Siberian Ginseng

  

In the corner of my grandfathers dacha resides a magical shrub filled with woodland berries that taste like the summertime forest. It grows tall and thorny, with clusters of the dark fruit hanging high above me, teasing me with their remarkable beauty. As we work on the land, I return to this plant over and over again - I can't stay away from its calling, I am determined to make it my ally. My grandfather tells me that he got a cutting of the plant from a holy place, and that the plant is known to heal. The old lady down the street  says that a handful of the berries gives her so much energy she could sprint to the bus station with ease. The true power of Eleutherococcus, however, lies in the roots, and I am lucky enough to be able to harvest some of their wonder.

Eleutherococcus senticosus, or Siberian Ginseng, is native to East Asia, China, Japan, and Russia - while more than 15 species of Elutherococcus can be found in China and Japan, only E. senticosus is native to Russia. E. senticosus prefers open, sunny spaces but can grow in partial shade and in varying conditions; it can typically be found in coniferous and mixed forests, in valleys and on the sides of mountains, and on cleared or burned land.

Siberian Ginseng reproduces vegetatively, and the best way to establish a plant is by obtaining a runner and planting it in the spring - if this isn't an option, growing from seeds is also possible (this will unfortunately be my fate). The seeds must undergo stratification by remaining in moist sand for 4-5 months at a temperature of 18-20 C, and then at a temperature of 3 C for another 2-3 months. Even then, the seeds will only have a 40-50% germination rate; E. senticosus seeds are especially prone to fungal pathogens. In the Spring, seeds should be sown at a depth of 2-3 centimeters and the plant should establish itself at a normal rate.

Tinctured E. senticosus

Siberian Ginseng is an effective and powerful adaptogen that is known to replenish depleted adrenals. It improves overall health and energy - physical, mental and sexual, and strengthens the immune system. It is said to improve memory, mental clarity and focus as well as increase awareness, eyesight and sharpen hearing; E. senticosus also gives physical energy and helps the body adapt to physical stresses such as heat, cold, and radiation. Siberian Ginseng is also used to help replenish energy after debilitating illnesses, head traumas, and can be taken when wounds take too long to heal. It is used widely to treat numerous respiratory problems, increase appetite, and balance sleeping patterns.In addition, E. senticosus is also known to be an effective uterane tonic - it can help regulate and normalize the menstrual cycle and can increase fertility if taken correctly. It is also said to alleviate symptoms of menopause.

Roots of Eleutherococcus senticosus

Eleutherococcus root is best harvested in the second half of September. On a rainy day, drawn time and time again to the majesty of the plant, I took a shovel and gently unearthed some of the roots, taking only what the plant would allow me to. The roots smelled fresh and earthy in the soft rain, their strong odor giving me energy just as I held them in my hands. I washed them in the rain barrel, wrapped them in a newspaper, and took them home. After a few days of drying, it was time to tincture them. Cutting them carefully into small bits, careful not to waste any of the precious gift. I covered them with 40 proof vodka, making sure all of the plant matter was covered; now it's time to wait. All good things take time.

Cleaning out the Greenhouses

 

Weekends at the dachas are hectic as people prepare for the first frosts - cleaning, sowing, saving seed. Some choose to do their plantings now, some are waiting until late fall, some have sown their seeds before the first leaves have even started to fall from the trees. Everybody has their own way.

The greenhouse above is covered in plastic during the summer; a few weeks ago the plastic was removed from the greenhouse, exposing it to the outdoors. The frame was then moved backwards a few feet from its original location to make room for a garlic bed, which is why the planting (radish cover crop) looks a bit off. This type of greenhouse is convenient because it can be easily moved from one place to another, and requires little maintenance because the plastic can be replaced if needed (generally, it will be saved until next spring). However, this portability also implies manual irrigation and a shorter growing season. The plastic will be replaced and the greenhouse back in action early next year, ready to nurse tomato and pepper seedlings. My grandmother combats the cold ground and gets an early start on her tomatoes and cucumbers by adding another layer of protection to her seedlings: when she plants them in the ground, she covers them individually with a plastic container (can be re-used from cottage cheese, nuts, etc).

Weeded Cucumber Greenhouse

The greenhouses I am dealing with today, however, are glass, and I have my work cut out for the next few hours. The first of the two greenhouses is smaller - it is the cucumber greenhouse. After a half hour of weeding and removing invading raspberry runners, the soil is ready to be tilled and fed, the seeds sown and watered, and the greenhouse closed to rest for the darker days.

