An Easy Way To Start Seeds Without Windows or Grow Lights

Plastic Containers To Become Seed Starters

I've been allowing used milk jugs and produce containers to pile up in the basement.  Even though I'm trying to avoid buying things in plastic containers, the family continues to buy milk in plastic jugs and we had plastic produce containers from before my ban.  But no worry, they all have a very good use.  I'm going to start this year's vegetables and flowers in these containers and set them outside to await the warmer days of spring.

I've always avoided starting plants from seeds because the few times I've tried it's just been too putzy.  However, last year at a garden club meeting the speakers shared this great method for sowing seeds in milk jugs and other plastic containers in the winter or early spring, putting them outside and pretty much forgetting about them.  I tried it with a few seeds last year and thought it worked pretty well.  I'm going to try again this year with many more seeds, so I hope it works this time too.

Check out the website mentioned at the bottom of the instructions.  Wintersown.org.  It has photos and links to more information that looks very helpful.  Also, I see a tab marked Free Seeds!

Here are the directions:

WINTER & SPRING SOWING INSTRUCTIONS

Michelle Mero Riedel

For milk, distilled water, and similar containers, gallon sized, rinsed, toss cap.

1. Cut four 1/2 - 1” holes in the bottom of the milk jug with a utility knife. Twist knife to make a hole.

2. Cut a horizontal line with utility knife from one side of handle to the other, about 3-5” from bottom of

milk jug, leaving a 1” hinge.

3. Grab handle and pull back to open container. Again, don’t cut all the way so you have a hinge.

4. Add soil to 1” from cut line.

5. Water well so soil is muddy and you see water coming out bottom.

6. Take a break to make sure water will flow out the bottom.

7. Flatten soil so there isn’t any peaks or valleys.

8. Add seeds, as many as you wish.

9. Cover with enough soil, the diameter of the seed (example if seed is 1/8” in diameter, add 1/8 inch of

soil). Additional soil is not needed if seeds are very tiny.

10. Lightly add more water to moisten.

11. Add a plant label along inside container wall with name of plant, color, light requirements, and height.

This label will go into the garden.

12. Close cover and duct tape in place. Clear duct tape is best.

13. Label container lid with plant name and date.

14. Remember to toss the container cap.

15. Place outside on the east, south, or west side of your house. Allow snow to pile on top and collect rain.

Can put container on patio, in garden, on grass, on picnic table, on deck. Do not put under deck, awning,

or roofline.

For bakery, takeout, produce, or rotisserie chicken containers:

1. Follow same instructions as milk containers except add holes at top of the container.

2. Add as much soil as you can.

3. Place plant label inside on its side.

4. No need to tape unless the container won’t stay closed.

5. Label container top.

Hints

1. Plant perennials in February and March

2. Plant annuals, herbs, and vegetables April 1-20.

3. After late April, they can be direct sown in the ground

4. Most Aprils are wet, so you won’t have to water until early May.

5. Watch containers for drying and water if necessary with hose attachment on mist. Be gentle with

small seedlings.

6. If you wish, as weather warms up, open containers during the day, and close at night if temps are too

cool or below freezing.

7. Bring your tender plants (what you sowed in April) indoors or in your garage if temps are at or

below freezing. Perennials can remain outside. They can take the cold.

8. On hot spring days, you might want to move your containers to receive less sun (east side of home)

so they don’t completely dry out.

9. Can cut off lid when weather warms up, usually after May 15.

10. Wait for mature roots before dividing.

11. For additional information, go to wintersown.org.

Made in Minnesota

Used Wine Bottle Candle

Gordon and I took a Made in Minnesota tour through community education today.  I hadn't thought of it as a carbon use related issue when I signed up, it just sounded interesting.  But as I thought about it, carbon footprint is a big component.   As we think about global warming and the reduction of fossil fuels, shopping and manufacturing locally is very important both because of sustainability of the local economy and a reduction in the miles driven for your merchandize.  In fact, many say that the economy is currently at great risk and we should be doing all that we can to build local economies that can survive a shake up in the global economic system.

