Rick! Thank you for article on Tagetes--I generally start them as soon as gets warm outside--and I KNOW they help. A lot. Can tell the difference and no, not just placebo effect. 2 to one tom plant. Initially snarked, "Monsanto is at it again" as some "research group," years back, tried to debunk years of gardening experience on benefits vis a vis nematodes planting certain French Marigolds; but my grandmother did it and I never stopped. Turned out, it
was a freakin Monsanto-backed research group! Dayum.
Monsanto isn't as smart as they think they are... they just have some Judges in their pockets. I mean, really... pollen from a Monsanto Corn variety blowing downwind and fertilizing a neighbor's crop equals theft of patent?! If it was me, I'd task them with environmental cleanup rather than awarding damages.
On mustards--things ya think of--reading articles on a phone and unable to garden, so when get back to it, go insane--I did a trial plot and only planted ungrafted heirlooms that are especially susceptible to fusarium wilt (for which we have loads of potential), verticillium wilt (for which you guys might have more potential in North), Alternaria-anything, aka basically anything fungal--like Brandywine. Look at Brandywine Sudduth plant in South, ungrafted, or for me, the plants die. Been growing Brandy Boy, a hybrid, which frankly has a good taste but not real thing . . . planted 6 BWS where had grown mustard. I also planted some German Johnson and Cherokee Purple in case BWS croaked but they did better than they'd ever done for me, as did CP and GJ. In fact, gathered a puny BW yesterday:
unheard of. It wasn't seed company because used 3 different seed companies. But they didn't compare to grafted!
Got a new obsession. Have a tomato project for ya, Rick! GRAFTING! Again, lying in bed, sick to die for a while, when ya feel good enough to sorta get up for 10 minutes--that's "itching" to do something and PO'ed that in 15 mins have to lie down . . . lol so, studied grafting tomatoes. Read, watched youtubes, talked to guy at local community college greenhouses a lot. I mean, in the South, we have soil fungal issues that decrease production so that a family who plants just enough to eat, not can, not freeze, just for eating, will not get an eating crop of heirloom maters. And grafting is not hard. It requires some patience. If interested, PM me.
We're already on it up here Annie... with my sandy soil, fungal issues... aren't. This source has all the necessary seeds/hardware, and they sell grafted plants as well. http://www.johnnyseeds.com/assets/i...ing-vigor-disease-resistance-technique.pdf%C2
But to the much maligned Dougie, what's wrong with people? I love me some Douglah. Jamie, pusherman, sent me my first. "Jamie, my first."
But yeah, great pepper smoked--smoking brings out sweetness, kills off any bitterness, as does letting it ripen off vine
a lot. I picked that pepper nearly a week before ate it. I LOVE it smoked! Am not crazy: is an excellent tasting pepper! I use apple wood because that's what I have. Or what my bro has and wants rid of after he shreds enough for several seasons smoking. Works with power-blends as you said or sauces. Douglah makes a respectable sauce, y'all! My best fermented hot steak sauce had a base of Dougie. A t-shirt with "Dougie Love" would surely get some double-takes.
Y'know... I think that could be arranged... got any good Dougie photos? 
Your Gochu powder has gone into kimchi since you sent it. Thank you! I grew G this year and already dehydrated and ground every last drop to go in kimchi, Have place in frig reserved for a gallon of it. Problem is Napa is not available "real" except in fall around here and while cheating, make it through winter with grocery-bought.
Want a kimchi frig. I mean, pills of pro-bio are, well save my life, but
nothing like real stuff! You PMed me a simple and complicated recipe for it ages ago: I use daikon, gochu powder, carrots, green onion, garlic, ginger, napa, salt. Thank you! Keep it simple since make it once or twice month in winter and for me is more medicinal than gastro. If gastro, would complicate and have to make it 4 times a month, lol.
If they can afford it, South Korean families actually do have a "Kimchi 'fridge"... makes perfect sense to me! Glad you were able to make use of that gochu powder Ma'am... think you could use some fresh pods to save the seeds from and dry?
Peace, dear man and do you still live where ya used to?
Annie
