Lady Urine, Water Conservation and Halfway Humanure

...ly has so much pee. My contributions would be useful. Plus, this method of gardening is undeniably water hungry. I feel like we should partially offset this expenditure by conserving water as much as we can. One simple way to save water is to stop flushing the toilet so much. And if all our pee went outside, it would not only save water, but it also would add water and nitrogen to the soil. Win-win. Now, I imagine our more feisty readers will ask,...

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Saturday Linkages: Tall Bikes, Za’atar and So Much More

.../04/21/new-farmers-almanac-for-2013.html … Plants as Education: Kit Brings Gardening Back to the Masses http://dornob.com/37885/ Fortrait #4 “Subterranean Breakfast Nook” http://lloydkahn-ongoing.blogspot.com/2013/04/fortrait-4-subterranean-breakfast-nook.html#.UXnyUt75KCs.twitter … Buildin‘ Temporary Housing for Displaced Fukushima Residents http://lloydkahn-ongoing.blogspot.com/2013/04/temporary-housing-for-displaced.html#.UXnyPtA6AAs.twitter …...

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Straw Bale Garden Part III: Adding Fertilizer

...r. We’re following West Virginia University Extension Service’s Straw Bale Gardening advice. They suggest a 1/2 cup of urea per bale or “bone meal, fish meal, or compost for a more organic approach.” (I think they mean blood meal as bone meal does not have much nitrogen in it.) Choosing the organic approach, we’re watering in two cups of blood meal a day to each bale for days four to six. Days seven through nine, we’ll cut back to one cup of blood...

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Saturday Linkages: Sink Urinals!

Sink urinal from Latvian designer Kaspars Jursons. Gardening Toronto Gardens: Idea File: Matt Gil’s garden works with the constr… http://torontogardens.blogspot.com/2013/07/idea-file-matt-gils-garden-works-with.html?spref=tw … Brace yourself: remove staking from trees! https://sharepoint.cahnrs.wsu.edu/blogs/urbanhort/Lists/Posts/ViewPost.aspx?ID=938 … Metro rips out Phantom Planter’s flowers at Dupont Circle station: http://wapo.st/14UF668 Pee t...

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Watering 101

This is watering 101. Those of you who have been gardening for a while have probably learned this the hard way. Those of you just starting out may find it helpful. Soil lies. It looks wet, but it’s bone dry a fraction of an inch beneath. Or it looks dry on the surface, but it’s actually quite wet below. Or it’s wet, but only for one inch down. The only way to find out if you’ve watered your garden enough is to stick your hand into the soil and ma...

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