5/ 5

<h2 class=""><strong>Japanese Pepper - Sanshō Seeds (Zanthoxylum piperitum)</strong></h2> <h2><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Price for Package of 5 seeds.&nbsp;</strong></span></h2> <p><span>Zanthoxylum piperitum, called Japanese pepper or Korean pepper in English, sanshō (Japanese: 山椒) in Japanese and chopi in Korean, is a deciduous aromatic spiny shrub or small tree, belonging to the Rutaceae (citrus and rue) family. Natural range spans from Hokkaido to Kyushu in Japan, southern parts of the Korean peninsula, and Chinese mainland.[5] The related Z. schinifolium (Japanese: イヌザンショウ pron. inuzanshō, lit., "dog sansho") occurs as far south as Yakushima, attaining a height of 3 meters.</span></p> <p><span>It is an important host plant for several Japan indigenous swallowtail butterfly species, including the common Papilio xuthus.</span></p> <p><span>The tree blooms in April to May, forming axillary flower clusters, about 5mm, and yellow-green in color. It is dioecious, and the flowers of the male plant can be consumed as hana-sanshō, while the female flowers yield berries or peppercorns of about 5mm.</span></p> <p><span>For commercial harvesting, thornless varieties called the Asakura sansho are widely cultivated. Around September to October, the berries turn scarlet and burst, scattering the black seeds within.</span></p> <p><span>The branch grows pairs of sharp thorns, and has odd-pinnately compound leaves, alternately arranged, with 5〜9 pairs of ovate leaflets having crenate (slightly serrated) margins.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>Uses</span></em></strong></p> <p><strong><span>Culinary</span></strong></p> <p><strong><span>Japan</span></strong></p> <p><span>The pulverized mature fruits ("peppercorns" or "berries") known as "Japanese pepper" or kona-zanshō (Japanese: 粉ざんしょう) are the standard spice for sprinkling on the broiled eel (kabayaki unagi) dish. It is also one of the seven main ingredients of the blended spice called shichimi, which also contains red chili peppers.</span></p> <p><span>The finely ground Japanese pepper, kona-zanshō, is nowadays usually sold in sealed packets, and individual serving sizes are included inside heat-and-serve broiled eel packages. While red chili pepper is never used on eel, otherwise, in many usages, the Japanese red chili pepper, or the shichimi blend of peppers can be used in lieu of Japanese pepper alone, according to taste: e.g., to flavor miso soup, various noodles in broth or dipped in tsuyu, Japanese pickles (tsukemono), teriyaki or fried chicken.</span></p> <p><span>Young leaves and shoots, pronounced ki no mé[7] or ko no mé[5] (Japanese: 木の芽 lit. "tree-bud") herald the spring season, and often garnish grilled fish and soups. They have a distinctive flavor and is not to the liking of everyone. It is a customary ritual to put a leaf between cupped hands, and clap the hands with a popping sound, this supposedly serving to bring out the aroma.[7] The young leaves are crushed and blended with miso using pestle and mortar (suribachi and surikogi) to make a paste, a pesto sauce of sorts,[9] and then used to make various aemono (or "tossed salad", for lack of a better word). The stereotypical main ingredient for the resultant kinome-ae is the fresh harvest of bamboo shoots,[10] but the sauce may be tossed (or delicately "folded", to use a pastrymaking term) into sashimi, clams, squid or other vegetable such as tara-no-me (Aralia elata shoots).</span></p> <p><span>The immature green berries, blanched and salted, are called ao-zanshō (lit. "green sansho"). The berries are traditionally simmered into dark-brown tsukudani, but nowadays are also available as shoyu-zuke, which is just steeped in soy sauce. The berries are also cooked with small fry fish and flavored with soy sauce (chirimen jako[ja]), a specialty item of Kyoto, since its Mount Kurama outskirts is a renowned growing area of the Japanese pepper.</span></p> <p><span>The thornless variety Asakura sansho derives its name from its place of origin, the Asakura district in the now defunct Yokacho[ja], integrated into Yabu, Hyōgo.</span></p> <p><span>Wakayama Prefecture boasts 80% of domestic production. Aridagawa, Wakayama procuces a specialty variety called budō sanshō ("grape sansho"), which bears large fruits and clusters, rather like a bunch of grapes.</span></p> <p><span>Confections In central and northeastern Japan, a non-sticky rice-cake type confection called goheimochi[ja], which is basted with miso-based paste and grilled, sometimes uses the Japanese pepper as flavor additive to the miso. Also being marketed are sansho flavored arare (rice crackers), snack foods, and sweet sansho-mochi.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Korea</span></strong></p> <p><span>The fruit of Zanthoxylum piperitum, chopi, is called by many names including jepi, jenpi, jipi, jopi in southern parts of Korea,[18] where the plant is extensively cultivated and consumed. In Southern Korean cuisine, chopi is used as a condiment served with varieties of food such as chueotang(pond loach stew), maeuntang(spicy fish stew), and hoe(raw fish). Chopi leaves are eaten pickled as jangajji, pan-fried to make buchimgae(Korean pancake), or deep-fried as fritters.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Condiments</span></strong></p> <p><span>chopigaru – chopi powder, made by grinding dried and deseeded chopi fruit</span></p> <p><span>Ingredients</span></p> <p><span>chopisun – young leaves of chopi, used as a culinary herb or a namul vegetable</span></p> <p><span>chopiaekjeot – a type of aekjeot(liquid jeotgal), made by putting anchovies, salt, and chopi leaves in layers in a sterilized jar, then letting them ferment for a year or more</span></p> <p><strong><span>Dishes</span></strong></p> <p><span>chopiiptwigak – a type of fritters, made by deep-frying chopi leaves coated in the mixture of eggs, water, corn starch, and wheat flour</span></p> <p><span>chopinamul – a type of namul, made by seasoning blanched chopi leaves with doenjang, garlic, and sesame oil</span></p> <p><span>chopisunjangajji – a type of jangajji, made by soaking young leaves in brine, draining them, then pickling them in gochujang, maesilcheong(plum syrup), soy sauce, and honey</span></p> <p><span>chueotang – a type of tang(soup), boiled with finely ground pond loach and filtered through a sieve. In southern Korea, ground chopi, along with Korean mint leaves(in Yeongnam region) or deulkkae powder(in Honam region), is served with the soup.</span></p> <p><span>eotangguksu</span></p> <p><strong><span>Craft</span></strong></p> <p><span>In Japan, the thick wood of the tree is traditionally made into a gnarled and rough-hewn wooden pestle, to use with suribachi.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Medicinal</span></strong></p> <p><strong><span>China</span></strong></p> <p><span>The husks are used medicinally. In traditional Chinese medicine it finds uses similar to the hua jiao or Sichuan pepper</span></p> <p><strong><span>Japan</span></strong></p> <p><span>In Japanese pharmaceuticals, the mature husks with seeds removed are considered the crude medicine form of sanshō. It is an ingredient in bitter tincture[ja], and the toso wine served ceremonially. The pungent taste derives from sanshool and sanshoamide. It also contains aromatic oils geraniol, dipentene, citral, etc.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Piscary</span></strong></p> <p><span>In Southern parts of Korea, the fruit is traditionally used in fishing. Being poisonous to small fishes, a few fruits dropped in a pond make the fishes float shortly.</span></p> <p><span><img src="https://www.si-seeds.com/img/cms/SEJANJE%20OPISI%20SLIKE/EN_soak_in-water_for_24_hours_3_months_in_refrigerator.png" alt="" width="490" height="193"></span></p> <script src="//cdn.public.n1ed.com/G3OMDFLT/widgets.js"></script>

MHS 56 ZP (5 S)

5/ 5

<h2><strong>Bulgarian Carrot Chili Pepper Seeds</strong></h2> <h2><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Price for Package of 10 seeds.</strong></span></h2> <p>looks like a carrot, but kicks like cayenne. That would be the Bulgarian carrot pepper. With its pointy shape and bright-orange skin, the Bulgarian carrot – a.k.a. shipkas or hot carrot pepper – is unmistakeable. It’s even a bit crunchier than other chilies which makes it terrific for roasting and pickling. Plus, its colorful skin and fruity flavor looks and tastes great in salsas and chutney.</p> <p><strong>How hot is the Bulgarian carrot pepper?</strong></p> <p>There’s a lot of debate about the range of this chili. Some reports claim 2,500 – 5,000 (inline with our reference point, the jalapeño pepper), while others report 50,000 to 100,000 (on par with hot Thai peppers). The true range is likely something in between: 5,000 to 30,000 Scoville heat units. This places the Bulgarian carrot squarely in the medium range of hot peppers – at minimum the spice of a jalapeño with a top range around a cayenne pepper. That’s hot, but not so hot as to limit its use to only extreme eaters.</p> <p><strong>What’s the story behind them?</strong></p> <p>These chilies originated in Hungary, where they are known as shipkas. They also go by the moniker “hot carrot peppers” for obvious reasons. They have a very Cold War-esque origin story. Rumor has it that these chilies were smuggled out from behind the Iron Curtain in the 1980s, and they’ve grown in popularity every since, both as a cooking chili and as an ornamental pepper plant. Growing three to four inches long with that shock orange color, these chilies do have a very dramatic appearance that’s terrific for landscaping.</p> <p><strong>What do these chilies taste like?</strong></p> <p>Three words best describe shipkas: spicy, crisp, and fruity. There’s a crunch to Bulgarian carrot chilies that makes it special among its cousins on the pepper scale. The crunchy skin makes these chilies excellent for pickling and roasting.</p> <p>The fruitiness and orange hue also make these chilies terrific for sauces, salsas, and chutneys. In fact, many people who try the Bulgarian carrot pepper feel that it’s one of the tastiest chilies they’ve ever tasted. The sweetness is similar to chilies typically found well up the Scoville scale, like the habanero and Scotch bonnet pepper, so you get the sweet without the sweat. Well…at least not as much sweat. These are still pretty darn hot chilies.</p> <p>Scoville heat units (SHU): 5,000 – 30,000</p>

