Yes, my quote was 3200$ for removing the pin oak only. OMG! If I had two other men, we could actually do it in about 15 minutes (from my experience taking down a weeping willow with my parents 20 years ago).

Jen, I had the land clearing and tree trimming done when the guys were in the area. I have most of my work done that way if I can, because the contractor will have a min. cost that will include travel time. Often my neighbor and I will get together and have work done on each place, just as fill in work for the contractor, we feel we get a better deal that way. I only had one tree that I thought may fall into the power lines, and I was not going to cut that tree myself. I figured that if I gave them more work that the cost per tree would be less. The crew of 3 men and bucket truck finished in 4 hours of less. The bucket truck was neat. The guy in the bucket just cut and let everything fall where it may, I did the clean up. Yes I felt that I got a good deal, but if any of those trees were close to a house, I am sure the cost would have been mush more. When I was younger I may have tried cutting the trees myself, but those days are long gone.

Moni, I have some trim work to do in the wildlife garden. I plan on using a battery powered saw to do that. The battery tools are great for small jobs. That to, is a job I would have done by hand if I were younger. It is amazing how a person's attitude changes when they get older.

Yeah, Danny, that is too much. I can't imagine you being that much higher than Tulsa. Richerts (169 and 66th) did our Tulsa work and took the wood away to sell for firewood. Our Owasso yard for 2 trees was half that, and they cleaned up the mess and ground the stumps. You might want to get another quote.

I planted 54 more garlic cloves and 8 Elephant garlic cloves today, cut a sack of greens t take to my aunt and uncle, along with winter squash, sweet potatoes and a pumpkin. They are about 5 years older than I am, and have a lot more work to do than I, plus I like to check on them every now and then.

I went to Poteau OK to get medicine, and had to stop at the Farmers coop. I just cant stop there without buying something, so I bought 3/4# of turnip seed. I really don't expect a seed shortage next year, but I expect to have plenty anyway.

Hi all—

Not much going on in the garden, plus we’ve had company in town, so I haven’t been on much. Slowly pulling out the plants that the frost two weeks ago killed back. I only lost things that were over a foot tall, so plenty of greens and comfrey are getting along out there. Have to pull the rest of the dead stuff and top the beds off with composted straw to sit for the winter. The weather has been nuts here—no proper cold yet, and I had to turn the A/C on yesterday. I expect January is going to be a killer, just to be contrary.

Hope everyone is well!

—Marleigh

For those of you planting garlic, is homegrown garlic better than what you buy at the store ? I have a few bulbs, but I'm not real excited about planting them unless I can see that its an improvement over grocery store variety.

The only garlic I've grown is the stuff you buy at the grocery store, and it tastes better than the fresh stuff you buy & way better than the powdered junk. But I've had people tell me that the gourmet garlic you can grow tastes infinitely better than the cheap stuff from Walmart. I have a heavy hand when it comes to seasoning so we use a lot of garlic powder, and I'd like to try growing enough to cut out that little bit of an expense. Next year I want to try one or two of the fancy garlics, I tried this year but by the time I thought of it everyone was sold out.

Being allergic to that family (allium), I have only loathing for garlic and onions. I mean I like the flowers on alliums, but I can't eat them. I used to eat garlic, but onions literally stink to me, and taste terrible, and make me puke from my toenails. Garlic used lightly tastes good and I miss it :) (even though, yes, it makes me vomit too) Yes, there are gradiations of flavor in the different garlics, especially if you're not heavy handed, you will notice the difference. If you're heavy handed (imo), distinctions are simply lost.

wow, what a statement....

make me puke from my toenails

but it totally explains how I feel about grits

Thanks Danny, I will remember this one for sure.

Moni

ROFL Moni! Danny, it must be hard to eat out being allergic to onions! Not even many recipes that don't include them. My daughter says home cooking smells like onion and garlic sauteing on the stove because nearly all my recipes started that way.

