Update on the “Hydroponics” Experiment Posted on August 18th, 2009
I may have mentioned it before, but I don’t think I’ve gone into any detail on our hydroponics experiments here at our house.
We had several tomato plants in our garden this year. Attrition took down two of them and another was the victim of an over-zealous cat in the garden box. That one broke off at the base and was lying on its side when we noticed it. We tried leaving it in place and just propping it up to secure it into place so the stem could grow back together, but were apparently too late as the plant began to wither noticeably.
It was decided that it needed to come inside or be thrown away. I thought it would be a great chance to try something out I’d been wanting to see in action, so the little tomato plant was placed in a jar of water.
Sure enough, a few days later tiny root sprouts could be seen and within a week, we had half-inch long roots coming from the bottom of the stem. So nutrient solution was added to the water, a straw was put in to aerate it (by blowing) occasionally, and the experiment took off.
The little plant never grew much and is half-withered all of the time, probably because a permanent aeration was not given to it. The water is plain tap water and nutrients are added as simple organic garden feed mixed into the water directly. Just a few sprinkles here and there. The plant is occasionally removed from the water so the container can be emptied and cleaned and the roots are rinsed to remove algae and other growths.
Optimally, I would have chosen a darkened jar to cut down the algae, but my inquisitive mind wanted to see results, so a clear Kerr jar was used to make for easy monitoring.
As you can see here, the little plant is producing two small tomatoes that will be ripe and ready in the next few days! Normally, at this stage, the plant would be about two feet tall. It measures around ten inches right now, so it’s less than half it’s expected size.
Obviously, there are a lot of things that could have been done differently, but this is an example of how this can work.
Here’s what should have been done differently to make for a much healthier plant:
- A wider, shallower container with netting or media (like fish tank rocks) in it for plant rooting.
- More controlled, easier nutrient solution mix, like liquid nutrients from the garden store.
- Shallower water at just the level of the roots so the plant can naturally aerate.
- Dark-colored container to fend off algae.
Sometime soon, possibly this winter, I plan to start a full-on hydroponics system for indoor growing. That will, of course, be detailed here as it happens.
How do your hydroponics experiments or anything like what we did here work out? Any stories? Let me know by commenting below! Hey, that rhymed.
DIY – Making Your Own Insecticide From Soap Posted on August 18th, 2009
Most kitchen herb and flower gardeners are aware of insecticidal soaps and how to use them. It’s virtually a staple in those hobbies. For those new to these activities, or even the small backyard gardeners unaware of their options, it usually becomes a godsend when they learn of it.
To be technical about it, insecticidal soaps aren’t exactly “organic,” since they aren’t an organic-sourced method of killing insects. At some times of the year, however–like now in the northern hemisphere–the pests can get pretty intense and a quick fix, non-toxic solution is needed.
Cheap is nice too, of course.
Home made insecticidal soap fits all of these criteria. It works great, is non-toxic, and it’s cheap to make. So let’s learn something about how these soaps work and then I’ll show you how to make your own. You can buy pre-mixed soap in the store, of course. If you do, buy the concentrated kind and dilute it yourself. The container is smaller (less waste) and it’s generally cheaper than buying the ready-to-go stuff.
How Insecticidal Soap Works
All soaps are an alkali of some kind that’s usually mixed with something that’s a fatty acid chain. Usually they are potassium-based or sodium-based. Potassium soaps are soft while sodium soaps are hard. Most often, natural soaps (non-synthetic mix) will be mixed with a fatty acid derived from a plant or animal.
The insecticidal soap you purchase in the store is most likely to be potassium mixed with coconut oil. This is a good, general-use soap for hand washing, shampooing, and so forth. And for controlling insects, of course.
Insecticidal soap works well against most soft-bodied insects like aphids and mites as well as most types of flies. It’s a contact-killer, so it only works when sprayed directly on them. It doesn’t leave a residue for long, so it’s a short-term affair. Most gardeners use it directly on the insects they see invading their gardens. Most of the time, once you get them knocked down, they’ll be mostly gone within a day or two anyway.
Most applied soap sprays for use as insecticide are in concentrations of less than 1% in the spray, which has about an 80% kill rate. This makes it pretty good and comparable to most commercial chemical sprays for short-term application. Most will last anywhere from 24-48 hours with 72 hours being the longest if conditions are right (shade, stable humidity, low air flow).
Nobody is entirely sure how soaps work to kill the bugs they do, but the likely phenomenon is a combination of asphyxiation and dehydration in the insect. The fatty acids are likely breaking down cell membrane integrity and causing cells to collapse, leading to respiration problems and loss of moisture. In some insects it may be acting to block cell metabolism, causing failure in metamorphosis.