C 53

5/ 5

<h2><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;" class="">Brune D'Hiver Lettuce Seeds</span></em></strong></h2> <h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Price for Package of 50 seeds.</strong></span></h3> <p>Compact, hardy, French butterhead-type lettuce that was introduced in 1855. Crunchy green leaves are blushed in reddish- brown color. Plants require little space when growing, and are perfect for fall plantings. Hard to find.</p> <p>Winter Lettuce.</p><script src="//cdn.public.n1ed.com/G3OMDFLT/widgets.js"></script>

PL 3 (50 S)

5/ 5

<h2><strong>Common Smilax, Rough Bindweed Seeds (Smilax aspera)</strong></h2><h2><span style="color: #ff0000;" data-mce-style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Price for Package of 10 seeds.&nbsp;</strong></span></h2><p>Smilax aspera, with common names common smilax, rough bindweed, sarsaparille, and Mediterranean smilax, is a species of flowering vine in the greenbriar family.</p><p>Smilax aspera is a perennial, evergreen climber with a flexible and delicate stem, with sharp thorns. The climbing stem is 1–4 metres (3 ft 3 in–13 ft 1 in) long.[5] The leaves are 8–10 centimetres (3.1–3.9 in) long, petiolated, alternate, tough and leathery, heart-shaped, with toothed and spiny margins. Also the midrib of the underside of the leaves are provided with spines. The flowers, very fragrant, are small, yellowish or greenish, gathered in axillary racemes. The flowering period in Mediterranean regions extends from September to November. The fruits are globose berries, gathered in clusters, which ripen in Autumn. They are initially red, later turn black. They have a diameter of 8–10 millimetres (0.31–0.39 in)[5] and contain one to three tiny and round seeds. Insipid are unpalatable to humans and are a source of nourishment for many species of birds.</p><h3><strong>Distribution</strong></h3><p>It is widespread in Central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia), Mediterranean Europe (Albania, Croatia, Greece, Italy,Malta, France, Portugal, Spain), temperate Asia (Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey) and tropical Asia (India, Bhutan, Nepal). It is also naturalized in other regions.</p><h3><strong>Habitat</strong></h3><p>It grows in the woods and scrubs, at an altitude of 0–1,200 metres (0–3,937 ft) above sea level.</p><h3><strong>Edible Uses</strong></h3><p>Edible Parts: Leaves;&nbsp; Root.</p><p>Edible Uses: Drink.</p><p>Young shoots - raw or cooked as a vegetable. They can be cooked and used as an asparagus substitute. The tendrils are also eaten. The plant is an ingredient of soft drinks. (this probably refers to the root)</p><h3><strong>Medicinal Uses</strong></h3><p>Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.</p><p>Alterative;&nbsp; Antipsoriatic,&nbsp; Demulcent,&nbsp; Depurative,&nbsp; Diaphoretic,&nbsp; Diuretic,&nbsp; Parasiticide,&nbsp; Stimulant,&nbsp;</p><p>Tonic.</p><p>The root is alterative, demulcent, depurative, diaphoretic, diuretic, stimulant and tonic.</p><p>This is one of the best depurative medicines and is used as a springtime tonic and general body cleanser, usually with woody nightshade (Solanum dulcamara). The root has all the medicinal virtues of the widely used tropical herb sarsaparilla, though to a lesser degree. It is often used as an adulterant to that plant. The ripe fruits are squeezed and applied to the skin in the treatment of scabies.</p><h3><strong>Other Uses</strong></h3><p>Dye,&nbsp; Hedge, Hedge,&nbsp; Parasiticide.</p><p>A red dye is obtained from the ripe tendrils[148]. The plant is often grown as an impenetrable hedge in warmer countries than Britain.</p><h3><strong>Cultivation details</strong></h3><p>Succeeds in most soils in sun or semi-shade[200]. A very ornamental plant, it is only hardy in the mildest areas of Britain, tolerating temperatures down to about -10°c. The flowers have a heavy sweet perfume. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.</p><h3><strong>Propagation</strong></h3><p>Seed - sow March in a warm greenhouse. This note probably refers to the tropical members of the genus, seeds of plants from cooler areas seem to require a period of cold stratification, some species taking 2 or more years to germinate. We sow the seed of temperate species in a cold frame as soon as we receive it, and would sow the seed as soon as it is ripe if we could obtain it then. When the seedlings eventually germinate, prick them out into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first year, though we normally grow them on in pots for 2 years. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Division in early spring as new growth begins. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer. Cuttings of half-ripe shoots, July in a frame.</p><h3><strong>Weed Potential</strong></h3><p>Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.</p>

MHS 93

5/ 5

<h2><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;" class="">Marya-Marya, Bush Passion Fruit Seeds (Passiflora foetida)</span></em></strong></h2> <h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Price for Package of 5 seeds.</strong></span></h3> <p>Passiflora foetida (common names: wild maracuja, bush passion fruit, marya-marya, wild water lemon, stinking passionflower, love-in-a-mist or running pop) is a species of passion flower that is native to the southwestern United States (southern Texas and Arizona), Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and much of South America. It has been introduced to tropical regions around the world, such as Southeast Asia and Hawaii. It is a creeping vine like other members of the genus, and yields an edible fruit. The specific epithet, foetida, means "stinking" in Latin and refers to the strong aroma emitted by damaged foliage.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The stems are thin and wiry, covered with minute sticky yellow hairs. Older stems become woody. The leaves are three- to five-lobed and viscid-hairy. When crushed, these leaves give off a pungent odor that some people consider unpleasant. The flowers are white to pale cream coloured, about 5–6 cm diameter. The fruit is globose, 2–3 cm diameter, yellowish-orange to red when ripe, and has numerous black seeds embedded in the pulp; the fruit are eaten and the seeds dispersed by birds.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>P. foetida is able to trap insects on its bracts, which exude a sticky substance that also contains digestive enzymes. This minimizes predation on young flowers and fruits.[6] Whether or not it gains nourishment from its prey is uncertain, and it is currently considered a protocarnivorous plant.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This passion flower tolerates arid ground, but favours moist areas. It is known to be an invasive species in some areas. This plant is also a widely grown perennial climber, and has been used in traditional medicine.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Uses</strong></p> <p>The fruits are roughly the size of a ping pong ball or kumquat and contain a bluish-white pulp that is mildly sweet and delicately flavored. In the Philippines, the fruit of Passiflora foetida are known colloquially as marya-marya ('Little Mary'), 'kurombot', and santo papa (due to its resemblance to the Pope's mitre). Young leaves and plant tips are also edible. Dry leaves are used in tea in Vietnamese folk medicine to relieve sleeping problems, as well as treatment for itching and coughs.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Animal interactions</strong></p> <p>Passiflora foetida is a larval host and nectar source for the Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae).</p> <p>Passiflora foetida has been mentioned as a toxic plant by farmers from northeastern Brazil. An experiment done with goats led to the discovery that high levels of cyanide in P. foetida cause poisoning after the ingestion of fresh leaves, mostly during the dry season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p><script src="//cdn.public.n1ed.com/G3OMDFLT/widgets.js"></script>

V 18 PFM (5 S)

5/ 5

<h2><strong>Black Popcorn Corn Dakota Seeds</strong></h2> <h2><span style="color: #ff0000;" class=""><strong>Price for Package of 9-15 (1,1g) seeds.&nbsp;</strong></span></h2> <p>One of the earliest maturing corns and easiest to grow. 150 cm high plants. Dark black kernels have a ruby-red, glassy shine when held in the right angle of light. The pointy kernels pop bright white with a small black hull still attached. The flavor is delicious, hearty and crunchy. Many popcorns lack this richness, which gives Dakota Black the ability to act as a meal all by itself. Easy to grow, fruits ripening after 90 - 105 days.</p> <p>Location: sun, half shadow</p> <p>Life form: annual</p> <p>Height: 150 cm (60 in)</p><script src="//cdn.public.n1ed.com/G3OMDFLT/widgets.js"></script>

VE 127 (1.1g)