Incorporating Chicken Manure

We amend the soil with an organic fertilizer - chicken manure purchased from a local farmer. Chicken manure increases the nitrogen and phosphorous content of soil and is believed to positively effect the fertility of soil. Chicken manure can raise soil pH if used regularly, but this is not worrisome since the soil in this greenhouse is slightly too acidic anyway (evidence by the prevalence of Psyllium growth). I rake the manure into the soil and work it in using a rolling, hand-held tiller. After leveling the soil, it is time to sow the winter rye.

Winter rye is a cold-hardy cover crop that serves both as a green fertilizer and a living mulch. It suppresses weed growth both by producing large amounts of biomass (which can later be cut in order to add organic matter to the soil) and through the allelopathic effects of the roots. which prevent the germination of weed seeds. Winter rye roots also alleviate compaction and improve the aeration of the soil, thus improving planting conditions for the next crop; in addition, they can help combat pathogenic bacteria and fungi that could impact less hardy crops. The rich biomass of the roots also helps hold soil in place, preventing erosion in the spring as snow melts.

Winter Rye

Traditionally, it is sowed in the fall and allowed to overwinter until spring. As soon as the snow melts and the ground dries, it is time to till the rye into the soil - it is important not to wait, because it can have a drying effect on the soil which could be detrimental to further crops.

Tomato and Pepper Greenhouse

The next greenhouse was a bit more of a battle: this larger greenhouse contained some cucumbers, a canteloupe (!) but mostly tomatoes and peppers. The peppers were still producing healthy, abundant yields and were probably not ready to be pulled out of their resting bed, but it had to be done. After collecting the ripe (and soon-to-be ripe tomatoes), peppers, and cucumbers, I set to work on this greenhouse. It took a few hours, but soon it was cleared and the plants safely hauled away to join the others in the community compost pile around the block. In this greenhouse, we sow radish; radish is said to be a poor companion to cucumbers (hence the winter rye), but prepares the soil well for tomatoes and peppers. Once sowed, the small seeds are watered and the greenhouse closed. It is time to take a break, drink some tea, eat some potatoes.

Planting Garlic

According to the lunar calendar,  this weekend (September 27 - 29 2014) is the ideal time for garlic planting. So, early yesterday morning, through a slight drizzle, we set out for the dacha to bury the bulbs in the cold ground. After a brisk walk through the foggy morning forest and a few jumps to avoid the muddy craters in the dirt road, we arrived at the gate. The first order of business was to start the fire to warm the house and eat the last of the remaining raspberries before the frost; once that was taken care of, we set to work.

Garlic Bulbs

The rain had picked up by now and the earth was beginning to grow cold. Traditionally, grandfather says, it is the day that all snakes retire to the ground for winter. The garlic bed is prepared - the cucumbers that grew in the soil before had been ripped out weeks ago. We mark the garlic bed with sticks and string to signify where the rows of bulbs will rest.

True Garlic Seeds

During the summer, when the garlic is about to flower, my grandfather does not remove all of the scapes form the garlic. Instead, he lets a few flower and gathers the seeds. The seeds are planted in late fall (or now) and the next year are dug up as bulbs. The bulbs are planted to grow into mature plants. This year, we plant bulbs along the rows and seeds in between, so that we will have bulbs for next year, too.

We save some bulbs to plant next year alongside other plants (carrots, potatoes) to deter pests, and move on to the next tasks - transplanting, tilling and preparing beds for future winter planting, removing dead plant matter. The rain remains steady and cold, but encouraging; we run inside to fuel the fire. By three, we have finished working for the day and retire into the house to drink tea. My grandfather gives me his old army jacket and I fall asleep by the fire before the water has even boiled.

Rows of Garlic Watered by the Rain

Save your Sour Milk

Two weeks ago, my aunt picked me up on the way to pick my young cousin up from karate practice and presented me with gifts: a jar of wild forest honey, harvested by a friend, and a 2 liter Coca Cola bottle of fresh, raw milk from a friends cow. The honey is of course gone. However, I only got through about half of the two liters of milk before it spoiled - an event my grandmother has been anticipating impatiently. Every morning, as I poured milk into my coffee, she would stand over me and watch. The day the milk finally churned in the cup, her eyes lit up like fireflies and she grabbed the bottle from my hands. For some, the magic only begins when the milk has turned sour.

