Since planting conditions are not good right now I decided to pot these up temporarily and keep them outside to start adapting to being in dirt and outside. I was surprised to find when opening the opaque bags that they were growing vigorously even though bare root. They were much bigger and healthier-looking than I was expecting: as buying bagged bare-root perennials I think generally is supposed to be a bad idea. If I had waited it would have been more difficult to separate the growing fronds from the roots as they were growing up every which way. I have not heard of many of these ferns that you are recommending (not surprising since I am just learning about them). Is there a good company to order from? I see ferns in many catalogs but am not sure if I am better off ordering from a specialist grower. At the same time I canÂt spend a lot on the garden this year: next fall I will have 2 kids in college!

If your canner is a Presto then spend the $12-15 to buy the 3 weight set. That way you don't have to worry about getting the gauge tested and can just ignore it. The weight set is discussed here in many threads. If another brand with a gauge then you may be forced to have your gauge tested regularly to be safe. But I am more concerned about your inability to control the stove heat and prevent the radical pressure changes that causes the siphoning. Is the stove gas or electric? It does take some practice sessions with the canner and just some jars of water in it but it shouldn't be that difficult to control your pressure. All the way on until your t10 min. of continuous venting is done, then put the weight on and as soon as the pressure gauge reaches 11 bls., slowly begin to reduce the heat in small increments. Hope this helps. Dave PS: As to the "cool air on the jars" bit - yes, instructions say to "not expose them in a draft to cool" but they do need to be out of the canner and on to the kitchen counter. ;)

Bagged potting 'soils' ARE peat moss, with a few other ingredients (perlite, vermiculite, for example) added for improved porosity. You do not need to add any more. Ferns can be very challenging to grow inside. Your images are very fuzzy, but this fern looks dead, to me. Or, at the very least, all of the existing fronds seem to be dead. Cutting it all the way to the crown is a good first step. Do you know if it's ever been fertilized? If not, it would be worth while to do so. Potting medium does not have nutrients in it, unless it has been added by the manufacturer. It will be clearly labeled, if so. Even if all of the fronds are deader than a door nail, ferns can regrow all new leaves as long as the root system isn't dead. Indoor ferns do best in a cool, bright room away from all drafts. Keep an eye out for scale insects....which may be part of the problem from the very beginning.

My experience doesn't match msazadi's. I know vegetarians who are foodies. One is in my kitchen at the moment making cornbread. Two nights ago he made ravioli with a citrus sauce. For Thanksgiving, the meat eaters amongst us went to my DIL's sisters house for turkey lunch. In the evening we hosted a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal. My DS invited an fellow grad student and her room mate (both Indian and vegetarian). We wanted to make something they would like without doing Indian food. This Tunisian Chickpea Soup from Olive Trees and Honey went over well. Spicy enough to be familiar to them without attempting to be Indian. 1/4 c olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 3 carrots, chopped 1 small (~10 oz) celery root, peeled and chopped or 2 stalks celery chopped 2-4 cloves garlic minced ~ 10 c water 1 lb (2 1/3 c) dried soaked chick peas 2 bay leaves 1 tbsp cumin seeds or 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 to 2 tbsp harissa or 1 tsp cayenne 1 tsp salt or 2 tsp kosher salt ground black pepper 1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro, mint or parsley 2 to 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice or 1 c plain yogurt 3 to 4 c french bread cubes or pita bread (optional) (I didn't) 3 to 4 c French bread cubes or pita bread In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic and saute until softened, ~ 10 min Add water, chick peas and bay leaves. Boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer until tender, ~ 1 1/2 hours Toast cumin seeds (if using) in a dry skillet until lightly browned - shake or stir - don't burn them. Grind. Add cumin, harissa or cayenne, salt and pepper to soup. Cover and simmer 15 min. Discard bay leaves. Coarsely mash the chick pease a bit with a wood spoon, potato masher or stick blender. Can be stored in fridge and reheated for serving. Add the cilantro and lemon juice and heat through before serving. If desired, add 1/2 cup bread pieces to each bowl and ladle soup over. Drizzle with olive oil. (We were having falafal and pita bread after plus I made cranberry walnut whole wheat bread so we didn't do bread in the soup bowls. I didn't drizzle the oil and it was fine.) Moroccan variation in case you have non-spicy types - omit cumin and harissa. After mashing the chick peas, add 2 lb stemmed chopped spinach or chard or frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry and the lemon juice, cover and simmer 2 to 4 min. Home made pita and falafel were great but not low effort. About half the falafel recipes used soaked and ground chick peas. The other half used soaked, cooked and mashed chick peas. I did a half batch each way - the ones using soaked and ground but not pre-cooked chick peas came out much better - very good flavor and texture. Sephardic Leek and Cheese Casserole also from Olive Trees and Honey - a very good book if you want to expand your vegetarian repertoire - is good and pretty easy. It reheats well so you could make it ahead. Too late for Jessy I'm afraid. 1/4 c olive oil 3 lb leeks ( 1 1/2 lb if you do the zucchini varient), white and light green parts only cut into thin lengthwise slices and washed 1 large onion chopped (optional - I've always used it) 1 c water 2 cups (~1 lb) grated zucchini 2 tsp salt or 4 tsp kosher salt 1 cup (5 oz) crumbled feta or 1 c (8 oz) farmer or pot or 1 c grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese or a combination (I've always done the feta) 1 c shreded kashkaval, Goueda, Muenster or Cheddar (did this the first time and thought it didn't add much - other times I've done just the feta) 5 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 tbsp olive oil ground black pepper to taste or 1/2 tsp cayenne 1/4 c chopped fresh dill or 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg (optional) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and oil a 9 " square or 8 by 11 inch baking dish or two 9-inch pie plates. In a large sauce pan (she must have really large sauce pans - I use a small soup pot), heat oil over medium heat. Saute leeks and onion until softened. Add water, zucchini if using, 1 1/2 tsp salt or 3 tsp kosher salt, cover and simmer until leeks are tender (about 15 min). Drain Combine cheeses, eggs, remaining salt, pepper and dill or nutmeg. Add leek mixture. Put in baking dish. Bake until set and golden brown, about 50 minutes. Variant - you can leave out the cheese msazadi and cook 2 lb peeled, diced russet potatoes with the leeks. Kind of mash it after the draining step. I usually still put in the feta or you can put in 1/2 c Parmesan cheese. Really fancy and a good side dish for the meat eaters would be a nice Biryani. I have made one with cashews and pistachios in the top layer of rice but it was more work. There are some simpler ones on line.