5/ 5

<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> </head> <body> <h2><strong>GIANT WALNUT Seeds (Juglans regia)</strong></h2> <h2><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Price for Package of 1 seeds.</strong></span></h2> <p><strong>This walnut is 3 - 4 times bigger than any other!!!</strong> </p> <p>A walnut is the nut of any tree of the genus Juglans (Family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, Juglans regia. Technically a walnut is the seed of a drupe or drupaceous nut, and thus not a true botanical nut. It is used for food after being processed while green for pickled walnuts or after full ripening for its nutmeat. Nutmeat of the eastern black walnut from the Juglans nigra is less commercially available, as are butternut nutmeats from Juglans cinerea. The walnut is nutrient-dense with protein and essential fatty acids.</p> <p>Walnuts are rounded, single-seeded stone fruits of the walnut tree commonly used for the meat after fully ripening. Following full ripening, the removal of the husk reveals the wrinkly walnut shell, which is usually commercially found in two segments (three-segment shells can also form). During the ripening process, the husk will become brittle and the shell hard. The shell encloses the kernel or meat, which is usually made up of two halves separated by a partition. The seed kernels – commonly available as shelled walnuts – are enclosed in a brown seed coat which contains antioxidants. The antioxidants protect the oil-rich seed from atmospheric oxygen, thereby preventing rancidity.</p> <p>Walnuts are late to grow leaves, typically not until more than halfway through the spring. They secrete chemicals into the soil to prevent competing vegetation from growing. Because of this, flowers or vegetable gardens should not be planted close to them.</p> <p><strong>Food use</strong></p> <p>Walnut meats are available in two forms; in their shells or shelled. The meats can be as large as halves or any smaller portions that may happen during processing, candied or as an ingredient in other foodstuffs. Pickled walnuts that are the whole fruit can be savory or sweet depending on the preserving solution. Walnut butters can be homemade or purchased in both raw and roasted forms. All walnuts can be eaten on their own (raw, toasted or pickled) or as part of a mix such as muesli, or as an ingredient of a dish. For example, walnut pie is prepared using walnuts as a main ingredient. Walnut Whip, coffee and walnut cake, and pickled walnuts are more examples. Walnuts are also popular in brownie recipes and as ice cream toppings.</p> <p>Walnut oil is available commercially and is chiefly used as a food ingredient particularly in salad dressings. It has a low smoke point, which limits its use for frying.</p> <p>Walnut is the main ingredient of Fesenjan, a khoresh (stew) in Iranian cuisine.</p> <p><strong>Nutritional value</strong></p> <p>Walnuts without shells are 4% water, 15% protein, 65% fat, and 14% carbohydrates, including 7% dietary fiber (table).</p> <p>In a 100 gram serving, walnuts provide 2,740 kilojoules (654 kcal) and rich content (more than 19% of the Daily Value or DV) of several dietary minerals, particularly manganese at 163% DV, and B vitamins (table).</p> <p>While English walnuts are the most commonly consumed, their nutrient density and profile are generally similar to those of black walnuts.</p> <p>Unlike most nuts that are high in monounsaturated fatty acids, walnut oil is composed largely of polyunsaturated fatty acids (72% of total fats), particularly alpha-linolenic acid (14%) and linoleic acid (58%), although it does contain oleic acid as 13% of total fats.</p> <p><strong>Health claims</strong></p> <p>Having evaluated the scientific literature on the potential health value of consuming walnuts, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided guidance described as a Qualified Health Claim to manufacturers for labeling of food and dietary supplement products, stating: "Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces per day of walnuts, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet and not resulting in increased caloric intake, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease."</p> <p>One manufacturer of walnut products received an FDA Warning Letter for making unsubstantiated claims in the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of disease, causing the products to be misbranded as "drugs", and so violating regulations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in Title 21 of the US Code of Federal Regulations.</p> <p><strong>Folk medicine</strong></p> <p>Walnuts have been listed as one of the 38 substances used to prepare Bach flower remedies,[13] a kind of traditional medicine promoted for its possible effect on health. However, according to Cancer Research UK, "there is no scientific evidence to prove that flower remedies can control, cure or prevent any type of disease, including cancer".</p> <p><strong>Inks and dyes</strong></p> <p>The husks of the black walnut Juglans nigra were once used to make an ink for writing and drawing, having been used by artists including Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt.</p> <p>Walnut husk pigments are used as a brown dye for fabric[16] as once applied in classical Rome and medieval Europe for dyeing hair.</p> <p><strong>Cleaning</strong></p> <p>The United States Army once used ground walnut shells for the cleaning of aviation parts because of low cost and non-abrasive qualities. However, an investigation of a fatal Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter crash (September 11, 1982, in Mannheim, Germany) revealed that walnut grit clogged an oil port, leading to the accident and the discontinuation of walnut shells as a cleaning agent.</p> <p><strong>Chemical analysis</strong></p> <p>Walnut hulls contain polyphenols that stain hands and can cause skin irritation. Seven phenolic compounds, including ferulic acid, vanillic acid, coumaric acid, syringic acid, myricetin, juglone, were identified in walnut husks. Juglone, the predominant phenolic, was found in concentrations of 2-4% fresh weight.</p> <p>Walnuts also contain the ellagitannin pedunculagin.[20] Regiolone has been isolated with juglone, betulinic acid and sitosterol from the stem bark of J. regia.</p> <p><strong>Uses in Chinese culture</strong></p> <p>In China, pairs of walnuts have traditionally been rotated and played with in the palm of the hand, both as a means to stimulate blood circulation and as a status symbol. Individual and pairs of large, old, symmetrically shaped, and sometimes intricately carved walnuts are valued highly and have recently been used as an investment, with some of them fetching tens of thousands of dollars.</p> <p>Pairs of walnuts are sometimes sold in their green husks for a form of gambling known as du he tao.</p> <p><strong>Types</strong></p> <p>The two most common major species of walnuts are grown for their seeds – the Persian or English walnut and the black walnut. The English walnut (J. regia) originated in Persia, and the black walnut (J. nigra) is native to eastern North America. The black walnut is of high flavor, but due to its hard shell and poor hulling characteristics it is not grown commercially for nut production. Numerous walnut cultivars have been developed commercially, which are nearly all hybrids of the English walnut.</p> <p>Other species include J. californica, the California black walnut (often used as a root stock for commercial breeding of J. regia), J. cinerea (butternuts), and J. major, the Arizona walnut. Other sources list J. californica californica as native to southern California, and Juglans californica hindsii, or just J. hindsii, as native to northern California; in at least one case these are given as "geographic variants" instead of subspecies (Botanica).</p> <p><strong>Production</strong></p> <p>In 2013, worldwide production of walnuts was 3.458 million tonnes, with China contributing 49% of the world total (table).[3] Other major producers were (in the order of decreasing harvest): Iran, United States, Turkey and Ukraine.</p> <p>The average worldwide walnut yield was about 3.5 tonnes per hectare in 2013.[3] Eastern European countries had the highest yield, with Slovenia and Romania each harvesting about 22 tonnes per hectare.</p> <p>The United States is the world's largest exporter of walnuts, followed by Turkey.[4] The Central Valley of California produces 99 percent of United States commercial English walnuts.</p> <p><strong>Storage</strong></p> <p>Walnuts, like other tree nuts, must be processed and stored properly. Poor storage makes walnuts susceptible to insect and fungal mold infestations; the latter produces aflatoxin – a potent carcinogen. A mold-infested walnut batch should be entirely discarded.</p> <p>The ideal temperature for longest possible storage of walnuts is in the −3 to 0 °C (27 to 32 °F) and low humidity – for industrial and home storage. However, such refrigeration technologies are unavailable in developing countries where walnuts are produced in large quantities; there, walnuts are best stored below 25 °C (77 °F) and low humidity. Temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F), and humidities above 70 percent can lead to rapid and high spoilage losses. Above 75 percent humidity threshold, fungal molds that release dangerous aflatoxin can form.</p> </body> </html>

V 206

5/ 5

<h2><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Korea-Tanne, Korean Fir Seeds (Abies koreana)</strong></span></h2> <h2><span style="color:#ff0000;font-size:14pt;"><strong>Price for Package of 5 seeds.</strong></span></h2> <p>Korean fir (Abies koreana, Gusang namu in Korean) is a fir native to the higher mountains of South Korea, including Jeju-do island. It grows at altitudes of 1,000–1,900 m in temperate rain forest with high rainfall and cool, humid summers, and heavy winter snowfall.</p> <p>It is a small to medium-sized evergreen coniferous tree growing to 10–18 m tall with a trunk diameter of up to 0.7 m, smaller and sometimes shrubby at tree line. The bark is smooth with resin blisters and grey-brown in colour. The leaves are needle-like, flattened, 1–2 cm long and 2–2.5 mm wide by 0.5 mm thick, glossy dark green above, and with two broad, vividly white bands of stomata below, and slightly notched at the tip. The leaf arrangement is spiral on the shoot, but with each leaf variably twisted at the base so they lie mostly either side of and above the shoot, with fewer below the shoot. The shoots are green-grey at first, maturing pinkish-grey, with scattered fine pubescence. The cones are 4–7 cm long and 1.5–2 cm broad, dark purple-blue before maturity; the scale bracts are long, green or yellow, and emerge between the scales in the closed cone. The winged seeds are released when the cones disintegrate at maturity about 5–6 months after pollination.</p> <p>Korean fir is a very popular ornamental plant in gardens in cool climates, grown for its foliage but also for the abundant cone production even on young trees only 1–2 m tall. The cultivar 'Silberlocke' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.</p>

T 68 (5 S)