We visited four Minnesota manufacturing firms today and it is fun to think about the things that are made here, so I've Google it, and here is a list of other companies that create their products right here at home in Minnesota and here is the link: Made in Minnesota. According to this list from Manta, there are 1044 manufacturing firms in Minnesota.  It's not a very helpful list, but interesting.  Not all are small firms, of course.  Here's a list from the Star Tribune of the 100 top publicly held Minnesota firms, of which 3M is the largest manufacturer.

The companies we visited were small.  The first, the Acadian Candle Company, won the Made in Minnesota title on all fronts since not only are the candles made right there at their shop, but all of the ingredients are also from Minnesota.  When we first walked into the storehouse, we walked past a couple of boxes full of empty wine bottles and I thought -  Wow, someone had a big party here.  But as it turned out, their #1 best selling candle last year was a used wine bottle candle complete with the original label.  It actually did make a neat candle.  The wine bottles are cut at a little above the label area and then filled with a soy wax and light fragrance.  So there - using recycled goods too.  I thought it was fun to learn that they get their used bottles from friends who drop them off at the back porch as well as from a few restaurant sources.

Here's another earth friendly option - on their blog they mention that you can buy their used candle molds and supplies to do your own candle making at home.  Though I expect it is more energy efficient to buy a candle they've made since they are making so many at one time.

We also visited Abdallah Candies where I discovered it really takes a long time to make a chocolate covered cherry, J.W. Hulme Co., a manufacturer of hand made leather bags, where I learned that a company that makes $500 purses and $1000 duffel bags can actually be flourishing! and Podium Wear, where I learned that if you have 5 or more people who want to wear the same design you can have your own biking, skiing, or running gear designed and hand made for you in those fabulous colorful outfits you see on the athletes at the Olympics- for a reasonable price (though not what you'd get if it were made in China.)

Here's another way we almost reduced our carbon footprint today.  We took our tour on a big bus.  Buses are the most economical form of mass transportation because they  can pack so many people into one conveyance.  Unfortunately, we learned that the driver of this particular bus lives in Red Wing, drove to Zumbrota to pick up the bus, drove to St. Paul to tour us around all day and they had to return the bus to Zumbrota and then drive home to Red Wing.  I'm not sure that was entirely energy efficient.  So, once again, reducing our carbon footprint is just not that simple.

Thoughts From My Vacation

Traditional and Modern - View of Old Acapulco from Roqueta Island

I just got a link to this month's Women's Press and see that the article on my blog is featured and I haven't written a thing in 10 days.  I'll blame vacation for that.  We've been back from our trip to Acapulco for a few days but I'm only getting back into the swing of things now.

I have no idea how my carbon use impacted the world during our vacation, but I certainly thought about it a lot.  Like everything, there were ups and downs.  On a daily basis, I expect that our carbon use was lower.  We walked a lot, took cool showers, slept in an unair conditioned - unheated room and ate at restaurants (so the heating of the stoves was shared with several people). We didn't shop much and had little waste. On the other hand, we were located on a high hill and it was hot, so we took a taxi home from our walk almost every day - and the taxis are old and battered and stinky- so I assume they pollute a lot.  And, of course, we had that very long plane ride guzzling up gas for which I have previously bought a carbon offset to allay my guilt.

Nothing is simple.  Walking around Acapulco,  I thought about our impact on the earth.  We were staying in the old town and I am sure that in very many ways the carbon use of residents must be lower than here - warm weather, fewer car owners, poorer people, so there can't be as much consumption and waste.  But still, the impact by people on this area is clear.  Noisy buses and taxis and cars fill the bay side street and buildings cover the hills, with few parks in between. The bay has struggled with pollution, though it looked quite blue/green and clear when we were there so I hope that the city has been successful in its efforts to keep the water clean. Hillsides are still a dumping spot for garbage, though I've seen worse.

