Who is "Stuck in the City"?

Who is "Stuck in the city"?

Well, I'm just that. Stuck, but for all the right reasons. I didn't get stuck on accident.

I was born in a once rural town in Illinois. I was born and bred country. It had became extremely urban and My parents wanted out. We moved to a small farming town. My grandma taught me everything from gardening to sewing in that little town.

At 18, I went against everyone and ran off with the man of my dreams. 6 weeks after the wedding, he left for his deployment. He came home in one piece, but it definitely changed his city slicker priorities. We eventually worked our way up to a farmette with chickens, ducks, turkey, and whatever else we found to keep us company.

We later had a little runt of our own. Soon after her arrival, my husband took a job in Wisconsin that would require us to move and stay in the city while we saved money. The job required us to sacrifice the home we had, but it allowed for so much more.

After moving, I FINALLY got a doctor to confirm what I had known all along. I had an autoimmune disease genetically derived from my mother. The catch? She wouldn't treat it. Doctor after doctor refused to help. Because my grandma took me foraging, I started getting into that to help with mobility. As I learned what I could eat, I also learned what could medicate. I took my health and my sanity back. I'm a very firm believer in modern medicine, but this opened up a new world. Because of these plants (that I doubted would do ANYTHING to help) I am no longer on medications, healthy, and mostly sane.

Now, I sit here, stuck in the city. I patiently wait for the day I can get out of it, but until then, it was worth it.

Wood Rot--Part 4--Unicoi Ludd

Wood Rot Part 4. 

So now we come to the part most people want to know -"How do keep my fence posts from rotting without spending any money"? The simple & best answer is - use the right wood. All trees have different characteristics & one of those is "resistance to decay". Simply put, some woods are more appealing to fungi & bacteria than others. This resistance is caused (generally) by chemical compounds, created by the tree itself. These compounds are called "extractives" and come in different forms. They are contained predominantly in the heartwood of the tree. Many of us have seen a log in the forest covered in rotten, pulpy and soaking wet decay and yet the heartwood is still whole & solid. Those extractives have protected the wood even while the sapwood was completely consumed. These natural compounds are as durable as anything man made, are already in the wood & free. The easiest way to determine if a tree will make a good post is to search "decay resistance of ------" anything described as poor or moderate or non-durable should not be used. Be as specific as possible because there is a wide variation among species, for example if you Google "decay resistance oak" you need to know what species of oak. Red oak decay resistance is poor / non durable while White oak is very good / durable. Obviously this depends on the trees available in your area, but that's the idea. A misconception about decay resistance is that "hard" woods are more resistant that "soft" , this is not correct, it depends entirely on those extractive chemicals not the relative hardness of the wood. As far as treating wood that is not naturally decay resistant, there are some low cost options. My favorite is placing posts in a barrel and dumping wood ash from the stove in and soaking with water. This saturates the wood with lye and discourages the decay causing organisms. Lye is water soluble so it will eventually leach out and leave the wood vulnerable. An old belief that charring the wood prevents decay is not really effective, charcoal is virtually decay proof but the wood beneath is not. At best charring may add a couple of years durability. So to conclude, remember that moisture must be present to cause decay but does not itself cause decay. Keeping wood dry is the best way to preserve it. Chemical treatments that discourage fungi & bacteria are effective but must be understood for safe use. Naturally decay resistant woods are an excellent resource if you can identify them. I hope this helps, if you have questions or comments I'll be happy to respond.

And by the way, termites cannot digest wood. Microbes/ bacteria in their digestive tracts convert the macerated wood into simple sugars and that nourishes the termite. It's all about those fungi, microbes and what not

 😜

Wood Rot Part 3 -Unicoi Ludd

Wood Rot Part 3. 

