Don't know if your crazy mylonite. But food production will be a very important part of survival as our world moves towrds a psot carbon direction. Edible landscaping will be most important to feeding what is left of us when TEOTWAK arrives. I got a late start as I knew nothing about food production before 2/11/08 and by the time my garden was ready to accept some seeds the summer was about a quarter over. But, as the saying goes...better late than never. My lot is only 2/3 acre and I have to use the intensive method of planting. My main garden is about 750 SF but it has rock paths. I also have 6 smaller beds that are from 20 SF to 80 SF each. Also have 26 fruit tress. Here is main garden. [IMG]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/fookisan/reargardenvuew.jpg[/IMG] Next year will put in another bed on side about 30 SF and a few more fruit trees. if things get tougher, l'll put in squash bed about 359 SF Here are 3 good books for those interested in developing an urban homestead. [url]http://www.amazon.com/Food-Not-Lawns-Neighborhood-Community/dp/193339207X[/url] [url]http://www.amazon.com/Gardening-When-Counts-Growing-Mother/dp/086571553X[/url] [url]http://www.amazon.com/Self-Sufficient-Suburban-Gardener-Jeff-Ball/dp/0878574573[/url] I think we have a real food crisis brewing for the world. Not enough young farmers replacing the old, we will run low of fertilizer as the NG dries up and that food which is grown is devoid of nutrition and not healthy. And to make matter worse, fewer people can even afford to buy produce. With the recent food shortages in the news I have to wonder as Richard Heinberg brought up "Who will be growing our food 20 years from now?" "The average American farmer is 55 to 60 years old. The proportion of full time farmers younger than 35 years of age has dropped from 15.9% in 1982 to 5.8% in 2002. Who will be growing our food 20 years from now?" from "Peak Everything" by Richard Heinberg "Amish farmers can't compete in conventual agriculture farming. 40 years ago 90% to 95% of the Amish were farmers. Today less than 10% are farmers." from: "How the Amish Survive" DVD And even if the farmers keep up with production, many people cannot afford the high prices of produce. At Krogers a butternut squash was $7, a large apple was $1.85, a rutabaga was $3, an artichoke near $5 and a lemon was $1.35, a bag of cherries was $14.75, ONE organic yam was $8.25. And these high priced produce are being offered when times are still relatively good What will this stuff sell for when gas is $10 or $15 a gallon? Peak oil, peak NG, peak water and food as well as peak uranium will fuel mass starvation as our artificial and unsustainable world decomposes around us. As people buy less produce due to affordability issues and the produce stops selling and rots on the shelves, the farmers will grow less produce that just rots unsold and less potential farmers will be entering that field. Book and DVD list. All available from your local library. Beyond Oil: the view from Hubbert's Peak by Deffeyes, Kenneth S. [url]http://www.princeton.edu/hubbert/[/url] The Coming Economic Collapse - how you can thrive when oil costs $200 a barrel by Leeb, Stephen A Crude Awakening - the oil crash Lava Productions AG, Switzerland DVD [url]http://www.oilcrashmovie.com/[/url] The End of Suburbia - oil depletion and the collapse of the American dream by Greene, Gregory DVD [url]http://www.endofsuburbia.com/[/url] Fed Up [url]http://www.amazon.com/Fed-Up-Angelo-Sacerdote/dp/B000CNGC6G[/url] High Noon for Natural Gas: the new energy crisis by Darley, Julian [url]http://www.highnoon.ws/[/url] The Long Emergency: surviving the converging catastrophes of the twenty-first century by Kunstler, James Howard Oil Apocalypse History channel DVD Peak Oil Survival: preparation for life after gridcrash by McBay, Aric Powerdown: options and actions for a post-carbon world by Heinberg, Richard Resource Wars: the new landscape of global conflict by Klare, Michael T [url]http://www.amazon.com/Resource-Wars-Landscape-Conflict-Introduction/dp/0805055762[/url] A Thousand Barrels a Second: the coming oil break point and the challenges facing an energy dependent world by Tertzakian, Peter Twilight in the Desert: the coming Saudi oil shock and the world economy by Simmons, Matthew R. Well written book examining 12 of the key Saudi oil fields. Who Killed the Electric Car? Sony Pictures Classics release [url]http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar/[/url] Zoom:the global race to fuel the car of the future by Iain Carson and Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran. [IMG]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/fookisan/victorygarden.jpg[/IMG]

