Dried Mushrooms, Identifying Evergreens, and Repotting Houseplants
This episode starts with ideas for cooking with dried mushrooms. We explain how to tell the difference between pine, fir and spruce trees, do a dive into Ericaceous plants, and end with a question about taking cuttings and transplanting houseplants in the winter.
:30 What’s for dinner: How to cook with dried mushrooms
9:16 Insider Information: Pines, firs and spruce.
14:11 Eat/Drink/Grow: Ericaceous plants
22:11 Love Letters and Questions: Shannon wrote about repotting houseplants now.
A Pyrex measuring cup makes a good container for soaking dried mushrooms since you can add hot water or put it in a microwave.
This is a Pinus rigida, aka a pitch pine. One way to identify pines, and see what type they are, is to look at how the needles are held together in “bundles.” Pitch pines have bundles of 3 needles.
Many plants that are in the Ericaceae family have flowers that look like tiny bells. These blueberry flowers are just beginning to open. Compare the flowers on heath, heather and blueberries!