However it works, it’s an effective kill that is non-toxic to most animals (pets, wildlife) and humans.
Making Your Own Insecticide From Soap
For this, you’ll need a spray bottle capable of spraying watery liquid, a bar of natural laundry or dish (non-detergent) soap, water, and a stove.
For the soap, I prefer natural Fels-Naptha laundry soap in the big bars (1/2 pound blocks), which you can get at most health food stores. They’re also available in smaller, standard-bar size (5-1/2 oz). The natural bar of Ivory (no scent) works well too. You can use other common dish washing and laundry soaps, but most of them have detergents in them that can cause phytotoxicity on your plants by dissolving the wax off the leaves.
To make the soap, put a pot on the stove with about a quart (four cups) of water in it. Begin that boiling while you cut up the soap bar. You’ll need about five or six tablespoons worth. From a 1/2-lb block of Fels-Naptha, that’s about an inch off the block. From an Ivory bar (standard size), that’s about half of it.
You can use a large knife and a butcher block to cut it, but that’s kind of pointless since you’re just going to grate it anyway. Get a cheese grater or use your hand-crank grater for salads/slaw and grate off what you need into a bowl or onto a block/plate.
When the water begins to boil, dump the soap grates in there and stir. Keep stirring it until the soap dissolves, then turn off the heat and stir until mostly cooled. I usually set the pan into a bowl or sink full of cold water to speed up the cooling process.
Pour the liquid soap into a jar, jug, or whatever’s handy. Label this container your “Soapicide Concentrate O Doom.”
Now take your spray bottle and mix it at about two tablespoons per quart. I usually take the water from my cooling bath (above), fill my sprayer with it (it’s about 1/2 a quart) and put a tablespoon of concentrate in there.
Then screw on the lid, shake a little, and spray in a mist directly onto plant leaves and infesting insects. I’ve seen this used in larger containers like atomizers and sprayed onto fruit trees, small garden plots, etc. as well as herb gardens and flowers.
Try to do it during the insects’ most active part of the day (usually early evening). Use progressively liberally and do it nightly or every other night until the insects seem to be gone.
This mix also works really well inside for concentrated house flies and, as a bonus, spot-cleaning. We use it in our house for quick wipe-down cleanings of bathrooms and tile and so forth. Make sure to label the spray bottle so you don’t mix it up with others.
Our “cat discipline” bottles, for instance (plain water) are small 8oz ones so we don’t mix them up and spray the wrong stuff on the cats.
This is useful stuff, so try it out and enjoy!
Some Advantages & Disadvantages to Consider When Looking At Hybrids Vs. Heirloom Vegetables Posted on August 13th, 2009
When you look at heirloom vegetables versus some of the hybrids available today, you have a lot to consider. Both are organic and offer the same basic nutrition of the vegetable type you’re looking at. Some purists will insist that the heirlooms taste better, but in my experience the difference between one or the other is a matter of, well, taste.
The biggest differences between hybrids and heirlooms is in the qualities of each. An heirloom is a seed type handed down for generations while a hybrid is one that was two plants cross-pollinated to combine the most desirable traits of each plant. Both are natural plants, of course, to all but the most stringent of fundamentalist gardeners.
Some advantages of each are worth noting. Let’s look at the advantages of both heirlooms and hybrids and then compare.
Here are some of the advantages that heirlooms have over hybrids:
- You can save the seeds and grow new ones every year, every time.
- Most heirloom variety seeds are cheaper than their hybrid counterparts.
- Natural variety between plants creates non-uniform harvest and sizes, allowing for mixed bag harvesting.
- They have a great history that can be learned and retold.
These are some pretty compelling reasons to pick heirlooms. The first reason is a solid no-brainer if you’re an organic gardener, grower, or farmer who prefers to do things on the cheap. It also has the advantage of allowing your operation to be basically self-contained. The second reason plays into those thoughts.
Seasoned gardeners will appreciate the third reason, since plentiful harvests are great, but not all at once. Variety in what’s coming in (“mixed bag” harvesting) and a lack of uniformity for harvest times can really make the gardener’s life easier.
That fourth reason is great fun and a real family-oriented reason to choose heirlooms. Especially if your family has a long history of gardening (as mine does).
Now let’s consider what hybrids offer:
- Bigger harvests and generally lower seed attrition (more plants per seed pack).
- Often hardier, more pest and disease resistant plants.
