Showing posts with label medicinal food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medicinal food. Show all posts

Tuesday, 9 July 2013

Turmeric rhizome + Crape ginger from seed + Hydroponic and soil grown Turmeric starts

Turmeric rhizome 
AT LAST!! our turmeric rhizome has arrived!!, It was purchased online from a supplier in india, unfortunately there was a little mix up and We never received our shipment.
So, we contacted them back and they quickly sent out a replacement package, but I tell ya,
I wasn't holding my breath.
I've heard of people purchasing turmeric online and by the time the rhizome arrives its covered in mold. I can imagine they wouldn't last forever in the dry air but to mold that quickly through shipping makes me think it was never good to begin with. Now after reading all the reviews/horror stories online you can understand my unease. Thankfully!! all that worry was for nothing as when I opened up the packaging ( turmeric being the first thing I had to check )
it was like it came out of a grocery store.

At first I thought they screwed up and sent me ginger but after a little rub of the rhizome I could smell the turmeric, DEAR LORD THANK YOU BABY JEBUS! I thought with a Homer Simpson voice.
There was even a bud of the leaf stalk coming up on one, so I figured I would use the one with the bud for the soil grown test and the one without for a hydroponic start.

While most of the gingers, galangal, cardamoms, and turmeric are spread by rhizomatic functions, the crape ginger can easily be started from seed, or so Im told. This gives me an opportunity to add to my medicinal rhizome collection, one that I've been building for many years.


Turmeric root

syrian rue,  crape ginger,   

Tuesday, 28 May 2013

GAC FRUIT VINE + ❍ SEEDS ❍ + Turtle from under the tree ( ,=,e )

Exotic fruit seeds
So We were stumbling around the internet and think We found a few new seed varieties that would be interesting to grow, some are cold hardy and ready for Canadian winters, while others are packed with nutritional /medicinal benefits and could range anywhere from subtropical to Native Canadian in climate. These are not your regular trees, and the fruit does not show up in your local grocer, Infact, you most likely will not even see these at your farmers market.

Our first newbie is the ■ Kaffir plum ■, while it tends to be more on the sour side, it carries many medicinal uses in dermatological ailments. Also, a unique wine cane be made from the berries.

Our second oddity is the » Raisin tree «
while this tree has more of an oriental background it has been proven to grow here in our Canadian climate, with recorded temps of down to -30c. The "raisins" range in taste from bitter to sweet, this all  depends on the lineage/ seed/ source budwood. It has been used as a hangover cure as well as way to reduce blood sugar levels.

Next.... ❚ Blue Sausgae fruit ❚!!, aka dead mans fingers, Another cold hardy fruit tree, this may be used as an ornamental considering the fruit is so vibrant in colour, but being it has deliciously sweet pulp its worth it for the view or the food.

✇Cassabanana✇ was just planted 2 days ago and its already sprouting!!, such a large interesting fruit we thought we would give it a shot, we will post picks of it growing, we're also thinking maybe a hydro bucket?.

Another new one is the ❍ purple apple berry vine ❍ A small Australian vine found in moist areas from south Wales to tasmania. All I can gather from from my research is the berries are edible, sweet, with a texture and shape like apples. I will update on the exact taste when it comes, for now, Im loving these Australian bush foods.

We have a few more we are starting from seed but I will save those for later, our last one of the day is the ▲ elephant apple ▲. While I have heard it can be an acquired taste, it has been said to be everything from sour and sweet to taste, and with the right amount of sugar, a very refreshing dish. As with most other bitter fruit, there tends to be health benefits, go figure right?.

Our new plant we just picked up is a  ☼ Gac fruit vine ☼. It is known as a superfruit in the health industry, well... maybe the tropical/Asian/ ayurvedic health industry. Im not sure its truly made the way over here other then in a few supplements. Gac fruit is so dense in nutrition it rivals most native fruits and vegetables, With over 70 times the lycopene content of tomatoes and beta carotene level's 10 times that of carrots, in fact, the highest levels of beta carotene in any fruit or vegetable, you can see why we should be consuming a little gac once and a while. While being nutritionally dense, they also carry many medicinal benefits. They have been used to boost the immune system, aid in coronary repair/strengthen eyesight, repair dermatological issues such as burns, psoriases and more, along with benefits to prostate and heart health. We are only listing the tip of the iceberg in what this wonder plant/fruit can do, and so we wish to pass this on to you, We will be taking cuttings once it grows out and will have them available as soon as possible

( we also need to nurse this one to health, as it did not arrive well 〈〈 spider mites, scale, and 1 mealy bug, its ok, there's nothing We cant handle organically ✔ 〉〉, but with a little care and good food We are starting to see it bounce back now).



Gac fruit vine

Turtle in Holland Landing