May 19, 2012
Sepp Holzer's Bone Sauce/Salve How To - For Castrating & Deer and Voles Off
Published on May 18, 2012 by paulwheaton12
http://www.permies.com
Sepp Holzer explains how to make his bone sauce. And why.
It was originally for use when castrating animals. A bit of the salve was put on the "wound" and would help with healing while keeping flies away. It turns out this stuff keeps pretty much all animals and insects away. Which leads to the primary use today - to keep deer and voles off of freshly planted fruit trees.
The cast iron pots in this video are considered a bit on the small side, but since Sepp ends up saying "perfection" then they must be acceptable.
The first pot is buried in moist soil leaving an inch or two above ground. The second, upper, pot if filled with bones and a screen goes between the two pots. Clay seals the pots. A small fire is burned on top of the pots for about two hours. Then the wood is pulled away and the pots are covered with dirt. Let the pots cool overnight. Carefully clean all of the dirt off so that no dirt ends up in the bone sauce / salve.
Before putting it on trees, you can thin it out with any edible oil. Sepp mentions olive oil.
Guest appearances by Dr. Immo Fiebrig (translating), Bill Schnieders, Afia Menke, ND, the brothers Julian and Nick, and Jessi Peterson.
Relevant threads at permies:
http://www.permies.com/t/1805/permaculture/Sepp-Holzer-recipe-keep-animals
http://www.richsoil.com/sepp-holzer/sepp-holzer-permaculture.jsp
May 16, 2012
10 Fast Ways to Control Pests
Created 2012-04-17
Did insect pests get the best of you and your garden last year? Were you witness to overnight attacks on your veggie crop? Are you a bit worried that this year might bring a repeat performance? Never fear! Here are 10 timely, timesaving tips to help you take charge of your garden’s bad bugs now:
Did insect pests get the best of you and your garden last year? Were you witness to overnight attacks on your veggie crop? Are you a bit worried that this year might bring a repeat performance? Never fear! Here are 10 timely, timesaving tips to help you take charge of your garden’s bad bugs now:
Mix your signals
A confusing mix of sights and scents can help deter certain insect pests. So try to increase biodiversity and avoid monoculture by mixing plants from different families. Instead of planting long rows of a single crop, plant onions alongside broccoli, tomatoes with basil and chives, and peas with carrots. Better yet, interplant edibles with ornamentals. Add a few hot pepper plants to your flowerbeds, or edge your vegetable beds with low-growing annual flowers, such as alyssum and dwarf marigolds.
Photo: Lee Leckey
A confusing mix of sights and scents can help deter certain insect pests. So try to increase biodiversity and avoid monoculture by mixing plants from different families. Instead of planting long rows of a single crop, plant onions alongside broccoli, tomatoes with basil and chives, and peas with carrots. Better yet, interplant edibles with ornamentals. Add a few hot pepper plants to your flowerbeds, or edge your vegetable beds with low-growing annual flowers, such as alyssum and dwarf marigolds.
Photo: Lee Leckey
Attract an airborne defense squad
One of the best ways to short-circuit an onslaught of pests is to attract an airborne cavalry charge of beneficial insects. Many beneficials—including the small wasps that prey on pest caterpillars—will gratefully take advantage of the flat-topped floral landing platforms offered by members of the umbel family, which includes dill, Queen-Anne’s-lace, parsley, and carrots. (You have to allow the parsley and carrot plants to overwinter and grow into their second year to get those umbrella-shaped flowers that beneficials find so attractive.) Other plants beloved by beneficials include sweet alyssum, all kinds of mints, and chamomile.
Photo: (cc) Dean Morley/Flickr
One of the best ways to short-circuit an onslaught of pests is to attract an airborne cavalry charge of beneficial insects. Many beneficials—including the small wasps that prey on pest caterpillars—will gratefully take advantage of the flat-topped floral landing platforms offered by members of the umbel family, which includes dill, Queen-Anne’s-lace, parsley, and carrots. (You have to allow the parsley and carrot plants to overwinter and grow into their second year to get those umbrella-shaped flowers that beneficials find so attractive.) Other plants beloved by beneficials include sweet alyssum, all kinds of mints, and chamomile.
