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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Lynda wrote:
> I love prunes!  Love beets.  Use chard like I would bok choy since I 
> can get the chard but can rarely get the bok choy.  It cooks up 
> nicely in stir fry.

That is exactly what I do, too.  I have grown bok choy(pak choi) but
like celery, I have trouble timing it before the heat gets it.  Chard is
very heat resistant...It will still be good mid summer.
I tried growing mangels back when I had the goats.  I only got a few of
them.  I think the soil was too rich in that I got more leaves than
beets. I dunno.  If I learned to like beets, I might have a problem
growing them.


> Love pomograntes anyway I can get them <g>  I make a pumpkin soup and
>  pumpkin bread and pumpkin/oat/bran muffins, so I figure those cover 
> all the bases.

My original plan for the front yard was to have pomegranates planted as
a foundation plant, but I think we are a bit too cold and my house faces
the north.  They do very well in south Georgia and I would definitely
try to grow them here, but they are expensive little suckers and without
a good winter protection plan(that I don't have yet), it is just not
fiscally feasible.  This relates to that frost article information that
I posted yesterday.  The best 'sun oriented' spot is also a low 'foggy'
spot,,,not a good place for a fruit that is borderline hardy for this
area.   I have been thinking about making a permanent bed inside of my
lean-to greenhouse to try to grow things like poms or bananas or lemons.
 I believe I can keep the greenhouse at least at zone 8 temps and maybe
zone 9 or better.  It would allow me to grow small trees like bay or
lemon verbena, too.  Right now, the floor of the greenhouse is waste
concrete that we shoveled in there.  It is actually thin and
porous...water goes right through it.  It could be breeched rather
easily, I think, and the roots could get back into the soil.  With a
pick, I could punch small holes in the floor. Building a large raised
bed inside the greenhouse I don't think would be the right solution..I
have a sloping roof, 8 ft max, 6 ft min...not much room for small trees
in a raised bed.  However, if I punch holes in the floor and use lumber
to create a small, say, 8" deep soil bed...What do you guys think of
this idea?  Other solutions?


--
"The world is my country, all mankind are my
 brethren, and to do good is my religion."
 Thomas Paine (1737 - 1809)