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Regeneration Pruning Overgrown Yews

Posted by Kristie

My house came with two big yew shrubs that I didn’t particularly like. I like yews — they grow fast, they are super low-maintenance, their cuttings are awesome for holiday vases and wreaths, and you can put Christmas lights on them (you can never have too many things to put Christmas lights on). But these ones were way too big for their space and made my new, fresh-out-the-nursery-pot shrubs look super pathetic by comparison. And their tops had gotten much wider than their bottoms, so all the lower and inside branches were bare.

Normally, it’s best to only prune yews back by about 1/3 their height each year (which is what we’d been doing — otherwise, they would have been as tall as the house). But this time, I was hoping to turn them into nice, natural-looking little 3 ft-by-3 ft shrubs instead of giant hollow branch balls that you can’t prune without power tools in less than a day.

yew-before

Turns out, if you chop a yew down to about 6-12 inches, it will still grow back. Not very quickly, but it will eventually sprout lots of new little branches and fill back out.

This is called regeneration pruning and allows you to start over completely. Then, if you stay up on annual pruning afterwards, you can keep your yews from outgrowing their desired shape ever again (aim for a mounding shape that is slightly wider at the base).

It’s best to chop down your yews in early spring before the growing season starts. We did ours in late February because it was 70 degrees and the crocuses were already up. But normally, our “early spring” happens in mid-late March.

A chainsaw would be optimal for this sort of thing, but you could also use a handsaw. Don’t forget ear protection and eye protection.

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Then, you just wait.

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It will take a solid year before they start to resemble a nice bush again — so if haggard-looking stumps bother you, you might want to consider planting some annual or easily-moveable tall things right in front of them for the first summer. But I think dealing with unattractive stumps for a little while is immensely more tolerable than the alternatives, which are leaving your yews in their current state of ugliness or digging them up with an expensive mini excavator that would flatten any grass or other plants in its path.

soaking-walnuts

Soaking Nuts to Reduce Phytic Acid

Posted by Kristie

Raw nuts contain phytic acid and other enzyme inhibitors that can strain your digestive system and stop your body from absorbing important minerals like calcium, iron, and zinc. When I first heard about soaking them to reduce their phytic acid content and make them easier to digest, I was like, That’s way too much work — I’ll just not eat any nuts. So I didn’t eat any nuts for the first three months of my “Cure Tooth Decay“ diet. But then around Christmastime, I was baking lots of cookies I couldn’t eat (for gifts) — and I found it pretty impossible to resist the toasted walnuts I was rolling them in.

So I caved in and went about determining what I had to do to make them less detrimental to my cavity-stopping efforts.

Turns out, it’s fairly painless. It would obviously be super unreasonable go through a two-day soaking and dehydrating process every time you wanted a handful of nuts to add to your pesto, so I always put them to soak as soon as I get home from the store (and that way I don’t get tempted to eat any raw ones). I buy the big bags from Costco, so I don’t have to do it very often.

Here’s What to Do

Pour your nuts into a big bowl or pot, and cover with water. You need more water than you think — like, at least a few inches extra — or the nuts will soak up all the water, and then they won’t be covered anymore. But you can always add more water later if that happens.

Then, add a tablespoon or two of real salt, stir them up, and cover (I use a cutting board to cover my mixing bowl, but if you have a big pot with a lid — that would probably make more sense).

I always leave them to soak at least overnight, but usually for 24 hours because I don’t wake up early enough to deal with them before work. The longer you let them soak, the longer it will probably take to dehydrate them — but I don’t think they go bad or anything if you soak them longer than necessary. At this point, the water should be yellow-ish, or a milky-white color, depending on the type of nut.

Dump them into a strainer, and rinse them really well. If your sink has a sprayer, spray them down with that. Then you can put them in a dehydrator (I’m still saving up for one of these) or on baking sheets in the oven at low heat. My oven only goes down to 200, but the lower, the better — roasting nuts above 150 can destroy their delicate omega-3 polyunsaturated fats.