Photo: (cc) Dean Morley/Flickr
Negate nematodes
Marigolds can greatly reduce the damage caused by root-ravaging nematodes—those tiny soil-dwelling wormlike pests—but only if you use them correctly. For the best effect, grow a thick stand of marigolds as a cover crop for a season, then turn them under the soil. The next year, plant whatever you like in that area—nematdoes won’t be around to cause trouble underground.
Photo: Rodale
Marigolds can greatly reduce the damage caused by root-ravaging nematodes—those tiny soil-dwelling wormlike pests—but only if you use them correctly. For the best effect, grow a thick stand of marigolds as a cover crop for a season, then turn them under the soil. The next year, plant whatever you like in that area—nematdoes won’t be around to cause trouble underground.
Photo: Rodale
Grow your own decoy (#1)
Try allowing a single weed to grow as a decoy among your cultivated crops. Decoy crops may attract pests and help to keep the bad guys away from your other crops. Striped blister beetles, for instance, seem to prefer redroot pigweed to tomato plants growing nearby. To keep the insects from moving to your tomatoes, check the pigweed each morning and shake off any beetles into a bucket of soapy water.
Photo: (cc) Matt Lavin/Flickr
Try allowing a single weed to grow as a decoy among your cultivated crops. Decoy crops may attract pests and help to keep the bad guys away from your other crops. Striped blister beetles, for instance, seem to prefer redroot pigweed to tomato plants growing nearby. To keep the insects from moving to your tomatoes, check the pigweed each morning and shake off any beetles into a bucket of soapy water.
Photo: (cc) Matt Lavin/Flickr
Grow your own decoy (#2)
You can trap flea beetles in a similar manner using arugula, the spicy salad green. Pesky flea beetles—a voracious pest of eggplants, brassicas, and potatoes—will flock to the arugula first. Use a handheld vacuum to suck the beetles off the decoy plants before they can make their way to your main crops. You may have to repeat the vacuum cleaner escapade a few times each season to keep ahead of the invading flea beetle army.
Photo: (cc) Eunice/Flickr
You can trap flea beetles in a similar manner using arugula, the spicy salad green. Pesky flea beetles—a voracious pest of eggplants, brassicas, and potatoes—will flock to the arugula first. Use a handheld vacuum to suck the beetles off the decoy plants before they can make their way to your main crops. You may have to repeat the vacuum cleaner escapade a few times each season to keep ahead of the invading flea beetle army.
Photo: (cc) Eunice/Flickr
Grow your own decoy (#3)
Knowing that aphids are attracted to all things yellow, the staff of Ecology Action in Willits, California, have learned to plant yellow nasturtiums at the base of tomato plants to lure aphids away from the tomatoes. Monitor the nasturtiums closely, they urge. After the flowers have drawn in the aphids—and before the aphids reproduce—pull out the decoy plants and destroy their load of insects.
Photo: (cc) quinn.anya/flickr
Knowing that aphids are attracted to all things yellow, the staff of Ecology Action in Willits, California, have learned to plant yellow nasturtiums at the base of tomato plants to lure aphids away from the tomatoes. Monitor the nasturtiums closely, they urge. After the flowers have drawn in the aphids—and before the aphids reproduce—pull out the decoy plants and destroy their load of insects.
Photo: (cc) quinn.anya/flickr
Set up traps!
Earwigs, sow bugs, pill bugs, slugs, and snails all have one thing in common: They like to hide out in damp, shady places during the heat of the day. To take advantage of this trait, lure them with attractive “trap nests”—boards, pieces of paper, seashells, broken crockery, etc. Get out early every morning to check each lure, then dump the trapped critters into a bucket of soapy water.
