Moderator SunshineKid-GardenCoach
ModeratorForum Replies Created
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Hi Buck, just wanted to clarify my reply to your question about using horse manure in your garden. First of all, I am not an expert in anything but I like to ask questions to learn as much as I can about things and share information that I think will help. I love that Freesteading.com provides the forums and discussion tools that allow us to share information with each other. I think we all know that a variety of information is available from a variety of sources so I always try to get as much information as I can to make an informed decision. I was trying to be helpful in responding to your question about using horse manure because it was the very same question I asked of someone years ago. While I did not ask the person who answered my questions for citations from actual cases of tetanus that occurred to contact with composted manure from non-vaccinated horses, I do highly respect the person that provided the answer and it was particularly interesting to me when he mentioned tetanus. When I had a severe allergic reaction to a Tdap booster several years ago, my doctor told me not to get the Tdap vaccine again. Since I am a gardener and work with the soil I did a risk assessment and made the decision not to use horse manure in my garden but since it has been stated that the “spores of tetanus bacteria are everywhere in the environment, including soil, dust, and manure”, using horse manure or any other manure might or might not be an issue. I also read that the tetanus spores are highly resistant to heat and “can survive autoclaving at 249.8 degrees F for up to 10 to 15 minutes” (see link below) so the spores may not be eliminated by composting but composting is still necessary to prepare it for the garden. It has been 24 years since my last vaccination and so far no tetanus but that is only my experience 😊. As I said in my initial reply, tetanus is probably not an issue for most people if they are vaccinated but it might for some so again I was only trying to be helpful and hope I did not cause confusion. Here are a couple links to some additional information on tetanus and horse manure:
https://equusmagazine.com/horse-care/facts-about-equine-tetanus/
https://equusmagazine.com/horse-care/protect-yourself-from-tetanus/
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/tetanus.html/
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/tetanus/
Thank you to all in the discussion who have shared their thoughts and insights on this topic. The more information we have the better informed we can be!
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Be sure that if you are using horse manure that the horses have been vaccinated for tetanus. I asked about using horse manure in a gardening class a few years ago and was told that it would need to be composted first and to make sure the horses the manure comes from had been vaccinated for tetanus. Horses are at a higher risk than most animals of contracting tetanus and the spores are often present in their digestive tract and will be present in manure as well. Most people are vaccinated for tetanus but I happen to be allergic to the tetanus show so I was glad to learn about this because the source of manure I was going to use was from a neighbor’s horse and they had not been vaccinated.
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We are Dan and Vickie Pullen in Willis, Texas (Deep East Texas) on 17 acres and would love to expand our garden with the Quonset Hut Giveaway!
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Cutting the Moringa tree back will generate more branches to grow so they will produce more flowers in the long term.
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I know electric for people off grid is not an option but I have used C9 Christmas lights in my small 8×16 hobby greenhouse for heat in the winter. When we had the Suri Snowmaggedon storm in 2021 in Texas, we got down to 9 degrees in southeast Texas with snow and ice for about 4 days. I had a 1/2 inch sheet of ice on the roof of my greenhouse and the doors froze shut but everything inside stayed warm and toasty. There is no electricity to the greenhouse but it is close enough to some outside outlets on the house that I was able to run an outdoor electric cord and plug in the lights. Used two 25 count light strings hung from the ceiling braces.
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My hubby just made me some Elderberry syrup using Melissa K. Norris’ recipe, here is the link to her YT video on making the syrup: https://youtu.be/R_l7OGi4YNk
I asked him not to add any spices like cinnamon or cloves, just the elderberries and honey and it is very yummy! He used a brand of 100% Organic Dried Elderberries, brand is Purify Life. The dried berries do have the earthy berry smell but with the honey the syrup tastes great. We are growing elderberry plants to start harvesting our own berries next year. Used honey from our honey bees.
I woke up Friday morning with a sore throat with redness and white spots on my tonsils. I started taking some Echinacea tincture in tea and a tsp of the Elderberry syrup every four hours. I was also using a mouthwash rinse that has hydrogen peroxide. It’s now Friday night and the redness and white spots are gone and just a hint of soreness left in my throat. First time using echinacea and elderberries and am pretty impressed with how well it has worked in a short period of time.
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Go to your member icon at the top right corner of the screen,
–>Click on Account Settings, click on Privacy tab, Work Experience field is on that screen.
You can choose to show it to Public (everyone), All Members, My Connections or Only Me
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Hi there Dee, my husband (aka Private_Cluck) and I live in east Texas in the Willis area. We may be neighbors!
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Actually yes, this was a Master Gardener class for the San Jacinto Master Gardeners group in San Jacinto County, Texas. The person teaching the class and the one that gave me this information was Tom LeRoy, who has had a 35 year career with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. He started the Master Gardener Program in Montgomery County, Texas which was the first program started in Texas. Here is a link to his full bio, https://www.gardeningwithtomleroy.com/about/.
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I use the 25L Clear Incandescent C9 Lights, the LED lights do not produce heat.
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Yes, plastic sheeting and the C9 christmas lights work well event to close in a porch or pergola to help keep some tender potted plants protected in the winter.
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You’re welcome! I am in zone 8b.
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I’m sorry, what I was trying to say is that if the member doesn’t include their state, county on their profile, then it can’t be displayed on the Member Search screen. However I do agree that if the member includes this information in their profile, it would be helpful to see on the member search screen.
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Spring is when you would normally be able to get your bees as that is when beekeepers that sell will be splitting hives to create nucs and packages to buy. However, don’t wait until Spring to try and buy them. Find a local source and get on their list as many of them sell out before they even finish filling all of their pre-orders in Spring.
Try to find some local Beekeeping classes to attend to get a hands on education. My husband, aka Private_Cluck did not take beekeeping classes like I did when we got started but he found some great YouTube channels with lots of videos about beekeeping. He really likes Kaymon Reynolds channel who is a Tennessee beekeeper.
There is a lot to learn but the first thing to realize is that there is a lot of work in keeping bees. Some people may think that bees survive in the wild so they can take care of themselves and yes they can but it you want to keep them healthy and from swarming and looking for another place to live, you need to manage them.
Also, there are a lot of different ways and opinions on keeping bees so don’t get discouraged if you hear people saying different things. @Private_Cluck and I are beekeepers and would be happy to answer any questions you might have so feel free to reach out via private message. There are also a lot of beekeepers on this platform who I am sure would be happy to help as well. Again, the best way to learn is to find a local beekeeper in your area and see if they would mind mentoring you. Good luck! 💕🐝
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Note: on the pdf file on SIPs, you have to click download it for it to display.