Learn how to optimally prepare peanut shells for composting, and explore the benefits they bring to a compost system. Find out the necessary details on how to process them, and the conditions needed to prevent potential composting issues.
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Can I Compost Dryer Lint?
Composting dryer lint has its benefits and potential pitfalls, especially if you compost the wrong kind. We dig deep into this laundry waste and discuss how to prepare dryer lint for composting and alternative disposal methods.
Ghost Pipe Flower
โReady for a ghostly encounter with a flower? Let’s see if we can find one.โ โFind one?โ I asked (always intrigued with her ideas). โA ghost flower.โ She half whispered, eerily. โA what? โA ghost flower.โ She said it louder this time. โItโs a parasitic plant that doesnโt need chlorophyll since it feeds off nutrients […]
Can I Compost Bones?
Leftover bones are uncommon composting ingredient. We explore the benefits and challenges of composting bones, best methods to do so, and other composting alternatives.
Can I Compost Egg Cartons?
We discuss how to compost egg cartons, the optimal conditions, and other composting alternatives to sustainably handle egg carton wastes. If you’ve been wondering whether you can compost your egg cartons, this richly detailed guide provides the answers.
Cob Construction
Cob Under Construction
Can I Compost Corn?
Maximize benefits from your corn scraps, benefitting for your soil and plants. Learn how corn effectively improves compost quality, the best methods for composting corn, addressing potential issues like attracting pests and odors, and much more.
Can I Compost Newspaper?
Compost newspapers effectively with the best preparation techniques, optimal composting conditions, and methods. Avoid common pitfalls, explore alternatives, and repurpose newspapers creatively for a sustainable approach to waste management.
Can I Compost Shrimp Shells?
Learn how to compost shrimp shells effectively in this comprehensive guide. Shrimp shells, packed with valuable nutrients like nitrogen and chitin, can nourish your garden soil and enhance plant defense against infections. Discover various composting methods, from hot composting for quicker results to Bokashi composting for limited space. Uncover alternative uses for shrimp shells, such as creating homemade fertilizer or enjoying unique recipes, and explore safe disposal options for shells that shouldn’t be composted. Maximize your composting efforts and reap the benefits for your garden and the environment!
Can I Compost Meat?
Learn the best methods and safety precautions for composting meat with this comprehensive guide. Explore sustainable alternatives when composting at home is not readily available.
Alternative Building Methods
When most people in the Western world think of building a new home, almost all of them imagine the same sort of construction process: Stud framing (as this most ubiquitous method is known) uses materials such as dimensional lumber (usually two- by-four and two-by-six) to form the skeleton of the house. The exterior of these […]
Can I Compost Coffee Filters?
Learn how to properly compost coffee filters efficiently to enhance your compost pile’s microbial activity. Discover the types of coffee filters suitable for composting, the optimal composting conditions, and various methods like hot composting, vermicomposting, and more.
Earthbag Homes
Earthbag Construction, Sandbag Buildings
Can I Compost Rice?
Discover the correct preparation and optimal composting conditions for both cooked and uncooked rice, as well as the benefits and challenges associated with composting rice. Find the best approach for rice using this comprehensive method.
Can I Compost Wax Paper?
Learn which wax paper type are compostable using this comprehensive guide! Discover tips on preparing wax paper for composting and maintaining optimal compost conditions. Choose the right composting method that best suits your resources and lifestyle.
Underground Greenhouse: Uses and Benefits
As long as gardeners have existed, they’ve sought to extend their growing seasons beyond the limits of winter’s shutdown. Gardening history is dotted with an arsenal of methods created to rebuff frost and snow, such as cold frames, greenhouses, row covers, carefully-placed compost piles, and cloches. A relatively recent entry in the fight to defy […]
Can I Compost Paper Plates?
Learn which paper plate types and sources are compostable. Correct preparation, and optimal composting conditions are crucial factors to produce the best compost quality from compostable paper plates!
Can I Compost Parchment Paper?
Find out how to compost parchment paper with this comprehensive guide. Discover which types of parchment paper are compostable and which should be avoided due to their chemical coatings. Follow proper preparation and optimal composting techniques to ensure a healthy and efficient composting process.
Can I Compost Paper?
Learn how to compost paper effectively using this comprehensive guide. Correctly prepare compostable paper types and aim for the optimal conditions to convert your paper scraps into a healthy compost.
Can I Compost Pistachio Shells?
Unearth the benefits of composting pistachio shells in our comprehensive guide, and discover how they can serve as a nutrient-rich soil amendment for your garden. Explore the intricacies of composting, from preparation, methods to potential issues, and other beneficial uses for these shells beyond composting.
Can I Compost Pizza Boxes?
Learn about compostable pizza boxes, how to prepare them, and the optimal composting conditions using this guide. Explore alternative disposal options, recycling tips, and creative upcycling ideas for pizza boxes.
Can I Compost Pineapples?
Learn how to compost pineapples effectively using this comprehensive guide. Discover the optimal conditions, preparation techniques, and various composting methods suitable for pineapples.
Can I Compost Coffee Grounds?
Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, making them ideal for composting. Discover the best preparation methods, optimal composting conditions, and alternative uses for coffee grounds in your garden and home.
Can I Compost Weeds?
Learn the best methods for composting both weeds, the optimal composting conditions, and alternative options if composting isn’t feasible.
Can I Compost Glass?
Learn why glass is not suitable for composting and how it can negatively impact the composting process. Explore alternative methods such as recycling and upcycling to safely and sustainably dispose of glass waste.
An Introduction to the Judas Tree
โImagine a tree that grows flowers right on its trunk!โ My friend looked over my shoulder at the image. โMuch like that tree that grows fruit on its trunk — what was it called?โ โThe Brazilian grape tree or jabuticaba,โ I said. โSome similarities, I guess, as this one has multiple edible parts, too.โ โAnd you […]
Can I Compost Grass Clippings?
