[Homestead] Buttermilk legume answer for Bev's previous question

Sage Austin | Eureka! Design eureka at hctc.net
Sat Mar 7 21:16:39 EST 2009


Bev, I'm waaay behind on answering stuff. Yes, the freezing/pouring 
boiling water cracks the seed coat. I do believe the mycorrhiza feeds on 
the buttermilk, which also serves to stick the stuff to the seed. You 
might want to check out the Soil Food Web at http://www.soilfoodweb.com/

We had our second Healthy Harvest seminar today, and I talked about how 
I start seeds and brought up this technique. I learned from one of the 
attendees that supposedly you can mix buttermilk and lichen in a blender 
and paint it on rocks to make it grow and "age" the rock.

Legumes have many different flowers types, so it's not always easy to 
recognize them. For instance, the fuzzy flowers of sensitive briar or 
mimosa don't look at all like a sweet pea or lupine flower, which don't 
look like an orchid tree (Bauhinia sp.). But one thing almost all have 
in common is a joined stamen-filament. In other words, if you dissect 
the flower, the stamens look like matches all attached at the bottom 
instead of separate. We mostly recognize legumes by their fruit, or pod. 
But some aren't as readily recognizable, for instance the curled burr 
that comes off burr clover doesn't look like a pod.

--Sage

EarthNSky wrote:
> Sage, I really value your knowledge and expertise on this.  I love 
> gardening, but this is a weak area for me.  Can you explain what the 
> various actions actually does for germination?  I am guessing that the 
> rapid temperature change from freezing to boiling cracks the seed coat, 
> but the rest?  Buttermilk carrier medium for the bacteria?  Bacteria 
> feed on the yeast in the buttermilk?  I have to admit that I did not 
> realize that bluebonnets or lupines in general were legumes.  I would 
> not have thought to inoculate them.
>
> And Lynda, I would like some seeds from that KY coffee tree if you can 
> spare a pod or two.
>
>
>
> Sage Austin | Eureka! Design wrote:
>   
>> Some annuals can benefit from this, too. Bluebonnets are considered 
>> winter annuals, but have a pretty tough seed coat. I freeze them 
>> overnight, then pour boiling water over them in a colander, roll them in 
>> buttermilk with legume rhizobium added, and scatter them. Works like a 
>> charm!
>>
>> --Sage
>>
>> Lynda wrote:
>>     
>>> Kentucky coffee tree. <g>  I know this one because someone sent me some 
>>> seeds and said it would be impossible to grow them.  I stuck them in the 
>>> freezer, gave them a couple of little slices and then stuck them in the 
>>> ground just before the snow hit and I now have a couple of Kentucky coffee 
>>> trees.
>>>
>>>       
>
>   



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