5/ 5

<h2><strong><em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Butterbur Sprout Seeds (Petasites hybridus)</span></em></strong></h2> <h3><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Price for Package of 10 seeds.</strong></span></h3> <p>Butterbur sprouts are made up of pale green sepals surrounding the purple heart of the bud. They have a unique bitter and earthy taste that the Japanese describe as the taste of spring. The bigger the sprouts the more bitter they will taste. It is recommended to pick Butterbur sprouts when small with tight closed buds.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Seasons/Availability</strong></p> <p>Butterbur sprouts are available primarily during early spring.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Current Facts</strong></p> <p>Butterbur or “Fuki” is an herbaceous perennial plant of the Asteraceae genus. Butterburs are native to Japan, and their sprouts are used in Japanese traditional cuisines. In Japanese culture, Butterbur represents spring because it sprouts out of the mountain snow when spring approaches. Its many layers of sepals help to protect the bud from the cold weather.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Nutritional Value</strong></p> <p>Butterbur sprouts are an excellent source of fiber, beta-carotene, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, and C. They are also rich in potassium and calcium. Butterbur sprouts also contain medical properties (fukinone, fukinolic acid and chlorogenic acid) that make them an effective remedy for coughs, excessive sputum and pollen allergies as well as for improving digestion. Chlorogenic acid is also said to have an anti-oxidation effect to slow down aging and prevent various cancers. Butterbur sprouts have also been used as an herbal remedy for asthma, whooping cough, fever and spasms.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Applications</strong></p> <p>The traditional preparation method for this vegetable involves a technique known as aku-nuki, literally meaning "harshness removal". First, the Butterbur sprouts are covered with either ash or baking soda. Then boiling hot water is poured on top to remove the bitterness or harshness while preserving the color of vegetable. After the pre-treatment, the sprouts can be chopped and stir fried with miso to make a relish called Fuki-miso. It is commonly spread thinly over hot rice at meals. The bulb-like shoots are also picked fresh and fried as tempura. The frying also helps to counterbalance the bitterness.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Geography/History</strong></p> <p>Butterburs grow in the mountainous regions of Japan such as Hokkaido, Honshu , Shikoku , Kyushu and Okinawa. It is strongly rooted in the Japanese culture as a symbol of spring. It has been cultivated as a vegetable since the ancient Heian period (794-1185).</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>WIKIPEDIA:</strong></p> <p>It is also called bog rhubarb, Devil's hat and pestilence wort. Synonyms include P. officinalis, P. ovatus, P. vulgaris and Tussilago petasites L.</p> <p>Petasites hybridus, the butterbur, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae, native to Europe and northern Asia.</p> <p>The flowers are produced in the early spring, before the leaves appear. They are pale pink, with several inflorescences clustered on a 5–20 cm stem. The leaves are large, on stout 80–120 cm tall stems, round, with a diameter of 40–70 cm with petioles up to 1.5 m.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Distribution</strong></p> <p>It is native to central Europe, extending from the British Isles to the Caucasus, and from southern Italy north to southern Scandinavia.[2] It is present as an introduced species in North America.[1] In the British Isles, female plants are rarely found outside central and northern England, and the species may be naturalized as clonal populations outside this area,[3]:771 propagating via rhizome fragments. The preferred habitats are moist, fertile soils, often by rivers, streams and in wet meadows.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Herbalism</strong></p> <p>Petasites hybridus leaves have been used in the traditional Austrian medicine internally (as tea or cold maceration in ethanol) and externally (as compresses or maceration in vinegar) for treatment of infections, fever, flu, colds, hay-fever and allergies.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Potential medicinal uses</strong></p> <p>Preliminary trials have shown a preparation of Butterbur root to be effective in reducing the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. A commercial extract Petasol butenoate complex (Ze 339) has proved helpful for allergic rhinitis An evidence-based 2005 systematic review including written and statistical analysis of scientific literature, expert opinion, folkloric precedent, history, pharmacology, kinetics/dynamics, interactions, adverse effects, toxicology, and dosing is available from the Natural Standard Research Collaboration.</p> <p> </p>

MHS 90 (10 S)

5/ 5

<h2><strong>Chinese Date - Indian Jujube Seeds (Ziziphus mauritiana)</strong></h2> <h2><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Price for Package of 5 or 10 seeds.</strong></span></h2> <p><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><strong>Hardy, Adaptable, Easy to Grow, Fast Growth, Edible Fruit, Fragrant Flowers, Fall Colors, Medicinal, Cold, Heat, Drought, Salt and Wind Tolerant.</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Ziziphus mauritiana, also known as Chinese date, ber, Chinee/Chinkee apple, jujube, Indian plum, พุทรา (Thailand), Regi pandu, Indian jujube, dunks (in Barbados) and masau, is a tropical fruit tree species belonging to the family Rhamnaceae.</span></p> <p>Ziziphus mauritiana is a spiny, evergreen shrub or small tree up to 15 m high, with trunk 40 cm or more in diameter; spreading crown; stipular spines and many drooping branches. The fruit is of variable shape and size. It can be oval, obovate, oblong or round, and that can be 1-2.5 in (2.5-6.25 cm) long, depending on the variety. The flesh is white and crisp. When slightly underipe, this fruit is a bit juicy and has a pleasant aroma. The fruit's skin is smooth, glossy, thin but tight.</p> <p>The species is believed to have originated in Indo-Malaysian region of South-East Asia.[2] It is now widely naturalised throughout the Old World tropics from Southern Africa through the Middle East to the Indian Subcontinent and China, Indomalaya, and into Australasia and the Pacific Islands.[3] It can form dense stands and become invasive in some areas, including Fiji and Australia and has become a serious environmental weed in Northern Australia. It is a fast-growing tree with a medium lifespan, that can quickly reach up to 10–40 ft (3 to 12 m) tall.</p> <p>In Queensland, Australia, it is known as the Chinee/Chinkee apple as it was believed to be introduced by Chinese miners to areas such as Charters Towers, Ravenswood and Hughenden.</p> <h3><strong>Botany</strong></h3> <p>Ziziphus mauritiana is a medium-sized tree that grows vigorously and has a rapidly developing taproot, a necessary adaptation to drought conditions. The species varies widely in height, from a bushy shrub 1.5 to 2 m tall, to a tree 10 to 12 m tall with a trunk diameter of about 30 cm. Z. mauritiana may be erect or wide-spreading, with gracefully drooping thorny branches, zigzag branchlets, thornless or set with short, sharp straight or hooked spines.</p> <p>The leaves are alternate, ovate or oblong elliptic with rounded apex, with 3 depressed longitudinal veins at the base. The leaves are about 2.5 to 3.2 cm long and 1.8 to 3.8 cm wide having fine tooth at margin. It is dark-green and glossy on the upper side and pubescent and pale-green to grey-green on the lower side. Depending on the climate, the foliage of the Z. mauritiana may be evergreen or deciduous.</p> <p>The flowers are tiny, yellow, 5-petalled and are usually in twos and threes in the leaf axils. Flowers are white or greenish white and the fruits are orange to brown, 2–3 cm long, with edible white pulp surrounding a 2-locular pyrene.</p> <p><strong>This quick growing tree starts producing fruits within three years. </strong>The fruit is a soft, juicy, drupe that is 2.5 cm diameter though with sophisticated cultivation the fruit size may reach up to 6.25 cm long and 4.5 cm wide. The form may be oval, obovate, round or oblong; the skin smooth or rough, glossy, thin but tough. The fruit ripen at different times even on a single tree. Fruits are first green, turning yellow as they ripen. The fully mature fruit is entirely red, soft, juicy with wrinkled skin and has a pleasant aroma. The ripe fruit is sweet and sour in taste. Both flesh texture and taste are reminiscent of apples. When under ripe the flesh is white and crispy, acid to subacid to sweet in taste. Fully ripe fruits are less crisp and somewhat mealy; overripe fruits are wrinkled, the flesh buff-coloured, soft, spongy and musky. At first the aroma is apple like and pleasant but it becomes peculiarly musky when overripe. There is a single, hard, oval or oblate, rough central stone which contains 2 elliptic, brown seeds, 1/4 in (6mm) long.</p> <h3><strong>Ecology</strong></h3> <p>Ziziphus mauritiana is hardy tree that copes with extreme temperatures and thrives under rather dry conditions with an annual rainfall of 6 to 88.5 in (15–225 cm). In Fiji, sometimes naturalised Ber trees grow along roadsides and in agricultural land, usually near sea level but occasionally up to an elevation of about 600 m. It also grows well on laterite, medium black soils with good drainage, or sandy, gravelly, alluvial soil of dry river-beds where it is vigorously spontaneous. In Australia, this species grows on a wide variety of soil types, including cracking clays, solodic soils and deep alluvials, in the tropics and sub-tropics where the average annual rainfall is in the range 470-1200mm. In the drier parts of this range, it grows best in riparian zones.[5] Commercial cultivation usually extends up to 1000 m. Beyond this elevation trees do not perform well, and cultivation becomes less economical.