Healthy News and Information by Hannah Kastoryano Cinnamon. It’s delicious AND nutritious for us. BUT did you know it’s beneficial for plants too? We’ve written countless times about adding more cinnamon to our diets. 1-Seedlings Imagine little sea turtles tucked away in their little sandy womb, breaking their little shells, climbing to the harsh surface, and running to the ocean for shelter. There may be no birds or sharks attacking the seeds, but there are diseases. 2-Wild Mushrooms As mentioned earlier with my little sead turtle analogy, mushrooms don’t like cinnamon. 3-Rooting Hormone Rooting hormone stimulates root growth. 4-Ant Deterrent We love cinnamon. 5-Plant Wounds Accidentally cutting or wounding your plants may make you feel guilty and apologetic to your plant. 6-House Plants Don’t forget about your indoor plants while pruning your outdoor ones. Cinnamon is a natural and affordable way to keep you and your plants healthy and flourishing! Source: Share: Comments comments
How to Build a Compost Bin Steps Method 1 of 3: Building a General-Purpose Compost Bin a Compost Bin Step 1.360p.mp4 00:00 00:06 00:06 spaceplay / pauseescstopffullscreenshift + ←→slower / faster (latest Chrome and Safari)←→seek . seek to previous 12…6 seek to 10%, 20%, …60% 1Gather your materials. Method 2 of 3: Building a Yard-Waste-Only Compost Bin a Compost Bin Step 10.360p.mp41Cut out a large rectangle of chicken wire.
How to Build a Rotating Compost Bin in 4 Easy Steps November 30, 2007 12:00 AM Composting can be incredibly simple: Just pile up some food and yard scraps, and turn it with a pitchfork now and then. But if you want to speed up the process and keep it rodent-free, a rotating bin is worth a weekend of labor. Step 1 Mark an opening on the side of a food-grade barrel using masking tape. Step 2 Attach the door to the barrel: Use screws or bolts to fasten metal hinges or make a flap hinge from scraps of bicycle inner tube. Step 3 Make two X-shaped stands using pressure-treated 2 x 4s or scrap lumber. Step 4 Attach a wooden turning lever to the end of the barrel using large sheetmetal screws or a couple of bolts.
30 Unexpected and Unusual Things You Can Compost | Green Composting isn't just for food, silly! You'll be surprised at all the strange, random junk you can toss in the compost bucket. Don't draw the line at peach pits and coffee grounds - start chucking the following items into that bucket and watch your garbage bill go down while you create top-drawer dirt (and help the planet, of course). 1. 2. 3. magazines 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. cereal boxes 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. matches 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. It may seem like weird science, but all of the above objects are fully compostable. Sources: Cheap Like Me, Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano ALSO CHECK OUT: 5 Steps for Better Recycling10 Bearable Alternatives to Indoor Composting12 Clever Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds10 Things You Can't Recycle Images: johndan, theseanster93, pawpaw67, laszlo-photo
Healthy News and Information by ARIANA MARISOL Peanuts are not actually nuts, they are a vegetable that belongs to the legume family. Learn how to grow peanuts in your garden and enjoy the benefits of this hassle free, delicious crop. Peanuts are native to South America and take about 120 days tomature. The plant is hardy and can withstand light spring and fall frosts. Although peanut plants are normally considered to be Southern crops, Northern gardeners can grow them successfully if they start the plants indoors, and use certain varieties that can withstand cooler climates. Planting Peanuts require full sun and soil with good drainage. Peanut seeds can be planted hulled or unhulled but be sure not to remove the thin, pinkish brown seed coverings, otherwise the seed will not germinate. If you live in a cooler climate, start your peanut plant indoors in a large pot about a month before the last frost. If you live in a warmer climate, plant your crop outdoors around the last expected frost. Growing Harvesting Share:
How to Make Your Own Worm Compost System Steps Part 1 of 3: Making a Home for Your Worms 1Obtain a worm bin. The worm bin is basically the home for the worms, and the place where they digest the organic material you will give them. Worm bins can be purchased from many online vendors, or from your local gardening or farm supply store. 3Use four old car tires for a makeshift home. Part 2 of 3: Building Your Ecosystem 1Prepare the bedding for your worms. 2Choose which worms you want. Part 3 of 3: Maintaining and Harvesting Your Compost 1Feed your worms digestible amounts regularly. 4Harvest the compost once it's ready. Tips Green food increases nitrogen in your finished compost. Ad Warnings Powdered limestone will create carbon dioxide in your bins and suffocate your worms if the bins are not well ventilated.