Lynn, a few years back I bought garlic from the Cherry Street market. One bulb of several different varieties, both hardneck and softneck. We planted from those bulbs and tasted them, both raw and cooked. We are used to grocery store garlic. We were not impressed. Some were too hot raw. And some were not strong enough cooked. Then I ordered it on line and went with what was listed as what was commonly sold in stores. It didn't keep well (maybe not dried right or disease?) However, the first year, when I planted grocery store garlic it tasted like what we were used to. I braided it and it lasted till Feb. I have stopped planting onions and garlic because I want to use that garden footprint for earlier crops. I've considered growing it in containers. I grow green onions in containers. Lots of people grow their own garlic and onions. I didn't start because of taste, (and by the way, let it cure a month before using.) I grew them to have organically grown, untreated, unbleached food. Dang. I'm tempted to go plug some cloves in on the edges of next years tomato bed. Right now all we have is the imported stuff. I would have to go to Sprouts.

You guys are making me hungry.

I have been out hoeing the henbit from around my mustard tender greens. I planted them late because I had misplaced my seeds.

I went over to check the wildlife garden, and scared off a deer. Everything looks pretty good over there. I do need to go back and plant a cover crop where the pumpkins were. I think the deer was eating the Austrian winter peas that are planted in about 30 x 75 foot plot west of the pumpkins.

I laid out 3 short rows to plant the rest of my elephant garlic in the south garden. After that I will plant some Austrian winter peas as cover crop in the north garden. I have about 7 or 8 pounds of winter peas left, then I will have to go to a deer plot mix if I plant anymore cover crop.

My biggest problem with garlic is finding a spot to plant. Right now, my garden is in winter cover , which will be cut down and tilled in January. I've got a bed next to the south side of the house, but I've learned from planting cilantro there, that the soil is much warmer due to house retaining heat. So this would be an experiment.

Barbecue is my real passion. And I had a friend who was allergic to onions and it was almost impossible to smoke any meats that the rubs or marinades did not include onion or onion powder. Basic barbecue rub starts with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic ..... otherwise known as SPOG.

The answer is...I make things myself. Never ever buy mixed spices :) I like making rubs myself anyway.

I went to Tractor Supply today and bought a chainsaw. I will have to decide to play with it another day, not feeling it today...and may wait till leaves are gone.

Danny, I have to smile a little as I remember seeing, from the kitchen window, a chainsaw fly over the back fence. Ron bought it used and couldn't get it to start. Ended up having to do with a choke. I expect you must cook for yourself a lot. Is there any cuisine that doesn't use onions?

I just dropped in to leave this. It's probably too late for this year, but when the okra gets away from you next year, remember this. https://food52.com/recipes/56372-okra-seed-couscous-and-cornstarch-like-thickener-method

And while we're on okra, here's a different recipe.https://www.marthastewart.com/333981/okra-fritters 

Sorry Danny, it had onions.

Amy, I can hardly wait. I do like okra every way I tried it, but I will have to say that this is new to me.

Speaking of onions, here is of the onions, garlic, carrots and different greens I have in the south garden. I am trying to use the greens as an edible cover crop this year. I have never tried it, or even heard of it before.

Where the larger greens are is my new addition to the garden this year. It is where I had butternut squash and cantaloupe growing in the summer. The soil needs a lot of amendments, and with this pandemic I thought I might as well grow something I could eat.

The onions and garlic is in the first row, bok choi and garlic in the second row ( most of the garlic was only plant in the past couple of days, what you can see was planted a week or more ago). The next row is carrots, which, are very slow to do anything. The next row is mustard tender greens, from there on it is new ground which had not been worked till this year, and has collards, purple top turnips, beets, forage turnips, and forage radishes . I hope to till all the new ground in the spring. I am hoping to be able to harvest some of the beets. My daughter and grand daughter wanted them.

Amy, it's simple to just leave them out ;) Despite their predominant usage in cuisine, they are not indispensable.

