Plant a Salad Box in Your Garden for Fresh, Healthy, and Tasty Salads Every Night [Video]

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Rinse Berries in a Vinegar Solution to Keep Them Fresh Longer and Mold-Free [Food Hacks]

Rinse Berries in a Vinegar Solution to Keep Them Fresh Longer and Mold-Free [Food Hacks]:

It's pretty disappointing to come home with fresh, scrumptious berries only to find them rotting and covered in mold just a few days later. Cook's Illustrated says a little vinegar solution can keep that fuzzy mold off your delicate berries and extend their life. More »

The vinegar and water solution destroys bacteria and mold spores, helping the berries last longer. Here are the instructions for the best way to wash, dry, and store berries:

1. Wash berries in bowl with 3 cups water mixed with 1 cup white vinegar. Drain in colander and rinse under running water.
2. Place berries in salad spinner lined with 3 layers of paper towels. Spin for 15 seconds or until berries are completely dry.
3. Store berries in paper towel-lined sealable container, keeping lid slightly open to allow excess moisture to escape.

Alternately, you could just dunk berries in hot water to give them a few extra days of mold-free life, but the vinegar rinse might be more effective. Reddit user am4zon reports that using a vinegar rinse helps raspberries last a week or more and strawberries almost two weeks.

If you have any fresh produce hacks of your own, share them with us in the comments.

Caring for Berries | Cook's Illustrated

How do I grow my own herbs indoors?

How do I grow my own herbs indoors?:

Growing your own herbs can add a new dimension to your cooking and give you the opportunity to save money by making your own herbal teas, tinctures and salves. Some people think herb gardening is an option only available to those who have access to a plot of land, but...

Parsley is an effective antioxidant, diuretic, blood tonic, and more

Parsley is an effective antioxidant, diuretic, blood tonic, and more:

(NaturalNews) Parsley, that little piece of leafy green garnish that seems to decorate every plate in restaurants all across the U.S., is actually a serious herb which packs a powerful punch. Most people smile and ask sheepishly, "Are we supposed to eat it?" If it is certified organic parsley, then the answer is "yes." Parsley leaf is loaded with antioxidants and is a fantastic diuretic. The herb is a wonderful kidney aid, helping to get rid of kidney stones and edema (swelling), as well as healing any urinary tract infection or inflammation. Parsley root is high in calcium, iron, and B complex vitamins. The antioxidants in parsley are able to combat oxidative stress in vivo The British Journal of Nutrition published a medical study to measure the antioxidant capabilities of parsley (Petroselinum crispum). Fourteen people ate a restricted diet for two weeks which was high in parsley, but low in other foods containing flavones and other natural sources of antioxidants. Urinary excretion of the flavone apigenin was measured before and during the ingestion of parsley. Apigenin levels were noticeably higher when parsley was added to the diet. The researchers noted that when the subjects were on the restricted diet, their oxidative stress markers rose. However, when the people added parsley during the second week of study, the parsley was able to reverse these numbers somewhat. Parsley is a scientifically proven diuretic In 2002, the Journal of Ethnopharmacology published a study confirming the diuretic effects of parsley, as claimed for years in folk medicine literature. Rats were given parsley seed tea to drink. Over a twenty-four hour period, the rats had a marked increase in urinary volume. The scientists believed that parsley works as a diuretic due to a mechanism in the herb which blocks the re-absorption of sodium and potassium. This causes more water to flow via osmosis, and hence, a greater urinary volume. Herbalists use parsley for kidneys, joint problems, nerves, and more Dr. John R. Christopher, one of the greatest master herbalists of the twentieth century, used parsley in a variety of ways. He used the herb not only for all kidney and bladder issues, but also for jaundice and sexually-transmitted diseases. Dr. Christopher used parsley for water retention (edema), and suggested parsley root tea for stiff fingers and other joint issues. He said gallstones could be removed by drinking a pint of fresh parsley tea every day. The herb is also calming to the nerves and adrenal glands. Dr. Christopher recommended at least two quarts of strong parsley tea per day for these issues, or even up to a cup of tea every hour. To make fresh parsley tea, add a large handful of parsley to a pint of boiling water. Cover, steep, and drink the tea throughout the day. According to Dr. Christopher, fresh parsley juice is a very potent healer. Parsley juice is an effective blood tonic, but it should be diluted with some other kind of fresh, organic juice, such as carrot juice. No more than an ounce or two of parsley juice should be taken at any one time. Sources for this article include: Pubmed.gov. "Effect of parsley (Petroselinum crispum) intake on urinary apigenin excretion, blood antioxidant enzymes and bio-markers for oxidative stress in human subjects," S.E. Nielsen, et al. British Journal of Nutrition June 1999; 81(6): 447-55. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10615220 Pubmed.gov. "Diuretic effect and mechanism of action of parsley," S.I. Kreydiyyeha and J. Usta. Journal of Ethnopharmacology March 2002; 7993): 353-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11849841 Herbal Legacy.com. "Parsley," by Dr. John R. Christopher http://articles.herballegacy.com/parsley/ About the author: This article is provided courtesy of Donna Earnest Pravel, owner and senior editor of Heart of Texas Copywriting Solutions.com. Get free biweekly tips on natural healing and herbs by visiting her blog,Bluebonnet Natural Healing Therapy.

