What did you do in the garden today?

[jerryse]

Ate a few kale leaves. Planted a Pineapple tomato to replace the black cherry tomato that didnt make it. I suspect a hose accident. Weeded the spinach-- it is bolting!! WTH?? Tossed weeds to rabbit.

Sun arrived to day-- 68 degrees and sunny. Much warmer than the last 2 days!!

Spinach bolts by day length . It is that time . Try late summer / fall . It will not bolt then .

 

[FridayYet]

Have you actually read those studies?  My understanding is that the amount of the chemical they're talking about is not that high in the plant, so one would have to ingest an awful lot of it in order to have any impact.  The reading I've done leads me to believe it's not much of an issue, if any at all.  Also, the Russian comfrey (I think it's Bocking #14) is much lower in the chemical than a lot of the other cultivars.  Read the actual studies, and make an informed decision.  I plan to use mine for compost, salve, chicken feed, and may actually try eating a bit.  

Yes, I have read them and agree with you. I have Bocking #4 and I feed some to the chickens and may make some tea, but I won't tell anyone to take it internally- they have to decide for themselves.

 

[Stuffedcritter]

Was gifted some herbs, cat nip, oregano, thym and comfrey, planted them... What do you do with comfrey? Any one

I've feed to the rabbits for years haven't seen any side effects bees love it. Second the use of it in salve healed some nasty bite marks on my bucks, oregano is good for the chickens too.

 

[A-K-A]

Does comfrey have a high protien level as a chicken feed?

 

[Beekissed]

Does comfrey have a high protien level as a chicken feed?

This is a great site and worthy of bookmarking for future reference: http://www.feedipedia.org/node/92

). It contains at least eight pyrrolizidine alkaloids which cause acute necrosis of liver and lungs in cattle and horses. Administration of comfrey pyrrolizidine alkaloids to rats resulted in liver damage and death (Culvenor et al., 1980). Cases of horse poisoning from Russian comfrey have been reported (Fuller et al., 1986). However, it should be noted that feeding trials with Russian comfrey do not mention toxicity issues.

Nutritional tables.....

http://www.feedipedia.org/node/92

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Ahhhh. Will replant later in the summer then.

I did pick up Sea Spinach as a summer fill in. My mother and I used to pick this wild along the Maine coastline.

Quote:
Nutritional tables.....

http://www.feedipedia.org/node/92
Thanks for reposting the link. Lost it when the PC crshed.

Like most feeds, none are perfect. Looks like feeding the whole leave is better than giving just the alkaloids to animals for feed.

Seriously, I"m betting the amt of toxins may be due to climate and soil conditions which could increase the % of the alkaloids. For instance, wilted cherry tree leaves are a no-no as feed.

 

[jerryse]

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Quote: Ahhhh. Will replant later in the summer then.

I did pick up Sea Spinach as a summer fill in. My mother and I used to pick this wild along the Maine coastline.


Many plants behave differently in the fall due to days getting shorter . They are programmed to flower as the days get longer . If planted in the spring you often do not get enough heat units for a crop before the day length makes them bolt . Chinese cabbage , turnips , radish , spinach , Asian greens , and lettuce . We have a wild mustard around here that is blooming now . Very tall up to 6 feet and skinny . Seeds that come up in late summer stay short and very stocky . This has to do with day length . Chinese cabbage and Asian greens are in the mustard family and respond the same . Lettuce , spinach , parsnips , cabbage do very well as winter crops in California .

 

[lazy gardener]

Also, regarding use of comfrey for feed: It's recommended that you use young leaves: less than 4" long. As with any product, it's important to do your own research, and make your own decisions on how or if you will use it.

 

[lazy gardener]

Had to replant my corn. About 90% of it eaten. ? crows, ? some little brown maggot looking grubs.

 

[FridayYet]

I didn't do anything in the garden today because it's hatch day! 2 Orloffs out, One W/BW Ameraucana out, with another one pipped.

Garden? What garden??