Danny I am with you on the cooking for oneself. Been cooking for me and more since 1968 when my parents divorced. Granted for a while, while my kids were little I used canned and boxed... but haven't in over 15 or so years.

I LOVE my own cooking... which is why I ride a bicycle as much as I do, and walk to where ever isn't to far... which for me to far is over 2 miles, as I have to come back too. ;)

Today I rode the the Veterans Memorial here in OKC. That netted me 19.97 miles.

Yesterday I rode to buy my bird for TG dinner... and I feel so sad when I ride streets like this... Oh, well, almost all streets look like this:

Piles and piles of tree limbs.

Moni

While I was waiting on the dogs to do what dogs do in the yard, I sampled a yellowing leaf on my cumberland rosemary. Liking the flavor, I plan tomorrow on plucking all the leaves that are preparing to fall anyway (it's semi-evergreen) and drying them. Another weapon in the culinary arsenal (and like I said, I can't grow most herbs because it's too wet). Probably in December, the georgia savory will do the same thing (full of bloom right now). So..the substitutes are working, though both potted. I hope to propagate the heck out of the cr next year and put into beds. It's a pretty little plant anyway. The gs is not QUITE hardy here, when I've planted it out, it gives up the ghost in early spring as the temperatures fluctuate and the rain never ends.

My pitcher plants have been somewhat disappointing this year, though they definitely grew. Every time I got a really big pitcher, it would last about two weeks. Something would get in pitcher and then chew it's way out, killing the pitcher. From reading, it's probably wasps, but might be some kind of beetle too. I am hoping they make so many pitchers next year that there will be some to spare.

I called Brent and Becky's today and they said they're two weeks behind..so maybe for Thanksgiving (if I'm lucky), I can plant bulbs. I guess it's good news that the horticulture industry has been overwhelmed this year, but individually annoying. Oh, well, I wasn't planning on going anywhere for Thanksgiving anyway. A lot of that going around with the spiking coronavirus, I suspect.

Reading back....

Garlic. I just like to eat what I grow. I'm not sure it tastes better. I'm not a garlic snob really. I like garlic a lot and use if very often, but I don't taste a huge difference in it. The same with onions really.

At my house, cooking onions, garlic, and peppers brings everyone into the kitchen to see what goodness I'm cooking up.

I planted over a 100 cloves on Saturday. Maybe I already said that earlier. I don't remember.

Danny, Tom likes to smoke meat too. He often makes his own rubs. He has a giant industrial smoker. People freak out because I don't eat meat and here he is smoking all this amazing stuff.. I am trying....but I just don't like it.

I'm caught up now.

Good to read your posts.

I've been off my bike for 6 months and I've gained 15#'s. Why I stopped riding, I'll never know. At 68 yo with bad knees, its the best thing I can do for myself. I started riding again this week going 10 miles a day and try to build up to 15. But I'm afraid I've started at the wrong time of year, although, over the winter, when Im not mowing the lawn and working in the yard and garden, I really can put on the weight. So maybe I just dress warm and hope for a mild winter.

Y’all. I totally realize this is the opposite problem than most of you have, but my garden just. Won’t. Die. I’m serious. I went out back to grab a handful of salad greens, and decided to walk the corner where the tomatoes are. I brought in a dozen ripe tomatoes, 3 eggplant, and an oversized okra pod. The okra plant is even blooming. (One is, the other is toast.) If we don’t have a hard freeze before Thanksgiving, we will have vine ripened tomatoes that day. How 2020 of it.

Did discover enough lettuce for a couple salads, but only one out of 2 bins sprouted, and STILL no spinach. Even with new, soaked seed, nothing. Debating on what’s up with this. Third planting. Fresh soil. Anyone?

Rebecca, spinach is so slow! It really is. We planted some weeks ago and it's just now coming up. And that is exciting about your plants that are still living!

Lynn, my feet are awful and you're right, it's so easy to gain weight. But, because my feet (and knees) are bad, I keep going. It's worse to just stop exercising them. I agree with you! You can do it--just keep moving.