It takes a long time to dehydrate them all the way. The first time I did this, I don’t think I left them in long enough. The second time, I forgot about them and accidentally went to bed without turning the oven off, and when I woke up, I remembered because my whole house smelled like roasted walnuts. They tasted 500% better this time — like, best walnuts I had ever eaten — and these were Costco walnuts, not the fresh-picked black ones from my grandma’s tree. Anyway, dehydrate them until they are super dry and crisp and not soft in the middle, and then a couple hours more — just to be safe. If they aren’t dry enough, they will get moldy super quick. But I store mine in the cupboard for months and haven’t had any issues.

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Why You Should Only Eat Soaked Nuts

Un-soaked nuts have lots of phytic acid — most nuts have more phytic acid than grains. Eating a completely grain-free/paleo diet won’t do much to help your mineral absorption if you are snacking on giant handfuls of raw nuts and using them as a replacement for flour.

Phytic acid is the principal storage form of phosphorus in many plant tissues, especially the bran portion of grains and other seeds. It contains the mineral phosphorus tightly bound in a snowflake-like molecule. In humans and animals with one stomach, the phosphorus is not readily bioavailable. In addition to blocking phosphorus availability, the “arms” of the phytic acid molecule readily bind with other minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, making them unavailable as well.

Phytic acid not only grabs on to or chelates important minerals, but also inhibits enzymes that we need to digest our food, including pepsin, needed for the breakdown of proteins in the stomach, and amylase, needed for the breakdown of starch into sugar. [1]

A diet high in phytic acid can contribute to tooth decay, osteoporosis, digestive issues, and other health problems.

Evidence suggests that soaking and dehydrating nuts can eliminate a large portion of the phytates they contain. Many Native American tribes used a combination of soaking, rinsing, and roasting to prepare their nuts. The natives in Central America treated their nuts and seeds by soaking them in seawater and then dehydrating them in the sun, which is essentially what we are mimicking. The salt helps activate beneficial enzymes that de-activate the enzyme inhibitors and make the nuts more digestible.

Unfortunately, we don’t really know exactly how much phytic acid is removed by soaking nuts. According to “Cure Tooth Decay“ author Ramiel Nagel, soaking nuts for 7 hours would likely remove some of it, and soaking them for more than 18 hours would remove “a large portion.” And a large portion is better than nothing, right?

Notes:

I have seen lots of soak time charts that tell you different amounts of time to soak and dehydrate different types of nuts, but I just soak them all for 18 to 24 hours and dehydrate them until they are dry.

I have only tried this with walnuts, almonds, pecans, and pine nuts — and it made them all taste way better. I have heard this doesn’t work as well with cashews, and they might get slimy and taste weird if you let them soak for very long. But I don’t like cashews that much anyway.

Even soaked nuts have some phytic acid, so I try not to go too crazy with snacking on them (which is hard, because I would eat the whole jar if I was hungry and it was sitting in front of me). I try to only use them as part of an actual meal.

[1] “Living With Phytic Acid,” Westonaprice.org
diy-remineralizing-toothpaste

DIY Natural Remineralizing Toothpaste

Posted by Kristie

This toothpaste is basically just a mix of all the things I read on the Internet are good for your teeth and gums. It is super easy to make and doesn’t taste nearly as bad as it sounds — I promise.

The ingredients are very similar to what is in Redmond Earthpaste and other flouride-free, glycerin-free options you might find at health food stores — but when you make it yourself, you can customize it to best suit your taste and any dental issues you may be having. I think it is also a little bit cheaper (in the long run).

Since this toothpaste contains coconut oil, it is better to spit it out in the trash and not the sink (so it doesn’t clog your pipes). My mom spits hers in the sink and thinks it’s fine — but Travis really doesn’t like snaking drains, so I try to error on the side of caution.

