herbaceous layer | Homestead Horticulture

Posted on July 10, 2015July 10, 2015 by Dave

Rhubarb

Rhubarb

Aside from asparagus, rhubarb is probably one of the most easily recognizable perennials on the homestead. This hardy garden standout is easily propagated, and will provide abundant harvest for years to come.

Propagating rhubarb is most commonly done through root division or crown cuttings. Less frequent is propagation through seed. I’ve planted both purchased crowns and splits from a friend. This method is easy and reliable… you know exactly what you are getting, a clone of the mother plant. Crowns should be separated from the mother plant periodically to ensure plant vitality. Growing rhubarb from seed can be a little more risky as many varieties now days are hybrids so you don’t know if you will end up with often times. I grew a batch of rhubarb from seed this season, and so far I’m pretty happy with the results. They are tiny versions of a full sized rhubarb, and have proven to be very hardy enduring marauding mice, and marble sized hail. Seed germination rates were in the 90%+ range as well. Cultivation is pretty simple as well. The plants prefer rich soil, plenty of nitrogen and organic matter, and thrive in cooler areas.

Uses range from the classic pie filling, either straight or mixed with strawberries. I like to plant rhubarb along with new trees. The large leaves shade the soil holding moisture in the root zone of the tree, and helping to keep grass at bay. Rhubarb is also a fine plant for chop and drop mulching by virtue of the incredible vegetative growth, especially in a mature plant. I’ve planted a dozen or so rhubarb crowns specifically for this purpose.

Most rhubarb is hardy to at least USDA zone 3 and generally has a useful life of 15 or more years. The edible portion of the plant is the meaty stalk, along with the flower buds. The leaves should not be eaten because of the high levels of oxalic acid. The stalks contain a bit as well so it would behoove you to not eat rhubarb on a daily basis. Large amounts of sugar are generally called for in most recipes to alleviate the bitterness inherent in the plant. Rhubarb is high in Magnesium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Calcium, Potassium and Manganese.

With so many great uses and benefits it’s no wonder Rhubarb is so widely cultivated. Rhubarb another Homestead Hero!

Posted on June 6, 2015June 6, 2015 by Dave

Stinging Nettle

Stinging Nettles

The oft maligned stinging nettle is considered by many to be a weed at best. Something to be relegated to those wild parts of the homestead where it can’t cause any trouble, where you won’t have to see it or think about it. Not so in my garden! We embrace this dreaded weed as an ally in nutrition and fertility.

Nettles growing in the garden — Stinging Nettle in my Garden

I won’t go so far as to claim that I intentionally planted nettle in my garden, but when I brought in soil for my hugelkulture mounds there just so happened to be some in there. When I saw them start to come up I was quite excited, I knew what these little beauties could contribute to both my garden and my plate!

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) is a herbaceous perennial native to North America (and most of the world). To say that it is prolific would be an understatement, and as a “weed” they require little to no care. Nettles do get their “sting” from small hair like fibers on the leaf surface that have a reservoir of an irritating chemical attached. Caution should be taken not to contact these fibers to avoid the sting. The major use of nettles in my garden area is as a cut and come again, chop and drop mulch plant, or as an additive to the compost heap. The nettle provides a high nitrogen, nutrient dense boost to the soil or compost pile, and it keeps coming back for more (so long as you don’t over harvest). I prefer to grow my fertility where I need it, not importing it from off farm, or even twenty yards away… I guess I’m just lazy that way!

Stinging Nettles — Our Hero… the humble stinging nettle!

Nettles provide more than just food for the soil though, they provide sustenance for the farmer as well. The nutrient profile of this Homestead Hero quite literally blows nearly every other garden green out of the water. Nettles are high in protein and fiber, and low in calories. They are also an excellent source of both vitamin A and Calcium. Some sources list 42% of your daily calcium requirement from one cup of nettles. Try to get that from your spinach patch! Speaking of spinach, our nettles have been up and growing for three weeks while the earliest spinach in the garden is just barely getting its first set of true leaves. Now that is what I call early production.

The stinging nettle is considered by many to be the first green of spring. Around here they start coming on before even the daffodils make an appearance. With such early growth it seems like a shame to neglect this spring tonic for fear of the “sting”. Once cooked or dried the chemicals that make the stinging nettle sting are neutralized. Nettles can be used like cooked spinach or chard in the kitchen. You can steam or saute them, cook them with eggs, or use them in soups or stews. The taste is mild and the nutritional boost is significant. Either fresh or dried nettles make a fine tea as well. I use the leaves straight, mixed with green tea, or as an adjunct to my kombucha ferment. Nettle tea is said to help with seasonal allergies. I’ve notice a somewhat drying effect in my sinuses when I drink the tea, so I think this very well may be true.