I'm shocked to see some of the comments here on castor seeds being poisonous. Growing up in the Caribbean we picked the pods and laid it out to dry just to hear it pop and see the seeds fly out. Now that I'm older and trying to adopt a much healthier lifestyle I have been using oils such as castor oil, rosemary oil to name a few for my hair. It does wonders for my hair and scalp, no itching no dandruff and promotes great hair growth as it helps with circulation . Picked some pods just this morning. Rastafarians have been using it for centuries in their hair and to oil their bodies after a shower. I also know that fresh pure castor oil can be ingested to purge and it works immediately too. Someone mentioned on this forum it's cheap. Let me tell you good pure castor oil is not cheap you can easily pay a good US$50.00 or more for a liter. I know that pharmaceutical grade is available as well and seem to be a little more affordable but I don't use it.

I'm not entirely a fan of Jerry Baker's either, even though I brought up his name. I agree that a lot of his concoctions are either impractical or pretty repulsive, but there are gems in among the rest that make some of his stuff worth a read. It just has to be all sorted out, is all. I do like the way he describes the good bugs as opposed to the bad ones, and that he lists things to plant to attract the first or repel the second. Whether I follow all of his advice is another story entirely. I haven't had tansy turn invasive, but I've never grown it in OK either, so that's good to know. I don't have any problem with cilantro, and I do love basil. Has anyone tried planting it in pretty close under the tomato plants? It's supposed to be a good companion, and tomatoes provide shade for the basil. Mostly, I put his information together with what I already know I like or do not like, and what some of the specific problems might be, and go from there. I'd hate to use any of his books . . . or anyone else's either, as a gardening bible without any independent thought. Twice I've tried planting nepeta because I like the loose look of it in bloom, and had no luck with it either time. I don't know if it's as good as real catnip, but we have enough trouble with stray cats around here that the last thing I want to do is attract any more of them. I'll cross all catnip-like things off. George, on working your compacted soil, just remember that if it's clay, the more you work it, the more compacted it will become. Unless you are working in large amounts of compost or amendment, that is. You can't water and turn clay without it becoming more and more dense. That's why I'm going to cover mine up with a whole stack of mulch and let it sit there until next spring, when we'll try to turn it in, and then mulch it some more. Pat

frdnicholas - You will get much more expert advice than mine from some other folks here, as also being a relatively new Albuquerquean, I have been amazed at the knowledge of some folks on this board local to this area. At any event, you asked about what zone # we are in. And truly, the best way I think I can explain what I have learned regarding zones in Albuquerque is that really, you have to realize that it is more prudent to consider the city in thoughts of two zones, rather than just one. If you live in a valley area - North or South Valley or Corrales area, etc. (anything lower and near the Rio Grande) - or, in the Foothills area from Juan Tabo or especially Tramway east, you probably would be most prudent to consider yourself in a zone 6 or 6b area (maybe 7-like on more mild years)...nightimes in the Valley areas or in the Foothills can get significantly colder than in the other parts of the city. (Should note though, that while Valley temps are colder at night, they typically do get a bit hotter in the daytime as well). However, if you are in the Heights areas of Albuquerque, or on the West Side, you can more consider yourself in a solid zone 7b area. Again, more mild years in this area bump it more at selected times to more of a zone 8a, and there are thermal belt areas such as by UNM that are more common to an 8a annually. But probably a safe, general rule would be a 6 or 6b in the Valley, and a 7b in the Heights or West Side. As for vegetables to plant, again, other folks on here will give you much more solid info, however, I do know that tomatoes and peppers (2 of the 4 you mentioned) do generally do very well in Albuquerque. (A somewhat unrelated side-note...I live in the NE Heights and have a Georgia peach tree, and already as of last week - not even March yet - it is budding its blossoms extensively...with proper care, you will enjoy growing things here!)... Best of success!