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4 Herbs Every Cook Should Grow at Home

Posted by Thomas Baron · March 29, 2022

At Thunder Acres, we love providing a variety of natural farm and garden products to our customers. We have a great selection of seeds and growing products that you can use to grow your very own wheatgrass, milo, cat grass, and more! However, you may have plans to grow other things, such as herbs, and if so, we can provide you with the perfect growing trays to create your own little kitchen garden!

Cilantro

Cilantro is an herb from the leaves of the coriander plant, and is in the parsley family. It often tastes lemony and peppery, and can add wonderful flavor to certain dishes. Cilantro can be used fresh or dried, but keep in mind that some people don’t like the taste of cilantro, due to their ability to detect the aldehydes, which can give off a soap-like taste.

Parsley

Parsley is a great choice to plant in your growing trays, and you can use it in soups, salads, sauces, and more. It can also be used as a garnish on dinner plates, adding a touch of color to the entree. Parsley is rich in iron and vitamins, so adding it to your cooking throughout the week can have great benefits!

Mint

Mint is a must-have for anyone who loves to bake. Mint can be started in your growing trays and then moved to a bigger planter, as certain types (such as spearmint or sweetmint) can often grow very quickly. You can use mint in cocktails and drinks as well, adding the refreshing taste on hot summer days.

Chives

Chives are a wonderful addition to any kitchen garden and can be used in a variety of dishes. As a member of the onion family, they can add a wonderful flavor to almost any meal. Chives are also a perennial, so they’ll regrow each year as long as you maintain them properly!

If you’ve been thinking about starting your own indoor garden, or you need somewhere to plant your starter plants for your outside garden, our growing trays are an excellent option for herbs, vegetables, and more. Shop online with Thunder Acres today!

4 Uses for Natural Wheat Straw

Posted by Thomas Baron · March 29, 2022

If you own livestock of any kind, you know how important it is to have straw for bedding, insulation, and more. At Thunder Acres, our family farm in south central Kansas produces 100% natural wheat straw that we can send to you for any use you need. Straw can have many uses, so keep reading to learn more!

Animal Bedding

Whether you have chickens, rabbits, or another type of animal, straw can make for the perfect bedding. It can provide a soft place for animals to lay, and it’s perfect for chicken coops where eggs need a cushioned spot in the nesting boxes!

Chicken Coop Insulation

Speaking of chickens, straw bales can make great insulation for coops, barns, and other enclosed areas on your farm. The hollow straw tubes are great at retaining warm air, so if you live in a spot that has frigid winters, straw can insulate your animal buildings and keep everything warm during the cold season.

Growing Mushrooms

Straw may be dry and hollow, but when placed over garden soil, it can help retain moisture and create a viable environment for growth. If you’re growing mushrooms, for example, or a type of plant that needs a moisture-rich environment, then straw is the perfect choice.

Garden Mulch and Weed Control

Straw can also be used for general garden mulch, keeping your plant roots warm and protected. It can help with weed control and keep your garden looking neat and tidy. Straw can also be much more affordable than standard mulch, helping you save each year, especially if you have a large garden area!

If you need straw for your farm or ranch, we can provide you with bundles of 4 pounds, 8 pounds, or 12 pounds, or an entire bale. We sell only 100% natural wheat straw, so you’ll know you’re getting a quality product!

How to Use Coco Coir Bricks

Posted by Thomas Baron · January 31, 2022

How to Use Coco Coir Bricks
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What Are Coir Bricks?

When you utilize the husks of a coconut, you end up with a material called coir peat that is a highly sought after and often utilized medium in which you can grow plants. It is a highly unique substance with substantial benefits when it comes to the world of horticulture.

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Why Is It Used?

The coco coir bricks themselves are a compressed version of coir peat that is made up exclusively of raw materials and provides the opportunity for a soil-like substance that retains a high amount of moisture. It is frequently sought after because of the fact that it is a renewable source.

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What Are The Benefits?

One of the main draws when it comes to coir peat, outside of its renewability, is that it effectively and efficiently retains fertilizer, water, and any nutrients that are brought into the planting process. It allows for truly ideal conditions in which plants can develop their root systems and thrive.

REHYDRATE THE BRICK

Coir bricks are given that name for a reason — when you get them they are legitimately brick shaped and about as strong as the real thing. What you will need to do when you get your coir brick from Thunder Acres is to take the brick and place it in a specific amount of water (which varies depending on the size of said brick) for about 12 hours in order to soften it up and create the necessary soil-like consistency that allows it to be used in gardening. It is a relatively simple process and the first step you need to take in order to start utilizing your coco coir.

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WATER RETENTION

One of the most important considerations when you decide to work with coconut coir bricks is that a key feature of the material is a high amount of water retention. It doesn’t soak up like it generally does when you are working with soil. This fact can be to your benefit and also possibly your detriment when you start growing with coir bricks. In order to ensure the health and consistent growth of your plants, make sure to account for the amount of water that might be retained in your garden. Too much water retention can damage or kill plants.

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HYDROPONIC GROWING

One subsection of growing your garden is playing with hydroponic growth, which is the practice of substituting regular soil in your crops or garden with other kinds of unique and beneficial materials like coco coir. The high amount of water retention in the material makes it a perfect alternative in a practice that emphasizes the cultivation of plant-life through nutrients in the surrounding water. No matter which type of growing system you may be utilizing, using coco coir as your base is the right call and is sure to benefit and promote the growth of your plants in the future.

