Saturday, May 1, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata)
Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata) seeds.
Hierochloe, from the Greek, hieros, "sacred", and chloe, "grass".
odorata, from the Latin, "sweet smelling, fragrant".
Synonmys: Hierochloe borealis, Buffalo Grass, Sacred grass, Holy Grass, Holy Sweet Grass, Vanilla Grass, Feur Moire (Gaelic), Zebrovka ("the place where bison graze"),
Foin d’odeur, Wenserakon ohonte, Wiingashk, Weengushk, Hair of Mother Earth, Manna Grass, Seneca Grass.
Distribution: Circumboreal; common above 40ยบ north latitude in Asia, Europe, and North America.
Habitat: Wet meadows, low prairies, edges of sloughs and marshes, bogs, shaded streambanks, lakeshores, and cool mountain canyons.
History:
Used for religious purposes both North America and Europe.
This is one of the main ingredients in the smoking mixture for Peace pipes.
Sweetgrass is also a traditional incense or smudge.
Some Native American peoples used it as incense for purification of places and things.
It was strewn before church doors on Saints' days in northern Europe.
Used in France to flavour candy, tobacco, soft drinks, and perfumes.
In Russia it is added to vodka to make Zebrovka (a vanilla scented vodka).
Brewed as a tea, has been used for coughs and sore throats, chapping and windburn, and as an eyewash.
Used by Native Americans for basket making.
Sweetgrass Cultivation:
Full sun to part shade.
Moist to wet rich soil with lots of cow manure (think 60 million bison :-D )
Very hardy. Grows well in containers if given plenty of moisture.
Seeds - Rub seed cases between fingers to remove the seeds. Sow in spring (or at equivalent temperature) in flats/pots and only just cover the seed.
Germination usually begins to take place within 2 weeks but may take several months (wild seeds have a staggered germination).
Water from underneath so as not disturb the seeds. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.
Germination rates: Sweetgrass naturally has a very low germination rate of about 5-15% but once you have one plant it spreads easily by runners.
Division in spring or summer. Very simple, virtually any part of the root will regrow to make a new plant.
The plants have a running root system and can spread quickly when grown in suitable conditions.
Sweetgrass Tips for Adelaide, Australia (Mediterranean-like hot/dry conditions):
I have a very small garden so I grow mine in a big plastic storage box, I think it was actually sold as a bait bin, it's something like 200lt in volume.
Its in full sun on the north side of the house.
Soil is potting mix, a bottle of those water saving crystals and a bucket of dynamic lifter (it really likes blood & bone or cow manure).
My Sweetgrass container has no drainage holes on the bottom just one small hole drilled about half way up on one side. Sweetgrass likes really wet soil and this way the bottom half of the box is always saturated unless the plant uses it. When I water I use a stick in the hole and fill to the brim (It can stay that way for hours or days) to saturate the soil and then remove the stick so there is no problem with mosquitoes. This container also keeps the grass stems cleaner as Sweetgrass is a bit floppy. Grass stems can grow up to 1m in length.
Sweetgrass seems only to set seed if the plants are in several cm of water in summer.
Sweetgrass will die if it dries out but is very tough otherwise.
I bought my seeds from a seller on ebay.
http://myworld.ebay.com.au/leaves_of_the_yggdrasil/
Hierochloe, from the Greek, hieros, "sacred", and chloe, "grass".
odorata, from the Latin, "sweet smelling, fragrant".
Synonmys: Hierochloe borealis, Buffalo Grass, Sacred grass, Holy Grass, Holy Sweet Grass, Vanilla Grass, Feur Moire (Gaelic), Zebrovka ("the place where bison graze"),
Foin d’odeur, Wenserakon ohonte, Wiingashk, Weengushk, Hair of Mother Earth, Manna Grass, Seneca Grass.
Distribution: Circumboreal; common above 40ยบ north latitude in Asia, Europe, and North America.
Habitat: Wet meadows, low prairies, edges of sloughs and marshes, bogs, shaded streambanks, lakeshores, and cool mountain canyons.
History:
Used for religious purposes both North America and Europe.
This is one of the main ingredients in the smoking mixture for Peace pipes.
Sweetgrass is also a traditional incense or smudge.
Some Native American peoples used it as incense for purification of places and things.
It was strewn before church doors on Saints' days in northern Europe.
Used in France to flavour candy, tobacco, soft drinks, and perfumes.
In Russia it is added to vodka to make Zebrovka (a vanilla scented vodka).
Brewed as a tea, has been used for coughs and sore throats, chapping and windburn, and as an eyewash.
Used by Native Americans for basket making.
Sweetgrass Cultivation:
Full sun to part shade.
Moist to wet rich soil with lots of cow manure (think 60 million bison :-D )
Very hardy. Grows well in containers if given plenty of moisture.
Seeds - Rub seed cases between fingers to remove the seeds. Sow in spring (or at equivalent temperature) in flats/pots and only just cover the seed.
Germination usually begins to take place within 2 weeks but may take several months (wild seeds have a staggered germination).
