NEW DIY Herbal Tincture Kits and Recipes

It's official...we just added 2 NEW DIY Tincture Kits @ Mary's Heirloom Seeds.  Next week we'll add a third for a grand total of 11...Woohooo for Healthier alternatives!!!

So WHAT is a tincture?  Read on...

Mary's Heirloom Seeds Newsletter DIY Herbal Home Remedies In This Issue Chamomile Tincture What is a Tincture Cayenne Tincture Quick Links   Mary's Tincture Shop Buy HERB Seeds About Us Growing From Seed 2014 Planting Guide Health benefits of:  Brahmi (bacopa) Basil   MUGWORT Eleuthero Root Rosemary Calendula Make Your Own! DIY Tincture Kits DIY Chamomile Tincture Kit DIY Allergy Tincture Kit Mary's Heirloom Seeds Saturday and Sunday @ the Yellow Green Farmer's Market 8am-4pm in Booth #281 Have you given any thought to making your own herbal home remedies?  Do you already make your own?  Below are examples of my own homemade Tinctures.  DIY Tincture kits are now available @ Mary's Tincture Shop "Kits" purchased Monday-Thursday ship within 48 hours via USPS Priority Mail.  Tincture kits include:  1 - 32 ounce Glass Jar with lid, 1 - 2 ounce Amber Bottle with dropper top,  2 customizable labels, 1 ounce of Organic Herbs (additional herbs available) and Detailed Instructions DIY Chamomile Tincture From Back to the Basics: Chamomile is an herb that comes from a flowering plant from the daisy family. Both the fresh and dried flowers of chamomile have been used to create teas for centuries to cure a number of health problems. The active ingredient in chamomile essential oil is known as bisabolol, which has a number of anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties. What are the Benefits of Chamomile? Chamomile can be used topically or orally to treat a number of everyday ailments, such as: Insomnia and other sleep disorders Anxiety and Panic Attacks Muscle twitches Wounds, burns, and scrapes Skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, chickenpox, and diaper rash Stomach problems such as menstrual cramps, stomach flu, and ulcers.    Continue Reading  What is a Tincture? An herbal tincture is simply an herbal extract.  Herbal remedies have been used throughout history to treat illnesses and ailments without "modern medicine" and pharmacueticals.  Tinctures are easy to make, home remedies.  If properly prepared and stored, your tincture will last indefinitely. What is Menstruum?  Menstruum is generally vodka, when making a true herbal tincture. Vinegar or Vegetable Glycerin can be used (instead of alcohol) but is less effective at leaching out the medicinal components of the plant. DIY Cayenne Tincture   *NEW* Cayenne Pepper is a nightshade vegetable.  While adding a little (or a lot) of hot and spicy to any dish, cayenne pepper can also be very therapeutic.  Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin which can open up your sinuses, fight inflammation, cardiovascular support, helps with ulcers, boosts immune system and metabolism. THIS is what got my attention:  "Cayenne pepper's bright red color signals its high content of beta-carotene or pro-vitamin A. Just two teaspoons of cayenne pepper provide 47% of the daily value for vitamin A. Often called the anti-infection vitamin, vitamin A is essential for healthy epithelial tissues including the mucous membranes that line the nasal passages, lungs, intestinal tract and urinary tract and serve as the body's first line of defense against invading pathogens."        Continue Reading  What do you think?  Are you ready to get started? You can read about my tincture results HERE and HERE.   If you have additional questions please ask. We are happy to continue to provide growing knowledge for you and your family. Sincerely,  Mary                                    Mary's Heirloom Seeds

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Growing Beets from Seed to Harvest

Beets can germinate in soil temperatures as low as 50 degrees, making them ideal for the early spring and fall vegetable gardens. Beets don’t care for overly acidic soil, so gardeners should perform a soil test before planting to ensure that the pH is between 6.2 and 6.8. If the soil is too acidic, add lime until the pH is properly adjusted.

Table beet (also known as garden beet, blood turnip or red beet) is a popular garden vegetable throughout the United States. Beet tops are an excellent source of vitamin A and the roots are a good source of vitamin C. The tops are cooked or served fresh as greens and the roots may be pickled for salads or cooked whole, then sliced or diced. Beet juice is a basic ingredient of Russian borscht. The garden beet is closely related to Swiss chard, sugar beet and mangel.

