Seed to Seed provides essential information on how to germinate, grow, and save seed from almost any plant you could want to grow in your garden. This book is a necessity for the home gardener that’s just getting started with saving seed from heirloom and open pollinated varieties.
Monthly Archives: July 2010
Chicken Rotation
Chickens lay best in their first year of production after they’ve begun laying. Most chickens will slowly decline in production until they stop laying sometime in their 5th or 6th year, though this can vary a bit by breed. Our long term goal is to have a gradient of ages among our flock, so we’ve always got some at the peak of their production, and some that are tapering off.
Identifying Good Layers
The easiest, most accurate way to determine which ones are laying is to isolate each and see if or how often they lay. Luckily, there are some physical signs you can look for that will give you a pretty good idea which ones to watch.
Huckleberry Jam, Syrup
Each year, we get fresh mountain huckleberries from McCall, Idaho. They are fantastic fresh, in pies or tarts, or made into jam or syrup. We really enjoy them, and like to stretch them out over the course of the year. This is our recipe for huckleberry jam.
Washed or Unwashed Eggs?
When laid, an egg is coated with a protective coating called “bloom” which dries on the shell and seals it. The bloom helps protect the egg and keep it fresh by blocking gasses and bacteria from passing through the porous egg shell. Eggs also get other material on them from the hen’s feet, or the …