Ingredient Breakdown

Bentonite Clay Absorbs and removes toxins. Contains high concentration of minerals including silica, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, iodine, and potassium. Make sure you use a high-quality, food-grade kind like Redmond brand.
Eggshell powder Great source of bio-available calcium and other trace minerals, and it is pretty much free to make. You can also use calcium carbonate powder. Don’t use calcium citrate — it is really acidic.
Real (pink) salt Good for your gums — it is a natural disinfectant and helps remove swelling from tissue. Also full of good trace minerals.
Baking soda Dirt cheap and will help fight plaque and alkalize the pH of your mouth. Its use in toothpaste is somewhat controversial because it is a mild abrasive — but my understanding is that it is abrasive enough to scratch off all the plaque, but not abrasive enough to scratch your healthy enamel.
Stevia powder Makes it taste less horrible and more like normal toothpaste.
Coconut oil Helps make the toothpaste more solid and easier to put on your toothbrush and has natural anti-bacterial properties.
Peppermint oil Natural antiseptic that freshens breath and makes your toothpaste taste minty.
Clove oil Powerful disinfectant that fights germs. Also helps with pain and soreness.
Tea tree oil Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. Can kill bacteria and help stop decay and gum disease.
Myrrh oil Strengthens gums, and has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. Frequently used for treatment and prevention of gum disease.
Cinnamon leaf oil Powerful antimicrobial that can help kill bacteria.

Recipe

1/4 c bentonite clay
2 T ground eggshells or calcium carbonate powder
1/4 t ground himalayan sea salt
1 t baking soda (optional)
1/8 t pure stevia powder (optional)
***
2 T coconut oil
3 T water
***
6 drops cinnamon leaf essential oil
6 drops myrrh essential oil
6 drops clove essential oil
6 drops tea tree essential oil
20 drops peppermint essential oil

Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl.

Put coconut oil and water in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Mix with dry ingredients. I just stir it all together with a spoon.

Add in essential oils, and stir again.

Allow to cool, and store in airtight container.

mulch

Mulching 101: How and Why to Mulch Your Flower Beds, Bushes, and Fruit Trees

Posted by Kristie

I planted like, 300 flower bulbs late this past fall and wanted to mulch them because everyone says you’re supposed to. Problem is, those little $5 bags of mulch don’t go very far, and I didn’t want to spend $600 on some shredded wood. By my calculations, I needed at least 3 cubic yards. I called my local garden center about getting bulk mulch, and they said the cheap un-dyed kind was $40/half cubic yard, and $40 x 6 = $240, plus tax, plus truck rental or delivery costs…YIKES!

Do You Really Need to Mulch Everything?

Short answer: yes! Lots of plants will do fine without mulch, of course…but mulch is awesome and will save you money on water. Here are some reasons why you should use it:

  • No matter how ugly your mulch is, it will always look better than dirt.

    (Unless, maybe, it’s bright red and made out of rubber — that stuff is pretty bad!)

  • You can walk in it without getting your shoes muddy.

    This is super nice when you have to walk through your beds to turn on the hose or put up Christmas lights.

  • It protects your plants from harsh temperatures.

    This means you are more likely to get away with growing plants that might be borderline not-hardy-enough for your zone. I’ve been harvesting kale and rosemary all winter in Zone 6.

  • It keeps moisture from evaporating as quickly.

    You won’t have to water your plants as often, which can save you a ton of money during hot, dry summers.

  • As it decomposes, it enriches the soil.

    Organic material provides important nutrients to your plants, improves soil structure, and holds a lot of moisture that can be easily absorbed by roots.

  • It prevents weed seeds from getting enough light to sprout.

    Who wants to spend all their garden time pulling weeds? Not me!

You should mulch anywhere you want to experience these benefits — flower beds, bushes, fruit trees, vegetable gardens…I also used it as a border around my house and to make a path around the side of my house.

How Much Do You Need?

Too much mulch can make the soil waterlogged and encourage harmful diseases in plants, but a layer of mulch that’s too thin won’t be effective in preventing weeds.

For most types of planting beds, the recommended mulch depth is about 3 inches. If your mulch is very fine, you may only need 1-2 inches. For coarser shreds, 3 – 4 inches is probably better since the larger chunks let more air and light through.