Chioggio Beets

When To Plant

Beets are fairly frost hardy and can be planted in the garden 30 days before the frost-free date for your area. Although beets grow well during warm weather, the seedlings are established more easily under cool, moist conditions. Start successive plantings at 3 to 4 week intervals until midsummer for a continuous supply of fresh, tender, young beets. Irrigation assures germination and establishment of the later plantings.

Spacing & Depth

The beet "seed" is actually a cluster of seeds in a dried fruit. Several seedlings may grow from each fruit. Plant seeds about 1/2 inch deep and one inch apart.

Allow 12 to 18 inches between rows. Poor stands are often the result of planting too deeply or the soil's crusting after a heavy rain. The seedlings may emerge over a relatively long period of time, making a stand of different sizes and ages of seedlings. Some gardeners find that placing a board over the row after planting preserves the soil moisture and eliminates crusting from hard rains. The board must be removed as soon as the first seedling starts to emerge.

Hand thinning is almost always necessary. The seedlings should be thinned to 1 to 3 inches apart. If thinning is delayed until the plants are 3 inches tall, those removed may be cooked greens, similar to spinach. Some cooks leave the small root (usually about the size of a marble) attached to the greens.

Though it is seldom done, beets actually may be transplanted. Some care must be taken to get the roots oriented vertically so that the beets can develop properly.

Golden Beets

Care

Frequent shallow cultivation is important because beets compete poorly with weeds, especially when small. Because beets have extremely shallow roots, hand weeding and early, frequent and shallow cultivation are the most effective methods of controlling weeds in the rows. Deep cultivation after the weeds are large damages the beet roots. Like most root crops, beets need a fertile soil (especially high in potassium) for vigorous growth. Keep your beet plants uniformly supplied with moisture for best performance.

Harvesting

Beets can be harvested whenever they grow to the desired size. About 60 days are required for beets to reach 1 1/2 inches in diameter, the size often used for cooking, pickling or canning as whole beets. Beets enlarge rapidly to 3 inches with adequate moisture and space. With most varieties, beets larger than 3 inches may become tough and fibrous. Beets may be stored in a polyethylene bag in a refrigerator for several weeks. Beets also may be stored in outdoor pits if the beets are dug before the ground freezes in the fall. Cut off the tops of the beets one inch above the roots. Beets store best at 32°F and 95 percent humidity. Do not allow them to freeze.

Detroit Dark Red Beets

Selection & Storage

Beets can be harvested at any stage of development, from the thinning to the fully mature stage at about 2 inches in diameter. The "thinnings" are beets that have been pulled from the ground prematurely to make room for others when rows are overcrowded. Thinnings can be eaten raw, tops included, in salads or roasted. Beets are high in natural sugar and roasting brings out the natural sweetness.

Beets vary in color and shape based on variety. The most common is the deep maroon globe-shaped beet. There is an Italian variety which has pink and white rings upon slicing. The golden globe is globe-shaped and orange in color then it turns golden yellow when cooked. Another variety is white and still another is pink.

When harvesting beets, separate the green tops from the roots leaving an inch of stem on the beet. Beets larger than 3 inches in diameter are often fibrous and woody. Beet greens are packed with nutritional value but must be prepared separately. Upon storage the greens will quickly draw the moisture from the root greatly reducing flavor and the beets will become shriveled. Leave one inch stem and the taproot intact to retain moisture and nutrients. After separating, beets store well for about a week in the refrigerator. Use beets while they are still firm and fresh.

Companion Plants for Beets

Good for adding minerals to the soil. The leaves are composed of 25% magnesium making them a valuable addition to the compost pile if you don't care to eat them. Beets are also beneficial to beans with the exception of runner beans. Runner or pole beans and beets stunt each other's growth. Companions for beets are lettuce, onions and brassicas. Beets and kohlrabi grow perfectly together. Beets are helped by garlic and mints. Garlic improves growth and flavor. Rather than planting invasive mints around beets use your mint clippings as a mulch.

