A Used Tire Hose Caddy

...could use a sharp knife, but electricity makes this task a lot easier. You’ll end up with the half cut out tire you see above. But your work is not yet complete. Drill a bunch of drainage holes in the bottom of the tire, at least one hole every three inches. This is to keep water from pooling when it rains. Incidentally, used tires combined with water make the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes (more on the tragic global consequences caused b...

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Craig Ponsford Bakes Whole Wheat Ciabatta

...use a spiral mixer in this video, he’s incorporating the ingredients with water not kneading them. Developing the flour takes place not through kneading, but instead due to a long fermentation, a wet dough and the folding you’ll see him demonstrate. And you don’t need a spiral mixer. You can incorporate ingredients by hand or with a stand mixer. Just don’t knead! Baking requires a scale. Ponsford is very insistent about this and with good reason....

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Growing Your Own Soapnut Tree

...nd a frost free climate. It’s a tall tree that can take as long as ten years to begin fruiting. A friend of mine has one growing in Altadena. Sapindus Mukorossi needs lots of water. Craig has pointed out the perfect permacultural pairing for our dry climate–use the greywater from your washing machine to water your soap nut tree. It can be a bit tough to get the seeds to germinate. Here’s some instructions on how to grow Sapindus Mukorossi from see...

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Gardening Resources in Los Angeles County

...r: Choosing, Building and Using Greywater Systems – Includes Branched Drains and Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds for Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use. Brad Lancaster’s book: Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond (Vol. 2): Water-Harvesting Earthworks Greywater Corp (design, installation and classes) Retail Nurseries Apartment Therapy has a good list. Annie’s Annuals (mail order from SF Bay area). Garden Design/Main...

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Saturday Linkages: Speedos, Blue Eggs and the Rise of Rye

...-09/find-blue-chicken-egg-congrats-your-chicken-has-virus … Uncivilisation: the Dark Mountain Manifesto http://www.newstatesman.com/books/2009/09/civilisation-planet-authors … Power from the Tap: Water Motors http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2013/09/power-from-the-tap-water-motors.html … For these links and more, follow Root Simple on Twitter: Follow @rootsimple...

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