Farmer Browns supercharged Willow water

Willow Water is a method to extract the rooting hormones indolebutyric acid (IBA) and Salicylicacid( SA), which are present in sufficient quantities in the Willow(Salix) trees to use as a liquid that stimulates root growth. 

Old world methods often suggest soaking the cut stems for up to a month in water. Most new methods suggest using 48 to 72 hour extraction process and those are available. What both of these systems lack is that most scientists agree the hormone itself is alcohol soluble. Our method fixes that and make a more concentrated tea. 

Carondelet Willow tea 

Gather willow branches from the first or second years growth that are green and yellow do not harvest any brown branches. Cut these branches into 1-2 inch pieces and place at the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket filling that bucket about a third of the way loosely. Pour a gallon and a half of boiling water on top of these branches and carefully place a dinner plate on top those branches. Safely use something to force the dinner plate down , making sure that the Willow branches are below the surface of the water. Allow this to sit overnight and cool. The next day add 2 shots of vodka 2 to gallons of water and pour this mixture over the dinnerplate making sure again that the plate is forcing the material below the surface of the water. Allow this to sit for 4 to 5 days. The alcohol will not only help you extract more of the hormone but after a few days time it would begin to disappear from the solution altogether. You may now remove the dinner plate and remove the cut Willow branches. Then what's next is  pouring off your liquid rooting supercharger into recycled ( if possible ) gallon jugs that you can store in the refrigerator for months.You can use this to water cuttings or use it to stimulate root growth when planting starters. We use it when transplanting anything to help reduce system shock and to encourage quick root growth. We have proven through experiments that seedlings watered with this grew faster than those that weren't. However you make your tea just remember that science in the garden can be fun as well as rewarding.

Perennial Vegetable Corner: Asparagus

Asparagus officinalis

Asparagus is one of the more familiar offerings on this visitation to various choices in perennial vegetable gardening.  This succulent vegetable is loved or hated in our American cuisine.  One of the oldest vegetables on record, it grows well in our region.  The following website has an excellent overview of establishing your asparagus patch:

Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board

Varieties original to the United States are Mary, Martha, and Waltham Washington.  Hybrid varieties provide more male plants than female and are the Jersey Giant, Jersey Knight, Jersey Supreme and Jersey Gem varieties.  Other varieties are available in the southern United States and Canada, but the Canadian varieties may not be available to the home gardener at this time.  Purple passion, pacific purple and other purple varieties have been selected for a genetic color mutation but turn green with cooking.  White varieties are the normal varieties that have been "blanched" by mechanical means by the gardener.

Suppliers:

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Territorial Seed

Grow Organic

Garlic of the Day: Inchelium Red

Found at the Colville Indian Reservation in Inchelium, Washington, this variety is a winner among braidable artichoke type garlics.  Large bulbs with up to 20 cloves in layers.  Stores well and the flavor increases during storage.  This bulb is a national taste test winner in the softneck division and has a robust but not overwhelming flavor.  Good in many climates.

Suppliers:
Territorial Seed Company
High Mowing Seeds
Southern Exposure Exchange

Perennial Vegetable Corner: Groundnut

Apios americana also known as Groundnut

A vine native to North America, the groundnut has edible beans and tubers.  Tubers are crunchy and nutritious and have high quantities of starch and protein.  Before the European settlement of this continent, native Americans got the majority of their crop from the wild.  Documentation does show that some tribes did transplant these vines near their settlements to make harvesting easier.  I have not tried to cultivate these but it appears that they would be a good companion plant with the ramps we talked about recently.  Interested in starting a growth of these in the city?  Let us know how it goes for you!

Suppliers:

Sand Mountain Herbs

Local Harvest

Garlic of the Day: Siciliano

Excellent for sauces and pestos, Siciliano is a tasty favorite among garlic varieties.  This is another softneck artichoke type that is good for braiding.  Richly flavored and mildly pungent, this variety is a good keeper for a home cook who enjoys flavoring with garlic.  An old world variety, it has only been available in the US for about a decade.  This is a moderate garlic and pairs readily with tomato, pasta and olive oil.  By infusing olive oil with it's flavor the home cook can have a superior cooking oil.  Early harvester, 10 to 12 cloves per bulb, and keeps for 5-6 months.