Utah Preppers » Discussion Board Archive » An attempt to build a rotating compost bin » Utah Preppers An attempt to build a rotating compost bin I’m fascinated by compost. Watching kitchen scraps turn into dirt in just a few weeks time is exciting and anything I can do to improve my soil is worth the effort. I want the ComposTumbler, but finding $429 in the family budget (the price after you give them an email address) for a barrel that holds dirt is proving difficult. The project was not a success in my mind but I thought I would post this how-to article anyway describing what I tried and the lessons learned in the hope that it will save others of you time and money should you embark on such a project yourself. Parts list 55 gallon water drum3 treated 2x4sCorner bracesCaster wheelsDraw catchesSuper glueHingesScrews and boltsTextured exterior spray paint Construction First, I cut a door in the side of the barrel with my Dremel tool. I then attached the door with small hinges and draw catches. I built the base out of treated lumber so that it would not have to be painted. Like this:
Butler SWCD: Pond advice What information is available regarding pond construction and maintenance? The Butler SWCD has a wide variety of fact sheets and other publications which focus on different aspects of pond construction, wildlife, fish, and plant life. Stop in and ask to see the "Pond Reference Guide". Some of the items on our "suggested reading" list include, but are certainly not limited to those listed below. Ponds: For Work or Play- includes pond types, spillway requirements, design suggestions, construction hints, site selection tips, sealing and safety. Pond Clinics Two programs are held each spring to provide information about a variety of pond issues; management, stocking, weeds, wildlife, etc. Before the program starts, someone is available for plant identification, so bring in a wet sample of your pesky plant. Is someone able to come out to my property and provide some advice? Yes, but scheduling is tight. Is there someone you would recommend to build my new pond?
Healthy Facts About Those Roly Poly Bugs In Your Yard Photo credit: bigstock.com Everyone knows what roly poly bugs are! You might call them by a different name: Woodlice, pill bugs, wood louse, even armadillo bugs. No matter what you call them, almost every child in the world had pulled up a log or brick and found these tiny grey bugs, touched them so that they rolled up into a ball, and then played with them for a while. What few people realize is that these roly poly bugs feed on decaying matter, improving our soil. If you have previously dismissed these little guys as nothing more than bugs, you should think twice. It’s good to know that pill bugs love fungus! When you first plant seeds or very small seedlings, you might want to remove any pill bugs you find, and put them in a pot with lots of decaying matter until your plants get a bit larger. One really cool thing about these little grey garden workers is that they remove heavy metals from the soil. READ ALSO: DIY Insect Traps: No Chemicals, No More Bugs, No Diseases! References:
Compost Bins: Compost bin reviews, info on compost bins, tumbler While some people choose to go binless opting for a simple heap on the ground, most of us prefer to use some kind of an enclosure for making our compost. There are a number of types of containers used to make compost but which type is best? Well, the answer depends largely on how much space you have in your yard or garden and how much material you will be composting. In general, the commercially made plastic compost bins are better for beginner composters, while the larger homemade bins are more suited to avid gardeners and those who have a larger volume of materials. Plastic Bin: Due to their generally smaller size, commercially made plastic compost bins tend to be better for those who are not avid gardeners but want to compost some leaves and kitchen scraps. Advantages of Plastic Compost Bins: Locking lid keeps out vermin and local wildlife Inexpensive and readily available Disadvantages of Plastic Compost Bins: Homemade Compost Bins Here are some examples: Compost Tumbler:
ing Articles :: Care :: Soil, Water, & Fertilizer One of the best natural fertilizers and soil builders is available free. You make it yourself and solve some environmental problems at the same time. It's compost. Good gardeners have been making their own compost for a long time, but it has recently been "discovered" as one solution to the problem of our shrinking space in landfills. Many communities now forbid yard wastes or charge a premium for taking them. Community composting has arrived on the scene, and you can also do it in your own backyard. Making compost is simple and inexpensive. For equipment, you can use a homemade container made from welded wire mesh, concrete blocks, or wooden shipping pallets -- anything that will allow you to form a pile three to five feet across and not more than five feet high. The recipe for compost is air plus moisture plus layers of waste materials like leaves, grass clippings, kitchen scraps (not meat or bones), weeds pulled from the garden, and so on.
Rain barrels: Butler SWCD Rain barrels, considered by many as outdated technology, are on the comeback. Sure, they are old fashioned. In fact, collecting rainwater for use in barrels or other containers is an ancient practice. Historical records show that they have been used in Thailand as far back as 2,000 years ago. Residential water use typically increases 40 to 50 % during summer months due to outdoor water use. A rain barrel can reduce this usage by collecting and storing storm water from your rooftop. To keep your rain barrel safe, make sure it has either a small enough opening that a child cannot fall in, or a safety strip reducing the size of the opening. Where Can I Get A Rain Barrel? Rain barrels are becoming more popular, and so there are many sources: Butler SWCD sells rain barrels through a partnership with the Butler County Storm Water District. Check with your local garden center or stores such as Tractor Supply, Home Depot, and Lowes as they sometimes have rain barrels for sale. Tools: Supplies
Monsanto Buys Up Heirloom Seed Suppliers The NM Tree and Garden Center located in Rio Rancho, New Mexico has discovered that Monsanto is buying heirloom seed companies. They are also buying the trademarks to a number of heirloom seeds. This means that you may think you are supporting an heirloom seed company but in reality the company is owned by Monsanto. Monsanto are also buying trademarks so that no matter where you buy certain seeds, they get money from it. Here's some tips on how to avoid Monsanto. We need to all do our research when buying seeds (or any organically labelled product for that matter). In Europe we have witnessed a proactive corporate programme to buy up ethical/organic companies. This is a deliberate strategy - so much so that Triodos Bank actually have a European fund to help small organic companies stay independent and resist being bought up. Why are small organic/heirloom marques being acquired by the big global corporates? Ethics in Action Permaculture is all about Earthcare, Peoplecare and Fair shares.