Fenton Friday: Harvesting Roselle and Sunchokes

This week we harvested Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) and took off the outer calyx (pictured above) to let it dry on some indoor screens to make tea. I also saved a few of the seed pods to dry and share at our next Seed Exchanges.

Then we pulled one of the Jerusalem Artichokes aka Sunchokes from the pollinator garden strip. I had planted them there this spring figuring that the concrete borders will keep them in check and in future years they'd be available as a food crop to anyone who needed them. Pictured below are the tubers from that plant. I am letting them cure now along with the few Sweet Potatoes we harvested a few weeks ago. 

I'm still cutting Dahlias daily. We are expecting a frost maybe this weekend. We shall see...

Once the frost hits, we will pull out the last of the Basil, Tomatoes and Peppers. 

We thinned the Radishes and harvested some Cilantro. The Lettuce mix and Cover Crops are also growing well. However, one of the four Cauliflower seedlings has taken a hit. It is under a covercloth and all foliage was eaten -- maybe a slug or rabbit?

What are you growing in your edible garden this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 14th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton"  into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).

DIY: Lemongrass Tea Wreath

This super-easy craft makes a nice gift for the tea-lover on your list or for yourself. Lemongrass leaves are long and unwieldy and rolling them into a small wreath allows you to more easily store them and add them into a cup to brew.

Level: easy   Cost: inexpensive   Use: gift/edible 

Materials:

- Lemongrass plant

Step 1: Select a lemongrass blade that is about 3 feet long. (You can use more than one blade, if you are making wreaths to add to a soup or other dish for stronger flavoring.)

Step 2: Form the end of the blade into a circle around three fingers, then pull the other end through to make a loose circle.

Step 3: Start wrapping the long end around the circle -- twisting it as you go. 

Step 4: Tuck in the last of the loose end or trim it off.

Step 5: Drop one wreath into a cup of boiling hot water to steep for a couple minutes. Remove the wreath and stir in a teaspoon of local honey. Drink.

Tips and Care:

• In the August 2018 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine, we share tips for growing, propagating, and preserving Lemongrass. 
• Fresh lemongrass works best as it can get a bit scratchy and rough as it dries. If the blade is too rough or hard to work with, peel off the stiff section.
• Make several small wreaths to place on holiday gifts or in stockings.
• You can dry the wreaths by hanging them for a few weeks in a well-ventilated room or place them in a dehydrator for several hours.
• Store them in a glass jar.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a few pennies from Amazon.

This is a monthly blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com. 

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DIY: Compost Tea

Compost tea can be used for watering seedlings or established plants. The jury is still out on its benefits, but it is said to loosen clay soils, stimulate root growth, and boost overall plant health.

Level: easy   Cost: minimal   Use: gardening 

Materials:

- bucket

- compost

- rain water

- strainer

- watering can

- large mason jars or other containers with lids

Step 1: In a clean bucket, fill until about 1/3rd full of composted material -- either sourced from our your compost pile or purchased.

Step 2: Fill the bucket almost to the top with rainwater from your rain barrel or collected in buckets after a storm. Chlorinated water can kill the good beneficial microbes in the compost that you are trying to promote.

Step 3: Let it sit for 5-7 days while stirring the compost occasionally a few times a day. This is to aerate the mixture. If you want to make it faster, you can run an aquarium pump or bubbler in it.

Step 4: Next strain the compost with a stainless steel strainer* over a second bucket and then apply the leftover strained compost "pulp" to a garden bed. 

Step 5: Save the strained liquid in an air-tight container. Apply to plantings right away and then every two weeks or so.

Tips: To amp up your compost tea, you can add a few tablespoons of blackstrap molasses, sugar, or liquid kelp/fish fertilizer. You can also throw in chopped-up straw or comfrey. 

*Note: You might want to dedicate that strainer for outdoor use only.

Caution: Don't drink it - yuck!!!

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a few pennies from Amazon.

This is a monthly blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com.