Photo: (cc) Charles Lam/Flickr
Earwigs, sow bugs, pill bugs, slugs, and snails all have one thing in common: They like to hide out in damp, shady places during the heat of the day. To take advantage of this trait, lure them with attractive “trap nests”—boards, pieces of paper, seashells, broken crockery, etc. Get out early every morning to check each lure, then dump the trapped critters into a bucket of soapy water.
Photo: (cc) Charles Lam/Flickr
Pull back the mulch
Organic mulches such as straw and leaves prevent weeds, maintain soil moisture, and improve soil quality. Unfortunately, under certain conditions they also can provide a home for insects that feed on tender young plants, such as slugs, sow bugs, and pill bugs. If these pests typically pose a problem in your garden, pull your mulch at least 2 inches away from the stems and stalks of transplants and young seedlings.
Photo: Rob Cardillo
Organic mulches such as straw and leaves prevent weeds, maintain soil moisture, and improve soil quality. Unfortunately, under certain conditions they also can provide a home for insects that feed on tender young plants, such as slugs, sow bugs, and pill bugs. If these pests typically pose a problem in your garden, pull your mulch at least 2 inches away from the stems and stalks of transplants and young seedlings.
Photo: Rob Cardillo
Go undercover
Sometimes the best way to head off insect trouble is to stretch some row covers over your crops. Besides keeping out pests, such as cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and cabbage maggots, row covers speed crop growth by trapping a blanket of warm air around new seedlings and established plants.
Photo: Christa Neu
Sometimes the best way to head off insect trouble is to stretch some row covers over your crops. Besides keeping out pests, such as cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and cabbage maggots, row covers speed crop growth by trapping a blanket of warm air around new seedlings and established plants.
Photo: Christa Neu
Take out the trash
Cleaning up garden debris may not be the flashiest method of controlling pests, but it is certainly one of the most effective and, by far, the easiest. By allowing insect larvae to overwinter in your garden and orchard, you are locking yourself into a cycle of repeated infestation. To break the cycle, promptly clean up all faded flowers, spent crops, and fallen fruit at the end of the season.
Photo: (cc) Jan Jablunka/Flickr
Continue Reading: Identify the Top 10 Garden Pests
Source URL: http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/10-fast-ways-control-pests
Links:
[1] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/top-ten-garden-insect-pests
[2] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/guide-starting-annual-flower-seeds
[3] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/beneficial-insects-your-gardens-most-powerful-allies
[4] http://www.flickr.com/photos/33465428@N02/5881545426/
[5] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/marigold
[6] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/nematodes
[7] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/12-most-common-weeds
[8] http://www.flickr.com/photos/plant_diversity/3704266070/
[9] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/flea-beetles
[10] http://www.flickr.com/photos/ejchang/3506354260/
[11] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/aphids
[12] http://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/3813801800/
[13] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/how-to-control-earwigs
[14] http://www.flickr.com/photos/kclama/1226094567/
[15] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/mulch
[16] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/row-covers
[17] http://www.flickr.com/photos/sjon/227307558/
Cleaning up garden debris may not be the flashiest method of controlling pests, but it is certainly one of the most effective and, by far, the easiest. By allowing insect larvae to overwinter in your garden and orchard, you are locking yourself into a cycle of repeated infestation. To break the cycle, promptly clean up all faded flowers, spent crops, and fallen fruit at the end of the season.
