#micro garden

[loopdelup]

me, finding holes in the leaves of my sage plant: who has been munching on you??

turning over the leaves and finding a number of caterpillars: how dare you, sir! how dare you?!?

[themethereoncewas]

[themethereoncewas]

14 april 2020

[knightsoftardisia]

138. Photo - 64 points - We have recently seen the emergence of mega-farms, huge efforts that implement farming on an industrial scale. Let’s go the other way! Show us your version of a micro-garden. The tinier and more ornate, the better.

[teammothra]

138: We have recently seen the emergence of mega-farms, huge efforts that implement farming on an industrial scale. Let’s go the other way! Show us your version of a micro-garden. The tinier and more ornate, the better.

[katsuyukimoray]

Katsuyuki Moray made this “micro garden” for Gish 2018!  Of course he ate all the tasty melon first, before filling the rind with dirt!

[freecycleusa]

New Post has been published on https://www.freecycleusa.com/using-human-urine-as-a-liquid-fertilizer/

Using Human Urine As A Liquid Fertilizer

OK, so are you over the shock now??? In the not so distant past, we didn't have the luxury of having a small room in the house where we could flush away our number ones and twos. But did you ever wonder how we managed before the water closet? Not that I want to get into the history of it, but let's just say that before the times of our current throw-away society, people thought of multiple uses for just about everything.

Well maybe you didn't know that human urine is the fastest acting, most excellent source of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium and some trace elements. Not only that, but we all have a constant, year round supply of it – and it's free! There's not a lot of effort involved in creating this wonderful organic liquid fertilizer.

Some men I know are more than happy to oblige a tree, bush or lawn (out of view, of course).

Did you know that many toilets use between 50 and 100 litres of water a day to flush around 1.5 litres of pee? And the high levels of nutrients in our effluent systems leads to the growth of algae, which ultimately causes the death of plants and animals throughout our waterways.

What are the advantages of using urine as an organic liquid fertilizer?

If you're not flushing this valuable liquid down the loo, you are reducing your water consumption – good for the environment and your pocket

You'll be reducing the amount of sewerage runoff

There'll be less nutrients in our waterways

Urine as a liquid fertilizer is available in an ideal chemical form for plants to use

Gardening costs are less as your liquid fertilizer is free

It is readily available all year round and there are no transportation costs

Just so that you know, fresh human urine is sterile (unless there is a urinary tract infection – this urine should not be used) and so free from bacteria.

I recommend that you dilute urine to 10-15 parts water to 1 part urine for application on plants in the growth stage. Dilute to 30-50 parts water to 1 part urine for use on pot plants as they are much more sensitive to fertilizers of any kind.

Trees, shrubs and lawn should cope well without dilution. Withhold the use of urine liquid fertilizer on all food plants at least two weeks before harvesting. Apply under fruiting plants, not directly on foliage.

Don't use urine older than 24hours on your plants as the urea turns into ammonia and will burn your plants. If it's not fresh, add it to your compost heap. Adding undiluted human urine to your compost heap will help heat it up quickly as it is an excellent activator and will add to the final nutrient value.

As far as antibiotics, vitamin supplements and other medications go, yes they will end up in your urine, but in such minute quantities that I believe to be negligible – especially when it is diluted.

So put this excellent source of free liquid fertilizer to good use in your garden, rather than add to the burden that we as humans cause to our environment.

Source by Julie Williams

[freecycleusa]

New Post has been published on https://www.freecycleusa.com/how-to-control-earwigs-naturally/

How to Control Earwigs Naturally

They do feed at night and do seek out dark, cool, moist places to hang out during the day. Some common hiding places are under organic matter such as mulch, pine straw, leaf litter, and other debris, loose wood chip mulches, decaying matter, rotten fruit on the ground, wood, boards or tree branches that are on the ground, under dense growth of vines or thick cover and flower pots, any thing moist that will shade and protect them from the sun. As well as hiding in piles of firewood you didn't use last year and let us not forget hanging out inside that small wooded shed you have out back that you haven't been gone inside in years. While Earwigs are scavengers, eating dead insects, decomposing plant materials they can also eat live plants and damage your vegetables and feed on the flowers of plants, including marigolds, petunias, hibiscus, and many other plants. Earwigs leave many small holes in plant leaves and flowers.

Seedlings and most flowering plants can be severely damaged or even killed when you have a large earwig population (coffee grinds will protect). Earwigs can produce large populations rather quickly and can become a major problem for the homeowner over night! They are attracted to lights so they will come in at night attracted to any lights that are on; as well as to any lights that you have on during the day which will cause them to hang out there esp if it is a cool area. Earwigs can be found in most homes and can get in through entry points like doors and windows, going up through the broken walls and any cracked openings, broken screens. They do have a beneficial role in the landscape and have been shown to be important predators of aphids, mites, most insect eggs, and most soft bodied insects such as white flies. They do have a very disagreeable odor when crushed.

Some Natural Controls

Hint: earwigs are attracted to moisture

Control water around the outside of the house. Repair any leaks. Convert to drip system to keep water below ground. Regularly control weeds and clean up dead debris. Eliminate high moisture areas around walls, in mulch, under stones, boards, etc. Control damp moist conditions in crawl spaces, faucets, along the foundations. Change landscaping by creating a dry border immediately around the house walls. Gravel or flat stones can make an attractive barrier against earwigs and other pest invaders. Rain gutters should direct water away from the house. Caulk or use weather stripping at all possible entry points such as doors, windows, pipes, repair screens and doors and windows. Where earwigs are a problem, eliminate hiding places that have high moisture levels. Initiate a regular daily trapping program. Removing earwig habitats is very important to the control of all insects, including earwigs. As they are attracted to lights, stop lighting outside at night. Remove the white light and install yellow LED ones instead.

