People are often surprised when I tell them that I have pepper plants that are a decade old. This is because I've been overwintering pepper plants for several years. Following this overwintering procedure makes the most of your harvest and allows you to get a jump start in subsequent seasons.Why Overwinter Pepper Plants? So what does overwintering pepper plants buy you? I enjoy peppers. When I say "pepper", I'm mostly talking about those insanely hot and flavorful varieties. These a...

People are often surprised when I tell them that I have pepper plants that are a decade old. This is because I've been overwintering pepper plants for several years. Following this overwintering procedure makes the most of your harvest and allows you to get a jump start in subsequent seasons.Why Overwinter Pepper Plants? So what does overwintering pepper plants buy you? I enjoy peppers. When I say "pepper", I'm mostly talking about those insanely hot and flavorful varieties. These a...

As I wander through the lush forests and verdant valleys of northeastern America, I am often struck by the unassuming beauty of the paw paw tree (Asimina triloba). With its broad, drooping leaves and clusters of maroon flowers, this native species is often overlooked, yet it holds a profound significance in the history and culture of the United States. I aim to rekindle the appreciation for this forgotten fruit and explore why the paw paw tree is an integral part of our heritage.The Paw Paw T...

As I wander through the lush forests and verdant valleys of northeastern America, I am often struck by the unassuming beauty of the paw paw tree (Asimina triloba). With its broad, drooping leaves and clusters of maroon flowers, this native species is often overlooked, yet it holds a profound significance in the history and culture of the United States. I aim to rekindle the appreciation for this forgotten fruit and explore why the paw paw tree is an integral part of our heritage.The Paw Paw T...

It's January! That means it's time to start planning the upcoming garden season. Planning a gardening season is one of the most important factors in helping you guarantee that it's successful. In this article, I'm going to describe the process I use in planning a gardening season. I'm going to assume that you already have a gardening space setup and that you have at least one season under your belt. On to discussing the things that I do in an effort to improve every y...

It's January! That means it's time to start planning the upcoming garden season. Planning a gardening season is one of the most important factors in helping you guarantee that it's successful. In this article, I'm going to describe the process I use in planning a gardening season. I'm going to assume that you already have a gardening space setup and that you have at least one season under your belt. On to discussing the things that I do in an effort to improve every y...

I've written before about my desire to turn my backyard into a food forest using edible landscaping. I've always imagined a lush, thriving garden that requires minimal effort yet provides a bounty of products—all while resembling a natural forest ecosystem. My process of building a backyard food forest started after encountering the concept of permaculture. Rooted in ecological principles, permaculture is a holistic approach to creating sustainable systems that mimic nature’s patter...

I've written before about my desire to turn my backyard into a food forest using edible landscaping. I've always imagined a lush, thriving garden that requires minimal effort yet provides a bounty of products—all while resembling a natural forest ecosystem. My process of building a backyard food forest started after encountering the concept of permaculture. Rooted in ecological principles, permaculture is a holistic approach to creating sustainable systems that mimic nature’s patter...

In the last issue of Fermenting Solutions, I mentioned that trying to keep my mycology grow room warm was becoming an issue. Each month, the arrival of my electric bills was starting to induce sticker shock. When I decided to have a year round mushroom growing setup it was only natural to put it in the warmest room in my house. My indoor gardening setup was already there. So why not add mushrooms? The increase in costs to maintain the temperature was making it obvious that this wasn't go...

In the last issue of Fermenting Solutions, I mentioned that trying to keep my mycology grow room warm was becoming an issue. Each month, the arrival of my electric bills was starting to induce sticker shock. When I decided to have a year round mushroom growing setup it was only natural to put it in the warmest room in my house. My indoor gardening setup was already there. So why not add mushrooms? The increase in costs to maintain the temperature was making it obvious that this wasn't go...

