What's For Dinner?

A few years ago, one of the large old oak trees in our yard was split by a storm. It had a split trunk already and we'd fastened the two together years before, with a heavy metal cable. But the storm was too much and half of the tree came down. That provided some wood for Romie's brother to burn in his woodburning stove his family has for heating their home and we use it now and then for wiener roasts and those cool autumn nights when we just like to sit around the fire after dark.

Not long after we lost half the tree, we noticed a bright yellow fungus growing on the remaining trunk. It started out small, then got much larger. After some investigating, we learned it was an edible fungus commonly known as "Chicken of the Woods."

Edible? Really?

Apparently so, but we've not gotten up enough nerve to try it out yet. We had a healthy amount of it growing on the tree this fall and I was tempted. I hear it tastes like...you know...chicken. Laetiporus species grow on several species of trees, most commonly on oaks, which is where ours is. Many times it reappears in the same location year after year, depending on the weather. In its wake, it produces brown rot and eventually the tree will succumb to its effects.

The fungus is really only edible in its youth. Unless harvested shortly after its appearance, it becomes brittle and loses its good taste. It can be prepared like any other fungus or like chicken and is used as a meat substitute by vegetarians.

Laetiporus. It's what's for dinner!

Flexrake® 8" Ratchet Bypass Pruners - A Review

When I attended the Independent Garden Center Show (IGC) in Chicago this past August, there were over 1000 vendors there, showing their products to those that would hopefully buy them or write about them. It was a fabulous experience for me - my first time there - and there were a number of products that caught my attention.

I was immediately drawn to the vintage-looking tools by Flexrake® and I wanted one of each. Of course, I was basing this on appearance only, but that's many times the first thing we notice and what makes us want to know more. As I talked to the representative, he offered me my choice of tools to try for review.

I chose the 8" Ratchet Bypass Pruners. (Item #CLA349)

I really wanted to like these pruners. I love the design - the way the handle wraps around your fingers. In a closed position, they feel good. But that's where the goodness stops.

The very first time I tried to prune with these, before I ever took them to the branch, just opening them up told me they weren't going to be comfortable to use. My hand isn't particularly tiny, nor is it large, but in an open position, these pruners are way too large for me. My hand can't spread widely enough and still be able to squeeze the pruners closed. My husband, who is 6' 1" tall and has long fingers found them to be equally uncomfortable to use, for the same reasons.

This is literally stretching it...

The next issue I had with them was their cutting ability. They definitely work better on the larger diameter branches (up to ¾-inch), but on smaller ones, the carbon steel's cutting blades were almost useless. In all cases, there was shredding and no clean cuts. I was surprised at this and disappointed, because as I said, I really wanted to like these pruners.

The suggested retail price is $18.99, which is more than reasonable in the world of pruners, but that's money that could be better spent on a different pair of pruners or on one of Flexrake®'s other tools in the Classic line.

For more information on Flexrake® (family owned and operated since 1945), visit their website.

At Flexrake® we are committed to American manufacturing. We continue to employ Americans in manufacturing and do everything in our power to retain jobs in America. Our top selling garden and pet products are “Made in America”, here in Temple City, California. We believe that we can be competitive in America and we intend on continuing that philosophy. Our customers and our associates are and will remain our top priority.

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The product or merchandise being reviewed in this blog post was the sole compensation for testing and reviewing the product. All opinions expressed here are mine, with no suggestions whatsoever by the manufacturer or distributor. If I like it, I'll say so. If I don't, I'll say that, too.

Leaves - To Burn or Not To Burn?

Leaf pile #1 (with Leaf pile #5 in the background)

  Leaf pile #2



 Leaf pile #3



 Leaf pile #4




Leaf pile #5



 Leaf pile #6





And still, there's...





and

and

and


and

and

So...what to do with all those leaves?

• Mulch - Chop them up with the lawn mower or shredder and use them as mulch on your flower beds. It's not a good idea to allow intact leaves to pile up on your beds because the layers of wet leaves can form a mat which breeds disease and provides a home for unwanted guests, like slugs. But chopped ones are fine. If there aren't too many, just allow the chopped leaves to remain on your lawn.
  
  
• Compost - Add them to your compost bin. This is what we do with most of ours. You can add them whole, but they'll compost much faster if you chop them first. Compost needs a "brown" ingredient and this is the perfect time of year to get that!
  
  
• Leaf mold - Just bag 'em and forget 'em! Put the leaves in a garbage bag, add a little water and store them. Makes sure there are a few air holes in the bags and if they dry out (not really likely) you might need to add moisture at some point, so just wet them with the hose. It takes about six months for good leaf mold to form. This is a great organic element to add to your soil to improve drainage.

Why not burn?

Leaves smell good when they're burning, right? Many of us associate that wonderful aroma with fall. But... (there's always a but, isn't there?) ...  that smoke contains a number of harmful toxins, most especially hydrocarbons.

Some hydrocarbons are known to be carcinogens and breathing them in contributes to known and unknown environmental factors increasing the incidence of cancer in humans. Those with asthma may find that the smoke from burning leaves is especially irritating to their lungs and hampers breathing. Leaf smoke also contains carbon monoxide.