</p> <p>The tree has a high tolerance to both water-logging and drought and can grow where annual rainfall ranges from 125 to 2,225 mm, but is more widespread in areas with an annual rainfall of 300 to 500 mm. In China and India, wild trees are found up to an elevation of 5,400 ft (1,650 m). In India, the minimum shade temperature for survival is 7–13° and the maximum temperature is 50 °C. Studies report that this species flourishes in alkaline soils with a pH as high as 9.2. However, deep sandy loam to loamy soils with neutral or slightly alkaline pH are considered optimum for growth.[7] In India, the tree grows best on sandy loam, neutral or slightly alkaline.</p> <p>In India, there are 90 or more cultivars depending on the habit of the tree, leaf shape, fruit form, size, color, flavor, keeping quality, and fruiting season. Among the important cultivars, eleven are described in the encyclopaedic Wealth of India: 'Banarasi (or Banarsi) Pewandi', 'Dandan', 'Kaithli' ('Patham'), 'Muria Mahrara', 'Narikelee', 'Nazuk', 'Sanauri 1', 'Sanauri 5', 'Thornless' and 'Umran' ('Umri'). The skin of most is smooth and greenish-yellow to yellow.</p> <h3><strong>Reproductive biology</strong></h3> <p>Some cultivars attain anthesis early in the morning, others do so later in the day. The flowers are protandrous. Hence, fruit set depends on cross-pollination by insects attracted by the fragrance and nectar. Pollen of the Indian jujube is thick and heavy. It is not airborne but is transferred from flower to flower by honeybees. The flowers are pollinated by ants and other insects, and in the wild state the trees do not set fruits by self-pollination. Ber propagates by seeds, seedlings, direct sowing, root suckers as well as by cuttings. Ber seeds are spread by birds, native animals, stock, feral pigs and humans who eat the fruit and expel the seeds. Seeds may remain viable for 2½ years but the rate of germination declines with age. Cross-incompatibility occurs, and cultivars have to be matched for good fruit set; some cultivars produce good crops parthenocarpically.</p> <h2><strong>Propagation</strong></h2> <p>Ziziphus mauritiana is one of the two Ziziphus species that have considerable horticulture importance, the other being Chinese jujube (Z. zizyphus). Indian jujube is more tropical whereas Chinese jujube is a more cold hardy species.</p> <p>Propagation is most commonly from seed, where pretreatment is beneficial. Storage of the seed for 4 months to let it after-ripen improves germination. The hard stone restricts germination and cracking the shell or extraction of seeds hastens germination. Without pretreatment the seeds normally germinate within six weeks whereas extracted seeds only need one week to germinate</p> <p>Seedlings to be used as rootstock can be raised from seed. Several studies indicate that germination can be improved by soaking seeds in sulfuric acid. Germination time can also be shortened to 7 days by carefully cracking the endocarp. Ber seedlings do not tolerate transplanting, therefore the best alternatives are to sow the seeds directly in the field or to use polythene tubes placed in the nursery bed. Seedlings are ready for budding in 3 to 4 months. In addition, seedlings from the wild cultivars can be converted into improved cultivars by top-working and grafting. Nurseries are used for large scale seedling multiplication and graft production. The seedlings should also be given full light. The seedlings may need as long as 15 months in the nursery before planting in the field.</p> <p>Scientists in India have standardised propagation techniques for Ber establishment. Budding is the easiest method of vegetative propagation used for improved cultivars. Different types of budding techniques have been utilised with ring-budding and shield-budding being the most successful. Wild varieties of ber are usually used as the root-stock. The most common being Z. rotundifolia in India and Z. spina-christi in Africa.</p> <h2><strong>Season and harvesting</strong></h2> <p>Plants are capable of seed production once they reach a height of about 1 metre. Wild-growing plants in northern Australia may take 8 years to reach this size. In Australia, plants growing under natural conditions are capable of producing seeds once they reach a height of about 1m. Plants between 1 and 2m high produce, on average, less than five fruits per season. Large plants (&gt;5m high) can produce 5000 or more fruits in a single season.</p> <p>In India, some types ripen as early as October, others from mid-February to mid-March, others in March, or mid-March, to the end of April. In the Assiut Governorate, there are 2 crops a year, the main in early spring, the second in the fall. In India the trees flower in July to October and fruits are formed soon after. In February–March the fruits are mature and in some places a second crop is produced in the fall. Pickings are done by hand from ladders and about 110 lbs (50 kg)is harvested per day. The fruits remaining on the tree are shaken down. Only fully mature fruits are picked directly from the tree. They are transported in open bags to avoid fermentation.</p> <p>Seedling trees bear 5,000 to 10,000 small fruits per year in India. Superior grafted trees may yield as many as 30,000 fruits. The best cultivar in India, with fruits normally averaging 30 to the lb (66 to the kg), yields 175 lbs (77 kg) annually. Special cultural treatment increases both fruit size and yield.</p> <h3><strong>World production and yield</strong></h3> <p>The major production regions for Indian jujube are the arid and semi arid regions of India. From 1984 to 1995 with improved cultivars the production was 0.9 million tonnes on a land of 88,000 ha. The crop is also grown in Pakistan, Bangladesh and parts of Africa. Trees in northern India yield 80 to 200 kg of fresh fruit/tree/year when the trees are in their prime bearing age of 10–20 years.</p> <h2><strong>Uses</strong></h2> <p>The fruit is eaten raw, pickled or used in beverages. It is quite nutritious and rich in vitamin C. It is second only to guava and much higher than citrus or apples. In India, the ripe fruits are mostly consumed raw, but are sometimes stewed. Slightly underripe fruits are candied by a process of pricking, immersing in a salt solution. Ripe fruits are preserved by sun-drying and a powder is prepared for out-of-season purposes. It contains 20 to 30% sugar, up to 2.5% protein and 12.8% carbohydrates. Fruits are also eaten in other forms, such as dried, candied, pickled, as juice, or as ber butter. In Ethiopia, the fruits are used to stupefy fish.</p> <p>The leaves are readily eaten by camels, cattle and goats and are considered nutritious.</p> <p>In India and Queensland, the flowers are rated as a minor source of nectar for honeybees. The honey is light and of fair flavor.</p> <p>Ber timber is hard, strong, fine-grained, fine-textured, tough, durable, and reddish in colour. It has been used to line wells, to make legs for bedsteads, boat ribs, agricultural implements, tool handles, and other lathe-turned items. The branches are used as framework in house construction and the wood makes good charcoal with a heat content of almost 4,900 kcal per kg.[1] In addition, this species is used as firewood in many areas. In tropical Africa, the flexible branches are wrapped as retaining bands around conical thatched roofs of huts, and are twined together to form thorny corral walls to retain livestock.</p> <p>The fruits are applied on cuts and ulcers; are employed in pulmonary ailments and fevers; and, mixed with salt and chili peppers, are given in indigestion and biliousness. The dried ripe fruit is a mild laxative. The seeds are sedative and are taken, sometimes with buttermilk, to halt nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pains in pregnancy. They check diarrhea, and are poulticed on wounds. Mixed with oil, they are rubbed on rheumatic areas. The leaves are applied as poultices and are helpful in liver troubles, asthma and fever and, together with catechu, are administered when an astringent is needed, as on wounds. The bitter, astringent bark decoction is taken to halt diarrhea and dysentery and relieve gingivitis. The bark paste is applied on sores. The root is purgative. A root decoction is given as a febrifuge, taenicide and emmenagogue, and the powdered root is dusted on wounds. Juice of the root bark is said to alleviate gout and rheumatism. Strong doses of the bark or root may be toxic. An infusion of the flowers serves as an eye lotion.</p> <p>The fatty-acid methyl ester of Z. mauritiana seed oil meets all of the major biodiesel requirements in the USA (ASTM D 6751-02, ASTM PS 121-99), Germany (DIN V 51606) and European Union (EN 14214). The average oil yield is 4.95 kg oil/tree or 1371 kg oil/hectare, and arid or semi-arid regions may be utilised due to its drought resistance.</p> <h3><strong>Pests and diseases</strong></h3> <p>The greatest enemies of the jujube are fruit flies. Some cultivars are more susceptible than others, the flies preferring the largest, sweetest fruits, 100% of which may be attacked while on a neighbouring tree, bearing a smaller, less-sweet type, only 2% of the crop may be damaged. The larvae pupate in the soil and it has been found that treatment of the ground beneath the tree helps reduce the problem. Control is possible with regular and effective spraying of insecticide.</p> <p>A leaf-eating caterpillar and the green slug caterpillar attack the foliage. Mites form scale-like galls on twigs, retarding growth and reducing the fruit crop. Lesser pests include a small caterpillar, Meridarches scyrodes, that bores into the fruit.</p> <p>The tree is subject to shrouding by a parasitic vine . Powdery mildew causes defoliation and fruit-drop, but it can be adequately controlled. Lesser diseases are sooty mould, brown rot and leaf-spot. Leafspot results from infestation by Cercospora spp. and Isariopsis indica var. zizyphi. In 1973, a witches'-broom disease caused by a mycoplasma-like organism was found in jujube plants near Poona University. It proved to be transmitted by grafting or budding diseased scions onto healthy Z. mauritiana seedlings. Leaf rust, caused by Phakopsora zizyphivulgaris, ranges from mild to severe on all commercial cultivars in the Punjab.</p> <p>In storage, the fruits may be spotted by fungi. Fruit rots are caused by Fusarium spp., Nigrospora oryzae, Epicoccum nigrum, and Glomerella cingulata.</p><script src="//cdn.public.n1ed.com/G3OMDFLT/widgets.js"></script>