I've always been a fan of gardening. It probably has something to do with spending all that time out in the sun with my great grandmother digging in the dirt as a kid and enjoying the great things that came from it when it was ultimately time for harvest. I lost touch with this joy for a bit in my 20's. There was nothing like the mind-numbing contrast of the cubicled office to make me want to get back outside and get my hands dirty. After buying my first home with some property, doing some re...

I've always been a fan of gardening. It probably has something to do with spending all that time out in the sun with my great grandmother digging in the dirt as a kid and enjoying the great things that came from it when it was ultimately time for harvest. I lost touch with this joy for a bit in my 20's. There was nothing like the mind-numbing contrast of the cubicled office to make me want to get back outside and get my hands dirty. After buying my first home with some property, doing some re...

Are these sprouts? Are these microgreens? Is their a difference between the two? The answer is: Yes there is a difference. I grow both and if you keep reading, I'll describe how they differ and which one in my opinion is the overall winner in the Sprouts vs. Microgreens battle.Growing Sprouts vs. Microgreens So why would anyone want to grow sprouts or microgreens, especially instead of a full grown plant of the same variety? There are some easy answers here and some others that are more ...

Are these sprouts? Are these microgreens? Is their a difference between the two? The answer is: Yes there is a difference. I grow both and if you keep reading, I'll describe how they differ and which one in my opinion is the overall winner in the Sprouts vs. Microgreens battle.Growing Sprouts vs. Microgreens So why would anyone want to grow sprouts or microgreens, especially instead of a full grown plant of the same variety? There are some easy answers here and some others that are more ...

Hügelkultur in Pennsylvania: Nature's Raised BedYears ago, hurricane Sandy turned my forested property into an open meadow with massive rotting tree stumps everywhere. The trees on my property that used to provide shade and beauty, now produced a steady supply of fallen branches, logs, and leaves. Since I had already been slowly 'rewilding' my lawn area, it seemed only natural to consider a gardening technique that turned this "debris" into a gold mine of fertility: Hügelkultur...

Hügelkultur in Pennsylvania: Nature's Raised BedYears ago, hurricane Sandy turned my forested property into an open meadow with massive rotting tree stumps everywhere. The trees on my property that used to provide shade and beauty, now produced a steady supply of fallen branches, logs, and leaves. Since I had already been slowly 'rewilding' my lawn area, it seemed only natural to consider a gardening technique that turned this "debris" into a gold mine of fertility: Hügelkultur...

My email newsletter is entitled Fermenting Solutions. It started years ago as an effort to 'dog food' AWeber's Curate mobile app. It's a semi regular chronicle of a current project that I'm spending time on... the trials, tribulations and the interesting beverages I've had to drink while trying to work through them. You can read past issues here. If you're interested in getting all new issues in your inbox, you can also sign up at the above link.

My email newsletter is entitled Fermenting Solutions. It started years ago as an effort to 'dog food' AWeber's Curate mobile app. It's a semi regular chronicle of a current project that I'm spending time on... the trials, tribulations and the interesting beverages I've had to drink while trying to work through them. You can read past issues here. If you're interested in getting all new issues in your inbox, you can also sign up at the above link.

Most people who grow oyster mushrooms do so on a straw based substrate. This always seemed odd to me. Oyster mushrooms naturally grow on hard woods. In addition to this, making straw reasonably sterile for growing purposes is really annoying. I was surprised that there weren't more instructionals on using hardwood fuel pellets for growing oyster mushrooms. With the advent of pellet stoves and pellet grills, the availability of a wide variety of hardwoods in this format has grown exponent...

Most people who grow oyster mushrooms do so on a straw based substrate. This always seemed odd to me. Oyster mushrooms naturally grow on hard woods. In addition to this, making straw reasonably sterile for growing purposes is really annoying. I was surprised that there weren't more instructionals on using hardwood fuel pellets for growing oyster mushrooms. With the advent of pellet stoves and pellet grills, the availability of a wide variety of hardwoods in this format has grown exponent...