I discovered that mushrooms and toadstools (poisonous mushrooms) are the visable and unsightly 'fruiting growths', (by which they multiply) of the microscopic fungi that are not visable but are performing the useful service of helping to break down organic matter. In lawns this is mainly dead grass, leaf litter, and dead tree roots. They thrive best in damp conditions, and we have had an abundance of rain this summer. They recommend that you remove them as they appear to prevent them from producing spores and spreading. They say they can't be dug out* but recommend dethatching and removing dead tree roots. To view the entire article, click here.

When I'm dealing with toadstools (poisonous mushrooms) or mushrooms (fungi) in my lawn, I'm not a "fun-guy" to be around. In fact, about forty years ago, one of my daughters ate one. We made it to the ER ok, indicating that it was not a really bad poisonous one, otherwise they said we would have been too late!

I have a confession - my other daughter is the person with the lawn mushroom problem. Thus, I know that her conditions there match those in the referenced website. The front lawn had a tree removed a few years ago, but the roots remain. The mushrooms grow in rows that appear to radiate from the location where the tree was. I have not explored below the surface to verify my suspicion (we just pick them off). The mushrooms in the back yard, are likely due to the wetness resulting from water run-off from the driveway and the shading by the wooden fence on the south property line.

I will experiment first on my own lawn, since I have the same problem and similar conditions. I have a particular low damp spot in my yard that is near a 5 year old tree stump.

                                                       Mushrooms and stump

The grass grows taller and greener there than the rest of the lawn. I do not use a grass catcher (I don't fertilize, so I allow the clippings to decay and feed the lawn). I rake off most of the loose grass but I had never de-thatched. Previously I didn't consider the problem to be serious. Usually I would pull up the few large ones before mowing, but a few times they got chopped and spread. Now I get many small ones. *The website I referenced above said that they can't be dug out, but I have attempted to remove them along with the sod where there were. So far none have come back in the those locations, but they do in new places in the same area. After that, I de-thatched by vigorously raking the lawn. I am also trying to keep the grass short, but the long stretch of rain has made that difficult. I cut out many of the dead roots (see below).

                                                         Removed tree roots

I chose to remove sod from my center garden path (and will be replaced with mulch over weed cloth so I won't have to mow it anymore) to fill in. For additional sod, I plan to dig some from a spot for a wildflower garden. I have various other places, but if I run out, I'll use dirt and grass seed.

                                                             Garden path

Eventually I plan to remove the stump and the rest of the roots (the mushrooms tell me where they are). I may follow up at a later time as to whether my efforts make it better, worse, or have no effect.

Does anyone else have a topic for the next tip? - Mr. C.

Get $2.00 OFF DiGiorno Pizza!

Take the DiGiorno Ditch Delivery Pledge and get a $2.00 OFF coupon for one (1) DiGiorno product.  Visit their website by clicking here.  Click on the Pledge box and make your pledge.  It is fast and easy and within seconds you will have your coupon (while supplies last).

Enjoy,

Katie

80% OFF Restaurant Gift Cards!

Restaurants.com is offering 80% off various restaurant gift cards in your area October 11-16.  Visit their website by clicking here.  Register then start saving.   I purchased a $10.00 Bobby's Place Gift Certificate for $1.00.  The terms of the gift card is that we purchase $20.00 which will be easy for us and it will only cost us a total of $11.00 (given we don't go over $20.00).  There are many restaurants listed.  If you are planning on visiting one of the restaurants in the future, you might as well save some money with Restaurants.com.

This is a legitimate site.  We have friends who use Restaurants.com gift cards all the time.

Enjoy,

Katie

Halloween fun at A.C. Moore!

A.C. Moore has a couple of fun events you won't want to miss. 

October 22nd from 1-4 pm
HALLOWEEN COSTUME EVENT

Demonstrations
-Duck Tape Costumes
-Make and Mold Candy Making
-Snazaroo Face Painting

Buy a T-Shirt and Decorate for FREE
-Buy a T-Shirt and decorate with Simply Blood

October 29nd from 1-3 pm
Halloween Costume Parade

FREE Make & Take
-Cookie Decorating

FREE Halloween Craft
-For every child in costume (while supplies last)

2 pm Kids Costume Parade
-Parade throughout store
-The most crafty costume will win a $25.00 Gift Card

Bring out the builder in your child.

Lowe's is offering new Build and Grow Clinics in October and November.  October 22nd is the Halloween Monster Truck and November 12th is the Science Lab.  The clinics are FREE to attend and a lot of fun for your children.  The first 50 kids to register and be present at the store at 10am will receive a kit, aprons and goggles.  Recommended ages for the project is Grades 1st - 5th .

 

Click here to register your child while space is still available.