We've learned that keeping wood dry is the key to preventing decay. We've also learned that barrier methods of preservation, coatings such as paints, varnishes & urethanes are effective at keeping wood dry as long as they are intact and well maintained. We have also learned that these are not practical or effective when wood is in direct contact with the soil, as with fence posts, piles or sills. Now we'll discuss chemical treatments that discourage fungi, microbes & bacteria. This post will deal with the common treatments and the next will deal with more natural methods. We are probably all familiar with the "preassure treated wood" commonly sold in the lumber store. The wood is placed in a pressure vessel and infused with chemicals that make the wood distasteful to our wood destroying enemies. These chemical treatments fall into some general categories like water or oil soluble, borates, LOSP etc. the most common are those that use the anti microbial properties of copper such as ACQ, CAC & CCA. These are the greenish tinged lumber in the big box stores. The treatments are done to various degrees which is why some say "ground contact" and others don't. These chemical treatments have proven very effective over the years and the chemical composition has been changed to reduce the toxicity. You should research the specific product you intend to use to know the level of toxicity & safe handling procedures. Leaching of these chemicals into the soil may be a concern, so I'll let you make your own decisions. Another common preservative are Borates- again the purpose is to make the wood unappetizing to fungi etc. Borates are a generally less toxic treatment, but are water soluble and will slowly leach out of the wood. LOSP stands for Light Organic Solvent Preservative - an example is Kerosene (also used to preserve burlap bags) and the last are oil based, most commonly Creosote. That black, tarry stuff on utility poles with its distinctive smell, it is not generally sold to the public any more. Be aware that if you use old poles or creosote treated wood, you should protect your skin. Creosote causes photosensitivity and just the saw dust from cutting up a pole can give you the worst sunburn you've ever had. All theses treatments work by discouraging fungi etc from eating the wood fibers the same way - toxicity. At this point I'll say a word about what a lot of you are thinking - "what about used motor oil"? Yes, soaking or painting motor oil on wood will discourage fungi & microbes and greatly increase the life of fence posts. Most municipalities, State & Federal policies DO NOT LIKE THIS! So it would be wrong for me to suggest that placing fence posts loosely in a metal barrel, filling with used motor oil and allowing to soak for a couple of months would be an excellent preservation method. Not only would such a procedure render the wood toxic, it also imparts considerable water repellency. But that would be frowned upon by the afore mentioned entities and viewed as an "oil spill" so I won't recommend it. Post # 4 will deal with natural preservation methods.

Wood Rot part 2-- Unicoi Ludd

Wood Rot Part 2. 

In part 1 you learned that the best, easiest & cheapest way to preserve wood is to keep it dry so that decay causing organisms cannot survive. Very useful information for rafters, joists and other off grade applications but what about ground contact like fence posts ? For the purposes of this discussion, we will assume that we are not living in an extremely dry or consistently cold environment. Since fence posts are in direct contact with the ground, the difficulty of preventing decay is tremendous. We have probably all seen fence posts held up by the fencing rather than the other way around. The reason fence posts rot at the base is simple- that "hot zone" of moisture, fungi & microbial life that we call top soil. The top 6 inches of soil are the hardest place to prevent decay. You may have experienced a post rotted thru at the base, but the top part perfectly fine & the end deepest in the ground still good. In the case of ground contact, keeping the wood dry is generally not practical. One question that is commonly asked is "can't I paint it"? The answer is - yes you can, but it won't do any good. Barrier methods of protecting wood, like paint, depend on the coating film being 100% intact. Their primary job is to repel water before it can be absorbed by the wood and permit decay organisms to live. Wood, in its ceaseless effort to match the environment swells & shrinks as it gains or losses moisture. Paints (and other coatings) have some flexibility to cope with that but all will eventually fail. Once the coating has failed moisture will be absorbed by the wood and the ever present fungi etc. will go to work. At this point the paint works against you because now it is acting like the bark of the tree and holding the moisture in. This is why you should re-paint your house regularly- to renew the protective film. So unless you're going to pull up your fence posts and repaint them frequently, don't plan on paints or urethanes to preserve fence posts. In post # 3 we will discuss chemical treatments that deter the decay causing organisms.

Wood Rot 101 and Part 1

Wood Rot 101- The question of how to prevent wood rot comes up a lot, usually as it relates to fence posts. I'm going to put up a short series of post about this subject. It will be the "Wood Rot for Dummies" short version of a complex subject. I'll try to explain the how & why wood decays & what you can do to prevent it. So stay tuned if you're interested.

