Becky Proske

I'm not sure I like any of the options either. I can agree with the other comments,  Triple Burn Masonry Heater is probably the best, but I still think it could be better. If you are wanting to appeal to a wider audience who doesn't know as thing about rocket mass heaters, then consider some of the key words that are bounced around a lot these days (like: eco, zero-waste, sustainable, regenerative).

Using the term "high efficiency" instead of "triple burn" might catch the attention of more people.

I don't know about currant cuttings or coconut water.... but here my thoughts.

Comfrey would be a good candidate for a natural rooting hormone. The allantoin in comfrey proliferates cell growth and an herbalist will use it medicinally to heal wounds. Any plant with this characteristic might be something to consider. Perhaps rooting hormone is another benefit to making comfrey tea for the garden. I would consider including the comfrey root when making a batch of rooting hormone tea, since growing new roots is the goal, this will infuse the water with the root "essence".

I have also heard of aloe vera gel being used as a rooting hormone substitute, which I first discovered in a post made by Strictly Medicinal Seeds.

I have not tried aloe gel or comfrey, but I find the topic interesting. With woodier sources like willow or currants, it might be important to leave the stems on the the water long enough to sprout and grow roots, therefore infusing the water with growth hormones.

If I plant some raspberries to grow and intertwine on one side of my coop, will I regret it? How likely would it be that I need to repair that side of the coop and have to fight thorny canes?

Exactly why I asked, thanks! If I plant raspberries on the *inside* of the perimeter would it be any better?

The biggest difficulty I can imagine with having raspberry canes in close proximity to the chicken coop/run would be in livestock care. If I needed to catch a chicken for some reason or another, thorny brambles would be an unpleasant problem to deal with in that situation. Even if thornless raspberries are planted inside the run, a paddock rotation system might be needed to prevent the chickens from eating the young greens before the plants get going in spring. I don't know that I'd recommend planting brambles, thornless or not. I'd look at other ways to give chickens the benefits of raspberries (shade, shelter, fodder etc).

What might be some intelligent ways to address something like this before the workers come to undo all of your work?

I agree where communication and education was mentioned, it is certainly important. I also think aesthetics is important too. This might be something that is easy to overlook in permaculture thinking, and beauty would be especially important to urban areas. Perhaps maintaining a more manicured look in the more visible areas would be helpful. Choose to plant common garden flowers and showy foliage at the perimeters. Add elements of art to create focal points here and there.

I agree, the plant looks like Dracaena fragrans (corn plant) judging by the way the leaves join the stem.

The yellow and brown spots on the leaves look like a fungal disease to me.

Fungus spots can be a tough one to resolve naturally. Better air circulation would be a good place to start. I also wonder about root health. I would definitely check for root rot too.

The plant could be staying too damp for too long depending on the potting mix used and if the root system had a chance to grow into it's new container before winter. Cooler temperatures (especially on a windowsill) and the low amount of sunlight (if in the northern hemisphere), can cause problems when the soil stays too moist for too long during the winter months. In most cases it is better to water less during winter, especially with a freshly re-potted plant, because the root system is not large enough yet. If the new soil around the root ball stays too damp for too long, it can cause root disease too.

John vk,

I've had good luck with growing seedlings indoors through winter that sprouted late in the fall (with and without grow lights). However, these where happy accidents with tomato and impatient seedlings, both of which are tropical plants. For a couple years I started my onion seeds in August and transplanted them out to the garden as tiny "onion sets" the following spring. This worked too, but also add a lot of extra care time and the plants didn't gain as much growth as I had hoped. In general, plants grow slowly during the winter months and there is a likelihood they will get spindly, even under grow lights (I'm thinking of my figs here). Sometimes the hardening off part in spring can be a setback if the process is not managed well. Since the honey locust is a woody native of the temperate growing regions, (which naturally experience a winter dormancy), my instinct tells me to work with the seasons here, when starting trees from seed.

I think you will get a healthier plant over all, by starting them in spring outdoors.

But you're situation experience could be different from mine. If you have the space and ample seed, why not experiment? Maybe sprout half now and see what happens and save the rest for spring.

I found this video to be a very useful reference for starting the seeds. Good luck!

Hi John vk,

My thought is wait until spring. In my experience, once the seedlings get going, they grow fast. I started my seeds in early May and they grew at least 12 inches in their first season and doubled that size during their second season. They grew so quickly that I felt confident in transplanting them out to their permanent places that fall of their first year. The tree seedlings have done really well in their second year despite infrequent watering. Attached is a pic of the last honey locust seedling I still have in a pot, waiting to be transplanted to a permanent location. It's just over a year old and 25 inches tall. The young trees that I was able to get in the ground earlier are taller.

