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We built mini "volcano"'s with a 3' wide mouth from rocks we pulled out of our garden area. We dump the compost materials into it along with sawdust from the NON-treated lumber, and cinders. We had some problem in the begining with knats/fruit flies but the sawdust and cinder keeps it down.
Since our lot is small (12K SF) we are working very hard on what I call mini-farming or "container" gardening. We also are keeping any new planting to edible varieties of vegetation, i.e. rosemary hedges, etc.
Has any one tried "compost smoothies"? You take the kitchen compost and add some water in a blender and blend to a thinner than a puree mix and pour directly on your plants? House plants are very happy with it! Flies aren't attracted to it.
-Cat
Edited by - kapohocat on 01/17/2007 08:14:23
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Hey Cat, Did you say you are doing hydroponics for lettuce? If so, how is that working out? Where do you get equipment and has your electric bill gone up as a result?
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Not doing hydroponics for lettuce. Simply doing it in formerly house plant containers - so we have "lettuce" as a flower arrangment (growing live) on the dining room table (and a couple outside on the deck that we rotate in). Think chia pet on a bit larger scale!
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Cat, we do the compost smoothies, mainly because we are also on a smaller lot & eat a lot of fruit (blasted fruit trees keep us busy eating the stuff!). Like the idea of the volcano, compost & lawn decor!
Glen, Pam is doing the hydroponic lettuce. Had some in late Dec. & it was yummy! (She had just started the lettuce growing 1 1/2 months ago...not sure if she has the electric usage yet, might want to email her from the forum...pslamont)
Aloha, Carey
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Do these smoothies work better with or without feces?
Doesn't it make your margaritas taste funky?
Aloha
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quote:
Hey Cat, Did you say you are doing hydroponics for lettuce? If so, how is that working out? Where do you get equipment and has your electric bill gone up as a result?
if you go with hydroponics for anything, watch out! Unless the technology has changed in reccent years? I have several friends who were growing this way. With all the light necessary for my friend's veggie garden . His electrical bill shot up almost 1000%!! You know what happened after that? Hawaiian Electric turned them and their electric bills over to the DEA. I guess what I'm trying to say is, be prepared for the unexpected knock on your door!
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My friends are doing hydrophonics in their greenhouse - no elec used. Their's is a passive system though.
No dea threat either.
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We have a separate blender (from the transfer station!) for our compost smoothies, just use kitchen veggie scraps (sometimes we will make paperboard box smoothies, the goop makes a great weed barrier around plants), mainly 'cause wet stuff in the garbage can turns nasty by the time we get to taking it to the transfer.
Aloha, Carey
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Oh yah Carey - we have a separate blender I got from the freecycle site! Even though I put the pitcher part in the dishwasher cant get my head around reusing it for margaritas so we have the separate one!
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