Paul's Harvest Gardens

[Shawn]

ERR0R1755 has grown the Oyster Mushrooms.

[Sher]

Paul, keep on doing those 'shrooms!

I plan to start a wine cap stropharia kit next month. I'm waiting, because when they are done, I want to spread the spent spawn on wood chips in the garden and hope they naturalize there.

[Paul]

Feb 14, 2021 14:09:06 GMT -5 Sher said:

Paul , keep on doing those 'shrooms!

I plan to start a wine cap stropharia kit next month. I'm waiting, because when they are done, I want to spread the spent spawn on wood chips in the garden and hope they naturalize there.

Hey Sher!  My son suggested we do kind of the same thing - collect some deadfall and spread the spent spawn on that.  I'm in the Cleveland area so we won't have weather for that for at least 2 months.  I guess "saving" the spent spawn isn't an option.

[Sher]

Paul, I doubt oyster mushrooms would grow on woodchips, although they do grow on injured or dying trees

A lot of people get used coffee grounds from Starbucks, and grow oyster mushrooms in them.

Here is one link to get you started. You can find lots more. Probsbly on Youtube  too.

[Paul]

Hey all!  Hope everyone is healthy and having a great weekend!

No pics today but updates;

My salad greens did really well, just harvested all three pods and got enough to fill up a salad crisper.  Great lettuce combo in these pods for us - we prefer a little sweeter lettuce.

I started an oregano and chive pod a few weeks ago- both failed though 
So I wrote AG and they're sending replacements at no cost.  This was nice as it provided some confidence in their customer support.

And the Lions Mane - here is a link to my youtube page;

www.youtube.com/channel/UCfr2CSKW4S7rnoQZ0oYDO_g

Week one and three are there, week two for some reason I had set the intervals all wonky and ended up with a 30 minute waste of time video so I didn't bother posting it.  
You can see in week three the mushroom is turning yellow/brown.  I called North Spore and they suggested a humidity tent as you can read in the description of that video.  I really don't think it was a humidity problem though, I believe I was over-misting.  We'll see.  I'm going to hold off on the misting for a couple days as there was actually a puddle of water under the box which is what leads me to believe I "over watered".

Coming up will be replanting the chives and oregano, and then lemon basil, cilantro, rosemary, and probably another dill.
I've been cranking out hot sauce and am looking forward to having my own cilantro (I have 2 geno basils working their behinds off for me) and adding the lemon basil to the mix.
If anyone likes to make their own hot sauce let me know and I'll post my recipe.

Guess that's it for now - I'll get busy with some photos soon.

oh - 12:30, bloody mary time 

[Sher]

Wow! You've been busy!  Looking forward to photos.

I am a wild mushroom forager. I was taught that only white hericeum species (including lion's mane) are safe to eat, and to avoid them when they turn yellow/brown. That indicates deterioration in the wild and can make you sick.

You might want to double check with North Spore to make sure the same is not the true of the kits.

[Paul]

Mar 6, 2021 16:17:59 GMT -5 Sher said:

Wow! You've been busy!  Looking forward to photos.

I am a wild mushroom forager. I was taught that only white hericeum species (including lion's mane) are safe to eat, and to avoid them when they turn yellow/brown. That indicates deterioration in the wild and can make you sick.

You might want to double check with North Spore to make sure the same is not the true of the kits.

I'm with you on that Sher!  I can't get my head around North Spore's answer when my common sense is telling me something different.
Decades ago I had a couple of experiences with "otherly" mushrooms.  The most prominent memory was enjoying "getting small" shall we say, but being stuck sitting on the throne (sorry guys, just telling it like it is) for several hours.
I think I'm going to trash the Lions Mane and give the Pink Oysters a shot.  This time I'll mist MUCH less and use the blue-bag humidity tent.  At the cost of these mushroom in a box kits it's just not cost effective as an experiment.

[Sher]

Ha! I never tried the magic mushrooms, but have read some intriguing experiences from those who have. 

I think you are spot on with misting them less. Just don't let them dry out. Think humid, not wet. Whatever you decide, good air circulation is critical. They need CO2.