Lynn I wear knee sleeves/braces when I ride. I can't anymore without. I have arthritis in all my joints, my knees, fingers and right shoulder are the worst.

Moni

Like these: https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-knee-compression-sleeve-s/m/ID=prod6312251-product

wow, they are on sale right now...

I just dont have a lot of luck with spinach. I have not done a lot of work with it, like soak the seeds, or anything else. I have a lot of luck with other types of greens and just grow them instead.

I hope you people with bad joint keep an eye on them. I waited too long with my right shoulder, and had to have a reverse joint installed. I was told it was the last option, but was the only one that would work in my case. I was told that they did not like to install that joint in anyone under 70 years old. I was a little under 70, but they installed the joint anyway. It has been a good joint, but I think it may be badly worn by now...It sometimes pops out of socket . I can get it back in, but it pinches something and hurts till I get it back in. Most of the problems are my fault, the surgeon and physical therapist told me I was abusing my joints too much, I was clearing land with a chain saw at the time.

In the process of trying to take stress off my right shoulder, I started using my left shoulder more. I had to go in and have that shoulder repaired also, but, only repair and clean up was needed, no new parts. The left shoulder is doing much better than the right, but I had it repaired before it got so bad.

I have a lot of joint problems, my feet, back and hips are the worst. If I follow the Dr.s advise I do much better, but to do the things I enjoy I have to stretch the boundaries a little, that is one reason I have the tractors to ride. I can do a lot of work and not have a lot of pain. I cant stand long or walk very far, but I dont have to with the tractors.

When I was in college (long ago), I was a work-study for a year in the Horticulture greenhouses. One of the professors was a spinach specialist and breeder. But darn, if the spinach really wasn't that robust and happy in the winter greenhouses (which you'd think would be right up it's alley). Spinach *must* require a very particular growing regime to do well.

I've had problems getting a good stand of spinach ,both spring and fall plantings. I remember as a child my mom didn't seem to have any problem with growing a row of spinach and lettuce. These days I've had a lot of difficulty growing both. Wonder if climate change over the years has anything to do with it.

HU

I forgot this flipping tablet hits the back button when a window is minimized. Lost my post!

There is a method called "priming" spinach. I have done this. I have done it when I didn't have time to plant something I soaked, which happens regularly. I have not put it in a jar, however. Not sure of the purpose of that. Does it sprout quicker? IDK. Does more germinate? Maybe. I have had old spinach seed germinate, so maybe. I also think spinach varieties make a difference. I think there is a reason Bloomsdale Longstanding has been popular for so long. Aside from the Asian varieties it always grow best for me.

https://www.growveg.com/guides/getting-a-good-stand-of-garden-spinach/#:~:text=Scientists%20call%20this%20process%20%22priming,for%20a%20day%20or%20two.

Larry, your garden looks nice!

I understand leaving it out, Danny. I'm not allergic, but I hate cayenne pepper. I don't like the taste, let alone the heat. I don't do "hot" anymore, but cayenne is bitter to me. This eliminates Cajun which my husband loves. Plus, for some reason, every recipe on the internet calls for red pepper flakes. I leave it out. Ron insists on following recipes exactly the first time. Mutter, mutter. I can't eat dairy. Well I do sometimes, but I pay for it later. I can buy vegan cheese, sour cream and cream cheese. I can tolerate most of it, some is just bad.

All of you with joint issues: get in a pool. Do water aerobics. Exercising in water is like 9 times exercising in air. But it takes the pressure off the feet, knees and hips at the same time. I need to take my own advice, but in the age of the pandemic, the rules make it harder. I started in the pool after my knee replacement which was, coincidentally, 10 years ago on the 10th. Since my hips were also shot, it was the only place I could walk. I met some great people there too. Helps with the therapy.