Try It Now!

When it comes down to it, coco coir bricks are an easily accessible, easy to use, and incredibly effective soil alternative that have the ability to vastly increase the output and production of your garden when used properly. Try one for yourself from Thunder Acres and start improving the quality of your growing setup now!

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Growing Instructions

GRAIN SORGHUM, MILO, BIRD SEED

Posted by Thomas Baron · January 28, 2022

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Popular Around the World

Sorghum is a cereal grain. Around the world, it is a staple crop that is used to feed livestock. One of the key benefits of grain sorghum is that it can grow well, even when the ground that it is growing in seems less that amenable. It performs where others generally fail.

Milo and Drought

Milo is a subset and specific type of sorghum that differs because it is more resilient to drought. This has the benefit of making it an easier crop to grow and maintain even in heat and dry climates. It is particularly popular in the midwest for this reason and provides a lot of animal feed.

Lucrative

One of the benefits of this type of seed outside of its resistance to heat and drought is that a little goes a long way. One pound of it has over 13,000 seeds in it, meaning that your yield can be high. It also has the added benefit of having an 80% germination rate.

Difficulty of Finding Reliable Farming Products

Finding the right feed for your purposes is not the easiest thing in the world. We also understand that it is difficult to find a farm that is consistent in both their product and their service. You want a company that will stand proudly behind its product and work to earn your business through hard work and honest communication about product supply and availability. Thunder Acres gets that struggle and strives to make it easy for you to find a wide variety of items with ease. Never again will you have to shop around for a supplier who might not even come through for you in the end.

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How to Grow Seed Well

Once you actually have your hands on the product that you need, you’re going to need the knowledge in order to properly put it to work and ensure that you get the best yield possible. One important factor is that you have proper drainage for your crop. There is nothing worse than successfully planting all of that seed only to see it die from overhydration. You’ll also need to make sure that your seed is buried at the proper depth so that it can thrive. Of course, the last aspect of seed growth is making sure that your plants have direct sunlight to help them along.

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Products At Thunder Acres

One of the more frustrating things when it comes to looking for farm-based supplies is the lack of variety in products with some suppliers. Thunder Acres supplies our customer with everything from grain sorghum, milo, bird seed and catnip seeds to coco coir bricks and heavy duty growing trays. We strive to ensure that our farming customers have everything that they need in order to thrive. We want you to feel like we are your one-stop shop for any product, however odd, that you might require on your Southcentral Kansas farm. Find exactly what you are looking for when you shop with us!

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Growing your own seed isn’t a particularly difficult process, and the resulting yield is definitely worth the effort. Make sure that you end up with your share of the harvest and order your grain sorghum, milo, bird seed now. Learn more about Thunder Acre Farms while you’re at it!

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Hedge Apples

Posted by Thomas Baron · January 27, 2022

Thunder Farms’ Kansas Delicacy
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Apple or Orange?

Interestingly enough, hedge apples actually come from a type of tree known as an Osage-Orange tree. To add to the confusion, they tend to have the texture and shape of an orange. However, their color and interior are more closely related to a granny smith apple when you cut them open.

Can You Eat Them?

While they somewhat resemble and tend to smell like oranges, hedge apples aren’t really something that you will want to bring with you on a picnic. Most people actually tend to consider them inedible due to their unpalatable taste.

Natural Insect Repellent

Some are convinced that hedge apples act as a natural insect repellent. While this is true to an extent, the truth of the matter is that these apples only keep away insects in extremely concentrated doses. But, if you’re willing to do the work, they could help you out during the fall.

What Is A Hedge Apple?

A hedge apple is a spherically shaped fruit that is generally about the size of a regulation softball. While generally green, their shade can vary depending on the time of the season and the stage of their growth. They don’t have much in the way of importance when it comes to being a food source for local wildlife. Birds and other animals avoid them and find their taste repugnant. Humans also tend to avoid them in their diets. While you won’t want to necessarily eat one yourself, they do have other characteristics that make them potentially beneficial to have around.

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Where Do They Come From?

Hedge apples ironically grow on what is commonly known as an Osage-orange tree (otherwise known as Maclura pomifera). These trees are generally not that large and tend to grow to only about 30 or 40 feet in size. The wood of the tree is generally bright orange immediately after it is cut and often produces a milky sap. That color, however, fades when exposed to sunlight and air into a shade of brown. Their wood is generally fairly durable when treated properly. In the history of the farming industry, the Osage-orange tree was used as a hedge in many areas.

What Are They Used For?

Oddly enough, the hedge apple is often used in homes to repel insects, specifically spiders. Essentially you are just supposed to take the fruit and place it in the problem area and its mere presence is enough to keep them at bay. A single hedge apple fruit is said to last up to almost three months before it needs a replacement. With that said, most studies show that their repelling nature is only present when you are dealing with highly concentrated extracts from the fruit. Try it for yourself and find out if it works by buying your supply today!

Questions? Let Us Know!

The hedge apple truly is a unique type of fruit. You don’t eat it, it looks odd, and it is generally used to repel insects like spiders. It has a certain allure that you just can’t deny. Make sure that you end up with your share of the harvest by pre-ordering hedge apples now. Learn more about Thunder Acre Farms while you’re at it!

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