Search Results for: label/water conservation/page/35/2010/06/the-urban-homestead/2011/04/making-it

1161 results

Hops in Containers

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Beer, Gardening, Herbs, Hops, Self Watering Containers
5 Comments
...badly. Hops suck up a lot of water and, thanks to the SIPs, I only have to water once a day. The SIPS are full of potting mix with a ring of organic fertilizer placed on top of the soil as specified in Josh Mandel’s directions. I have periodically added an organic liquid fertilizer to the water reservoirs as hops need a lot of nitrogen. Cascade cones almost ready to harvest in late July I don’t know how my hops will do in SIPs the second year, and...

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Going Gray!

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Water and Power, Water Conservation
10 Comments
...as you know takes a good bit of water, so I thought our not-so-gray shower water would be much appreciated by the little yellow bastards. Another benefit is that we won’t have to deal with the recurring shower clogs which have been forcing us to use drano. The drain setup was super simple from a plumbing perspective, so all I did was cut off the old drainpipe, replace the drain assembly, and route a new pipe out to the garden. It took three 22 deg...

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Daikon Radish Pickles

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Fermentation, Food
13 Comments
...in salt can prevent the lacto-fermentation process from occurring. Bottled water is best, but we used LA tap with no ill effects. The worry is that the chlorine in tap water will also interfere with the culture. Peel and slice the daikon, and pack it into a very clean quart sized mason jar. Add a peeled garlic clove if you want. Pour the brine over the slices until the jar is nearly full. Leave just a little room at the top for gas expansion. Put...

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Practical Backyard Chicken Biosecurity

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Animals, Chickens
10 Comments
...luenza. I’ve never seen a duck land in our yard, but if you have a pool or water feature this could be something to think about. Some other suggestions from Dr. Gallardo: Buy from hatcheries that are National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) certified. NPIP hatcheries immunize for Mareks disease. Separate sick birds immediately. Quarantine new birds for 30 days. Prevent mosquitoes by draining standing water. Mosquitoes can spread fowl pox and other...

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Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands

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rainwater harvesting
...l observation and some work with a shovel. He suggests that harvesting rainwater begins with considering the flow of water from the highest point (which for most people will be the roof) to the lowest point in your yard and then simply figuring out simple ways to get that water to percolate into the ground to nourish your plants. We’re especially fond of his method of hijacking street gutter runoff and directing it with a small improvised check da...

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