V 198 (5 S)

5/ 5

<h2 class=""><strong>Serbian Plum Seeds (Prunus domestica)</strong></h2> <h2 class=""><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Price for Package of 10 (15g) seeds.</strong></span></h2> <p>A plum is a fruit of the subgenus Prunus of the genus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera (peaches, cherries, bird cherries, etc.) in the shoots having terminal bud and solitary side buds (not clustered), the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one side and a smooth stone (or pit).</p> <p>Mature plum fruit may have a dusty-white waxy coating that gives them a glaucous appearance. This is an epicuticular wax coating and is known as "wax bloom". Dried plum fruits are called dried plums or prunes, although, in American English, prunes are a distinct type of plum, and may have pre-dated the fruits now commonly known as plums.</p> <p>Typically it forms a large shrub or a small tree. It may be somewhat thorny, with white blossom, borne in early spring. The oval or spherical fruit varies in size, but can be up to 8 cm across, and is usually sweet (dessert plum), though some varieties are sour and require cooking with sugar to make them palatable. Like all Prunus fruits, it contains a single large seed, usually called a stone, which is discarded when eating.</p> <p>Plums are grown commercially in orchards, but modern rootstocks, together with self-fertile strains, training and pruning methods, allow single plums to be grown in relatively small spaces. Their early flowering and fruiting means that they require a sheltered spot away from frosts and cold winds.</p> <p><strong>Cultivation and uses</strong></p> <p>The taste of the plum fruit ranges from sweet to tart; the skin itself may be particularly tart. It is juicy and can be eaten fresh or used in jam-making or other recipes. Plum juice can be fermented into plum wine. In central England, a cider-like alcoholic beverage known as plum jerkum is made from plums.</p> <p>Dried plums (or prunes) are also sweet and juicy and contain several antioxidants. Plums and prunes are known for their laxative effect. This effect has been attributed to various compounds present in the fruits, such as dietary fiber, sorbitol,[7] and isatin.[8] Prunes and prune juice are often used to help regulate the functioning of the digestive system. Dried prune marketers in the US have, in recent years, begun marketing their product as "dried plums". This is due to "prune" having negative connotations connected with elderly people suffering from constipation.</p> <p>Dried, salted plums are used as a snack, sometimes known as saladito or salao. Various flavors of dried plum are available at Chinese grocers and specialty stores worldwide. They tend to be much drier than the standard prune. Cream, ginseng, spicy, and salty are among the common varieties. Licorice is generally used to intensify the flavor of these plums and is used to make salty plum drinks and toppings for shaved ice or baobing.</p> <p>Pickled plums are another type of preserve available in Asia and international specialty stores. The Japanese variety, called umeboshi, is often used for rice balls, called onigiri or omusubi. The ume, from which umeboshi are made, is more closely related, however, to the apricot than to the plum.</p> <p>As with many other members of the rose family, plum seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides, including amygdalin.[10] These substances are capable of decomposing into a sugar molecule and hydrogen cyanide gas. While plum seeds are not the most toxic within the rose family (the bitter almond is the most toxic[citation needed]), large doses of these chemicals from any source are hazardous to human health. On the other hand, plums are considered a source of phytochemical compounds with beneficial effects on health.</p> <p>Prune kernel oil is made from the fleshy inner part of the pit of the plum.</p> <p>Plums come in a wide variety of colours and sizes. Some are much firmer-fleshed than others, and some have yellow, white, green or red flesh, with equally varying skin colour.</p> <p>Though not available commercially, the wood of plum trees is used by hobbyists and other private woodworkers for musical instruments, knife handles, inlays, and similar small projects.</p> <p>When it flowers in the early spring, a plum tree will be covered in blossoms, and in a good year approximately 50% of the flowers will be pollinated and become plums. Flowering starts after 80 growing degree days.</p> <p>If the weather is too dry, the plums will not develop past a certain stage, but will fall from the tree while still tiny, green buds, and if it is unseasonably wet or if the plums are not harvested as soon as they are ripe, the fruit may develop a fungal condition called brown rot. Brown rot is not toxic, and very small affected areas can be cut out of the fruit, but unless the rot is caught immediately, the fruit will no longer be edible. Plum is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera, including November moth, willow beauty and short-cloaked moth.</p> <p><strong>The Serbian plum (Serbian: шљива / šljiva) is the third most produced in the world. In the Balkans, plum is converted into an alcoholic drink named slivovitz (plum brandy) (Serbian: шљивовица / šljivovica).</strong></p> <p>A large number of plums, of the Damson variety, are also grown in Hungary, where they are called szilva and are used to make lekvar (a plum paste jam), palinka (traditional fruit brandy), plum dumplings, and other foods. The region of Szabolcs-Szatmár, in the northeastern part of the country near the borders with Ukraine and Romania, is a major producer of plums.</p> <p>The plum blossom or meihua (Chinese: 梅花; pinyin: méihuā), along with the peony, are considered traditional floral emblems of China.</p> <p>The plum is commonly used in China, Yunnan area, to produce a local plum wine with a smooth, sweet, fruity taste and approximately 12% alcohol by volume.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <script src="//cdn.public.n1ed.com/G3OMDFLT/widgets.js"></script>