- Interesting variety of plants available, with unique properties and uses.
- Uniform harvest times and yields.
The first reason may mean that the seeds are actually on par (cost-wise) with their heirloom counterparts. There can be a difference of up to 25% in the number of seeds planted versus those that sprout, in favor of hybrids.
The second reason is aimed directly at new gardeners and at those who don’t have a lot of time to care for their gardens. Many varieties of hybrid are specifically bred to be more resistant to problems and require less care. The fourth reason plays into this same group of people, since uniform harvests and harvest times mean easier planning for the event so you can devote a weekend to a particular crop yield, for instance.
The third reason plays into this as a definite bonus for the gardener or family who easily tires of one type of crop all of the time. Especially those who enjoy fresh off the vine eating.
Obviously, both hybrids and heirlooms have advantages worth considering for your gardening plans. I personally like to use both in our garden. I prefer hybrid tomatoes, for instance, because of the available variety and relative ease of care in growing them. Some heirloom varieties, however, are definitely more succulent (at least to me).
Burpee Burpless Cukes From This Year's Garden
For other vegetables, I have mixed likes and dislikes of a similar vein. I’m a big fan of the Burpee Burpless variety of cucumbers, for instance, because I can eat them all day without getting gas (wow, that makes me sound like an old man..) and I love fresh cucumbers. I prefer heirloom green loose leaf Canadian lettuce, however, because it has broad, tasty leaves and seems to last longer into the winter than other varieties I’ve tried.
Part of the fun of gardening is trying all of the different options available and seeing what you prefer and don’t like. Since seeds can be saved almost indefinitely if you keep them under the right conditions, it doesn’t hurt to buy several packets of different types and just plant a few of each and see which you like best.
After a couple of years of comparison, you can start to get an idea of which ones seem to be working for you.
Every year, I try at least one new variety of heirloom or hybrid to see what it’s like. This year, for instance, we tried a 3-part lettuce hybrid that grows green and red leaf lettuce plus a bitter kale in one plant. I honestly didn’t like it much, but I gave it a shot, which was the point.
What are you favorites? Let me know!
Diatomaceous Earth – Natural Insect Killer, No Chemicals Posted on August 9th, 2009
When I first started thinking about environmental issues, my concerns were mainly centered on how to re-use some of the things I was throwing away and thus have a cheaper lifestyle.
Many of you have gotten to know me through this blog and other venues. You’ve probably noticed that my life has two major focuses: knowledge gathering and politics that center on government leaving me alone.
Knowledge gathering and living more frugally meant learning to become green, in my own way. Recycling, re-purposing, and otherwise reducing my garbage output and overall impact have become how I live (and on a lot lower budget than most Americans).
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is one of those things that you’ll find out is not only extremely effective, but it’s much cheaper than the normal alternatives for pest control. Plus, like most great things, diatomaceous earth has multiple uses.
Some of those uses include things like organic garden pest control, snail and slug borders, internal parasite control for your pets, grain storage and a lot more. It’s also used as the “gritty” ingredient in toothpaste, as a screen for swimming pool filters, as an absorbent for chemical spills.
So what is DE?
DE, which is an abbreviation for diatomaceous earth, is also called diatom powder, Fossil Shell Flour, as well as several other names. It’s made up of the fossilized shells of diatoms. Diatoms are tiny single-celled plants that make up a large portion of the phytoplankton (plankton—whale food) in the oceans. Diatoms are the basis for much of earth’s aquatic life.
When they die, the outer shells of their cells tend to collect and bind together, often becoming fossilized. When exposed, these “rocks” of DE (called diatomite) can be ground to a flour and used for many things. The Chinese used DE as many as 2,000 years ago.
The purest of this DE is considered “food grade” and allowed by the FDA to be used without restriction in food processing. A new labeling allows it to be sold for human consumption as a health supplement.
DE is also mixed with pyrethrum (a flower extract and natural insecticide) for use as a pest killer. This isn’t necessary, though, as you’ll see. DE is a perfectly good insect killer on its own.
How Does DE Work?
For killing insects and many pests, DE is hard to beat. It’s not a chemical, so it doesn’t pollute, and the bugs can’t build up an immunity to it. It doesn’t harm most animals, including mammals (humans, dogs, cats, etc.), large birds, etc. It doesn’t contaminate ground water, streams, lakes, oceans, or cause any other environmental hazards. It’s naturally in the environment, in fact.