We had a frost yesterday, but what's left in the garden shrugged it off. The Swiss Chard looks good. The brassica looks good. There is something green at the far end of the tomato bed that may be arugula or even spinach. A lantana was blooming yesterday. The pansies look good. The mums look ragged.

I have dairy issues too, can handle it in small amounts, but it's always who knows, luckily my scoville unit tolerance is on the increase. Hopefully not a lasting covid-19 issue :) I don't much like Cajun either, because it's garlic heavy (or I think it is). I do occassionally make Red Beans and Rice or gumbo though.

I was telling a friend yesterday that the art of cooking (in my opinion) is seasoning. And I've became a pretty deft hand at herbs and spices. Even in college, my friends were saying I should open a restaurant. I never wanted to (still don't). But I cook like an old cookbook that Mom had (which I now have) titled 'It Seems Like I Done It This-a-Way', I just throw dashes and pinches of things as occur to me at the moment, for the most part.

Sounds about like how I cook. A little of this, a little of that, until it looks right. I always hate when someone asks for the recipe because I honestly don't know how I made it.

I pulled a couple carrots last night. They grew all summer so now they're huge, like 2-3" diameter. And since we had that cold snap they're sweet & delicious. Nothing else grew this year but by golly my carrots are unbelievable.

I'm also a " follow the recipe exactly " the first time also haha , and Mrs Dollar and I have had some battles over that . I want to know what the creator of the recipe was shooting for, then take it from there.

I ride a bike because of my bad joints. I was a walker, did 4 miles almost daily till I tore a meniscus in my knee. I asked the Doc how I was gonna burn calories. He told me to get a bike. Best advise I've gotten. Wish I'd found it sooner in life. Its easy on the joints.

I was surprised after ignoring my potted garden at home since I have been so sick that most of my seeds and garlic are looking great.

spinach for me is like carrots it gets allot of extra attention in the beg inning and will patty off big later.

i have a good stand at my daughters and now at home too. Peas spinach lettuce onions all look so good.

now if I just felt better

Jen, I KNOW. I've had people ask for various recipes and am afraid to try and tell them, for fear it won't turn out well for them. Glad you got the seeds; hope you can put them to good. use.

Nice to meet you, Danny. The talk of cutting down trees. We are surrounded by massive bur oaks in front of the house and behind the house. Garry is also an old tree cutter downer. He used to be the go-to guy for the neighbors out here--but he's too unsteady nowadays, I hate to seem him even get on a short ladder. Remember, Amy, when he cut this huge limb off one of the big trees? I had big pillows and blankets over the rock border underneath. It WAS laughable, I admit. In a tornado, our house would likely be toast. I remember the flying chain saw story, Amy. Our situation is like yours, Danny. Though I would love to see a couple of those big oaks cut down, there are power line issues everywhere. And we think about three grand here. Seems like we heard one of our neighbors say that's what it was.

I like growing garlic--we use a lot of it and it's no muss/no fuss. We also use a lot of onions. I'm glad that like all the food GDW likes, though the reverse isn't true. He wants to like liver, but can't. lol. He doesn't even pretend to like many foreign foods. A real killjoy, there.

Rebecca, I, too have lots of things still growing. Cilantro is looking good, peppers are still producing. But really, how many habanero peppers does one need? I have volunteer kales coming up but in rather inconvenient places. lol

Oops got sidetracked with dinner and then Madam Secretary. Cheers, all. Take care.

My cilantro is coming back strong. But we've not had a real hard freeze yet, even with all the ice.

Yesterday I tried to post 3 times. I don't know what happened to the last one, I tried to edit a spelling error and it disappeared.

Kim, what kind of sickness? I hope you feel better soon!

I'm glad you got good carrots Jen!

My cilantro reseeds in spring, but there is none out there now. I tried to post pictures yesterday. In case that is what happened to my posts I will submit this and try that again.