 Rot part 1. Let's get started with the thing most people misunderstand- WATER DOES NOT MAKE WOOD ROT ! Now I can almost hear you screaming BULLSHIT Right now, but it's true. Wood rot, which from here on I will refer to as "decay" is not caused by wood being wet, all wood decay is caused by 1-Fungi & 2- microbial/ bacterial life. Like all life forms these require water to survive, so while water does not cause decay it is necessary that it be present for decay to occur. These decay causing life forms also require oxygen to live, but as a practical matter we cannot readily make an oxygen free fence, so we will focus on moisture. Wood is a HYDROSCOPIC Material, it "wants" water. It will always want moisture and will get it any way it can. In life a tree is about 50% water, after it has been felled it immediately begins to dry out and eventually assume the same moisture content as its surroundings- whether it gets moisture from the humidity in the air or absorbs it from the ground, it will always seek moisture. The image below is a pine beam approximately 1000 years old, note that it is not rotten. Why? Because the arid desert climate has kept it too dry for decay organisms to survive. It has assumed the moisture level of its environment. In the other images you will see a ship wreak from the 16th century, again not rotten. Though thoroughly saturated with water, the oxygen content & temperature are too low for the fungi etc to survive. So remember- moisture does not make wood decay, but it must be present for decay causing organisms to live. The easiest, cheapest & best way to preserve wood is to keep it dry. In the next post we will discuss other ways to combat decay.

-Unicoi Ludd

Dandelion Root Health Benefits -Mountain Woman

Dandelion Root Health Benefits :

* Dandelion root extract is unique, and is one of the only things found to help with chronic myelomonocytic Leukemia and it is effective in treating Breast Tumors

* Detoxification of vital organs : Because of the diuretic abilities ofdandelion root, it is beneficial for flushing out the Liver, Kidneys and Gallbladder. İt works great to purify the blood and cleanse the system. This also makes it a good herb for Fighting İnfections.
It is also used for Arthritis, Osteoarthritis , Gout and Rheumatism

* Dandelion tea actively ameliorates disease—it is a potent disease-fighter—and helps the body heal, helps Boost İmmunity and Heart Disease, and age-related Memory Loss.

* Treating Anemia : Because of the high content of iron in dandelion root, it is beneficial for building red blood cells in the body to treat anemia.

* Treating Diabetes : Dandelion root has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in patients. In Europe, it's used to treat Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes.

* Digestive System : Dandelion root, when made into a tea, is beneficial for relieving constipation, flatulence and fullness.

*Treating High Blood Pressure : Dandelion root is a natural Diuretic. When combined with its high potassium content, it is an effective treatment to lower blood pressure.

* Dandelion tea helps reduce High Cholesterol.

* High Nutritional Value : Dandelion root contains vitamins A, B-complex, C and D as well as the minerals İron, Zinc and Potassium. This combination of vitamins and minerals also makes dandelion root a High Antioxidant Food.

* Mood Enhancer : Due to the high amount of vitamin B-complex, dandelionroot can help to stabilize mood and Treat Depression.

*Dandelion root is also used to treat skin disorders such as Acne, Eczema and Psoriasis.

* It is very beneficial to Menopausal Women

* Laxative : Dandelion root is also a mild laxative and is used to help with regularity.

* Dandelion tea helps with weight control—especially with Weight Loss.

( Composting spent dandelion tea Blossoms, Leaves, and/or Roots, after drinking your dandelion tea, improves soil composition. )

( There are very few side effects linked to using dandelion root. Allergic Reactions to the herb have been reported. People taking prescription lithium, a diuretic, medication to lower blood pressure or medication to lower blood sugar should not take dandelion root. Women who are Pregnant or Breastfeeding should consult their doctor before taking this herb. )

-Mountain Woman

Debunking "Food Grade" DE -by Boots and Lace

People see "Food Grade" and think "oh, that means the animal can eat it safely and kill the worms or bugs." Then, when their chickens don't have worms to their naked eye, swear that it's working.

Here's the truth about DE: when it gets wet, the active ingredients in it go dead. So in gardening, after you have dusted your plants to prevent bugs and it rains, you now have to re-dust.

For the prevention of parasites in animals, it only works topically on animals that won't get themselves wet. Be aware: the dust is so fine, it WILL cause Upper Respiratory breathing issues in your birds and may cause an Asthmatic like response in your pets. It is not a recommended course of treatment by most vets for this reason.

Defining Food Grade: Well what the heck does it mean then? When you treat your plants with things we used before DE, like Seven, when it rains, the chemicals stay in the ground. With DE, when it washes off for rain, it is now dead and nothing is then living in the ground--telling you that your plants and veges are then chemical free for food use.

So hope that helps to clear things up!

Boots and Lace