DE works by causing a “physical kill” of just about any insect, arachnid, and most worms. When looked at through a low powered microscope, powdered DE (flour) looks like razor sharp stones. These physically pierce the exoskeleton of insects and then, because DE can absorb up to 10x its volume in liquids, it quickly dehydrates them. This kills them relatively quickly.
Because it’s a physical kill and not a chemical one, the bugs can’t build up a resistance to it like they can with chemical insecticides. The DE has the same piercing action on our own cells, but because of our physical makeup and speed of healing, it does us no harm at all.
In fact, one of the only ways humans (and most animals) can be harmed by DE is by inhaling large quantities of the powder. This can cause breathing problems, but if the inhalation isn’t long term and is properly treated, the lungs will heal completely in a short amount of time.
Food Grade DE can be safely sprinkled on foods, ingested, used as an anti-caking agent and insect killer in stored grains, and a lot more. It’s also great as a light abrasive for polishing tooth enamel, household items, and many other things. Because of its absorbent qualities and its ability to “cake” closely together without completely clogging, it’s also a popular water filter to clean debris from swimming pools, fountains, etc.
There are literally hundreds of uses for DE. Over time, we’ll be looking at some of those uses on this blog.
My long-time friend Fran Tully, owner of Freshwater Organics here in Wyoming, sells the purest and (in my opinion) best diatomaceous earth available. His prices are extremely reasonable and, for the record, I get no money for sending you to his site. I’m linking to it purely because I believe in it.
I’ve used DE for years (still do) and even sold it on eBay for a while. As time goes on, I will be doing more in-depth DIY stuff involving DE so you can see how it’s applied in various uses.
Planning The Fall Garden – Now Is the Time! Part II Posted on August 4th, 2009
In Part I we talked about knowing when to set up your seeds and how long you can expect before your first Killing Frost. Now we’ll continue with that and talk about soil preparation and dealing with pests. Then we’ll wrap up the two parts with a short summary.
Preparing the Soil for Fall Crops
It’s likely that you’ll have started those seeds for the fall crops right about the time your summer crops are coming in. So it will be busy. Seed starting isn’t difficult, though, so you probably got it done alright. Now that they’re little starters and you’re ready to transplant them into their garden home, you’ll need to make sure that home is ready to receive them.
This is mostly just adding to the soil to beef it up a little and give it one more boost of energy.
Tea from your compost is the best. Sprinkle the tea over the soil before planting or after transplanting. Either way is fine in this case. If you wait until after transplanting, wait at least 2 or 3 days for those plants to begin adjusting before you pour on the tea. Throw the other bits of compost back onto the pile with the freshly-pulled plants you’ve removed from the garden for fall.
If you don’t have any compost to tea, spread manure or compost over the newly-bared soil in a light layer (maybe an inch). Don’t worry about turning the soil or anything, that will actually do more harm than good. Just transplant directly through the new layer of compost/manure.
For more on compost, click here. I’ll be talking about compost tea in an upcoming article as well.
Row Em Up
Like with your summer garden, you can time your planting so that you’ll not be harvesting everything all at once. Make sure you know the grow time for each of them and plant accordingly. Cabbages, rutabagas, etc. take longer than beets or carrots to mature. So start with those longer-growing ones and plant the faster ones later.
Last come the extremely winter-hardy plants like spinach. In many climates, these can even be running strong into the Christmas season.
Of course, the other trick here is to plan out your rows so they’re more densely productive. Where I live, the best way to make good neighbors is to bring them fresh cuts from the garden. It’s easier than pie and much healthier.
The Pests Are Coming! The Pests Are Coming!
While some of the pests I’m talking about have red coats, many do not. This is the time of year when crickets, grasshoppers, and other destructive nasties come through and can seriously wreak havoc on your garden.
There are a lot of ways to combat them, of course. Here are a couple that you may not have heard of. I’ll list many more in a later, more detailed article, but here are the big ones: diatomaceous earth and chickens.
Whatever method you choose, make sure you’re prepared because the insects are coming. Fall is their heyday for plant destruction, so be ready.
The Fall Garden Sum-Up
So here’s what you need to do to make sure your fall garden is as productive as possible. This gives you the most for the least and means you’ll be eatin’ good all winter, if you do it right!
- Know Your Killing Frost Date
- Start Your Seeds In Time
- Prepare the Soil
- Be Ready for the Pests
That pretty much covers it. If you have any favorites for your fall garden, any tips to ad to this, or a question to ask, do so in the comments! I’m happy to help out. If you’d prefer to remain anonymous, of course, that’s fine. Email addresses in the commentary aren’t published or used for anything but verification, so no worries.
