-Pam Scott- After having had a few months break from rigorous garden chores, you may now feel the call of the outdoors... the need to get this spring thing started. Top on the list of things to do in February is to assess what needs pruning in the garden this year. Late winter is the ideal time to prune a large number of plants in your garden. In our zone 7 climate, most plants are dormant from November to March. There are numerous benefits to pruning plants during this winter dormancy. Plant … [Read more...] about Time to Prune
Clever and Deadly Carnivores
-Pam Scott- Do you remember being a kid and finding out that there are plants that eat animals? Chances are you probably thought that was, without a doubt, the coolest thing in the entire world. Every day we have children coming into the shop, bursting with excitement to see our carnivorous plants. The fact is that many of us at Fifth Season consider carnivorous plants to be the coolest plants on earth. Carnivorous plants are bog plants that have evolved to live in low nutrient, highly … [Read more...] about Clever and Deadly Carnivores
The Art of Making Absinthe
-Ryan Blankenship- Absinthe is a drink that is made from a distilled spirit and has the herbs wormwood, anise, and fennel added to it post-distillation. Absinthe was first created by the ancient Greeks for medicinal purposes, starting around 1550 BCE, by soaking wormwood leaves in wine and making a tincture with it. This tincture was called absinthites oinos. Absinthe made using distilled spirits instead of wine can be dated back to the 18th century. Its use became more popular during the … [Read more...] about The Art of Making Absinthe
Intro to Hydroponics Part IV: Maintaining Your System
-James Gordon- Welcome back to another edition of “Intro to Hydroponics” in our FSG blog series. The last few months our blogs have featured some information to get you started on your hydroponic journey. In this blog we will discuss flushing and hydroponic system maintenance. Any hydroponic system is going to need maintenance. To help improve the longevity of your chosen system you must, and no way around it at all, clean your system. PERIOD! You need to think of the pipes, lines, … [Read more...] about Intro to Hydroponics Part IV: Maintaining Your System
How to build a Johnson-Su Bioreactor
-Mike Weeks- It’s that time of year again when activities in the garden have come to a near standstill and the holiday hustle and bustle is over. Any gardener knows there’s always something to do with the garden whether that’s taking inventory on your seed stock, planning and designing new beds, or even sharpening your tools. But, those unusually warm winter days in between the cold ones like we recently had are perfect for tackling projects that will give you a leg up on spring gardening. … [Read more...] about How to build a Johnson-Su Bioreactor
2020 in Plant Care Tips & Mistakes
-Ginny Schafer- I think my favorite thing about 2020 is the fact that it’s almost over. My second favorite thing is that this is the year that I finally learned enough about houseplants to keep them happy and thriving! Before this year, I was… alright with plants. I had a few aloes that managed to stay alive, but other than that, the average life expectancy of a plant in my house was about 5 months. Then along came 2020, and diving headfirst into houseplants and plant care was a great … [Read more...] about 2020 in Plant Care Tips & Mistakes
Aging Beers
-Ryan Blankenship- Aging large gravity beers can really help bring out some greater characteristics in several different styles. Larger stouts, porters, Scottish ales, and barrel-aged ales work the best for aging or cellaring. IPA and Double IPAs are net recommended for aging because the hops will start to break down over time and give an off flavor to your ales. Be sure the ABV is at least 8% or higher for the optimal aging process. Lambics, saisons, gueuzes, and any other type of beer … [Read more...] about Aging Beers
Fermenting for the Holidays: Basic Tools of the Trade & Easy DIY Holiday Gift Ideas
-Kylie Holloway- It’s the beginning of December, and the holiday season is fully upon us; however, with the warmth and joy of the season often comes stress and a feeling of being overwhelmed when it comes to holiday shopping and gift giving. Well, we’re here to help, with some great gift ideas for the foodies in your life! A great DIY holiday gift idea that is simple, fun, and unique is making fermented gifts for friends, family, and loved ones (and is a great gift to send in the mail!). … [Read more...] about Fermenting for the Holidays: Basic Tools of the Trade & Easy DIY Holiday Gift Ideas
Intro to Hydroponics: Know Your Own (Nutrient) Strength!
-James Gordon- Greetings again all! It's time for another installment in the Intro to Hydroponics blog series. So far in our last two blogs we have had an introduction to growing hydroponically, water quality, pH manipulation, pH meter calibration, and nutrient amalgamation. We have covered a lot! We’ll take it a bit easier this blog, with our focus on measuring dissolved salts to find out what strength our nutrient solution is after we mix the nutrients into water. From there we will talk … [Read more...] about Intro to Hydroponics: Know Your Own (Nutrient) Strength!
Organics: A Better Way to Grow
-Tim Leisman- Organic growing can be intimidating to the newcomer. When I came to Fifth Season, I wasn’t exactly new to organic gardening - I’d helped my mom in the garden many summers, complained about the smell of the manure she would buy to till into the soil every so often, then watched as plants thrived under her care. However, I never took the time to learn exactly how and why she put bone meal into the garden. Have you ever wondered why organic products cost much more in the stores and … [Read more...] about Organics: A Better Way to Grow
