Yum, thanks!
I was able to get my Dwarf Tomato Project seedlings into self watering planters before leaving on a trip;
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Awesome! My one little potted tree has mulberries the size of peas. They taste good, but…
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What breed? Jersey males?
Do you have silk worms?
Negative ghost-rider.
We have two small patches. One is all Jersey Knight, the other is a mix of Mary Washington and Jersey Knight.
I have found the Jersey’s still will flower and seed themselves, but not with the same intensity as the Mary Washingtons.
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There are types of bamboo which are not edible, having bitter or excessively soapy-tasting shoots. Here’s a link to a page with some useful information. . The list there is not complete. The type growing here, which is superior for eating, is the Yellow Groove Bamboo, Phyllostachys aureosulcata. That species is an aggressive spreader; it wants to take over the property.
Each edible type of bamboo gets harvested at certain stages. Some must get picked when the shoots are barely above ground, or they’ll get tough. Others need to have the shoots taller, or have the lower sections discarded. Here, the shoots need to be 4-9 inches above ground, sometimes more.
It’s important, even with the edible types, to boil them in a good amount of water, in case there are toxins. I bring two pots of water to a boil. The shoots go into a larger pot first, with plenty of water. After about 10-12 minutes of boiling, I use a spider strainer to lift the shoots out and into the second pot of water to boil for about 4-5 minutes. Then, they’re ready. I make a lot of bamboo shoot pickles. One type is flavored much like marinated artichoke hearts, Italian style. The other has either Chinese sorghum or Chinkiang vinegar, soy sauce and dark sesame oil. Because these are acidic, it’s easier to can them than processing plain shoots.
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Mulberries make fantastic pies!
That’s an impressive setup! It looks really efficient for watering and moisture retention.
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Sorry, slow on the uptake, I didn’t understand your comment there.
No apologies.
Just a Top Gun way of saying, “no” 
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Okay, got it. We used to hunt for mulberry leaves when the school’s science unit was studying silk worms. Those little buggers were voracious!
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Looking forward to something like that at the end of July!
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Ha ha - what a lovely sight!
I’m thinking of keeping this guy in the house, 'cause whenever I put the cukes out on the balcony they get attacked by bacterial wilt, despite all my efforts to keep them safe.
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I planted Solomon’s seal years ago back in a shade garden. I noticed this year the patch really multiplied. What I didn’t learn until too late is that the spring shoots are edible and are supposed to be very special, like asparagus but better. Wish I’d known! Said to take 25% of them each year. Will def remember this next spring. The tiny white buds also edible. I tasted one. Could see them good in salads but I wanted to leave them to blossom.
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That’s so interesting! I read the same is true for hostas. I have so many of both plants so will also try to remember this next spring.
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The deer know all about the tender hosta shoots!
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