Springtime Nettles — Nettles are one of the early spring champions on the homestead!

We wild craft most of the nettles that we use for food around here. They are most commonly found in moist areas with rich soil. It’s fun to go out with a paper bag and some scissors to search for nettles in the wild. You do want to make sure to wear some gloves and a long sleeved shirt… it just makes things go a lot faster when you are harvesting. That being said I usually conduct myself at a much more leisurely pace in the garden so I don’t bother with all of the precautions there. With care you can easily avoid the sting and I’ve even seen video of folks eating raw nettles with their bare hands… it can be done!

To recap: Stinging nettles are a great mulch plant, and compost activator. They are an early arriving nutritional powerhouse with medicinal value. Nettles grow in abundance and are perennial. They have a long harvest season, and… did I mention that dried nettles make a great fodder feed for livestock?!? I need to stop now because I could literally go on for pages about the different uses of the mighty stinging nettle, but I digress!

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Dave

Comfrey

Comfrey, Queen of the Homestead Garden!

Comfrey is a utilitarian crop on the homestead. We use it in companion planting as a support species, as a fodder crop to feed the chickens, hogs, and sheep, and as a powerful herbal remedy. Comfrey is a hardy perennial that is easily propagated. This multi-function plant is a champion on our homestead! Permaculturist celebrate comfrey for its utility on the farm, being a farm function stacking rockstar.

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Growing comfrey is a pretty strait forward affair. Comfrey likes rich soil that is well tilled with plenty of nitrogen. Many folks

Comfrey propagation — Root cuttings for comfrey propagation

describe it as a nitrogen pig, but truth be told comfrey will tolerate a wide range of soils. Like I said it is a hardy fast growing plant. You can put a root cutting half the size of your pinky finger in the ground and reasonably expect to have a thriving plant growing in that spot within a couple weeks. Comfrey sets a pretty deep tap root so it will not fair well in a pot. That being said I plant cuttings and crowns in large pots specifically to propagate more root cuttings. They only spend a couple months in the pots before I cut them back and take cuttings from the roots. If it isn’t clear yet root cuttings is the easiest and most effective means of propagation.

Simply planting comfrey next to your trees or shrubs has been proven to increase the nutrient levels of the soil. To get the quickest bang for your buck though you can make a rich comfrey tea as a natural fertilizer. You could simply cut the leaves off the plant about two inches above ground level and layer them on the ground as a mulch if you don’t want to go through the trouble of brewing the tea. The leaves break down quickly and enrich the surrounding soil. You can add the leaves to your compost pile to increase bacterial activity and give your compost a jump start in decomposition as well. Comfrey is a powerful ally in the quest to increase garden fertility.

In the herbal remedy pantry comfrey is said to be useful in treating ailments from bronchial problems, broken bones, sprains, arthritis, gastric and varicose ulcers, severe burns, acne and other skin ailments. Comfrey is most often used topically now days as a poultice for relief of external discomfort. Some studies have shown comfrey to be harmful if consumed at extreme levels. Comfrey can be brewed into a tea for human consumption, and is said to have healthful benefits. An herbal infusion of comfrey leaves and olive oil is a powerful healing addition to homemade skin salves and creams.

Chickens love comfrey, both for the leaves and insects they harbor.

Many livestock absolutely love to eat comfrey leaves. Comfrey contains in the neighborhood of 20% protein and a variety of trace minerals. Harvesting the leaves and feeding as a supplement to your normal rations is an effective way to reduce feed bills. Comfrey can be harvested and dried, then crumbled up and added to winter feed as well. Pigs, chickens, cattle, sheep, and goats all benefit from the added boost comfrey provides to their diet. Like all things comfrey should be fed in

Goats love comfrey to, but too much of a good thing could be bad!

moderation. A diet consisting of up to 20% comfrey has been shown to increase healthy weight gain in most livestock. Over 40% can prove to be toxic in some species, so don’t go overboard with it.

With so many uses on the homestead it is easy to see why comfrey is such an important addition to the plant line up. I’ve planted over fifty root cuttings on our farm this year alone. I can’t wait to start reaping the benefits of this homestead hero! Comfrey is truly a plant of promise and no homestead is complete without it!