Mulch Calculator

Mulch Depth (in):
Area Width (ft):
Area Length (ft):

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Cubic Yards: {{ ((depth/12)*width*length)/27 | number:1 }}

Choosing the Best Type of Mulch

In my opinion, mulch is meant to enrich your soil, keep your plants from freezing to death in the winter, and hold in moisture. If it’s not ugly, that’s a nice bonus — but you really shouldn’t choose your mulch just based on looks. I much prefer the appearance of natural-looking gardens that are so densely planted that you don’t even see the mulch, anyway. You want the focal point of your gardens to be the plants, not the mulch!

Some mulch is made out of rubber or rocks — these kinds obviously do nothing to enrich the soil. The most commonly-used type is made out of wood chips that have been dyed with “natural” pigment — it usually comes in black, brown, or red. This mulch frequently comes from construction and demolition debris that often contains chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood. The chromium, copper, and arsenic present in this wood may cause environmental problems, and it really goes against the idea of using mulch to improve soil quality.

A nice dark brown or black-dyed mulch may look nicer for a year or so, but as soon as the dye fades, it will start looking pretty terrible — at which point, you can buy some overpriced spray-on dye that will fade even quicker. Also, the dye can get on your wet shoes, and you may track it all over your driveway and sidewalks — gross!

The undyed, natural mulch has no bad chemicals in the wood and is generally a lot cheaper. When it is freshly shredded, it may be a pretty nasty-looking yellow color if the wood is still fresh, but within a month or so, it will fade to a much-less-obnoxious grey-ish brown.

It generally comes in different shred sizes like fine, medium, and large. The finer the shred, the quicker it will enrich your soil. The larger the shred, the longer it will take before it completely decomposes and you have to buy new mulch. I think a mix of shred sizes is best if you have bad soil that you’d like to improve ASAP, but you also don’t want to buy new mulch more often than absolutely necessary.

Pine straw makes great mulch for acid-loving plants, and cedar bark nuggets are also super nice but can be really expensive.

Where to Get Cheap Mulch

I had read online that sometimes tree trimming companies will give you free mulch. I signed up on a couple of websites that were supposed to connect you to landscaping companies that have mulch to give away, but I waited a couple months and nothing ever came of that. I also called 10 or 15 local tree trimming companies, and none of them wanted to give me free mulch. My parents got some free mulch from the trees they had removed on their property, but they are on the other side of the country, so that didn’t do me any good.

It seemed like the bigger tree companies sold mulch to local landscape suppliers and firewood to those places that sell firewood for $5 a bundle. They also sold apple wood chips for smoking meat and stuff — there was nothing they were “just trying to get rid of” for free. From these bigger companies, the cheapest mulch I found was $26/cubic yard — which I thought was totally reasonable and wayyy better than $80/cubic yard. I would still need to find a truck to rent though, and Home Depot trucks are $20/hr, and I would need it for 2 hours…which would bring my total up to $118 for 3 cubic yards.

That would have been just fine, but there was a smaller company who offered to bring me 8-10 cubic yards for $120, delivered. I wasn’t completely sure what I would ever do with 8-10 cubic yards of mulch, but I figured too much was better than too little, so I decided to go that route, especially since it wouldn’t require me to worry about taking off work during 9-5 hours and renting a truck!

I had to wait about a week until they had their next tree removal scheduled that would be relatively “clean” (preferably no pine needles and minimal leaves, etc.), and then they just came and dumped a huge pile of mulch in the back of my driveway at the end of the day.


Since most natural undyed mulch seems to come from tree trimming companies, I would definitely recommend cutting out the garden center middle man if you have a large area to mulch and are looking to save some money. Tree trimming companies and landfills are a great place to start your search.

How to Apply Your Mulch

I experimented with a few different techniques, but the most efficient method I found was to shovel the mulch from the pile into a wheelbarrow, dump the whole wheelbarrow load into the bed, and then spread it around with a metal rake.

It is best to leave a thinner layer of mulch immediately surrounding the plants and spread it thicker around the in-between areas. Avoid letting the mulch actually touch the trunks or stems of the plants.