Recipes for Fresh Beets

Lemon Herb Roasted Beets

Simple Beet Salad

Honey Roasted Beets

Garlicky Beet Delight

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Weed The People - The Movie

There has been a lot of talk about legalizing marijuana and medical marijuana.  I have my own opinions on legalization but before I get into MY opinions...let's hear from the experts...



Once you have watched the movie...I'd love to hear your feedback.
If you have time to watch "reality tv" then you have time to watch this REAL reality.  Thank you!

Tuesdays with a Twist #50 is LIVE!!!

Good Morning and Welcome to another No Rules Party!

Last week I share a BIG announcement of NEW heirloom seed varieties!  Did you happen to see the new Broccoli?

Romanesco Italia Broccoli

The true and popular Italian heirloom with spiraling, apple-green heads that are so superbly flavored.
Romanesco broccoli heads are really densely packed clusters of lime green flower buds that develop in the center of a leafy rosette. This variety is widely grown in northern Italy.

We also have a GIVEAWAY that ends in 2 days!  Hurry and Enter!

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We're your hosts 

Mary @ Back to the Basics and Mary's Kitchen
Joyce @ It's Your Life! 
Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Angie @ God's Growing Garden
Back again for March is Debra @ MsMoozy's Open House

Features!
Each co-host will be sharing her own picks for Features. This gives everyone a better chance of being featured. Be sure to check all of our blogs to see if you were featured! 
My Features this Week are:

Homestead Honey Cornbread from The (mis)Adventures of a Born Again Farm Girl

Cheesy, Spinach, Ham and Potato Frittata from BeBetsy

DIY Mason Jar Art from Mila's Little Things

If you've been featured we'd love for you to grab a button.

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The party starts every Tuesday at 7am EST and will continue until Friday at 11:59pm.  Feel free to stop back any time and "like" your favorites.  Please visit other blogs if you have a moment. 

Share older posts as well as new ones.  No limit on links!

*Pictures should be your own* 

By linking up you give us permission to use these photos

 (with proper link backs) in our features.   And now for the party!

Recycling in Your Garden and More

I had another amazing weekend at the Yellow Green Farmer's Market!  I always love meeting new people and sharing tips for growing heirloom, Non-GMO seeds.
We talked a lot about the benefits of using Diatomaceous Earth in the garden for Organic, non-toxic pest control.

The Kelani Organics GIVEAWAY is LIVE...AND...

I just added 9 NEW HEIRLOOM SEED VARIETIES!!!

Recycling in your garden  Mary's Heirloom Seeds NEW!  Coconut Coir Pellets are made from the husk of coconuts They make seed-starting EASY! Basil in Coconut pellet Anise Hyssop Very aromatic with a sweet, licorice-mint flavor. Leaves and flowers can be used fresh or dried for salads, teas, and garnishes. The perfect addition to you bee-friendly garden! Seeds take 7-14 days to germinate. Also a medicinal herb. LOVAGE As a culinary herb, lovage has a celery-like flavor, but richer with hints of fennel and curry. Use the stems, leaves, and seeds in the same fashion as celery. Seeds germinate in 7-14 days.  Also a medicinal herb  CHIVES Wonderful mild onion flavor, these long, thin chives are excellent in many meals; great raw or cooked. Lavender flowers. Start early indoors or outdoors after danger of frost. Visit our Page Quick Links 2014 Planting Guide Compost   Companion Planting Diatomaceous Earth  Sprouts! Join Our Mailing List! Dear Mary, Are you ready to get a jump on seed planting for your garden?  How do we Recycle? -Compost: Compost is a natural soil amendment and garden fertilizer. It can be made FREE using kitchen scraps. Apple cores, celery or carrots parts, rinds and peels from fruits and veggies...throw it all in there! But don't stop there- also use grass clipping, dead leaves and other yard waste. Not only does composting save money on expensive fertilizers and soil amendments, it keeps all of this "trash" out of your garbage bin and out of landfills. -ReUse: It's not necessary to purchase fancy or expensive containers in the garden.  I prefer to use recycled pots and containers.  For seedlings, I have cleaned (sterilized) yogurt or cottage cheese containers and then poked holes in them for drainage.  On occasion I have used recycled toilet paper rolls. -Save Water: Using rain water to nourish your garden is another great way to recycle and save money.  Sure you can buy expensive equipment, but recycling is easy! -Coconut Coir seed-starting pellets Add water, and the Coconut Pellets quickly swell to become a perfect self contained pot with its own perfect medium for starting seeds. Seeds are nurtured within the pellet to germinate faster into young seedlings. Roots emerge easily through the porous walls of the pellet as a result of the enhanced air circulation created by the unique design and characteristics. The Coconut Coir Pellet - complete with the started plant inside - goes directly into the ground. As a result, no transplant shock occurs, and the plant has full vigor to mature faster. All the young, tender roots remain totally intact.   NEW Coconut Coir Pellets are more eco-friendly! Coconut pellets after 5 minutes soaking Basil in Coconut pellets after 6 days We'd love to hear how You recycle in the garden! "The single greatest lesson the garden teaches is that our relationship to the planet need not be zero-sum, and that as long as the sun still shines and people still can plan and plant, think and do, we can, if we bother to try, find ways to provide for ourselves without diminishing the world. "   --Michael Pollan, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals HAPPY PLANTING!!!

