Does Compost Tea Work?

...epticism. Thankfully, I can now point towards the eXtension.org webinar on making and using compost teas that I’ve embedded above. I’ll oversimplify things a bit with a few of my own bullet points inspired by what Dr. Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, Associate Professor of Sustainable and Organic Agriculture at Washington State University and Catherine Crosby, a Ph.D. candidate in Soil Science at Washington State University had to say in the webinar. Due to...

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Our new front yard, part 2: theory

...ch makes working on it real fun.) That might be one reason why the idea of making it into an orchard had so much appeal. When garden design books bother to address hillside gardens, they always feature much bigger hills than ours, and these hills feature expensive hardscaping, like artfully arranged imported boulders, fancy staircases which sweep along the contour of the hill, or dazzling water features. Nobody designs in 15 foot wide spaces stuff...

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Black Friday Book Suggestions

...strike me as books for a craftsperson ready to take that next step toward making these products as a home business. Malle and Schmickl are scientists–stern Austrian scientists, no less– and they are all about consistency and professional practice. So these books mean to take you from being someone a casual dabbler to a home chemist who could make batches of vinegar or essential oil with consistent, predictable –saleable–results. I’d say the vineg...

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Cat Scratch Fever: How to Make Your Own Cat Scratching Posts

...make nice things scratch-able? With these two notions in mind I set about making a scratching post that I could attach to the side of our Ikea couch. Here’s what you’ll need: 3/8 inch sisal rope scrap wood (I used a 4×4) [I have revised this post: nails work better than staples!] #17 x 1 inch wire nails hot glue (optional, but a few dabs will keep the sisal on the post longer) Wrapping the wood is straightforwards, if tedious. I used some clamps...

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Saturday Tweets: Ginger Bug, Vegetable Soup Base and a Zero Cost House

...MQobBIF — Emily Han (@misschiffonade) January 30, 2016 Next in Garden Flag-Making: Rit Dyes and Stencils | Garden Rant https://t.co/HeYi0LpkyQ — Root Simple (@rootsimple) January 30, 2016 Homemade Vegetable Soup Base https://t.co/rNFjnGp4kp — Root Simple (@rootsimple) January 30, 2016 DIY Chimney Sweeping https://t.co/LcF3J3PJk6 via @wordpressdotcom — Root Simple (@rootsimple) January 30, 2016 DIY termite treatment-anyone know if this works? https...

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