Gardening with Mr. C. - Save money with DIY Gardening

It has been two weeks since we posted a survey of past and possible topics. This resulted in 3 comments and 2 requests.  The first request was to discuss the topic below (dehydrating herbs, etc). The second request is for help to eliminate lawn mushrooms (my next topic). The third was a general comment. Do you want more articles after these? Please chime in to express your interests (see archive 09/18 - 09/28 comments). 

Dehydration removes water, usually by evaporation, from food to inhibit the growth of microorganisms that cause decay. The drying reduces the weight and size of the product and increases storage time. Some common methods are electrical dehydrators, ovens, and the sun or air drying indoors. I have a Ranco 5 tray, 125 Watt, natural heat convection (ie. without a fan) food dehydrator (replacement cost $40-$50.). I dry comfrey, sage, oregano, basil, parsley, dill, and cilantro.

Now is an ideal time to harvest your remaining herbs. Consider spraying leaves (top and bottom) with a garden hose and allowing them to dry before picking. Since it has rained regularly, I omitted washing and drying the leaves (but I check the undersides). I pick green mature leaves, leave the smaller ones to grow, and put the older ones in compost (drying will not improve them).

                                                                               Sage plants

I try to pick just enough to fill the dehydrator. This year I am taking the time to remove the sage leaf stems before drying. In the past, I would try to pick them out of the dried sage, but I always missed some, making them still usable but less desirable.

                                                                      Removing sage stems

Spread leaves evenly on the trays in single layers as much as possible. Since the bottom tray gets the most heat and dries quickest, reorder the trays every few hours (sooner for thin leaves like parsley). The thicker leaves (comfrey and sage) require a longer drying time than the others. The ideal sequence (from top to bottom) for 5 trays is: 12345, 54321, 32154. Continue drying until the leaves crumble between your fingers. I dump them into a wide bowl, crush, put into snack bags, seal, date and label them (they will make good stocking stuffers in a few months).

                                                                       Bowl of dried sage

For Italian parsley, I pick the entire stem (instead of individual leaves) and sit comfortably watching TV removing the leaves from the stems.

                                                                 

                                                                       
                                                                    Italian Parsley

      

If you don't have a unit and don't plan to buy one, you can use your oven. Place herbs on cookie sheets and dry at the lowest temperature with the door ajar (enjoy extra kitchen warmth on a cool fall day). If you have a sun-porch, place your herbs there to dry. My neighbor dries herbs on his kitchen counter (slowest method).

I have not undertaken drying fruits and vegetables yet, but for those who are interested in learning and want a good place to start, click here.

Check your lawn for mushrooms and watch for next weeks blog - Mr. C.

The purpose of this special blog is to get your response so we can evaluate the success of previous articles and to determine what, if any, topics you might be interested in for the future.

 When Katie asked me in May to write a weekly gardening tip to help other DIY gardeners save money and grow healthful produce, I agreed to try it. I have gardened for years but I'm not an expert and I don't have a Master Gardener title. I have never blogged before writing these articles. Katie would tell me the number of "hits" and "likes", but since I didn't have Facebook then, I didn't fully appreciate what that meant. Based on her encouragement, I have endeavored to share timely and accurate ideas (as Mark Twain said, I can go a month on one good complement). These have been based on my experiences (good and bad) as well as non-commercial web sites (primarily government sites and Wikipedia, providing links for those who want to know more) and local sources (like Agway, Kovaric, etc). I have learned some things myself in the process, but I want to know if any of you have too. Have you benefited from this series? Has it all been worth our while? Now is your opportunity to let us know. If you missed any of the articles or want to review them, here is a list of the topics and the archive dates. Then see the last paragraph.

#          Archive dates    Subject title & brief summary

1          5/15 - 5/22         Gardening in beds - grow more with less effort in less space
2          5/22 - 5/29         Garden weed control - nip them in the bud to keep them under control
3          5/29 - 6/05         Thinning - prevent overcrowding but don't waste the thinnings
4          6/05 - 6/12         Transplanting - without wilting & with proper spacing
5          6/12 - 6/19         Fruit tree - selection, planting, & care
6          6/19 - 6/26         Peas - they tell you when they are ready to pick
7          6/26 - 7/03         Fruit tree pruning of "water sprouts" & undesired branches
8          7/03 - 7/10         Herb garden - the best spot is near your kitchen door
9          7/10 - 7/17         Raspberries - develop a patch from just a few plants
10         7/17 - 7/24         Composting - making "brown gold" in a way that works for you
11         7/31 - 8/07         Garlic, onions, & shallots - harvest & storage
12         8/07 - 8/14         Yard weed control - systematically & without chemicals
13         8/14 - 8/21         Perpetual flower beds - enjoy the beauty all season every year
14         8/21 - 8/28         Garden log book - map your planting for rotation & record success/failure
15         9/04 - 9/11         Freezing/preserving - making good use of the abundance