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aged-galvanized-steel-bucket

How to Age Galvanized Steel Overnight Using Vinegar

Posted by Kristie

Ebay is always full of gorgeous vintage galvanized buckets and old washtubs. They are great for everything from planters, trash cans, and ice bins, to displaying Christmas presents or storing garden tools. But sometimes, you want one that is a very specific size and don’t want to pay $80 for it.

A quick Google/Pinterest search on aging steel led me to believe that using corrosive acid toilet bowl cleaner was the best method — I tried this first, and saw no visible difference in my bucket after letting it sit in toliet bowl cleaner for two days. Maybe my toliet bowl cleaner wasn’t concentrated enough? Some people had recommended using vinegar, but the photos I had seen didn’t give me a ton of confidence that it would work. But it did — wonderfully!

You will need:

  • Something made out of galvanized steel
  • A container big enough to fit your item
  • Enough cheap white vinegar to fill the container at least a couple of inches

Here’s how I did it:

I found a plastic storage tote that was big enough to fit my Behrens galvanized steel bucket and dumped all the stuff out of it. I put my bucket in the tub to soak with 2 gallons of white vinegar — I probably should have gotten more vinegar, but it would have cost a lot more to get enough vinegar to completely submerge my 6-gallon bucket. I checked it after a few hours, and the steel was already aging beautifully — I turned it once, went to a party, came back, turned it again, went to sleep, woke up, and WOW — I was so happy with how it came out! I pulled it out of the vinegar and left it outside on the porch to dry off for the rest of the day, and it looked even better once it was dry.

I loved how the handle was completely rusted but the rest of the bucket mostly just had that whitish oxidation like the authentic vintage galvanized containers had. I was scared that my bucket was just going to turn completely black and rusty like the other ones I’d seen that had been aged with vinegar. I’m sure it would have, eventually. It is definitely best to check the aging progress often — and remember that it will look better and more white once it’s dry.

In subsequent steel-aging attempts, I have tried scratching up the item’s surface with a metal scrubby thing like this, and that helped give it more dimension.

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How This Works

Galvanized steel has been covered with a protective layer of zinc. Vinegar causes oxidation. Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon — and when it oxidizes, it produces iron oxide (rust). When zinc oxidizes, it produces zinc oxide, which is white. Because the zinc is on top, and it turns white as it ages, most old galvanized items have a whitish patina.

The longer you leave your item in the vinegar, though, the more the zinc will corrode away. If you don’t have enough vinegar to completely submerge your galvanized item, you probably won’t end up with a patina that’s as even as it would be if you left it outside for 10 years. On my bucket, there is a big rusty strip on the side, where the zinc is completely corroded away. That particular spot had probably been touching the vinegar for longer than the rest of the bucket. If you turn the item super often or completely submerge it in vinegar, you might be less likely to get these rusty stripes.

I’d love to hear about all the galvanized steel things you’re aging — tell me about them in the comments!

bell

Vintage Brass Bell Ornaments

Posted by Kristie

My family Christmas tree growing up was full of vintage brass, mercury glass, and lots of beautiful ornaments that were handmade by my mom. Among those were some little brass bells with blue and white bows on them.

I thought bells would be great for our tree because they are shiny, unbreakable, and they would ring to alert us if Mitsy was batting at the tree. I had no idea what size to get, though, so I called my mom and made her measure them — hers were 1.5 inches.

After hours of scouring the internet for the perfect 1.5-in. brass bells, I settled on a lot of 30 vintage brass bells from eBay. I used 3/8-in. Offray feather-edge satin ribbon and really liked how it was stiff enough to hold its shape.

Making them into ornaments was super simple — I just tied bows on them, and added hooks. To keep the ribbon from fraying, I used clear nail polish on the ends of the bows after I’d tied them on and trimmed off the excess.

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I put a bunch of them on the lower branches of my Christmas tree, and Mitsy loved to bat at one bell in particular — it made the cutest little jingle. I think they helped keep her distracted enough to forget about the glass ornaments higher up!