Flexible PVC Pipe for Greywater

May 16, 2007

...sounding “three way diverter valve” which seems like something this business located in our neighborhood might carry (NSFW!). The tree way diverter valve, you may recall, is a way to send that greywater temporarily back to the sewer should the need arise. Another, much cheaper way to divert grewater is with a duo of two way valves. The radical Greywater Guerrillas of Oak-town show you how to do this on their fantastic website (which seems temporar...

Read…

Growing Watermelons

Mr. Homegrown

September 4, 2008

Gardening

10 Comments

...adds a little more to the shade and water retention effort. 4. Irrigating watermelons. Watermelons have large root systems and if you use drip irrigation make sure that the emitters extend in a ring around the roots. Putting an emitter at the stem of the plant, as we did, does not adequately water the roots. We’ll get into the topic of drip irrigation in detail later this year. 5. It ain’t easy picking the world’s largest watermelon. See for your...

Read…

Pee on your Compost

Mr. Homegrown

January 24, 2007

Composting

1 Comment

...in your pee can build up in the soil. Dilution should be at least 10 parts water to one part urine. Peeing directly on plants can burn them as anyone who owns a dog already knows about. Urine is easiest to apply to non-food crops, though it’s perfectly safe to use on fruit trees and bushes. Applying it to root crops is more controversial, and frankly seems like a practice best left to hippies, so if you try this at least cease application at a res...

Read…

The Homegrown Revolution Broadleaf Plantain Pizza

Mr. Homegrown

February 23, 2007

Food, Foraging

1 Comment

...r home kitchens from the VPN’s regulations, for the dough: 1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115º) 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast Mix water and yeast and proof for 7 minutes. Mix flour and salt in a heavy-duty stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and mix on low for 30 minutes. Shape dough into a round and let proof in a covered and oiled bowl for 4 hours in a warm place (we use the top of the st...

Read…

Sweatin’ Pipe

Mr. Homegrown

December 18, 2006

Tools

...fact SurviveLA thinks it should be taught to elementary school children. Home owners, renters and kids all should know how to put pipe together with a blow torch since you never know when a pipe is going to burst, not to mention being able to construct some of the solar water heating projects we touched on last week. The tools needed for this job are cheap, and thanks to youtube, we have this dude to show you how to do it. We don’t know why one o...

Read…