Do you want "DIY - Gardening with Mr. C" to continue? What would you like to know more about? Are there topics that would interest you and others? Do you have a tip to share? Do any of the following suggested to-do topics interest you? Then see the last paragraph. 

a          Eliminating lawn toadstools/mushrooms (my latest project)
b          "Fixing the corn" when the wind blows it down
c          Dehydrating herbs, fruit, etc
d          Drying and storing seeds (beans, peas, etc)
e          Making pickles (cuke, watermelon rind, etc)
f           Winter crop storage (cabbage, carrots, winter squash)
g          Putting your garden to "bed" for the winter
h          Extending the season with a cold-frame
i           Your write-in subjects

We want your input regarding both of these lists. Indicate the # of any past articles that you found helpful (and preferably how you benefited). Also list the letter corresponding to any to-do topics listed above that you are interested in as well as your write-in suggestions. There are two ways for you to provide us your votes. Make a list of what you liked, would like, and reasons - then either post it on the S&S Facebook page or in "comments" below.  We will tally all inputs submitted by Thursday (9/22) and post results and specific comments here on or soon after Saturday (9/24).

HOPING TO HEAR FROM EVERYONE OF YOU!! - Mr. C.

Gardening with Mr. C. - Save money with DIY Gardening

Does your gardening investment pay off all at once with more produce than you can consume or give it away? Do your neighbors close the blinds when they see you bringing another armload of squash? It used to be that "we'd eat what we can, and what we can't, we'd can". I have since joined the majority of people who freeze instead. Freezing does not preserve food indefinitely, but greatly slows the loss of nutritional value. Some things can be frozen raw (ex. rhubarb or shredded summer squash for use in pie or bread) but should be used within 2 months. For longer storage, food must be blanched first -that is, plunged into boiling water for a brief timed interval, then removed and put in iced water or cold running water to shock and stop the cooking process. To do this easily, put them in a mesh (finer than the food) or wire strainer that fits your pan (see below). I fill this 2-1/2 quart pan with 2 quarts of water (enough to cover the food without overflowing).

                                                        Wire strainer and pan with lid

My wife and I can't consume an entire quart (the smallest freezer bag size) of anything so I freeze items like string beans, corn-off-the-cob, peas, blueberries, etc, on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper before bagging them. This makes them pourable like store bought. These are best used before next harvest. Food frozen in a solid block will keep longer (1-2 years). The enemy is "freezer-burn" which is color and texture changes due to dehydration (for more detail, click here.  It's best to date the bags before filling. I must give credit to the "Farm Journal Freezing and Canning cookbook" and Wikipedia for much of my info. Here are specific suggestions for some vegetables that are ripe in my garden now.

Tomato: Cut away any bad spots, then use one of the following methods. One way is to wrap and freeze them whole - but use within 2 months. For them to keep longer, scald tomato's for 2 minutes. Cool them in water and slip off the skins. A third way is to cook or make them into sauce, cool by putting pan in a larger pan of cold or ice-water. Bag and freeze.

Summer squash: Note: summer and zucchini squash are interchangeable in recipes. It is best to use small (5-7") squash with tender rinds and small seeds. Otherwise, peal them and remove the large seeds. If you intend to use squash for zucchini bread (or similar) within 2 months, shred, squeeze out the excess liquid, bag, and freeze. For squash to keep longer for use as a vegetable, use only the small ones. Wash but do not peel. Cut in not more than 1-1/2" pieces. Blanch for 1/4" pieces for 3 minutes (add  30 seconds for each additional 1/4") and 1-1/2" pieces for 6 minutes. Drain, bag and freeze.

Chard: Pick young tender leaves. Start a pan of water boiling. Remove large tough stems. Wash in cold running water. Steam stems for 3 to 4 minutes. Scald leaves for 2 minutes. Chill, drain and bag with the water that clings to the leaves and freeze.

Sweet corn: (The neighbors will open the blinds if they see you bringing corn). If corn is at peak of maturity (ears are full, silk is dark and dry and fallen off), start a large kettle of water boiling and then go pick.  Husk, blanch for 4-1/2 minutes. When cool, cut off kernels at 3/4 depth. Drain, bag, and freeze (loose or solid). I have tried freezing on the cob following the Farm Journal instructions (blanch 8 minutes for 1-1/4" diameter and 11 Minutes for 1-1/2" diameter - which is about how long as I cook for the table), but when I thawed and used them, they were watery.

 

String Beans (yellow or green): Pick young tender beans that don't look "pregnant" (ie. show the bean inside), and that snap when broken. Start water boiling. Wash beans in cold running water. Snip off tips and break into 1-1/2" pieces. and blanch for 3-1/3 minutes. Drain, bag, and freeze (loose or solid).

Partake of your bounty this winter and think of me.

Mr. C.

NOTICE: Something very special is planned for next week - don't miss it!!!