Photo: (cc) Jan Jablunka/Flickr
Continue Reading: Identify the Top 10 Garden Pests
Source URL: http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/10-fast-ways-control-pests
Links:
[1] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/top-ten-garden-insect-pests
[2] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/guide-starting-annual-flower-seeds
[3] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/beneficial-insects-your-gardens-most-powerful-allies
[4] http://www.flickr.com/photos/33465428@N02/5881545426/
[5] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/marigold
[6] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/nematodes
[7] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/12-most-common-weeds
[8] http://www.flickr.com/photos/plant_diversity/3704266070/
[9] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/flea-beetles
[10] http://www.flickr.com/photos/ejchang/3506354260/
[11] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/aphids
[12] http://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/3813801800/
[13] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/how-to-control-earwigs
[14] http://www.flickr.com/photos/kclama/1226094567/
[15] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/mulch
[16] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/row-covers
[17] http://www.flickr.com/photos/sjon/227307558/
Ban College Football: An Intelligence Squared U.S. Debate - YouTube
Published on May 16, 2012 by ForaTv
Complete video available for free at http://fora.tv/2012/05/08/Ban_College_Football
Worth watching complete debate... Monte
Worth watching complete debate... Monte
May 15, 2012
James Dyson on Failure, Engineering, and College Grads - YouTube
Published on May 14, 2012 by ForaTv
Watch the complete video for free athttp://fora.tv/2012/05/01/WIRED_Business_Conference_Inventing_Sucks
Industrial designer James Dyson discusses his design philosophy of 'lean engineering,' the practice of making products lighter, cheaper, and more efficiently. Dyson models this philosophy to his design team - recent graduates who have no fear of failure.
May 14, 2012
HOW TO HAND POLLINATE PUMPKINS
Published on May 14, 2012 by gregthegardener
To ensure a bumper crop from your pumpkin vine just follow this simple step and ye shall receive!
55 gallon drum garden
Published on May 13, 2012 by vendelkeresztyen
My soil mixed up : #1; top soil dirt and send, #2; non GMO cottonseed cake; #3; aged cow manure from dairy farm; #4; earthworm bedding with lots of worm ; #5 lot of rotten wheat straw; #6 charcoal
For more info please go to: www.uswoodpower.com
Hines Farm - Go Anywhere Post Hole Digger !!!
Larger Image
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Recently we needed a 6" hole digger for transplanting larger plants and trees. We purchased a Harbor Freight 6 inch post hole auger (On sale for $49.99 - 25% Easter Day Discount), http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-diameter-auger-bit-95973.html, and adapted it to be used with our Milwaukee 1630-1 drill, (Voltage 120 AC Chuck Size 1/2 in. Amps 7.0 No Load Speed 900 RPM Chuck Type Keyed Spindle 5/8 in.-16 Gear Train Double Cord Type 8 ft. Fixed Construction Type Grounded Trigger Lock -- Spindle Lock No Soft Grip Handle No Length 12-1/4 in. Tool Weight 11.2 lbs.)
Overall it provides for 36" depth, but can be easily adapted for deeper lengths.
It has worked flawlessly so far. Always be prepared to release drill switch if you encounter large tree roots or rocks... (-: !!!
This with a easy start Honda 2000 generator, 100 foot Heavy Duty Drop Cord, and a Polaris Ranger XD 800 ci 6x6 UTV provides hole drilling capacity almost anywhere you want.
Related Link:
http://hines.blogspot.com/2012/06/hines-farm-fruit-tree-planting-6-23.html
Related Video:
May 13, 2012
Buz No Till Garden - YouTube
Published on May 13, 2012 by Buzatesri
This is a montage of my no-till garden in mid-Late April 2012. In October 2011 I established a cover crop of rye, vetch (3 varieties), crimson clover, Austrian winter peas, daikon radish and some oats. I rolled the cover crop as I needed the space. The residue that held best was where I rolled later (mid-April) and where the rye was well-established.
One of the reasons I established this garden (it's on an unused lot on my street) is that my neighbor who was a farm girl was incredulous that you could grow vegetables without plowing the place up. I took that as a challenge last year and it's been interesting watching my neighbors skepticism begin to vanish as we go through the project. Early days yet -- weeds will be an issue and I am running around the neighborhood with wheelbarrow collecting leaf mulch to fill in places where the cover crop mat has melded.