Six steps to create your own organic permaculture garden

Six steps to create your own organic permaculture garden: "

Six steps to create your own organic permaculture garden

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 by: Tara Green

(NaturalNews) Organic gardening avoids the use of chemicals to make plants grow or protect them from insects, relying instead on natural gardening principles used for thousands of years. Permaculture organic gardening goes a step further and also emphasizes growing plants sustainably, working with rather than against the grain of the natural environment. Permaculture organic gardening is growing in popularity as more people realize that it offers an inexpensive and relatively low-maintenance way to grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers.

Choosing a location

Observe your property at different times of day. Consider which areas receive the most sun, which are in shade for much of the day. Depending on where you live, if sunshine is a scarce commodity, you will want to expose plants to receive as much as possible. On the other hand, in desert regions, you will not want your plants to be in the area most likely to be parched by sun exposure. Also think protecting your garden from the paths where strong winds tend to blow through your property. Even a small property will have microclimates -- notice these and plant accordingly to give different plants either more sun or more shade according to their preference.

Selecting plants

Avoid disease-prone plants which require time-consuming chores such as spraying and pruning by the gardener. Select plants which will thrive in your area rather than those which will require extra labor on your part to protect them from the environment. As far as possible, select plants which serve multiple purposes, such as fruit trees which will put forth blossoms in one season, fruit to pick in another, and provide shade for when you want to sit and enjoy your garden's natural beauty. Native plants are also more likely to attract local pollinators such as bees, and to draw butterflies so that your garden contains even more natural beauty.

Making a home for your plants

Raised beds require less physical effort on the part of the gardener and also benefit plants, providing better air circulation, more protection from spring chills and improved usage of water. Raised beds also mean a small permaculture garden is an option even for apartment dwellers and others with little available space since you can rely on containers and vertical gardening principles.

Feeding your plants

One of the key concepts of permaculture organic gardening is to avoid waste. Having a garden gives you a means of re-using natural waste such as eggshells, apple cores, coffee grinds as well as yard waste which many people throw away. You can either purchase or make a compost bin to turn this organic material into gardening gold which can be used to help your plants grow.

Watering your plants

Modern gardeners who do not follow sustainability principles tend to draw heavily on piped-in water resources, often using hoses and sprinklers to make plants which require abundant water grow in a desert climate. Permaculture organic gardening tries to use natural water as much as possible, maximizing the use of groundwater and rainwater. Rain barrels allow you to collect rainfall and extend its use over longer periods of time.

