Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer and Avocados

October 12, 2016

...n insecticide (Hero) has already registered under Section 18 that could be used by growers in CA. He provided a link to a short publication his lab put out on orchard sanitation best practices as well as a link to information for avocado growers on the use of Hero. Hero is a pyrethroid-based pesticide. For my own backyard tree I’m going to: Make sure pruning tools are disinfected before use. This is one of the main reasons we use a qualified arbor...

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Deep Frying in a SolSource Solar Cooker

Mr. Homegrown

November 11, 2016

Food, Solar, Solar Oven Summer, Videos, Water and Power

3 Comments

...nd that we can hit deep frying temperatures with the cooker, even in November. We’ll be doing more videos about solar cooking in the coming weeks. The beignet recipe we used comes from King Arthur Flour. Note that we have a new Youtube channel. Please do us a favor and subscribe!...

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The Secret of Tidiness Revealed

Mr. Homegrown

December 14, 2016

Domesticus, Tidying up

18 Comments

...rst may be necessary for the more wayward members of the untidy tribe. What do you think? Tidy tribesters–are you laughing? Untidy tribesters–are you weeping/making excuses/confused/skeptical? And I haven’t even touched on the issue of a tidy person living with an untidy mate!...

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The #FewerFeatures Movement

Mr. Homegrown

February 3, 2017

Design, Domesticus

15 Comments

...ontrol panel above. Never, in the years we’ve had this beast, have we ever used any of the wash cycle options except for “Normal.” What the hell is “Glass Xpress” or “Adaptive Wash” anyways? Via the power of Adobe Photoshop (itself a mirrored funhouse of features), I’ve redesigned the Whirlpool Quiet Partner III. Et, voila, #FewerFeatures: Here’s our complex and Eurotrashy, combo-washer/dryer: For the #FewerFeatures version, I’ve simplified the wa...

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How to Remove Bees From a Tree

Mr. Homegrown

February 17, 2017

Animals, Bees

...back in six weeks, take the box away and then seal up the cavity the bees used to live in. I’ve only done one trap-out and it was in a kitchen vent not a tree, but the process is the same. My one and only trap-out was successful but a lot of work. I had to come back at least every other day to make sure that the one way exit I fashioned did not get blocked by a dead bee. If the entrance to the hive is large enough or can be made larger with a saw...

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