Pouring the milk into a jar (that had been waiting on the counter for days in preparation), my grandmother shuffled into the other room. In a few days, we'll be sitting at the table sipping on fresh prostakvasha, living the good life. Prostakvasha, or clabbered milk, is a wild fermented food similar to kefir or yogurt. It is easy to make and can be eaten straight (many people add sugar), used in recipes, or used cosmetically.

Clabber is a great source of vitamins, amino acids, and essential fatty acids; it is very easily and rapidly absorbed by the body and has numerous health benefits. The lactic acid in clabber helps restore microflora in the body; in addition, clabber can be useful in treating colitis, enteritis, constipation, and other gastrointestinal problems. It can also help cure other ailments, including respiratory disorders: a compress of clabber and oil applied to the neck will help alleviate cold symptoms. Clabber is also said to promote healthy hair, nails and skin: it contains anti-aging and anti-cellulite properties and can be applied topically in the form of hair and skin masks, or used as a cleanser.

Clabber is produced by letting sour, unpasteurized milk sit out at room temperature until it curdles, turning into a delicious, chunky, fermented food similar to kefir or yogurt.  To make: pour unpasteurized milk that has gone sour (or is beginning to) into a jar and close it loosely with the lid or just cover tightly with a cheesecloth. After a few days sitting at room temperature, the milk should curdle and the texture should become chunkier - if left out too long, it will separate, in which case you can shake it up or remove the whey from the top. The most important thing to remember is that the milk must be unpasteurized.  Luckily, if you live in Massachusetts, that's not a problem!

Here's the NOFA link to a list of farms that sell raw milk:

 http://www.nofamass.org/content/information-about-raw-milk-consumers#.VCXIS5Ws3ww

Clabber and Raspberries

Eliminating Pests

There will be more on pest elimination as I spend more time at the dachas, but here are a few interesting tidbits I've picked up so far.

Rodent Killer

There doesn’t seem to be a large variety of pests that affect the dacha plots, but some of the pest problems can grow to be severe some years. Luckily, many of the homesteaders have found creative, sustainable ways to counter pest activity. 

The most common pest problem comes from an overactive, ever growing population of moles. The easiest solution, in my opinion, is to feed the neighborhood cats. There are a lot of strays with hungry kittens and if they can be coerced into hanging around the garden then that pretty much takes care of all rodent problems. However, this opinion isn’t as popular with much of the older generation who are used to harder times and don’t want to attract diseased cats. 

To Scare the Moles

These contraptions are instead found by the dozens on every dacha  I’ve ever been to. The design is simple and effective. A plastic beer bottle or a empty beer can inserted upside down on a stake of any sort and placed into the soil does the trick. As the wind rattles, the sound scares the moles and the pest problem subsides. Another method I’ve seen for reduction of moles is a hole dug and covered with a piece of wood or cardboard, with a box in the hole. In the box an alarm clock scheduled to ring every hour is placed, also scaring the moles.

Another clever way to keep pests away is to attract other, more attractive species. Many dachniki have small ponds on their property, sometimes more than one.  The ponds are filled with pond lilies that overwinter in the water. The plant life encourages frog populations to flourish, who in turn eliminate insect problems (less mosquitos are an added bonus). The frogs become necessary companions for the plants and friends in the garden. 

A Shortcut to Mushrooms

Armillaria mellea, commonly known as honey fungus or as opyata in Russian, is an edible basidiomycete belonging to the genus of parasitic fungi Armillaria. Although it can be incredibly damaging to its hosts, it is very useful as a food source and is cherished by mushroom gatherers around the world. Once honey fungus begins to appear in late summer, the hunt commences and does not stop until the first frost.

 

My Grandfather Gathering Opyata

The first sign of honey fungus comes on early August mornings when a deep, quiet fog rolls over the earth and into the trees. Soon after, fresh young colonies of the fungi start to sprout, overtaking old, rotting stumps and fallen trees. Now that their season has begun, the mushrooms will multiply and thrive until late October – they are the forest’s way of telling us that the earth is cooling for the winter.

