Markets, Fairs and Swap Meets

Uses for Expired Tea

It was cold and snowy here at the Gardens yesterday. The perfect weather to read a book close to the wood stove with a good cup of hot tea. I reached into my cabinet and pulled out a tea bag, anticipating the flavorful warm liquid. I settled in and took the first sip. The taste was not what I anticipated. A quick look at the box revealed the tea had expired in 2016. Sigh. Obviously it was time to clean out the cabinet, sorting the good from the bad. Tea actually keeps for quite some time, however, the flavor deteriorates and can develop a nasty taste (like the tea I had just made). Time to do a little taste testing. I steeped tea from each box and the ones that no longer retained their wonderful flavor went into one of the canning jars shown above. Why bother keeping the tea? Even though tea may no longer be drinkable, it makes a good fertilizer and deodorizer . Fortunately, plants that love rich acidic soil don't mind stale tea and will appreciate a "spot

Saving a Rotting Cactus

This little Pilosocereus was one of my clearance sale purchases at the end of last season for my personal collection. I absolutely love the genus Pilosocereus and will buy one whenever I see one, regardless of the condition or species. He doesn't look too bad from this angle. When I turned him around to look at his backside while doing a monthly winter check of my cacti, I saw the dreaded rot. Fortunately, I found this before the rot made it all the way to the top of the plant and performed emergency surgery. With a sharp knife, I cut the top off the cactus just above the rot. The top is healthy and there is still a chance to save it even though the piece is small. I will let it sit on a paper towel until it calluses over and then place the callused part on top of the soil in a small pot. In a few months, I should see small roots. Rot happens despite our best efforts. This particular plant had been potted in regular potting soil in a plastic pot for sale by a

Kimberly's Bluestem Gardens

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