Protecting plants from pests

Eschewing the use of chemicals does not have to mean a garden full of pests. You can use companion gardening principles, growing plants which deter pests near those which attract them. There is also a natural synergy between some plants which means planting them near each other increases your yield. Also, just as some herbs have a medicinal effect on human health, they also offer benefits to plants which grow near them. For more information about companion planting, visit http://www.appropedia.org/CCAT_companion_plantingand http://www.gardeningknowhow.com

If you have space and live in an area where it is permissible to keep poultry, chickens can make a wonderful addition to a permaculture garden. If they are permitted free-range for most of the day, they will consume many pests. Chicken manure also contributes beneficial nitrogen to the soil of your garden.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.safecom.org.au/permaculture.htm

http://www.organicgardening.com

http://www.appropedia.org/Beginners_permaculture_garden

Antioxidants in chickweed may help with eczema, hemorrhoids, and cancer

http://www.campanula.estranky.sk/clanky/zdravie-z-prirody/hviezdica-prostredna-_stellaria-media_.html

Antioxidants in chickweed may help with eczema, hemorrhoids, and cancer: "Antioxidants in chickweed may help with eczema, hemorrhoids, and cancer
"

(NaturalNews) There is probably not one gardener in North America or Europe who would have difficulty identifying chickweed and thus, have pulled it out of their lawn or garden. While scorned by gardeners, chickweed's straggly green stems with tiny white star-shaped flowers are favored by both chefs and herbalists. Chickweed (Stelleria media) contains a succulent flavor that enhances raw vegetable salads. Herbalists have found that chickweed is effective in treating hemorrhoids, eczema, and other irritating skin conditions.

Chickweed may be useful in the treatment of eczema, though scientific data is lacking

One report published by the University of Maryland Medical Center suggests using chickweed as an herbal supplement in the treatment of eczema. In this report, chamomile was seen to have the most medical literature backing up the herb for the relief of eczema and itching. However, the university did mention that though scientific data is lacking, there is some support for the use of chickweed as either a salve or in an ointment for eczema as well.

Chickweed is used by traditional herbalists for hemorrhoids

Dr. John Ray Christopher, one of the greatest master herbalists of the twentieth century, used chickweed as a remedy for hemorrhoids. Dr. Christopher explained that hemorrhoids were caused by eating too much sugar in the form of candy, pastries, soft drinks, bread, and coffee drinks. The sugar leaches out calcium from the body, as does alcohol, tobacco products, and any product containing white flour. One of the first places to become weak when calcium is leached out is the cardiovascular system. Dr. Christopher noted that when fecal matter sits in the descending colon and rectum for too long due to constipation, the sugar in the stool eats away the walls of the rectum. The weakened blood vessels in the rectum then form painful hemorrhoids. Two or three warm sitz baths a day made with chickweed tea (decoction) followed by an application of chickweed ointment was said to bring relief from hemorrhoids.

Chickweed has been found to have antioxidant and anti-cancer properties

While there are not many scientific studies available on chickweed, the studies that are available are encouraging. One medical study published in the March 2009 issue ofPlant Foods for Human Nutritionstudied the anti-oxidant levels of the vegetable sprouts in Korean salads. Chickweed sprouts were among the eleven plants tested. The methanol levels inStellaria aquatica, a close relative ofStellaria media, had the highest anti-cancer properties of all of the vegetables tested for certain kinds of cancer. Antioxidant properties were observed in all of the plants. The conclusion of the study was that the sprouted salad vegetables could definitely be used as a supplement to treat cancer.

Sources for this article include:

Mountain Rose Herbs.com, "Chickweed Herb Profile"http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/chickweed.php

University of Maryland Medical Center.edu, "Eczema"http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/eczema--000054.htm

Herbal Legacy.com, "Hemorrhoids"http://www.herballegacy.com/Hemorrhoids.html

Pubmed.gov, "Total phenolics level, antioxidant activities and cytotoxicity of young sprouts of some traditional Korean salad plants." S.U. Chon, et al.Plant Foods for Human NutritionMarch 2009: 64(1): 25-31.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19016328

About the author:
This article is provided courtesy of Donna Earnest Pravel, owner and senior editor ofHeart of Texas Copywriting Solutions.com. Get free biweekly tips on natural healing and herbs by visiting her blog,Bluebonnet Natural Healing Therapy.

Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/034962_chickweed_antioxidants_cancer.html#ixzz1mMV7Fgxx

PH Preference Levels of Plants

PH Preference Levels of Plants:

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pH Test Kits

Simple soil test kits are available from most garden stores. These kits usually allow you to take pH readings from several areas.... my last kit from CIL had 4 separate test vials for measuring pH. Thus with one kit you could measure the pH from your vegetable garden, front lawn, flower bed and under the hedge. Results are ready within minutes, by comparing the colour your vial has turned, to a colour chart that comes with the kit. You can usually guess at the colour to within .5 on the pH scale. For example, my last kit came with colour bars for pH values of 5.0, 6.0, 7.0 & 8.0. My vial was definately in between the 6.0 and 7.0 for my lawn, so I say the pH is 6.5. (best guess). Most plants have a wide range of pH values they like and being within 0.5 on the pH range is fine.

pH Preference of Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and Vegetables

Beans	6.0-7.5	Lettuce	6.0-7.0
Blueberry	4.0-6.0	Onion	6.0-7.0
Cabbage	6.0-7.5	Potato	4.5-6.0
Cantaloupe	6.5-7.5	Rhubarb	5.5-7.0
Carrot	5.5-7.0	Strawberry	5.0-7.5
Grape	6.0-7.0	Tomato	5.5-7.5

pH Preference of Flowers,Trees,Shrubs and Annuals

Flowers, Trees,Shrubs,Annuals

Azalea	4.5-6.0	Junipers	5.0-6..5
Carnation	6.0-7.5	Petunias	6.0-7.5
Chrysanthemum	6.0-7.0	Pansies	5.5-7.0
Daffodil	6.0-6.5	Roses - Hybrid Tea	5.5-7.0
Geraniums	6.0-8.0	Roses - Climbing	6.0-7.0
Hydrangea - blue	4.0-5.0	Spruce	4.5-5.5
Hydrangea - pink	6.0-7.0	Rhododendron	4.5-6.0

pH Preference of Turf Grasses

Turf Grasses

Creeping Bent Grass	5.5-6.5
Fine Fescue	5.5-6.5
Kentucky Bluegrass	6.0-7.0
Perennial Ryegrass	5.5-7.0

Adjusting the pH Level Of Your Soil

You have the choice of picking plants that like the existing pH level of your soil, or you can adjust the existing level. Most plants have a reasonably wide tolerance and can stand pH levels that are out by 1.0 points. Adjusting the pH level is not an exact science and takes time. Work slowly towards the ideal pH level.

You can correct the pH level at any time of the year, but it is best to start in the Fall and check progress in the Spring. Wait 30 days after an adjustment before retesting.

Soil Types

Sandy, Loam and Clay soils will use different quantities of material to make a similar sized pH adjustment.

Sandy Soil - a light, course soil comprised of sand and ground rock debris.

Loam Soil - a medium crumbly soil, consisting of a blend of sand and clay particles mixed with humus (organic matter).

Clay Soil - a heavy, clinging, impermeable soil, comprised of very fine particles with liitle lime and humas and tending to be waterlogged in winter and very dry in summer.

Adjusting Soil pH

Material	pH Change	Sandy	Loam	Clay
Dolomitic Limestone	increase 0.5 pH	1.2	2.5	2.7
	increase 1.0 pH	2.5	4*	5.3*
Aluminum Sulfate	decrease 0.5 pH	0.25-0.35	0.5-0.6	0.7
	decrease 1.0 pH	0.5-0.6	1.1	1.5

Ensure the treated area receives 2.5 cm (1 inch) of water, either from rain or a sprinkler, within 7 days of application. This will activate the corrective treatment.