[Paul]

Good day all!  Hope everyone is having a splendid weekend and able to visit with family today.
We had a bit of a scare here, for the past week my wife has had a fever and what seemed to be all of the symptoms of C19.  She was able to get a test this past Friday April 2nd and the results were returned this morning - thank God the results are negative!  

I haven't made time to take and post regular photos of my gardens but all three are still hard at work!

Here are two videos I posted on Youtube yesterday;

review/update


lettuce harvest


I usually take photos or video with my S10 but these were done with an Akaso V50X and an external mic.  The audio is a little weak but I think the video quality is not bad for a Gopro clone at 1/4 the cost.

[Sher]

Your gardens look great! What a wonderful array of herbs.

And the lettuce! It's beautiful!

The brown tips are tipburn. Adding Calmag will cure it  but it will also crust up your deck.

I bought a bathroom cleaner that is supposed to remove lime and calcium deposits. We'll see how it works.

[Paul]

Apr 4, 2021 14:44:33 GMT -5 Sher said:

Your gardens look great! What a wonderful array of herbs.

And the lettuce! It's beautiful!

The brown tips are tipburn. Adding Calmag will cure it  but it will also crust up your deck.

I bought a bathroom cleaner that is supposed to remove lime and calcium deposits. We'll see how it works.

Thank you Sher 😄  Nothing worse than a crusty deck - well I could go on, but staying in context 
Is that cleaner you're talking about some form of CLR?  I've found that Simple Green works really well - I actually use it when I'm restoring old motorcycles to rid the aged grime and I really like the fact that it's enviro safe.  A good solid rinse removes any debris as well as residual cleaner.  Can't say I've used it with an AG, but I always used it when doing a full scrub on an aquarium and never had any issues with fish and/or plants.

The salad is soooo good!  I just used my mortal/pestle and ground up some fresh garlic with basil, parsley, dill, kosher flake, fresh ground pepper, and a little EVO for a salad dressing.  I also made some garlic butter with that paste.

If you'd indulge me - how were the videos as far as the image quality?  I know what it looks like on my setup (I use a custom PC into a big screen with home theater etc) but have always wondered how it looks to someone else.  I'd welcome any and all feedback +/-. 

Thanks Sher and everyone else that took a look at the YT posts 

[Sher]

I'm not sure that Simple Green would remove the mineral deposits. Vinegar helps, but I soak the decks overnight, then scrub with a nylon scrubby. It is like rock!

If Simple Green works on an aquarium, it might also work on the decks, though.

The salad dressing sounds AWESOME!

The image quality was fine, but I view on a tablet.

The only thing is the videos were a little long for a message board when there are several other posts to view.

But worth it!

[wmwelch]

Apr 4, 2021 16:38:14 GMT -5 Paul said:

Apr 4, 2021 14:44:33 GMT -5 Sher said:

Your gardens look great! What a wonderful array of herbs.

And the lettuce! It's beautiful!

The brown tips are tipburn. Adding Calmag will cure it  but it will also crust up your deck.

I bought a bathroom cleaner that is supposed to remove lime and calcium deposits. We'll see how it works.

Thank you Sher 😄  Nothing worse than a crusty deck - well I could go on, but staying in context 
Is that cleaner you're talking about some form of CLR?  I've found that Simple Green works really well - I actually use it when I'm restoring old motorcycles to rid the aged grime and I really like the fact that it's enviro safe.  A good solid rinse removes any debris as well as residual cleaner.  Can't say I've used it with an AG, but I always used it when doing a full scrub on an aquarium and never had any issues with fish and/or plants.

The salad is soooo good!  I just used my mortal/pestle and ground up some fresh garlic with basil, parsley, dill, kosher flake, fresh ground pepper, and a little EVO for a salad dressing.  I also made some garlic butter with that paste.

If you'd indulge me - how were the videos as far as the image quality?  I know what it looks like on my setup (I use a custom PC into a big screen with home theater etc) but have always wondered how it looks to someone else.  I'd welcome any and all feedback +/-. 

Thanks Sher and everyone else that took a look at the YT posts 

Paul that salad dressing sounds delightful. I’ll have to give it a try. Also I thought the image quality of the videos were pretty good.