I went out to clean around my cilantro. This is the first time I have grown any. the henbit is taking over everything. I noticed different kinds of bees really working it, and I remember Dawn stating that she left henbit for the bees. Looking at the smile on those little faces made me just stop and leave it for the bees. There just are not many things blooming around here.

I did notice a nice buck bouncing across the pasture, but I could not see him on the screen of the tablet. He stopped at the edge of the pasture, like he was looking for traffic, then jumped the fence abd crossed the hwy into the wildlife garden, crossed all the stuff I had planted and went into the thicket. It was 9:30, I guess it was bed time. He should get up about dusk and eat again.

Amy, the picture posted of the greens is the prettiest spot in any of my gardens. I will try to post a picture of the cilantro, arugula, bok choi and swiss chart. It seems as tho the deer dont care much bok choi or arugula, but they trim most anything else that sticks up above the henbit.

I had another picture of the spot where the beets are planted, but the deer keep the beets trimmed also.

I may not be able to grow much of a garden, but I grow some of the best henbit in the country.

Strawberries under asparagus.

Swiss Chard planted last spring. We cut back the summer leaves.

Reseeded arugula

Comfrey on left that Dawn gave me a few years ago. To right of that is some tansy. Ignore the weeds.

Amy, it all looks nice.

By the way, I don't have time to ignore your weeds, I have too many of my own that I am ignoring, it just wears me out.

I did hire my helper yesterday to do some mowing. He like to call me on Thur. or Fri. to do some work so he can have a little spending money.

Wow! This thread sure grew fast! I think I am all caught up. Long threads are hard for me, due to time constraints.

David, I feel for you with the allium allergy. My wife and daughter have severe milk allergies, and my wife also is pretty allergic to eggs too. We've found, while traveling, that there's no such thing as a "safe place to eat" when one has a food allergy. Folk without the problem have no concept of how the slightest contamination can affect a person.

I've done a lot of experimentation with cooking without milk and eggs.

Wow Amy, you still have gardening going on :)

I'm the one with the lost post today, Amy! Sigh. Too tired now. But am at least caught up with all your posts.

Just a couple of pictures of something new to me.

Back in the spring Johnny Coleman told me he was ordering some jute seed. I think Amy was the one that said that it was the same as Egyptian spinach. Anyway it tripped my interest, I had never really thought where jute came from, and would have never thought it was fit to eat. Well, I just had to order some seed to find out for my self.

Yesterday my young helper wanted to earn some money.( big plans for tonight). Anyway I still had some mowing that I wanted done, and he mows like my lawn is a racetrack, and he seldom stops to pick any thing up.

The jute that I planted must have reached 8 or 10 feet tall. I ate a few leaves raw, but Madge never cooked any. When I told her that Amy said it was slimy, that turned her off. The jute was just in the way, so I pushed it out with the tractor some time in Sept., and pushed most of it out into the pasture. There was a piece or two left by the garden that I never picked up, and my helper ran over it with the mower. I was surprised at how much fiber was in that piece of jute.

I know this is a long post to say nothing, but I understand hemp has more and stronger fiber, but I dont have any hemp to show you.

I have a problem with birds picking things like this up to put in their nest, and I try to keep anything like this picked up and burned or thrown away.

Please forgive the long post, but I am bored, and ready for spring.

I had never heard that jute was edible...I wouldn't think with all that fibre shown it would be fun to chew. However, I did a walk with a forager this past spring, and he wanted me to taste green-briar (smilax). I was willing to try most things. So we finally found a stem with new shoots and was surprised how tasty it was (better than a fresh green pea pod). You never know.

Larry, why do you mind the birds using such? I'd rather that than a nest full of paper scraps. And, I'm afraid spring is quite a ways away, though I guess you can safely ALSO say, it'll be here before you know it.