Acapulco is one of those cities where you can clearly see how the city has changed with time.  It is located on a long curved bay and if you stand in the old town at one end, you can see how the buildings become more modern as the they progress along the curve of the bay, from the 1950's to the 70's to the 80's and 90's and then the 2000's directly across the bay a few miles as the crow flies and 10 or more along the bay front. (The newest development is further away still - out of sight.)  On the modern end, there are fewer taxis and more personal cars.  The cars are newer with more pollution controls, I assume, the buildings taller and air conditioned.  The stores are fancier and full of gift shops and boutiques.  It would be interesting to make a comparison of the ecological impact of those two ends of the city - the modern, airconditioned, polution controlled newer end and the old, noisy, poorer end where taxis clatter, buses roar with boom boxes pulsing but people have less money to spend.

Riding The Black Pearl Bus - Buses are privately owned and carry their own unique decor and sound system.  Choose carefully before boarding!  The "music" was so loud on this one that we didn't last more than a few blocks before having to get off.

Unfortunately, I don't speak enough Spanish to have the slightest idea what is going on in Acapulco and Mexico generally for that matter, but I can GOOGLE it!  Here's an interesting link to Mexico's National Climate Policy.  Hmm, Mexico has set a goal of reducing carbon emmisions by 50% of the 2000 level.  They are also implementing pricing for electricity and water that reflects actual costs and ecological costs of their use.  Hmmm.

Acapulco - fishing

Gordon and I took our first walk in town yesterday. The city is busy and noisy with traffic, but along the malecon ( the sidewalk that edges the beach) , many trees -palms next to the road and small groves shading old beach side restaurants) softened the noise and provided welcome shade. Together with a constant light breeze, the walk was quite enjoyable.

At this edge of Acapulco's long beach front small fishing boats launch. Some fish right in the bay and display their fresh catch on small wooden tables in the sand near the sidewalk. 

As we walked along, we saw men pulling in the net from one of the fishing boats. This is no small task. A big crowd of men run to the shore to help. First 5 or 6 grab the line, niftily outfitted with slings for their shoulders so they can lean back and brace their feet into the sand for the great, long and difficult tug of war with the sea as they bring in what seems like a mile of net before they get to the treasure at the middle. Then all of the other men who have gathered run to the center of the net to pull it onto the shore and start the process of picking the fish and other stuff out of the net. There is so much net, I can hardly imagine how they keep it all organized.

At the center of the n

et there was quite a pile of flopping fish and there was also quite a pile of - PLASTIC!

Yes, here was another reminder of how our oceans have changed because of our throw away world. I've read there is more plastic than anything else in much of the sea. I wondered about eating the fish from the bay.

The good news is it could be worse.  After decades of explosive growth, Acapulco bay became very polluted. It's been cleaned up since then. Maybe we can clean up our oceans?

Mexico Musings - Air Conditioning

We arrived in Acapulco last night. It's hot here and my body, which has been used to our cold Minnesota winter, was in a bit of a shock. There is no air conditioning in the room. Our air conditioning came from the sea breeze wafting through the louvres on the window by my bed.

Actually, there isn't air conditioning anywhere in this hotel except in a few closed up rooms.  The hotel was built in the 50's and doesn't seem to have changed much since then. What it lacks in modern comforts and decor, however, it makes up in charm.

It stretches along a cliff above the sea. The rooms and restaurant are open to the fresh air. There is a palapa roof, palm trees, a large wooded garden and hammocks on the veranda. 

The hotel was originally built by movie stars- John Wayne and Johnny Weismuller and was quite a hang out for the rich and famous in the 50's. 

Many people today would consider our spartan, un-air conditioned room with its minuscule bathroom to be unacceptable, and I think how our expectations have changed over the years.

Perhaps now what we need to be doing is changing our expectations again- the other way- to a life that doesn't need as many creature comforts.

As I write this, I am

sitting in the open air lounge, about the only place I can get wifi.

I'm pretty warm, but there is a breeze. I can hear the sea (and traffic too, I expect) and I am relaxed in that way I am only after I have spent a full day breathing outdoor, rather than conditioned, air.

