Saturday Tweets: Eating Ants, Bikes and LA as Heat Island

...co/S7MyX7D7R8 — Root Simple (@rootsimple) September 24, 2015 How they sell fertilizer in Thailand: http://t.co/rlQF33kbQS — Root Simple (@rootsimple) September 24, 2015 The Uncanny Valley: How a 1960s Architectural Experiment Is Still Thriving http://t.co/Q171PZEl58 via @Curbed — Root Simple (@rootsimple) September 23, 2015 LA Gets More Added Warmth from Urban Heat Islands Than Anywhere in the State http://t.co/PU9msfbCRb via @CurbedLA — Root Simp...

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Parkway Plantings

...t to grow and requires vigilance to keep pests under control, and frequent fertilizer applications (organic, of course). The faster growing Quarantina, is easier to grow since the crop is produced faster and bugs have less time to munch on it. We grew both of these varieties last year and marveled at the taste of fresh broccoli, which is nothing like the bland crap in our supermarkets. Cauliflower – Cavolfiore di Sicilia Violetto. This purple Sici...

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What are trees worth?

...lth.) If that storm water runs unchecked, it just dumps all of the oil and fertilizer and insecticides and poo straight into the nearest waterway. Trees absorb and store carbon, directly mitigating climate change–and they indirectly mitigate the change as well, by helping to temper the effects of storm water, high winds, high heat, etc. Trees improve our air quality. Trees create food and habitat for birds, insects and mammals. We humans don’t lik...

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Getting started with worms

...ps. It should all be dark and it should smell like soil. It is not exactly fertilizer, but acts in some of the same ways. Vermicompost adds nutrients and good bacteria to the soil and help soil retain water. Plants love it. In a worm bin, your garbage becomes black gold! Worm bins vs. compost piles While vegetable scraps can also be put into compost bins, not everyone has the space or the time or the physical strength to maintain a compost pile. W...

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Worm Compost Leachate, Good or Bad?

...ated worm compost leachate: “Vermicomposting Leachate (Worm Tea) as Liquid Fertilizer for Maize“ and “Vermicompost Leachate Alleviates Deficiency of Phosphorus and Potassium in Tomato Seedlings.” I also found several Extension Service publications touting the use of worm bin leachate. There are some caveats, however. First, it needs to be diluted–at least 1:1 and maybe, according to some sources, as much as 1:10. And you should probably test it ou...

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