Honey fungus grows on over 230 types of trees and shrubs, but can most commonly be found on rotting trees, stumps, and decaying forest matter. Armillaria is responsible for “white rot” and is a considered to be a highly destructive forest pathogen. Once established on a living host, the fungi will girdle a tree and continue to grow upward from the base, sometimes making it several meters up.  While this can be a lucky find for the mushroom enthusiast, it is grave news for the host tree, which will almost certainly die after being girdled by the fungus.

Mushroom hunters know that when opyata are found growing on a tree or stump, more colonies can almost always be located nearby. This is because the fungus spreads through groups of dark rhizomorphic mycelium, which spread through the top six inches of soil from one host to the next, searching until they find an appropriate substrate to colonize. Although decaying matter is preferred, Armillaria mellea will also colonize roots of living trees, climbing beneath the bark. When conditions are favorable, the fruiting bodies are formed and grow through the bark in the form of tasty mushrooms.  

Armillaria mellea growing on a stump

The cap of the fruiting body is round when the mushroom is young, flattening out with age and growing to be 1-6 inches in diameter. The cap is a soft golden color reminiscent of honey – hence the name honey fungus. When the fruiting body is young, a white, delicate partial veil protects the gills, which are later revealed. The stipe can grow up to 8 inches in length, and is wider at its base where it clumps to surrounding mushrooms.  The stipe is sturdy and has a sponge-like texture when the mushroom first begins to grow, but hollows out as the fruiting body reaches maturity.

Opyata are eagerly gathered in many Slavic countries for several reasons: their abundance, diversity of culinary preparations, and the ease with which they can be transported. Often, people will make long treks into the woods to gather mushrooms – busses, electric trains, and long walks with baskets, buckets, and plastic bags are all staples of the mushroom gathering expedition. Because of their sturdy structure, opyata easily survive the bucket ride without falling apart, rotting, or turning into mush.

 

Mushrooms Parboiling

Once they are brought to the safety of a table or a bench, they must be cleaned and sorted through. Dirt, slugs, pine needles, and other debris must be brushed or cut off with a knife; the cleaned mushrooms are then ready to transition into the kitchen.First, the mushrooms must be parboiled –are boiled for a few minutes (5 should be okay) before they can be cooked further. The boiling removes the bitter taste and potential poisonous compounds from the fungi, and allows any leftover debris to float to the surface of the pot and be cleaned off. Next, the mushrooms can be dried, marinated for winter, frozen for future use, or fried immediately and served with fresh-dug potatoes and rye bread J

Opyata, fresh picked and fried with butter with home grown potatoes 

Small Spaces

Among the more common problems that dacha gardeners face are lack of space and poor soil. To combat these issues, they need to come up with creative solutions to maximize yield. Good trellising systems and terracing are common solutions; raspberry bushes are also commonly planted along fences instead of in patches so that they are more easily managed and take up less space while producing good yield.  However, there comes a time when even the darkest, dirtiest parts of the garden need to be put to good use, and they are.

Squash in Old Barrels

My Cousin Watering Plants

My grandmother wanted to grow squash this year, but there simply wasn’t any room left besides the space between the neighbor’s fence, the road, and the outhouse. The soil there, long abandoned, was of poor quality and would undoubtedly be an unfavorable environment for the baby plants. Instead, she used a few old barrels filled with dirt from another part of the garden to plant her squash. The squash did surprisingly well and the yields were great.To water, she fills a plastic bottle with water and inserts it into the soil.

Later on, I will hopefully be able to write more about greenhouses. Although I haven’t gotten a chance to do too much research about building and materials quite yet, I do know that every dacha has at least one, but usually two, greenhouses: one primarily for tomatoes, and one primarily for cucumbers (with peppers and other things thrown in too). The greenhouses were built, of course, by the people and so they vary from one to the next.

Greenhouse space is limited, and some plants don’t quite make it in. So people get creative with keeping seedlings and mature plants warm in other ways. Cutting off tops bottoms of plastic bottles and flipping them over seedlings is a good way to establish small plants in the soil and can be seen in many gardens.

The hoophouse sits on a slightly raised bed

Sides can be pulled up for ventilation

Small, temporary hoop houses are also a good way to keep annual vegetables happy. The hoop house above is located in a neighbor’s garden – she has only one greenhouse, and her peppers don’t fit.

Raised beds are a more modern way to deal with problems of poor soil. The raised beds seen above are from a friend’s garden – she lives in the suburbs (not the dacha) and has a few beds for convenience where she grows daikon radish, lemon balm, dill, carrots, and leafy greens.