Menu Planning For A Meat Free (almost) Diet

Lime black bean salad with avocado

My move to meat free and more healthy eating is slow, at best.  My main approach has been to just not buy meat.  However, I am not the only shopper in the family and the others don't show much compunction in that matter.  We have eaten a number of meatless meals over the last few months and I've tried new recipes - some of which I liked and some of which I didn't.  Still, there is always meat in the fridge and the freezer which makes me think I'm not helping global warming much, if at all.

With that in mind, I spent yesterday pouring over the recipes that I've used and liked and that fit into our eating patterns pretty well.  I organized them and put together a menu for 11 dinners and then I put together a shopping list for those 11 dinners.  Now I figure I can grab that shopping list, check off what we are missing, and be in a position to usually have the right ingredients around for anything on that list.  Therefore - no excuses!  HAH!  I know myself better.  I do the pouring over recipes and making menus bit - frequently.  But I was more thorough this time and I now have that shopping list, so wish me luck.

This took me a long time to put together, organize and make the shopping list. To spread the benefit around, I'll share it with you.  If you would like any of these recipes and/or a copy of the shopping list, let me know and I'll send it to you.

Here is the menu briefly:

1. Falafel with Tahini , Tabouli, Green Salad and Pickles (This recipe was a hit with the whole family)

2.  Mushroom and millet bowl, mixed greens with apples and walnuts, pumpkin spice muffins (I've tried the mushroom and millet bowl and it was fine.  We'll see if it grows on us.)

3. Bean Burgers, caramelized onions with beer, sweet potato fries and other green vegetable (I love bean - bean/mushroom burgers and am trying to perfect the recipe.  Same with sweet potato fries.)

4.  Salmon, broccoli, wild & brown rice pilaf and applesauce cake (It's not like me to make cake or cookies for dessert, but we all like to eat them.  I figure if I add a "healthy" dessert, it will replace the candy and make for a cooking activity on the days when the boys are home.

5.  Lentil vegetable soup, corn bread, kale & fruit salad (all really great recipes, though I haven't tried all three together before.)

6.  Fajita style vegies, avocado, lettuce, beans, rice (yes, we have to get a Mexican style dinner on the menu.  We love it.)

7.  Vietnamese salad with potstickers (Another recipe I'm working on.  I love the Vietnamese salads I've tried in restaurants.  Haven't gotten it right at home yet. So this may morph into potstickers with vegies and rice.)

8. Mushroom or other nice ravioli or tortillini with tomato sauce, onions and peppers, lime black bean salad with avacado, green salad (A quick dinner that even the boys will love (except the salad).

9.  Tofu stir fried rice with vegies - or maybe stir fried vegies with tofu, rice on the side. (We actually like tofu, but don't have many recipes where we use it.)

10.  Honey Lime quinoa with sweet potatoes, pan seared brussel sprouts with cranberries and pecans. (Two recipes that are really yummy that didn't quite fit into other menus, so I'll just make them a meal of their own.)

11.  Buckwheat pancakes with sweet potatoes, banana, raisins and walnts with fresh fruit and yogurt or fried apples  and (optional) sausage - real or vegan.  (This is a sneaky way to get fruit and vegetables into the grandkids.  They scarf these up.)

Knowing me, this exact menu will never actually  happen since we are a use up what is in the refrigerator kind of people, but I'll give it a good try when we get back from vacation.

Another Seed Exchange Resource

Vegetables by the Window

I have known for quite some time that community gardens exist here in the Twin Cities.  We have a very nice community garden in our own neighborhood and I always enjoy walking past the garden plots in the summer and looking at all of the vegetables, fruits and flowers and the sometimes fanciful garden layouts and structures in the garden plots.  Last summer, I even participated in a bike ride that went from one community garden to another in St. Paul.  There was a garden by the railroad tracks, a garden by a freeway overpass, a garden in a church yard, a garden on the grounds of the University of St. Thomas and a garden grown by children.

But I hadn't really thought about how these gardens came to be and it hadn't really occurred to me that there might be some overall coordination between community gardens in the Twin Cities.   This week, though, I have found out about an organization called Gardening Matters which is devoted to encouraging gardening and food preservation by individuals and which provides all kinds of resources - from web site space to canning instruction for community gardens, garden groups and individuals.