V 197 (15g)

5/ 5

<h2><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>English yew - European yew Seeds (Taxus baccata)</strong><strong></strong></span></h2> <h2><span style="color: #ff0000; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Price for Package of 3 seeds.</strong></span></h2> <p>Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may now be known as English yew, or European yew.</p> <p>It is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree, growing 10–20 metres (33–66 ft) (exceptionally up to 28 metres (92 ft)) tall, with a trunk up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) (exceptionally 4 metres (13 ft)) diameter. The bark is thin, scaly brown, coming off in small flakes aligned with the stem. The leaves are flat, dark green, 1–4 centimetres (0.39–1.57 in) long and 2–3 millimetres (0.079–0.118 in) broad, arranged spirally on the stem, but with the leaf bases twisted to align the leaves in two flat rows either side of the stem, except on erect leading shoots where the spiral arrangement is more obvious. The leaves are poisonous.</p> <p>The seed cones are modified, each cone containing a single seed, which is 4–7 millimetres (0.16–0.28 in) long, and partly surrounded by a fleshy scale which develops into a soft, bright red berry-like structure called an aril. The aril is 8–15 millimetres (0.31–0.59 in) long and wide and open at the end. The arils mature 6 to 9 months after pollination, and with the seed contained, are eaten by thrushes, waxwings and other birds, which disperse the hard seeds undamaged in their droppings. Maturation of the arils is spread over 2 to 3 months, increasing the chances of successful seed dispersal. The seeds themselves are poisonous and bitter, but are opened and eaten by some bird species including hawfinches,[7] greenfinches and great tits.[8] The aril is not poisonous, it is gelatinous and very sweet tasting. The male cones are globose, 3–6 millimetres (0.12–0.24 in) diameter, and shed their pollen in early spring. The yew is mostly dioecious, but occasional individuals can be variably monoecious, or change sex with time.</p> <p><strong>Taxonomy and naming</strong></p> <p>The word yew is from Proto-Germanic *īwa-, possibly originally a loanword from Gaulish *ivos, compare Irish ēo, Welsh ywen, French if (see Eihwaz for a discussion). Baccata is Latin for bearing red berries. The word yew as it was originally used seems to refer to the color brown.[4] The yew (μίλος) was known to Theophrastus, who noted its preference for mountain coolness and shade, its evergreen character and its slow growth.</p> <p>Most Romance languages, with the notable exception of French, kept a version of the Latin word taxus (Italian tasso, Corsican tassu, Occitan teis, Catalan teix, Gasconic tech, Spanish tejo, Portuguese teixo, Galician teixo and Romanian tisă) from the same root as toxic. In Slavic languages, the same root is preserved: Russian tis (тис), Slovakian tis, Slovenian tisa, Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian tisa/тиса. Albanian borrowed it as tis.</p> <p>In German it is known as Eibe.</p> <p>In Iran, the tree is known as sorkhdār (Persian: سرخدار‎‎, literally "the red tree").</p> <p>The common yew was one of the many species first described by Linnaeus. It is one of around 30 conifer species in seven genera in the family Taxaceae, which is placed in the order Pinales.</p> <p><strong>Longevity</strong></p> <p>Taxus baccata can reach 400 to 600 years of age. Some specimens live longer but the age of yews is often overestimated.[10] Ten yews in Britain are believed to predate the 10th century.[11] The potential age of yews is impossible to determine accurately and is subject to much dispute. There is rarely any wood as old as the entire tree, while the boughs themselves often become hollow with age, making ring counts impossible. Evidence based on growth rates and archaeological work of surrounding structures suggests the oldest yews, such as the Fortingall Yew in Perthshire, Scotland, may be in the range of 2,000 years, placing them among the oldest plants in Europe. One characteristic contributing to yew's longevity is that it is able to split under the weight of advanced growth without succumbing to disease in the fracture, as do most other trees. Another is its ability to give rise to new epicormic and basal shoots from cut surfaces and low on its trunk, even at an old age.</p> <p><strong>Significant trees</strong></p> <p>The Fortingall Yew in Perthshire, Scotland, has the largest recorded trunk girth in Britain and experts estimate it to be 2,000 to 3,000 years old, although it may be a remnant of a post-Roman Christian site and around 1,500 years old. The Llangernyw Yew in Clwyd, Wales, can be found at an early saint site and is about 1,500 years old. Other well known yews include the Ankerwycke Yew, the Balderschwang Yew, the Caesarsboom, the Florencecourt Yew, and the Borrowdale Fraternal Four, of which poet William Wordsworth wrote. The Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve in West Sussex has one of Europe's largest yew woodlands.</p> <p>The oldest specimen in Spain is located in Bermiego, Asturias. It is known as Teixu l'Iglesia in the Asturian language. It stands 15 m (49 ft) tall with a trunk diameter of 6.82 m (22.4 ft) and a crown diameter of 15 m. It was declared a Natural Monument on April 27, 1995 by the Asturian Government and is protected by the Plan of Natural Resources.</p> <p>A unique forest formed by Taxus baccata and European box (Buxus sempervirens) lies within the city of Sochi, in the Western Caucasus.</p> <p><strong>Allergenic potential</strong></p> <p>Yews in this genus are primarily separate-sexed, and males are extremely allergenic, with an OPALS allergy scale rating of 10 out of 10. Completely female yews have an OPALS rating of 1, and are considered "allergy-fighting".[18] Male yews bloom and release abundant amounts of pollen in the spring; completely female yews only trap pollen while producing none.</p> <p><strong>Uses and traditions</strong></p> <p>One of the world's oldest surviving wooden artifacts is a Clactonian yew[26] spear head, found in 1911 at Clacton-on-Sea, in Essex, UK. It is estimated to be about 450,000 years old.[27]</p> <p>In the ancient Celtic world, the yew tree (*eburos) had extraordinary importance; a passage by Caesar narrates that Catuvolcus, chief of the Eburones poisoned himself with yew rather than submit to Rome (Gallic Wars 6: 31). Similarly, Florus notes that when the Cantabrians were under siege by the legate Gaius Furnius in 22 BC, most of them took their lives either by the sword, by fire, or by a poison extracted ex arboribus taxeis, that is, from the yew tree (2: 33, 50–51). In a similar way, Orosius notes that when the Astures were besieged at Mons Medullius, they preferred to die by their own swords or by the yew tree poison rather than surrender (6, 21, 1).</p> <p><strong>Religion</strong></p> <p>The yew is traditionally and regularly found in churchyards in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Northern France (more specifically in Normandy). Some examples can be found in La Haye-de-Routot or La Lande-Patry. It is said that up to 40 people could stand inside one of the La-Haye-de-Routot yew trees and the Le Ménil-Ciboult yew is probably the largest one (13 m diameter[28]). Indeed, some of these trees are exceptionally large (over 5 m diameter) and may be over 2,000 years old. Sometimes monks planted yews in the middle of their cloister, as at Muckross Abbey (Ireland) or abbaye de Jumièges (France, Normandy). Some ancient yew trees are located at St Mary the Virgin Church, Overton-on-Dee in Wales.</p> <p>In Asturian tradition and culture the yew tree has had a real link with the land, the people, the ancestors and the ancient religion. It was tradition on All Saints Day to bring a branch of a yew tree to the tombs of those who had died recently so they will find the guide in their return to the Land of Shadows. The yew tree has been found near chapels, churches and cemeteries since ancient times as a symbol of the transcendence of death, and is usually found in the main squares of the villages where people celebrated the open councils that served as a way of general assembly to rule the village affairs.</p> <p>It has been suggested that the Sacred Tree at the Temple at Uppsala was an ancient yew tree. The Christian church commonly found it expedient to take over existing pre-Christian sacred sites for churches. It has also been suggested that yews were planted at religious sites as their long life was suggestive of eternity, or because being toxic they were seen as trees of death.[32] Another suggested explanation is that yews were planted to discourage farmers and drovers from letting animals wander onto the burial grounds, the poisonous foliage being the disincentive. A further possible reason is that fronds and branches of yew were often used as a substitute for palms on Palm Sunday.</p> <p>In traditional Germanic paganism, Yggdrasill was often seen as a giant ash tree. Many scholars now agree that in the past an error has been made in the interpretation of the ancient writings, and that the tree is most likely a European yew (Taxus baccata). This mistake would find its origin in an alternative word for the yew tree in the Old Norse, namely needle ash (barraskr). In addition, ancient sources, including the Eddas, speak about a vetgrønster vida which means "evergreen tree". An ash sheds its leaves in the winter, while yew trees retain their needles.</p> <p>Conifers were in the past often seen as sacred, because they never lose their green. In addition, the tree of life was not only an object from the stories, but also believers often gathered around an existing tree. The yew releases gaseous toxins (taxine) on hot days. Taxine is in some instances capable of causing hallucinations. This has some similarities with the story that Odin had a revelation (the wisdom of the runes) after having been hanging from the tree for nine days.</p> <p><strong>Medical</strong></p> <p>Certain compounds found in the bark of yew trees were discovered by Wall and Wani in 1967 to have efficacy as anti-cancer agents. The precursors of the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel (taxol) was later shown to be synthesized easily from extracts of the leaves of European yew,[36] which is a much more renewable source than the bark of the Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) from which they were initially isolated. This ended a point of conflict in the early 1990s; many environmentalists, including Al Gore, had opposed the destructive harvesting of Pacific yew for paclitaxel cancer treatments. Docetaxel can then be obtained by semi-synthetic conversion from the precursors.</p> <p><strong>Woodworking and longbows</strong></p> <p>Wood from the yew is classified as a closed-pore softwood, similar to cedar and pine. Easy to work, yew is among the hardest of the softwoods; yet it possesses a remarkable elasticity, making it ideal for products that require springiness, such as bows.</p> <p>A 250,000 year old yew spearhead was found at Clacton-on-Sea.</p> <p>Yew is also associated with Wales and England because of the longbow, an early weapon of war developed in northern Europe, and as the English longbow the basis for a medieval tactical system. The oldest surviving yew longbow was found at Rotten Bottom in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It has been given a calibrated radiocarbon date of 4040 BC to 3640 BC and is on display in the National Museum of Scotland. Yew is the wood of choice for longbow making; the heartwood is always on the inside of the bow with the sapwood on the outside. This makes most efficient use of their properties as heartwood is best in compression whilst sapwood is superior in tension. However, much yew is knotty and twisted, and therefore unsuitable for bowmaking; most trunks do not give good staves and even in a good trunk much wood has to be discarded.</p> <p>There was a tradition of planting yew trees in churchyards throughout Britain and Ireland, among other reasons, as a resource for bows. "Ardchattan Priory whose yew trees, according to other accounts, were inspected by Robert the Bruce and cut to make at least some of the longbows used at the Battle of Bannockburn."</p> <p>The trade of yew wood to England for longbows was so robust that it depleted the stocks of good-quality, mature yew over a vast area. The first documented import of yew bowstaves to England was in 1294. In 1350 there was a serious shortage, and Henry IV of England ordered his royal bowyer to enter private land and cut yew and other woods. In 1423 the Polish king commanded protection of yews in order to cut exports, facing nearly complete destruction of local yew stock.[40] In 1470 compulsory archery practice was renewed, and hazel, ash, and laburnum were specifically allowed for practice bows. Supplies still proved insufficient, until by the Statute of Westminster in 1472, every ship coming to an English port had to bring four bowstaves for every tun.[41] Richard III of England increased this to ten for every tun. This stimulated a vast network of extraction and supply, which formed part of royal monopolies in southern Germany and Austria. In 1483, the price of bowstaves rose from two to eight pounds per hundred, and in 1510 the Venetians would only sell a hundred for sixteen pounds. In 1507 the Holy Roman Emperor asked the Duke of Bavaria to stop cutting yew, but the trade was profitable, and in 1532 the royal monopoly was granted for the usual quantity "if there are that many." In 1562, the Bavarian government sent a long plea to the Holy Roman Emperor asking him to stop the cutting of yew, and outlining the damage done to the forests by its selective extraction, which broke the canopy and allowed wind to destroy neighbouring trees. In 1568, despite a request from Saxony, no royal monopoly was granted because there was no yew to cut, and the next year Bavaria and Austria similarly failed to produce enough yew to justify a royal monopoly. Forestry records in this area in the 17th century do not mention yew, and it seems that no mature trees were to be had. The English tried to obtain supplies from the Baltic, but at this period bows were being replaced by guns in any case.</p> <p><strong>Horticulture</strong></p> <p>Today European yew is widely used in landscaping and ornamental horticulture. Due to its dense, dark green, mature foliage, and its tolerance of even very severe pruning, it is used especially for formal hedges and topiary. Its relatively slow growth rate means that in such situations it needs to be clipped only once per year (in late summer).</p> <p>Well over 200 cultivars of T. baccata have been named. The most popular of these are the Irish yew (T. baccata 'Fastigiata'), a fastigiate cultivar of the European yew selected from two trees found growing in Ireland, and the several cultivars with yellow leaves, collectively known as "golden yew".[6][9] In some locations, e.g. when hemmed in by buildings or other trees, an Irish yew can reach 20 feet in height without exceeding 2 feet in diameter at its thickest point, although with age many Irish yews assume a fat cigar shape rather than being truly columnar.</p> <p>European yew will tolerate growing in a wide range of soils and situations, including shallow chalk soils and shade, although in deep shade its foliage may be less dense. However it cannot tolerate waterlogging, and in poorly-draining situations is liable to succumb to the root-rotting pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi.</p> <p>In Europe, Taxus baccata grows naturally north to Molde in southern Norway, but it is used in gardens further north. It is also popular as a bonsai in many parts of Europe and makes a handsome small to large sized bonsai.</p> <p><strong>Privies</strong></p> <p>In England, yew has historically been sometimes associated with privies, possibly because the smell of the plant keeps insects away.</p> <p><strong>Musical instruments</strong></p> <p>The late Robert Lundberg, a noted luthier who performed extensive research on historical lute-making methodology, states in his 2002 book Historical Lute Construction that yew was historically a prized wood for lute construction. European legislation establishing use limits and requirements for yew limited supplies available to luthiers, but it was apparently as prized among medieval, renaissance, and baroque lute builders as Brazilian rosewood is among contemporary guitar-makers for its quality of sound and beauty.</p> <p><strong>Conservation</strong></p> <p>Clippings from ancient specimens in the UK, including the Fortingall Yew, were taken to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh to form a mile-long hedge. The purpose of this "Yew Conservation Hedge Project" is to maintain the DNA of Taxus baccata. The species is threatened by felling, partly due to rising demand from pharmaceutical companies, and disease.</p> <p>Another conservation programme was run in Catalonia in the early 2010s, by the Forest Sciences Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), in order to protect genetically endemic yew populations, and preserve them from overgrazing and forest fires.[55] In the framework of this programme, the 4th International Yew Conference was organised in the Poblet Monastery in 2014, which proceedings are available.</p> <p>There has also been a conservation programme in northern Portugal.</p> <h2><strong>Germination instructions</strong></h2> <p>English Yew (Taxus baccata) – Soak the seeds in a small container of hand hot water and leave to cool for 24 hours. Then sow the seeds on the surface of free-draining, damp seed compost and cover with ¼ inch of compost. 12 weeks warm stratification at above 16°C is now required in a propagator, or greenhouse/polytunnel. Then 12 weeks cold stratification at approx 3°C is required, which is easily achieved by sealing the pot inside a plastic bag and placing in a refrigerator, or by putting outdoors in a cool spot during late autumn/winter. The seeds should germinate naturally during the following spring. When large enough to handle, transplant individual seedlings into 9cm pots of compost and grown on. Germination of this species can be sporadic and the sown seeds should not be discarded for 3 years.</p>

T 66 (3 S)