Wendy

[Paul]

Apr 4, 2021 18:30:19 GMT -5 wmwelch said:

Apr 4, 2021 16:38:14 GMT -5 Paul said:

Thank you Sher 😄  Nothing worse than a crusty deck - well I could go on, but staying in context 
Is that cleaner you're talking about some form of CLR?  I've found that Simple Green works really well - I actually use it when I'm restoring old motorcycles to rid the aged grime and I really like the fact that it's enviro safe.  A good solid rinse removes any debris as well as residual cleaner.  Can't say I've used it with an AG, but I always used it when doing a full scrub on an aquarium and never had any issues with fish and/or plants.

The salad is soooo good!  I just used my mortal/pestle and ground up some fresh garlic with basil, parsley, dill, kosher flake, fresh ground pepper, and a little EVO for a salad dressing.  I also made some garlic butter with that paste.

If you'd indulge me - how were the videos as far as the image quality?  I know what it looks like on my setup (I use a custom PC into a big screen with home theater etc) but have always wondered how it looks to someone else.  I'd welcome any and all feedback +/-. 

Thanks Sher and everyone else that took a look at the YT posts 

Paul that salad dressing sounds delightful. I’ll have to give it a try. Also I thought the image quality of the videos were pretty good.

Wendy

Thank you Wendy!

[Paul]

Happy Sunday!  I hope everyone is healthy and safe as always 

Quick AG Harvests update -

Parsley and Geno Basil;


Oregano, Sage, Rosemary, Dill;




Cilantro, Chives, Green Onion clipping replant, Lemon Basil;


The Lemon Basil smells fantastic!  I've not grown this before and it seems to be flowering.  Anything different I should be doing with this one?  Welcome any/all suggestions!

Hope everyone is having a great spring start!  My son and I have been out on our motorcycles whenever the weather has permitted here in tropical Cleveland 

[airscapes]

Guess you were snowmobiling the other day?? I know Columbus got a good hit, although short lived.. 
Gardens look great!

[Shawn]

Gardens are growing nicely.  What have you been using your herbs for?

[Paul]

Apr 25, 2021 13:55:04 GMT -5 airscapes said:

Guess you were snowmobiling the other day?? I know Columbus got a good hit, although short lived.. 
Gardens look great!

LOL!  My days of riding in the cold are long gone!  My wife opted to stay home this morning - our son and I rode to meet a buddy of his and head to the Rock Hall for pics.  I got cold and headed home though, 40 is just too cold for me!
Thank you - I try to keep them clean and happy.

[Paul]

Apr 25, 2021 13:57:30 GMT -5 Shawn said:

Gardens are growing nicely.  What have you been using your herbs for?

Thank you Shawn!  Loaded question for me - I'll try to keep the answers short but no promises, once I start writing - oh boy 

I use them for the different hot sauces I make like Habanero, Cayenne, and Jalapeno.

Experimenting making salad dressing with the basic EVO/Vinegar and then the parsley, cilantro, and basils, dill (although my last dill plant peaked out but I still have plenty fresh-frozen).

I also make pickles frequently and a few quarts of pickle juice for bloody marys.  I like adding the different herbs on top of dill - the basil and cilantro really add a nice flavor.

We'll use the fresh herbs for lemon chicken and fish, basil leaves on top of a frittata add a nice note of flavor and aroma.  The fresh oregano is nice in a taco bake.

I make Jambalaya one or two times a month so that game stepped up with the oregano, parsley, and basil topped off with some sour cream and chives.

Garlic butter is now full on cowboy butter!  Dill, oregano, parsley, basil, and thyme (I have plenty of that fresh-frozen from my last thyme plant).

I use my food saver and freeze what we don't use or share as to not waste.

Next I want to get some of the additions I need to make my own Herbes de Provence.  Now that BBQ season is here I'll be stepping up my BBQ sauce game.

I can see a Farm XL12 in my future.  I mentioned some time back I almost got one around Christmas but was saving for a new motorcyle - made that happen last month so I've got my sites set on the Farm.  I want to grow my own peppers for hot sauce and a larger tomato than the Heirloom Cherry.

I tried to make this short and sweet but it looks like I'm loquacious as always.  

[Sher]

Your gardens look so good, Paul.

And reading about how you use them is more interesting and entertaining than many professional food articles! I love reading your comments!