Waxed Cloth Food Wrap (Made in a solar oven for bonus self-righteousness points)

...re convenient, but you can do without, because the wax sort of sticks to itself when folded like this. It holds well enough to jounce around in the pocket of your bag for a day. I’ve not had a spill so far, but you could tie it up with string or a rubber band for extra security. Professional Secrets There are at least two companies making and selling these wraps now, and both use not only beeswax to infuse the cloth, but also pine resin and jojoba...

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Federico Tbn’s Self Irrigating Pots

Federico Tbn sent me some very cool pictures of two self irrigating pots (SIPs) he built out of found materials. The one in the picture above uses a water jug and a five gallon bucket. Unlike my really ugly SIPs, Federico has taken the time to ornament the outside of the bucket. Federico says, This one is a variation on the 5 gallon bucket system. The handle on the jug was a convenient way of inserting a piece of 1/2 inch PVC pipe to refill the r...

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Saturday Tweets: Sump Pumps, Uniforms, Toilets and Watering the Fake Grass

new #DIY video, sump pump installation. you can do this. https://t.co/2eNnF156UO — Eric Rochow (@GardenForkTV) September 16, 2016 This is why I’m working on a simple, homemade uniform: No one wants your old clothes https://t.co/ka9Udsqyyi — Root Simple (@rootsimple) September 16, 2016 Amid California drought, Los Angeles water department waters fake grass https://t.co/rYHCoKQoNL — Root Simple (@rootsimple) September 16, 2016 Want to urinate in a...

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Straw Bale Garden Part II: Watering the Bales

In case you just joined us, we’re starting up a straw bale garden. I’ve decided to go with instructions provided by Washington State University. The first step is to wet the bales. Here’s what WSU suggests: To start the process, keep the straw bales wet for three to four weeks before planting. If you would like to speed up the process, here is a recipe that works well. Days 1 to 3: Water the bales thoroughly and keep them damp. Days 4 to 6: Sprin...

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How to Water Trees During a Drought

...Los Angeles County, sent me a note with links to these videos produced by the Forest Service. I like these videos because they’re concise, and the info is solid. Thank you, Richard! Thank you, Forest Service! The video at the top of the post is on watering mature trees, the one at the bottom about watering young trees–the two techniques are a bit different. Also, you can find more learning resources at Tree People. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...

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