5/ 5

<h2 class=""><strong>Proso Millet Seeds (Panicum miliaceum)</strong></h2> <h2 class=""><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Price for Package of 1,2g (200) seeds.</strong></span></h2> <p>Panicum miliaceum, with many common names including proso millet, broomcorn millet, common millet, broomtail millet, hog millet, Kashfi millet red millet, and white millet, is a grass species used as a crop. Both the wild ancestor and location of the original domestication of proso millet are unknown, but it first appears as a crop in both Transcaucasia and China about 7,000 years ago, suggesting it may have been domesticated independently in each area. It is still extensively cultivated in India, Nepal, Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East, Turkey and Romania. In the United States, proso is mainly grown for birdseed. It is sold as health food, and due to its lack of gluten, it can be included in the diets of people who cannot tolerate wheat.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The name comes from the pan-Slavic general and generic name for millet (Russian, Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian: просо and Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, Croatian: proso).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Proso is well adapted to many soil and climatic conditions; it has a short growing season, and needs little water. The water requirement of proso is probably the lowest of any major cereal. It is an excellent crop for dryland and no-till farming. Proso millet is an annual grass whose plants reach an average height of 100 cm (4 feet.). Like corn, it has a C4 photosynthesis. The seedheads grow in bunches. The seeds are small (2–3 mm or 0.1 inch) and can be cream, yellow, orange-red, or brown in colour.</p> <p>Proso is an annual grass like all other millets, but it is not closely related to pearl millet, foxtail millet, finger millet, or the barnyard millets.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>History and domestication</strong></p> <p>Unlike the foxtail millet, the wild ancestor of the proso millet has not yet been satisfactorily identified. Weedy forms of this grain are found in central Asia, covering a widespread area from the Caspian Sea east to Xinjiang and Mongolia, and it may be that these semiarid areas harbor "genuinely wild P. miliaceum forms."[6] This millet has been reportedly found in Neolithic sites in Georgia (dated to the fifth and fourth millennia BC), in Germany (near Leipzig, Hadersleben) by Linear Pottery culture (Early LBK, Neolithikum 5500–4900 BCE),[7] as well as excavated Yangshao culture farming villages east in China.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Proso millet appears to have reached Europe not long after its appearance in Georgia, first appearing in east and central Europe; however, the grain needed a few thousand more years to cross into Italy, Greece, and Iran, and the earliest evidence for its cultivation in the Near East is a find in the ruins of Nimrud, Iraq dated to about 700 BC.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>While proso millet is not a member of the Neolithic Near East crop assemblage, it arrived in Europe no later than the time these introductions did, and proso millet as an independent domestication could predate the arrival of the Near East grain crops.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Cultivation</strong></p> <p>Proso millet is a relatively low-demanding crop and diseases are not known; consequently, proso millet is often used in organic farming systems in Europe. In the United States it is often used as an intercrop. Thus, proso millet can help to avoid a summer fallow, and continuous crop rotation can be achieved. Its superficial root system and its resistance to atrazine residue make proso millet a good intercrop between two water- and pesticide-demanding crops. The stubbles of the last crop, by allowing more heat into the soil, result in a faster and earlier millet growth. While millet occupies the ground, because of its superficial root system, the soil can replenish its water content for the next crop. Later crops, for example, a winter wheat, can in turn benefit from the millet stubble, which act as snow accumulators.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Climate and soil requirements</strong></p> <p>Due to its C4 photosynthetic system, proso millet is thermophilic like maize. Therefore, shady locations of the field should be avoided. It is sensitive to cold temperatures lower than 10 to 13 degrees Celsius. Proso millet is highly drought-resistant, which makes it of interest to regions with low water availability and longer periods without rain. The soil should be light or medium-heavy. Due to its flat root systems, soil compaction must be avoided. Furthermore, proso millet does not tolerate soil wetness caused by dammed-up water</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Seedbed and sowing</strong></p> <p>The seedbed should be finely crumbled as for sugar beet and rapeseed.[10] In Europe proso millet is sowed between mid-April and the end of May. 500g/are of seeds are required which comes up to 500 grains/m2. In organic farming this amount should be increased if a harrow weeder is used. For sowing, the usual sowing machines can be used similarly to how they are used for other crops like wheat. A distance between the rows of from 16 to 25 centimeters is recommended if the farmer uses an interrow cultivator. The sowing depth should be 1.5 up to 2 cm in optimal soil or 3 to 4 cm in dry soil. Rolling of the ground after sowing is helpful for further cultivation.[10] Cultivation in no-till farming systems is also possible and often practiced in the United States. Sowing then can be done two weeks later.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Field management</strong></p> <p>Only a few diseases and pests are known to attack proso millet, but they are not economically important. Weeds are a bigger problem. The critical phase is in juvenile development. The formation of the grains happens in the 3, up to 5, leaf stadium. After that, all nutrients should be available for the millet, so it is necessary to prevent the growth of weeds. In conventional farming, herbicides may be used. In organic farming it is possible to use harrow weeders and interrow cultivators, but special sowing parameters described in the chapter above are needed.[10] For good crop development, fertilization with 50 to 75 kg nitrogen per hectare is recommended.[11] Planting proso millet in a crop rotation after maize should be avoided due to its same weed spectrum. Because proso millet is an undemanding crop, it may be used at the end of the rotation.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Harvesting and post-harvest treatments</strong></p> <p>Harvest time is at the end of August until mid-September. Determining the best harvest date is not easy because all the grains do not ripen simultaneously. The grains on the top of the panicle ripen first while the grains in the lower parts need more time, making it necessary to compromise and harvest when the yield is highest.[10] Harvesting can be done with a conventional combine harvester with moisture content of the grains at about 15-20%. Usually proso millet is mowed at windrows first since the plants are not dry like wheat. There they can wither, which makes the threshing easier. Then the harvest is done with a pickup truck attached to a combine.[10] Possible yields are between 2.5 and 4.5 tons per hectare under optimal conditions. Studies in Germany showed that even higher yields can be attained.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Uses</strong></p> <p>Proso millet is one of the few types of millet not cultivated in Africa.[12] In the United States, former Soviet Union, and some South American countries, it is primarily grown for livestock feed. As a grain fodder, it is very deficient in lysine and needs complementation. Proso millet is also a poor fodder due to its low leaf:stem ratio and a possible irritant effect due to its hairy stem. Foxtail millet, having a higher leaf:stem ratio and less hairy stems, is preferred as fodder, particularly the variety called moha, which is a high-quality fodder.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In order to promote millet cultivation, other potential uses have been considered recently.[13] For example, starch derived from millets has been shown to be a good substrate for fermentation and malting with grains having similar starch contents as wheat grains.[13] A recently published study suggested that starch derived from proso millet can be converted to ethanol with an only moderately lower efficiency than starch derived from corn.[14] The development of varieties with highly fermentable characteristics could improve ethanol yield to that of highly fermentable corn.[14] Since proso millet is compatible with low-input agriculture, cultivation on marginal soils for biofuel production could represent an important new market, such as for farmers in the High Plains of the US.[14] The demand for more diverse and healthier cereal-based foods is increasing, particularly in affluent countries.[15] This could create new markets for proso millet products in human nutrition. Protein content in proso millet grains is comparable with that of wheat, but the share of essential amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and methionine) is substantially higher in proso millet.[15] In addition, health-promoting phenolic compounds contained in the grains are readily bioaccessible and their high calcium content favor bone strengthening and dental health.[15] Among the most commonly consumed products are ready-to-eat breakfast cereals made purely from millet flour [10][15] as well as a variety of noodles and bakery products, which are, however, often produced from mixtures with wheat flour to improve their sensory quality.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <script src="//cdn.public.n1ed.com/G3OMDFLT/widgets.js"></script>

VE 74 (1,2g)

5/ 5

<h2><strong>Superstar Melon Seeds</strong></h2> <h2><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Price for a Package of 10 seeds.</strong></span></h2> <p>It is designed for early production and the main part of the season. The average fruit weight is 1.5-3kg. The fruits are very tasty and hard, suitable for long distance transportation.</p>

V 246 (10 S)

5/ 5

<h2><strong>Little Finger Carrot Seeds</strong></h2> <h2><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Price for Package of 100 seeds.</strong></span></h2> <p>The little finger is a variety of small carrot, very tender and tasting carrots that have virtually no core. They can be served to the table in fresh or pickled form, without cutting into the pieces.</p> <p>Since carrots are edible in any size, root crops can be left in the ground for a long time and they will remain sweet and fresh there. You can start harvesting the Little Fingers on day 55, or you can wait up to 80 days.</p> <p>Carrots are a cold-resistant vegetable, sown 2 weeks before the last frost.</p> <p><strong><em>Growing Information</em></strong></p> <p><strong>How to Sow</strong></p> <ul> <li>Carrots can be sown early, after danger of heavy frost is over. Sow every two weeks thereafter for continuous harvest, or simply sow a second crop in midsummer for fall harvest. In frost free areas, sow in fall.</li> <li>Carrots do not like to be transplanted and are best sown directly into the garden bed. Sow carrot seeds in deep, well-worked soil in full sun. Straight roots require soil that is light, loosened deeply, and free of stones, so prepare a carrot planting thoroughly. Consider using a soil amendment such as compost if your soil is heavy. If you choose long carrot varieties, your soil will need to be worked more deeply.</li> <li>Sow thinly in rows 12 inches apart and cover with ½ inch of fine soil. Firm lightly and keep evenly moist.</li> <li>Since seedlings have fine leaves it may be beneficial to plant radish along with your carrot seed. The radishes will be harvested well before carrots form and act as a guide to the carrot row.</li> <li>Seedlings emerge in 14-21 days.</li> <li>Thin carrot plants to stand 1 inch apart when seedlings are 3 inches high.</li> </ul> <p><strong>How to Grow</strong></p> <ul> <li>Keep weeds under control during the growing season. Weeds compete with plants for water, space and nutrients, so control them by either cultivating often or use a mulch to prevent their seeds from germinating.</li> <li>Deep, consistent watering and soil well-enriched with compost help carrots form high quality roots by encouraging lush leafy tops that shade the roots, helping to prevent "green shoulders."</li> <li>Keep plants well watered during dry periods to promote uninterrupted growth. Plants need about 1 inch of rain per week during the growing season. Use a rain gauge to check to see if you need to add water. It’s best to water with a drip or trickle system that delivers water at low pressure at the soil level. If you water with overhead sprinklers, water early in the day so the foliage has time to dry off before evening, to minimize disease problems. Keep the soil moist but not saturated.</li> <li>Monitor for pests and diseases. Check with your local Cooperative Extension Service for pest controls recommended for your area.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Harvest and Preserving Tips</strong></p> <ul> <li>To make harvesting easier, soak your carrot bed with water before pulling. Twist the tops off while pulling the roots up.</li> <li>You can leave carrots in the ground after the first frost. In cold climates, pull carrots up before the ground freezes. In warm climates, you can harvest carrots all winter.</li> <li>Cut the greens off the top after harvest to about ¼ - ½ inches above the shoulder. This will help the carrot to keep longer as the greens can take moisture from the root.</li> <li>Carrots store best at 32-38 degrees F at 98% humidity.</li> <li>You can store them in the refrigerator in plastic bags, or they may be blanched and frozen for later use.</li> <li>Carrots may be canned or pickled as well.</li> </ul>

MHS 160 (100 S)