Etsy Front Page with my New Pumpkin Pie Soap Set

Etsy Front Page October 25, 2012

Hope you are having a lovely autumn.  I was very excited the other day to have my pumpkin pie soap gift set on the front page of Etsy from including this this Pumpkin Soup Treasury.

I have neglected to post the new gift sets until now.  So here they are, and I hope you like them.  Pumpkin Pie Gift set at Aquarian Bath or on Etsy.

Pumpkin Pie Soap Set

Below is my other new bath and body gift set.  You can mix and match one soap, shampoo bar, and lip balm and each box contains 2 cedar soap decks.

Natural Handmade Bath and Body Set with Soap, Shampoo Bar and Lip balm of your choice.

How to Grow and Harvest Amaranth

Amaranth is a healthy vegetable that can be grown for it's leaves or seeds (grain). I have grown it for both purposes. When growing Amaranth for leafy greens, direct sow seeds 4-6 inches apart in a moderately sunny area. When the plant starts getting leafy you can pinch off about 8 leaves at a time when they get to be about 7 inches long. Then you will be able to make one or two more harvests over the next couple weeks.



If you are growing Amaranth for grain harvest the plants need more space. The will thrive in a full sun area. The plants pictured here were grown in full sun facing south. Ideally the seeds can be direct sown in rich soil with 12 inch spacing. These plants were so tall, almost 7 feet and fell over under their own weight. Supports can be helpful.

Whether you are growing Amaranth for seed or leaves, it can be helpful to plant Amaranth on the outskirts of your garden. Amaranth is quite attractive to pests. These outlying plants can provide food for pests making less pressure on your cultivated vegetables. Usually there will be some bugs eating the leaves of your older Amaranth plants if you are growing them for seed. Usually this doesn't not significantly impact seed production. You can however use a diluted spray neem oil and castile soap in water to deter pests.



After your Amaranth turns red with flowers you can start checking to see if the seed is ready for harvest. Rub a bit of the red flowering area between your fingers. If you hear a popping noise when you do this all over the flowering tops, then they are ready for grain harvest. Cut the tops one a dry sunny day and rub the seed and chaff out onto a clean sheet. Remove large pieces of stem and leaf. The next step is winnowing and should be done when there is a nice breeze. Winnowing separates the seeds from the chaft. All you have to do is gently take handfuls of the seed and chaff mixture and drop it from a height over the sheet while the wind is blowing. In the end you will be left with your Amaranth grains like these.



Visit my Etsy shop if you would like to pick up some Amaranth Seeds today.

When and How To Harvest Your Luffa Gourds

Here is a Luffa cylindra 'sponge' AKA Loofa that I harvested and peeled recently. The first time I grew luffa many years ago I was told I should wait until the outside of the Luffa turned dark brown before harvested them. That worked for me the first time I grew them, but not with last years crop. Some of the Luffa gourds from last year that I was waiting on to turn brown actually kind of disintegrated inside from the excessive Florida summer humidity. This year I have been harvesting the gourds just when they turn this beautiful ripened yellow color. The peel comes off easily by hand at this stage. The 'sponge' is kind of soft coming out of the peel. If you let it dry out and harden for a couple of days, then you can get the seeds out by hitting it on a hard surface and shaking the seeds out. Some people suggest to wash out the gourds right after harvest, but they are very clean coming right out of the peel. I haven't cleaned them out that way, because I wanted the seeds to dry in good condition for seed saving.

These are the really big long gourds that I have been waiting on for making soap with. I'm very excited to collect them. It think they will be ready to pick today or Saturday at Fair Share.

Would you like some seeds for yourself? I have Luffa seed free with purchase in my etsy shop.