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2 HUGE Announcements! We're So Excited we Wet Our Plants!

HAPPY DAY!!!  There has been so much excitement I'm still buzzing!  

The Kelani Organics GIVEAWAY is LIVE...I just got home from another 

Edible Gardening presentation (I was the speaker) ...AND...

I just added 9 NEW HEIRLOOM SEED VARIETIES!!!

Mary's Heirloom Seeds 2  HUGE Announcements Don't Miss Out! In case you're just tuning in, we've been steadily adding to our 2014 Planting Guide. For your viewing pleasure we've made a special page with all of the growing info in one easy place. Check out Mary's 2014 Planting Guide Kelani Organics GIVEAWAY Starts today!!! EVENT: Edible Gardening Workshop Thursday, March 13th @6pm 2104 Tyler Street (TODAY!) Helpful Links  Using Diatomaceous Earth in the Garden MARCH Seed Planting Guide by Region BEANS and CORN Heirloom Fruits Heirloom TOMATOES HERB Seeds Wildflower Seeds Seed Pack Combos SUPPLIES Benefits of Lemonbalm, Basil and Borage  Growing Beets Growing Radish Growing Tomatoes Join Our Mailing List Mary's Heirloom Seeds 2104 Tyler Street Hollywood, FL 33020 (954) 654-3501 Find us at the Yellow Green Farmer's Market Booth #281 Saturday & Sunday 8am-4pm Dear Mary, Every year we add NEW Heirloom seed varieties to our  ever-growing selection of SEEDS! This year we just can't help ourselves. First...a GIVEAWAY  just went live on our blog! Second...TODAY we have added 9 NEW Varieties!!! LEMONGRASS! One of the most requested seed varieties.  Available NOW! Also a medicinal herb. Burgundy Okra 50-70 days.  Easy to Grow Very tender and delicious. Highly ornamental and tasty! CHIVES! 80-90 days.  Wonderful mild onion flavor. Beautiful lavender flowers!  DAIKON RADISH 60-70 days.    Popular old Japanese favorite; the giant white roots grow to 24 inches long and 3 inches wide. ROMANESCO ITALIA BROCCOLI 75-100 days.  The true and popular Italian heirloom with spiraling, apple-green heads that are so superbly flavored. ANISE HYSSOP Very aromatic with a sweet, licorice-mint flavor. The perfect addition to you bee-friendly garden! LOVAGE As a culinary herb, lovage has a celery-like flavor, but richer with hints of fennel and curry. SORREL Sorrel is appreciated in native cuisines throughout Europe and in many parts of Asia and Africa as well. FEATURED New Variety Blacktail Mountain Watermelon One of the earliest watermelons we know of, superb for the north, but it also grows well in heat and drought. All of the seeds listed are open-pollinated, non-gmo and non-hybrid, non-patented,  untreated, heirloom garden seeds. Mary has signed the Safe Seed pledge.   Seed Orders placed Monday-Thursday are shipped within 24 hours, except for holidays. Shipping on Heirloom Seeds is Free within the Continental US!

I'll let you in on a little secret...I have PURPLE PEAS in my secret stash! I might be willing to share if you ask nicely!

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