Polyculture

...Okay, you want specifics? Here is an example of a professional polyculture bed out of Gaia’s Garden, one which creates salads, cabbages, and beans. It is written for people who live places with cold winters (as are most gardening books, alas). So Angelinos wanting to follow his plan can start this earlier, perhaps in March. The SurviveLA polyculture that will be described after was started in October. Polyculture from Gaia’s Garden, a...

Continue reading…

La Alternativa

...ead crumbs and warm milk, a flan made with fruit or vegetables rather than scarce corn starch and eggs, and laundry soap made from the jaboncillo tree. What we like most about Gálvez is that she is a strong proponent of urban gardening, maximizing every available space for food, a contrast to Martha Stewart’s useless pesticide and fertilizer drenched flower gardens. See the the film Power of Community How Cuba Survived Peak Oil for more on...

Continue reading…

Free Preparedness E-Books

...t it’s entertaining. And if you have any other favorite free e-book sources please leave a link in the comments. At some point I’ll direct the Root Simple staff to add these and more to our resource page. Food and Gardening Bulk Sprouter Bread Without an Oven B uilding Soils for Better Crops Colorado State University–Drying Vegetables Collecting, Cutting and Handling Potato Seed Everything Under The Sun: Food Storage for the So...

Continue reading…

Saturday Linkages: Can Gardens, BOLs and Attack Geese

Can Garden. Via Recyclart. Gardening Cans Garden http://www. recyclart.org/2012/08/cans-g arden/  …   Design Like a Pro: Sure Tips for Great Plant Composition – Fine Gardening http:// shar.es/7EdXl DIY Recycled metal barrels http://www. recyclart.org/2012/08/recycl ed-metal-barrel/  … DIY Surfboard Bike Rack // http:// korduroy.tv/shows/surf-suf ficient/diy-surfboard-bike-rack  … 80ft Tube Made From VHS Tape http://www. dudecra...

Continue reading…

Real Estate Bubble Bananas

...good month to plant bananas here in Southern California. Figuring out when to harvest bananas is tricky. Some yellow and mature on the plant (like my subprime banana) and others stay green and only mature after you pick them. Gardening expert Pat Welsh in her book Southern California Organic Gardening recommends picking one banana to see if it’s ready. For the pick-while-green, varieties (the majority of bananas) Welsh says, “Pick t...

Continue reading…

The Homegrown Mailbox: How and Where Do I Get My Soil Tested?

...works well, but it can take many years to get all the contaminants out. For those of you in Los Angeles, our local Extension Service agent Yvonne Savio kindly sent me the following list of labs with comments. Biological Urban Gardening ServicePO Box 76Citrus Heights, CA 95611(916) 726-5377URL: www.organiclandscape.com Email: [email protected] recommendations, very user-friendlyOwner Steve Zien and I co-author “Organic Matte...

Continue reading…

Podcasts for the Urban Homesteader

...available. So should be on the iPods of urban homesteaders? I’ve got a few suggestions: Survival Podcast We just appeared on this podcast, which is hosted by Jack Spirko. Jack is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to gardening, permaculture and a host of other topics. His listeners, many of whom now read this blog, also know a lot about the subjects he covers. And, refreshingly, there’s no conspiracy theories on the Survival Podcas...

Continue reading…

Aerated Compost Tea: Does it Work?

There’s a lot aerated compost tea brewers on the interwebs! I’ve been asked by Urban Farm Magazine to write a short piece on the pros and cons of aerated compost tea (ACT for short). I’ve been sifting through the peer reviewed literature on the subject. Most of the studies show, at best, mixed results. And, honestly, my bias is against gardening techniques that require gadgets or novel techniques with no analog in nature. I...

Continue reading…

Paleofuture Farming

From the awesome Paleofuture blog, which chronicles what folks thought the future would look like, a few notions of future farming. Apparently, this anticipated future (which more or less came to pass) involved “lounge chair gardening.” And, of course, factory farming: To the generation that came up with these ideas I’ll just say that I hope the dinosaur juice that keeps those factory farms humming holds out. Per...

Continue reading…

SIPS and Kraut at Project Butterfly

...to make sauerkraut! Contribution:: $20 [ includes a delicious light vegetarian meal and drinks ] Location:Project Butterfly Loft821 Traction Ave #108Los Angeles CA 90013 Blurbs:“The Urban Homestead…touches on vegetable gardening, poultry, DIY cleaning products and beer making — all outlined with a sense of play and fun.—Whole Life Times “…a delightfully readable and very useful guide to front- and back-yard vegetable gardening,...

Continue reading…