One exciting recent development is their Local Food Resource Hub program.  This is a networking group for gardeners to share garden resources, knowledge, tools and Seeds.   So in many ways it is like the Seed Savers Exchange I talked about in yesterday's post, except more local, not quite as glitzy and, perhaps, still a work in progress.   Last year the Hubs organized two seed and seedling distributions to their members, offered free and low cost gardening workshops and organized tool lending libraries.

The exciting thing about all this is it is, once again, an example of neighbors and community members creating a way to work together to help each other accomplish goals that are good for the earth, good for their communities and good for themselves.  The information about this year's membership and seed distributions isn't out yet, but you might want to bookmark the site for future reference:
Gardening Matters Local Food Resource Hubs

Seed Savers Exchange

"A vibrant, diverse plant world is necessary for our survival, but crop diversity is increasingly threatened by industrial agriculture, climate change, and habitat loss.  The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that since the 1900's an estimated 75% of the world's crop diversity has been lost." Seed Savers Exchange

This catalogue arrived in the mail today and now I just want to plant a bunch of beans!  Aren't they beautiful?  Growing your own vegetables is a great way to combat global warming.  You can be in charge of what chemicals are used - or, more importantly, not used - in your garden and your produce doesn't have to travel so far to get to your table. You can also help save our precious resources by growing heirloom varieties of fruits,vegetables, herbs and flowers like the ones in the above catalogue from Seed Savers Exchange.

This year vegetables are going to be added to my front lawn - the only place in the yard that gets much sun and I'm planning on starting them from seed thanks to a really nifty and easy winter sowing method I used last year (I'll share that on another post).  I'm pretty excited to look at all of the varieties that I would not find in the grocery store or the nursery and the tales behind many of the plants are so fun to read - like these, for instance:

Hidatsa Shield Figure beans from the Hidatsa tribe who farmed in the Missouri River Valley of North Dakota.  These beans were described in Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden (one of my all time favorite books).

Aunt Mae's Bibb Lettuce:  From seed donor Kelly Yeaton who acquired the variety from Nestor Keene, who in turn acquired it in 1937 from his aunt, Mae Smith.

Bear Paw popcorn, grown and distributed in New England from the 1930's until the 1960's, served in movie theaters and featured at the World's Fair.

Charentais melon: A true French cantaloupe that originated in the Poitou-Charentes region circa 1920.  "Considered by many to be the most divine and flavorful melon in the world." (I'm going to try that one.)

... and so on.  Doesn't that sound like fun?

I see that I can order from the catalogue or I can become a member of Seed Savers Exchange and have access to their  "yearbook" of seeds that are exchanged between members - 13,000 varieties.  This is a great people driven effort to keep our world sustainable.  Check it out: Seed Savers Exchange

The Users and the Losers

" We cannot help the world until we change our way of being in it."

Bishops of the United Methodist Church

Source: Atlas of the Biosphere

I saw this map yesterday at a conference I attended of United Methodists exploring how to mobilize an earth care movement among Minnesota United Methodists.  I'm happy to see that the Methodist church is taking action on climate change.

The map shows a global look at per capita oil usage.  In the presentation it was shown with a second map which showed the countries that are most impacted by climate change.  It was striking to look at the two maps together because the countries most impacted by climate change were the ones with the least per capita oil usage.  As with so many other things in our world - the ones who are causing climate change are not the ones suffering the most from that change.  Food for thought...

Unfortunately, I can't find that other map.  They were both from the website of Sage: Center for Sustainability & the Global Environment, which as it turns out has links to many, many resources and I just wasn't sure where to look, so sorry for the lack of a completed blog post.  Perhaps someone else will help me figure out where to find it and I can look it up.

My weekend was actually full of work on climate change - an all day conference yesterday, and my first meeting with the land and water use group that is part of a transition town movement in our neighborhood.  So I've been doing lots, but the blog posts are slow in coming.  I'll try to get it all sorted out and share more over the next few days.