It could depend on your climate, soil type and the length of your growing season, but since the honey locust grow so quickly, I would not recommend starting the seeds now and growing them under lights during the winter. I don't think you'll gain much or save time. It might be better to start them in spring and save the indoor space for something else.

One interesting thing I've noticed about the honey locust seedlings is how they fold their leaves at times. Mostly over night, but also sometimes after being handled or moved. So if you notice this happening, don't worry, it's normal. They are really beautiful plants.

I'm a fan of Logee's Greenhouses and heartily second that recommendation. They are a great resource not only for their selection of hard to find plants but also for their knowledge. They've been growing edible exotics at a northern latitude for many years. Everything from dwarf bananas, cocoa and citrus to figs, black pepper, pomegranates, olives and vanilla! Logee's has a good sense of what varieties will work in most situations for most people. I often check their website and videos for insight when I have a question about growing something in the category of exotic edibles. Currently I have figs, kumquat, turmeric, yellow, ginger and galangal ginger.

Citrus is a challenge, but I do enjoy it. They require some extra attention with fertilizer because trace mineral deficiencies can happen easily (in my experience). I've made several attempts over the years and have learned a bunch each time. I did manage to pick an orange that I grew, so I know it is totally possible. Plus the flowers smell amazing, that alone is worth it! For my third attempt with citrus, I've decided to focus on kumquats, because I enjoy their tartness, but also because I suspect smaller fruit will be more achievable to ripen in the home environment (I don't have a greenhouse, just a south window). Other influencing factors in my choice of kumquat is their natural lack of thorns and plant hardiness. Some kumquat varieties can be hardier than other citrus, tolerating cooler temperatures, which allows me to keep the plant outside a little longer in the fall. If you can give your exotic edibles a "summer vacation" outdoors, they will love it. That being said, the plant is handled a fair amount with schlepping it in and out, spring and fall. I'd rather not have thorny branches in my face when I awkwardly carry a 4' citrus tree in a 14" pot through the doorways. Besides it shares my indoor living space too.

I'm on my second attempt with figs, they seem to be a little easier to maintain than citrus and more forgiving about nutrient needs (at least for me). I'm trying something different with overwintering my figs this time and fingers crossed, I will have fruit this summer! We'll see.

Many of the herbs, especially the Mediterranean herbs will do surprisingly well indoors in a sunny window. Over the years I've had good luck with keeping rosemary, lavender, spearmint, oregano and thyme in pots through the winter months in a south or west facing window. They made beautiful edible and fragrant houseplants.

Turmeric, ginger and galangal was mentioned earlier and I totally agree with this suggestion! They are worth considering. Galangal especially because it prefers indirect light and grows happily for me at a distance away from the south window. I currently have Alpinia officinarum which is known as lesser galangal. It's foliage has an interesting cinnamon-like fragrance and the roots have medicinal properties. This is still a new herb to me and I have not tried the roots just yet. But I've found the plant to be super easy to grow! I divided it last spring and will have enough to try harvesting this year. I've read that the young shoots of greater galangal Alpinia galanga are edible and found in Thai cuisine. This galangal also interests me too, but it grows much larger (I think I read 6 feet somewhere). The lesser galangal has stayed under 3 feet for me and I think Alpinia officinarum makes a really great houseplant with potential usefulness.

Last but not least, I must mention turmeric. This has been a favorite of mine to grow in pots for many years. I harvest roots ever other year or so. They do need extra time to mature beyond what a zone 4 growing season will allow. I most enjoy nibbling on the flowers when turmeric blooms. The plant is gorgeous for achieving that indoor tropical oasis look and it can grow quite large (about 4 feet or so). It will die back and go dormant during the winter months, but I find this to be one of it's charms and makes it easy to care for. Dormancy lightens the watering schedule rather nicely and I can set the pot off to the side, in less ideal light until spring. Turmeric resprouts readily as the day length increases or about the time I'm ready to schlep my potted tropicals outside. The same has been true for yellow ginger, although I've found yellow ginger to be much more slow growing for me.

And don't forget good ol' Aloe vera, another super easy and useful houseplant for the south window.

I totally get the allure of growing your own tropical edibles. Obviously, this is a topic I can carry on enthusiastically about! Don't be afraid to try things or even try the same thing again. There is a lot to learn with tropical container garden culture and what works for you, might be different from what works for me. Good luck in your edible houseplant adventures!

Photo examples of the calendar printed on cardstock and some ideas on how to track a cycle.