Suppliers:

Tanglewood Creek Family Farm

Hood River Garlic

The Cook's Garden

Perennial Vegetable Corner: Garlic chives

Allium tuberosum also known as Garlic chives

The last in our perennial allium family, garlic chives are a versatile contributor to the garden.  Easily grown from seed or by separating clumps, this is a carefree addition to the garden.  The flowers also provide for a pleasant addition to the landscape.  The flavor is mild and a cross between garlic and chives.  These are an excellent pot herb or garnish.  Flowers make an excellent garnish and bloom in mid to late summer.  There are even companies that produce and extract for it's aphrodisiac properties.

Suppliers:

Swallowtail Gardens

Local Harvest

Victory Seeds

Galic of the Day: Polish White

Harvest this soft neck variety in early summer and it will keep until mid winter.  This is a rich musky mellow garlic that is very popular in the United States.  This garlic has consistent yields and is easy to grow, very popular to grow in New England.  This garlic does well in cold weather and will produce 5-9 large cloves per artichoke type bulb.  It may have some purpling in the skin making it fairly attractive for display and braids well.  Excellent baker.

Suppliers:
Filagree Farms
Hood River
Karian Farms

People in Our Neighborhood: Farmer Brown

The Energizer Bunny that holds the garden together and keeps us moving forward is our own Farmer Brown.      He tirelessly challenges the gardeners he is working with to be more, bigger, better, faster, stronger.  It's rumored that Farmer Brown does not sleep and pulls all his energy from the rays of the sun and moon.  With a couple or three decades of experience under his belt, Farmer Brown is a fantastic resource and is generally available to teach those wanting to learn how to live sustainably and more in tune with the earth.

Farmer Brown has a degree in viticulture and enology which is often showcased at late night barbecues.  He recently brought a mulberry melomel along that was incredibly tasty and satisfying, but I have yet to taste anything bad from his cellars.  He had a farm in Chillicothe which has given him a great deal of animal husbandry experience and numerous 4-H awards in animal husbandry. Spent many years at the Livingston County farmers market and held a board position of treasurer there He also spent 10 years as a hydroponic grower. Sausage and artisan ham making, food preservation and butchering are just a few of the arts he picked up along the way. 

Spearheading the annual Garlic Fest in town, he throws his tireless determination into putting on a fantastic festival that grows every year.  It's a wonderful way to network with like minded gardeners and to learn more about the community at large.

In addition to the festival, he keeps multiple lots on track with many gardeners at the reigns.  This year he expanded our cooperative farmers to include an intern program.  In order to keep the garden servicing the community he also started a series of classes, the schedule of which can be found elsewhere on this blog.

If you come out and join us in our many endeavors, please make sure to check in with Farmer Brown and find your niche with us to continue to grow our gardening community and the communities of Carondelet and the Patch as a whole.  Together we will make a better place to live, work, and play and Farmer Brown is fantastic at leading the way.

Perennial Vegetable Corner: Ramps

Allium tricoccum also known as Ramps

Ramps are an early spring vegetable of the onion family.  They have a strong garlic odor and pronounced onion flavor.  The mountain folk of Appalachia have long celebrated spring with the arrival of the ramp, believing it to have great power as a tonic to ward off many ailments of winter. Indeed, ramp's vitamin and mineral content did bolster the health of people who went without many green vegetables during the winter.  These delicious greens can be pulled straight out of the ground and nibbled on by those with a passion for strong tastes.  Chopped they may be used in various cuisines.  Excellent paired with eggs or in stir fries, many people develop a passionate love of these vegetables after being introduced to their robust flavor.  Ramps grow wild all over the United States and a patch can be introduced to your backyard by transplanting a clump to fill in some of the shady spaces.  When picking out your space, look for dappled light or shade and plant in a wood chip rich area.   Recently, the Carondelet Urban Farm went on a field trip to Macoupin County, Illinois to dig bushels of ramps.  It was an exciting and taste filled day.  We have had some discussion of what we actually dug up and are awaiting expert opinion on what we brought home to transplant.  Ramps are a great plant to tuck in your landscape and nibble on in the spring of the year.

Suppliers:

Prairie Moon Nursery

Ramp Farm Specialties

Everwilde Farms