Almanac for Homemakers

Check Acid Needs of Shrubs Near House Foundation "Don't plant acid loving shrubs or trees too close to the foundation or, if you must, take care to treat them regularly to a dose of acid soil-conditioner such as aluminum sulfate." According to our Almanac, certain foundations can seep basic calcium compounds into the soil that can actually poison your plants. So the danger isn't that the plants could hurt your foundation, it's that your foundation can hurt your plants. This is important if the plants are trying to grow are blueberries or strawberries. Some of the shrubs, vines, and whatevers that produce good food to eat love acid rich soil. So how do we make soil more acidic? 1. For small gardens, try using sphagnum peat aka "peat moss". 2. Add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar for each gallon of water. 3. Buy fertilizer that has ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate. Some gardening soil will tell you right on the pa...

Pointers about Buying Asparagus "Fresh asparagus should be reaching markets soon - if it isn't there already. Asparagus is more expensive than other vegetables because much of the harvesting and preparation during processing is done by hand." AKA Sparrow Grass Asparagus is native to most of Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Asia. Only young asparagus is eaten before the buds have opened and the shoots become woolly. Asparagus is a perennial plant. It is also a succulent! If you take a close look at them you can see the similarities between the plant and a cacti. There is traditional green asparagus and white asparagus. To achieve white asparagus, growers will cover the shoots with soil so that there is no exposure to sunlight. This creates a "blanching" effect when the plant cannot achieve photosynthesis. The best way to prep fresh asparagus is the wash and trim the bottoms of the plant. The bottom near the root wi...