Water from underneath so as not disturb the seeds. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.
Germination rates: Sweetgrass naturally has a very low germination rate of about 5-15% but once you have one plant it spreads easily by runners.
Division in spring or summer. Very simple, virtually any part of the root will regrow to make a new plant.
The plants have a running root system and can spread quickly when grown in suitable conditions.
Sweetgrass Tips for Adelaide, Australia (Mediterranean-like hot/dry conditions):
I have a very small garden so I grow mine in a big plastic storage box, I think it was actually sold as a bait bin, it's something like 200lt in volume.
Its in full sun on the north side of the house.
Soil is potting mix, a bottle of those water saving crystals and a bucket of dynamic lifter (it really likes blood & bone or cow manure).
My Sweetgrass container has no drainage holes on the bottom just one small hole drilled about half way up on one side. Sweetgrass likes really wet soil and this way the bottom half of the box is always saturated unless the plant uses it. When I water I use a stick in the hole and fill to the brim (It can stay that way for hours or days) to saturate the soil and then remove the stick so there is no problem with mosquitoes. This container also keeps the grass stems cleaner as Sweetgrass is a bit floppy. Grass stems can grow up to 1m in length.
Sweetgrass seems only to set seed if the plants are in several cm of water in summer.
Sweetgrass will die if it dries out but is very tough otherwise.
I bought my seeds from a seller on ebay.
http://myworld.ebay.com.au/leaves_of_the_yggdrasil/
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Roses -In Honour Of My Mum
For some reason I have this instinct I guess you call it to plant and grow roses.
Maybe because my mum use to grow them before she passed away.
So I have been re designing my garden to plant and grow them all around my yard.
Back and front.
I also want to get some fragrant roses.
Climbing ones and ones that grow in pots.
I am going to add some nice roses around my bedroom window and the other 2 bedroom windows as well.
As I achieve this I will take some pics of my progress.
Now I just need to learn about roses and which ones to grow and then buy some.
I will update this post as I achieve.
Maybe because my mum use to grow them before she passed away.
So I have been re designing my garden to plant and grow them all around my yard.
Back and front.
I also want to get some fragrant roses.
Climbing ones and ones that grow in pots.
I am going to add some nice roses around my bedroom window and the other 2 bedroom windows as well.
As I achieve this I will take some pics of my progress.
Now I just need to learn about roses and which ones to grow and then buy some.
I will update this post as I achieve.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
MOSQUITO REPELANT
MOSQUITO REPELANT
 clipped from www.lensgarden.com.auMOSQUITO REPELANT Start out by roasting garlic in the microwave, squeezing the pulp Then add water and some blue food coloring, and put the concoction in the Mixing garlic powder with water works just as well and is less trouble. Just spray it all over the grass, vegetation and everything. It will be effective immediately and the smell does go away quickly. It lasts for me about 2 weeks or until we have a hard rain. The stuff is pure magic. It also keeps the gnats and "no see 'ems" away, and even deters the yellowflies.
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COMFREY TEA FOR DOG SKIN ALLERGIES
COMFREY TEA FOR DOG SKIN ALLERGIES
 clipped from www.lensgarden.com.auCOMFREY TEA FOR DOG SKIN ALLERGIES - Cook a mess Comfry Geens, dilute the cool pot liquid down to iced tea color, and pour into the dog's fur. It's VERY POWERFUL so don't use more than ONCE A MONTH and ONLY when needed.
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SNAIL & SLUG CONTROL
SNAIL & SLUG CONTROL
 clipped from www.lensgarden.com.auSNAIL & SLUG CONTROL Use beer set out in shallow containers eg.,. jar lids, sardine cans etc.,. place the beer traps so that the top rim of the trap is accessible by the slug/snail. They crawl in alive and stay there dead, empty traps and renew beer daily. Coffee as a slug/snail control method:
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More Info Re SNAIL & SLUG CONTROL
More Info Re SNAIL & SLUG CONTROL
 clipped from www.lensgarden.com.auUsing leaf-dip bioassays, we discovered that slugs tended to avoid feeding on plant material treated with caffeine solutions 0.1%, and caffeine solutions as low as 0.01% significantly reduced overall feeding by slugs. Due to concerns about chemical residues, available molluscicides generally cannot be applied directly to food crops for control of slug and snail pests. Caffeine is a natural product which is approved as a food additive. Therefore, caffeine may prove useful for protecting food crops from slugs and snails."
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More Info Re SNAIL & SLUG CONTROL
More Info Re SNAIL & SLUG CONTROL
 clipped from www.lensgarden.com.auFollowing is a copy from another Internet Site Using leaf-dip bioassays, we discovered that slugs tended to avoid feeding on plant material treated with caffeine solutions 0.1%, and caffeine solutions as low as 0.01% significantly reduced overall feeding by slugs. Due to concerns about chemical residues, available molluscicides generally cannot be applied directly to food crops for control of slug and snail pests. Caffeine is a natural product which is approved as a food additive. Therefore, caffeine may prove useful for protecting food crops from slugs and snails."
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