Inside the Home

Indoors earwigs should be vacuumed up daily; be sure to kill them and dispose of them by dumping into a plastic bag and tying and throw into trash, promptly so they will not re-invade. If earwigs are a regular problem in a building, inspect the area to see how they are getting in the house and seal and chaulk up cracks and all entry points. Repair all broken screens.

Natural Sprays

Essential Oil spray

You can make a natural spray that will keep them from coming into the house. Use 1/2 oz per gallon water of any of the following essential oils available

1. citronella oil

2. cinnamon oil

3. pennyroyal oil

4. clove oil

5. lavender oil

6. citrus

7. basil

8. any natural essential oil can be use the above are just a few. Try your own.

Citrus Spray Use OTKO a Natural Citrus Cleaner. Spray straight through a mister. Will kill earwigs and most of insects on contact. Soap Spray Use any natural castile soap like Dr Bronners soaps. They make peppermint, lavender, almond, tea tree and lot of other natural sources. Use 1oz per gallon water. Will kill earwigs when sprayed.

DE SPRAY Gadren Grade DE can be added to water and sprayed. Best way is to put some DE into a panty hose and suspend in gallon water. Allow to sit, pour into a gallon sprayer and spray. when dried the de will act as a barrier and kill and earwigs that crawl over it. You can use just dust the areas with it.

Check List

Vacuum, vacuum ad vacuum…

Vacuum up any earwigs inside your house. Vacuum very thoroughly and as often as needed. Throw away the bags in the trash.

Natural Dust

Garden Grade DE can be used as a dust around the house as well as under the house and the attic. Dust lighly and allow to sit.

Boric Acid can be used as a dust in cracks and other areas between the house walls.

Reducing Populations:

Traps inside the house is one ongoing way of you managing earwigs in the home on a regular long term bases.

Various Traps

Ultimate Flea Trap is by far the best insect trap on the market. This one uses no chemicals and only a small light with a sticky mat that get the insects trapped that are attracted by the light. Place one in every room that has earwigs. It also works on fleas ( thus the name) as well as on spiders, cockroaches and most other insects.

Outside the house

Remove materials outside the perimeter of the building that could provide as a hiding place, such as ivy, plant debris, leaves in gutters, old wood piles, old leaf litter, piles of newspapers, or other organic material. Caulk and repair cracks, crevices, and other openings around the foundation or around the outside of the house. Manage moisture around the building by repairing or replacing leaky faucets, leaky air conditioners, leaky drains, control water going into the foundation after it rains, and provide crawl spaces to allow for entrance. Repair or change the conditions to promote a drier environment. Caulk and weatherstrip around doors. windows. bathrooms water outlets as well electrical outlets.

Go through any areas inside that is dark and they can hide in. Cardboard boxes will make a great host place for them to hang out inside the house. Remove any other debris such as old unused firewood. Always keep moisture away from your home by repairing any defective rain spouts, keeping the grading in an area so water drains away from the home, and by keeping proper ventilation in crawl spaces to allow area to dry out.

Earwigs are attracted to outdoor lights, so replace them with Yellow LED lights, which are less attractive to earwigs. Treatment should be done outside with natural applications of garden grade DE around the building foundation, flower beds, mulch areas and turf within a couple of yards of the building, as well as in the crawl space areas of the home. Treat in a two foot band around the building adjacent to the foundation to limit earwigs from getting inside. Establish dry border right around the base of the houses for great control.

Traps outside the house

Newspaper: A rolled-up wet newspaper held together with a rubber band.

Cardboard Box: Punch pencil-size holes along bottom edge of cardboard box.

Old Garden Hose: 12-24 inch pieces of garden hose

Used cat food can. Add 1/2 inch any type beer or wine.

Tupperware: Use a tupperware like plastic container. Punch holes along the top edge of the tub, add 2 inches any cheap wine and cover with top and sink into ground.

Finch Bird House can be used as a housing unit where you can place a 8 oz plastic cup 1/2 filled with beer or wine. I would try one of each and see which attracts the most.

Trapping is an effective, easy approach to reducing earwig populations.

One of the key element of a natural earwig management program is a daily active trapping system. Just before dark, place the bird finch traps throughout the yard in out of sight places. In the morning, shake them out the traps over a pail of Dr Bronners Soap / water or any natural soap n water. Keep trapping until you do not catch any more earwigs. Traps can be hidden near shrubbery and ground cover plantings, or against the house. For fruit trees, keep weeds, brush, and the suckers (always prune) away from the base of trees throughout the year because they provide refuge for earwigs, snails and other creatures. Monitor populations by counting amounts of earwigs caught in the traps.

Eliminate Their Habitat:

Altering the habitat around your garden will reduce earwig population and damage. Get rid of their hiding places: boards, weeds, wood piles, plant debris, leaf litter, and any other objects that create dark, moist hiding places. Do not plant dense ground covers, such as ivy, mint, herbs,, next to vegetable or flower gardens. Raise vulnerable seedlings indoors until they are able to withstand some munching. Or start them outdoors on a table with legs protected by sticky barriers.

Some folks advise against the use of organic mulch because they say it provides harborage to pests such as earwigs and spiders. I have the opposing view that organic mulch offers earwigs a diverse hunting area that will save your plants as well as provide for the earth's needs. Mulch can easily be kept clean of earwigs by dusting with garden grade several times per year or by dust just before and after every time you apply a new layer of mulch. Spraying the mulch with any natural soap will also control them too.

Andy Lopez

The Invisible Gardener

Source by Andrew Lopez