Well this week saw my Jelito seeds ship, though coming from Germany, they proposed delivery date of 12-11-2020. Also my Brent and Becky's bulbs finally shipped, delivery Wednesday. I'm looking forward to planting, so in my own way, I'm as ready for spring as you are, Larry, I guess. I find myself wanting to browse seed companies, but also wanting to wait till the January update so I can see what's new (lol) and of course updates of availability, too many out of stock things.
I am happy that horticultural companies seem to have REALLY really boomed this year, which is a good change, after years of closures. However, I hated outages, long waits, etc. Can't make me happy, right?

Danny, I am afraid a bird will get its feet caught in the fiber. I started using hay binding twine some years ago, because it was cheap, and most often free. I would use it to tie the tomatoes to the trellises, or any other task that called for a good strong twine. After a short piece of the binder twine goes through the lawn mower if makes bundle of fiber, which the birds love. I found a bird hanging from one of my blue bird houses. It had gotten its foot tangled in the twine and could not get free. I found it hanging about 10" below the bird house, it was dead by the time I found it. I have tried to keep anything with long fiber picked up . I have had no dealing with the jute fiber before, but I don't want the same thing to happen again. I always have plenty of nesting material without having the long stringy stuff laying around.

I have looked on some of the off-shore seed sites, I would like some different kinds of cabbage and greens. It seems that many of them have a milder taste.

I am not surprised that the green briar taste good, when I was much younger I liked to hunt around an area that had a lot of green briar and/or honeysuckle. The deer seemed to love both plants.

Yes, I am ready for spring, just like every other year. Even though I am in a rush for spring to get here, I seem to always get a late start on the garden. I am going to try to do part of my garden like I did years ago. I will start tilling the area I want early crops in late winter to help dry the soil. I live in a low area and my soil stays too wet too long, so part of my garden will not have a cover crop this year. I would like to try a living mulch this year. Austrian winter peas are what I have in mind, hoping they will die back when the hot weather gets here, leaving the soil shaded.

I forgot to mention that I only tried to eat the leaves of the jute plant. I expect that the stalk would be too chewy. Amy mentioned that the leaves were slimy like okra, that turned my wife off, the only leaves I ate were raw. I have some seeds left, I may try them again this coming summer.

Jute aka molokhia (and various similar spellings) is a relative of okra. It's seed pods look like miniature okra. It laughs at Oklahoma heat, no bugs bother it and like okra, it is highly nutritious. I suspect if one cooked okra leaves they would be slimy, too. The taste is nothing to write home about, unless you're Egyptian, where it's a common dish and probably comfort food. My memory of the raw leaves is they were tough and not particularly tasty. I dried some to make tea, which is one way to use it. The tea is mild. I think I'll grow some next year to put in smoothies. That should solve most issues. If the apocalypse comes we should all grow it, that and cowpeas could keep us alive. BTW these are large plants, as well. I wonder if they would make suitable mulch? The leaves are small though. I don't have any memory of how long they take to dry out. Well plenty of stuff for the compost, anyway. I bet that fiber would get stuck in Ron's chipper. You know, Larry, I got my foot stuck in hay bale twine a few years ago and fell and broke my wrist. Did the deer bother your jute?

Happy Saturday everyone.

Yes, there's definitely some unique varieties available off our shores. Hmm, never considered a bird getting tangled in it.

Amy, I dont think anything will eat jute. The birds loved getting in the jute plants, I dont know if they were roosting there or finding something to eat in there. We have a stray cat that hangs around, he liked the garden also. My best guess is that the cat was catching birds of frogs, which were feeding on the insects. The jute makes a very large plant which may be suitable for nesting birds.

I have read a little today about jute, it appears that there are several types. One picture that I saw showed it growing in water, if that is the case, I have a couple of spots in my wildlife garden I would like to try it. If it would make a thicket, that would be a place for wildlife and produce seeds to be used in the garden also. I guess you can tell that I have more fun in the wildlife garden than I do in the food gardens. The food gardens are a lot of work. The wildlife garden I can get really sloppy in, and do most of the work with a tractor.

Larry, that should be fun to work with... to make some rope.

Thanks for telling why you don't want it around...

Kim, feeling better?

Moni