Water Conservation

December 30, 2006

...igate your landscaping using either a surge tank, or directly. Adventurous homesteaders, willing to put in the extra labor, may wish to consider a James Washer, an electricity free hand washer, commonly found in off-grid households, where you put some hot water in and agitate the clothes for a few minutes with a lever on the side. A hand wringer is used to dry the clothes before hanging them on a clothesline. A simple drain line can be hooked up t...

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Roundup

Mr. Homegrown

November 9, 2006

Thoughtstylings

1 Comment

...ion Center Institute of Science in Society The prevelance of glyphosate in store bought foods is yet another reason to grow your own vegetables and fruit if you can. As far as weed control goes, there are some weeds such as crabgrass which are very difficult to deal with, and Roundup used to be SurviveLA’s last-resort option. Fortunately there are alternatives. First of all we are mulching much more than we used to. Newspaper topped with leaves an...

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Help! I’ve got Paper Wasps

Mr. Homegrown

August 2, 2016

Animals, Insects

9 Comments

...’t attach a new nest in that spot. You can also buy poison at the hardware store but who’s a fan of poison!? It’s really unnecessary. If you have a bee suit you can put it on and remove the colony with a gloved hand. But the best option is to leave them in place so that they can eat all those nasty flies, beetles and caterpillars. A wasp colony makes your yard a healthier, more balanced place. Also, as you decide what to do with the nest on your h...

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Escape from LA

Mr. Homegrown

September 22, 2006

Preparedness

...ithout needing to load up the kids in the mini-van and head to the 99 cent store. Santa Rosa Island is also a land of mystery that once was home to the paradoxical combination of pygmy mammoths and giant prehistoric rats. Sadly, in order to commence this journey we will be commemorating World Carfree Day by . . . driving, as we have to get to the Ventura pier early in the morning to catch the boat. We suggest that those of you who are stuck in LA...

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Make a Pepsi Can Stove

Mr. Homegrown

July 14, 2006

Preparedness

2 Comments

...lvent, sometimes called shellac thinner which is available at any hardware store. The stove is fabricated with the bottom of a Guinness beer can and the bottom of a Pepsi can and the end result is incredibly light. I cut the top off of a 24 ounce Heineken can to make a pot and I used some chicken wire and aluminum foil for a stand. Basically this setup is good for boiling a cup of water, so don’t plan on making any complex balsamic reduction sauce...

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