Amounts listed are in kg per 10 sq meters.

* - Do not add more than 2.5 kg/10 sq m. of lime in one application. If more lime is required a second application can be made in two weeks. Allow 30 days before testing again.

Allow 30 days after adding lime or sulfate before adding fertilizer.

Hugelkultur Can Create Irrigation-Free Garden Beds [Weekend Project]

Hugelkultur Can Create Irrigation-Free Garden Beds [Weekend Project]:

If your yard is big enough that you might have a felled tree from time to time due to lightning or winter storms, you may wonder how you can put the wood to good use. Most people who don't regularly heat with wood just post an ad on Craigslist for free wood if someone picks it up. Instead consider using the wood to form the backbone of a type of gardening bed known as Hugelkultur, that is, burying wood in your garden bed to gain many benefits including eliminating irrigation.

Permaculture site Rich Soil promotes the many benefits of Hugelkultur:

Hugelkultur is nothing more than making raised garden beds filled with rotten wood. This makes for raised garden beds loaded with organic material, nutrients, air pockets for the roots of what you plant, etc. As the years pass, the deep soil of your raised garden bed becomes incredibly rich and loaded with soil life. As the wood shrinks, it makes more tiny air pockets - so your hugelkultur becomes sort of self tilling. The first few years, the composting process will slightly warm your soil giving you a slightly longer growing season. The woody matter helps to keep nutrient excess from passing into the ground water - and then refeeding that to your garden plants later. Plus, by holding SO much water, hugelkultur could be part of a system forgrowing garden crops in the desert with no irrigation.

You can use freshly cut wood as well as rotten wood, but keep in mind that newer wood will consume nitrogen as it composts, which could bother some plants. As the wood decomposes it will leach the nitrogen back into the soil, so you will actually see a gain in nitrogen over time, but in the first few years you may have to add supplemental nitrogen if you use freshly cut wood in you Hugelkultur bed.

If you're interested in learning more about Hugelkultur the source link below has multiple videos, lots of photos, and a much more detailed section on how the beds work.

raised garden beds: hugelkultur instead of irrigation | Rich Soil     More »

How to Turn a Pallet into a Garden

How to Turn a Pallet into a Garden:

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Recycled Water Bottle Slug Trap.

Recycled Water Bottle Slug Trap.:







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Use Companion Planting to Repel Pests and Grow a Better Garden [Gardening]

Use Companion Planting to Repel Pests and Grow a Better Garden [Gardening]:

Companion planting is a natural way to enhance your garden, control pests, and attract beneficial insects (like butterflies). By arranging "friendly" or synergistic plants near each other, you can keep bugs at bay and possibly avoid having to use pesticides. More »

Use Dirty Aquarium Water to Fertilize Plants [Gardening]

Use Dirty Aquarium Water to Fertilize Plants [Gardening]:

If you have both an aquarium or a garden (or just a few houseplants) you should consider using the waste water from the aquarium on your plants. In addition to fish wastes and decaying fish food particles the water also contains helpful bacteria and trace nutrients that can help your plants thrive. More »

Get Your New Garden Ready for Spring with Old Carpet [Weekend Project]

Get Your New Garden Ready for Spring with Old Carpet [Weekend Project]:

If you're planning for a new garden this year you can go ahead and kill weeds or grass in the area by covering the future garden beds with old carpet. The carpet will block sunlight to any weeds, and if your future garden is now part of your lawn you'll need to kill the grass anyway. More »

Use an Egg Carton to Jumpstart Your Garden this Spring [Clever Uses]

Use an Egg Carton to Jumpstart Your Garden this Spring [Clever Uses]:

If your thoughts have already turned to your spring garden, now's the time to start saving a few egg cartons here and there. They're the perfect size to plant seeds in individual containers of soil that you can care for indoors while they germinate. When they sprout, cut out the individual cups and plant them directly in your garden. More »