Search Results for: label/soil/2011/04/making-it

651 results

Hipster Compost

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Composting, Gardening
18 Comments
An updated, urban version of the soil food web. In the nearly sixteen years we’ve lived here we’ve seen our local stretch of Sunset Boulevard go from boarded up storefronts and auto body shops to restaurants, bars and cafes. Along with those new businesses and artisinal facial hair, comes a great new set of compost sources. Some of my enterprising neighbors, one in particular, have been creating what could be called hipster compost or, at least,...

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Can our landscapes model a vibrant future? Not according to the LA DWP.

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Garden Design, Gardening, Lawns, Water and Power
18 Comments
...to capture every drop of our rare rainfall and send it down to the thirsty soil. Show us how to use native and Mediterranean plants to make lush landscapes that call in the pollinators. Help us create landscapes we want to walk through and live in. Model this kind of smart landscaping for us, please. Water-wise and ugly do not have to be synonymous. Some of the views remind me of something that might appear in an LA art installation. Which, all in...

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Biochar Results: Mixed

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Gardening, Permaculture
9 Comments
...fence genes were consistently reduced following biochar application to the soil, for example jasmonic and salcyclic acid and ethylene, suggesting that crops grown on biochar may be more susceptible to attack by pests and pathogens. This was a surprising finding and suggests that if reproduced in the field at larger scales, could have wide implications for the use of biochar on commercial crops. The researchers concluded: Our findings provide the v...

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Adobe in Action Interior and Exterior Plastering Online Course Begins on Monday, Sept. 1st

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Appropriate Technology, Events
1 Comment
...r (straw) preparation and chopping techniques sifting & preparing & mixing soil and aggregates for earthen plasters wheat paste production for strengthening mud plasters casein production for lime paints natural exterior earthen plaster stabilization techniques (lime, cactus juice) hand application techniques of earthen plasters (base coats, patching) hawk & trowel application of earthen and lime plasters (leveling and finish coats) basic earthen...

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A Painful Beekeeping Lesson

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Animals, Bees
20 Comments
...and lit palm trees on fire. Unfortunately for me, the deluge softened the soil underneath one of the legs of one of my beehives causing it to fall over and knock over another hive. I didn’t discover this situation until 7 p.m. as it was getting dark. Kelly was out of town and I was alone in the backyard staring at a jumble of bee boxes. Here’s what I should have done: Take a deep breath. Pause, and assess the situation. Come up with a plan. Gathe...

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