Learn how to prepare grass clippings for composting with this comprehensive guide. Explore various composting methods, alternative uses for grass clippings, and important safety precautions to follow.
Homestead Stories: Our Murder of Crows
Here on our farm, we strive to live as peaceably as possible with the wildlife surrounding us. Now, Iโm far from Sleeping Beauty in the enchanted forest (although I do love my sleep), but it is relatively normal to look out my windows, and witness a doe with her fawns grazing in the grass, and […]
Can I Compost Cigarette Butts?
Learn about the comprehensive guide on composting cigarette butts and why it’s not recommended. Discover the harmful chemicals and microplastics present in used cigarettes, the impact on the composting process, and the potential environmental hazards. Explore alternative disposal options, such as industrial recycling and transitioning to plant-based filters, to mitigate the detrimental effects of cigarette butt waste.
An Introduction to Kunekune Pigs
Pigs are eccentric animals to have as pets, and theyโre interesting animals to have on a farm. Considering their size, one might think itโs crazy to have a pig for a pet. However, you can find smaller breeds with incredible attitudes and huge personalities — if you have suitable accommodations for them. The kunekune pig […]
Can I Compost Dog Poop?
Learn how to compost dog poop safely and efficiently with this comprehensive guide. While composting dog waste is possible, it is important to follow guidelines to avoid health risks.
Can I Compost Tea Bags?
Discover which types of tea bags are suitable for composting, how to prepare them properly, and the optimal composting conditions. If composting isn’t an option, explore alternative ways to make use of tea bags and minimize waste.
Can I Compost Eggs?
Learn how to compost eggs effectively with this comprehensive guide. Discover the optimal conditions and explore composting methods for eggs while avoiding issues like odors and pests.
Can I Compost Paper Towels?
Discover the types of paper towels suitable for composting, how to prepare them, and the optimal composting conditions. Find alternative disposal options and understand what paper towels should not be composted.
Can I Compost Bread?
Discover which types of bread are suitable for composting, how to prepare bread scraps, and the optimal composting conditions. Additionally, explore alternative ways to reuse bread and find out what bread should not be composted.
Can I Compost Bananas?
Learn how to compost bananas effectively and reap the benefits for your garden with this comprehensive guide. Discover the optimal conditions and methods for composting bananas, including hot composting, cold composting, vermicomposting, and Bokashi composting. Avoid potential issues such as pests and odors, and explore alternative disposal options and creative ways to upcycle banana peels.
Enjoying Garlic Scapes
There are some obvious benefits from having a garden — freshly grown food, meaningful, rewarding work, and a relationship with your land that you can feel good about. Then there are some benefits that aren’t as obvious, such as getting “bonus” foods that you’ll rarely, if ever, find in a grocery store. These are fleeting […]
Caring for the Off-Season Woodstove
During the summer months, it probably seems strange to be discussing something as out of season as woodstoves. The days of freezing, blizzard-whipped nights and bone-shakingly cold mornings seem a lifetime ago when you’re sweating over your tomato beds. This time of year, however, is an absolutely perfect time to clean and care for your […]
Accepting the Mess of Woodstove Season
Thereโs nothing cozier than curling up beside a crackling fire, the orange glow warming both body and spirit. We must have some sort of innate programming wired in our minds that draws us to fire, and it stands to reason why we brought fire into our homes as soon as we could figure out a […]
Homestead Stories: Types of Irises
Iโm not sure I have a favorite iris. Theyโre all so different, and unique. There are many varieties from bearded irises to the invasive yellow iris. There are also wild irises, which complement the domestic irises that populate many gardens. And the array of colors that sparkle on the blooms, itโs like a rainbow. […]
8 Best Plants for Clay Soil
Clay soil can be a challenge for gardeners. However, some plants can tolerate and benefit from those growing conditions. Shallow-rooted vegetables, for example, can tolerate clay, and others can benefit from the stability of heavy clay soil. Root crops like potatoes and daikon radishes help break up clay. One of the issues with rich clay […]
Foraging for Wild Spinach
“Eat more healthy! Eat organic leafy greens!” The bleached-smile exhortations of the nutritional elite ring out from websites and health shows. So we trundle over to the grocery store and are greeted by the sight of an $8 bundle of organic spinach that would barely feed a rabbit — much less a whole family. Then […]
14 Inexpensive DIY Hot Tub Plans
A hot tub has been a long-held sign of status for homeowners. Being able to afford one meant you were probably doing pretty well financially, and having a hot tub adds value to your home. It might seem like a better deal to simply purchase a premade hot tub, but there are certain benefits to […]
Foraging for Mulberries
The first time I met a mulberry, it was a confusing introduction. At the time, I considered my general plant knowledge to be better than average, but somehow, this unfamiliar tree didnโt make sense. It was a beautifully shaped, open grown tree with scalloped alternate leaves that I couldnโt identify offhand (because mulberry trees come […]
Foraging for Wild Mint
There are some flavorings that donโt seem to bear any resemblance to their natural counterparts. Artificial cherry sodas resemble cough syrup more than a juicy, tree-ripened fruit, freakishly purple grape drinks hardly bring to mind anything that ever came from nature, and donโt get me started on banana-flavored candy. I have a special loathing for […]
15 Trellis Plants For Your Wall, Pergola, And Arbor
Pergolas, arbors, and trellises look mighty boring without a plant wrapped around their nooks and crannies. But why should you bother finding trellis plants to cover your garden structure? It might be to provide privacy, add a decorative element, or save space in a small area. And if youโve run out of room on the […]
23 Genius Epsom Salt Uses For Your Home, Garden, And Wellness
Epsom salt established its name 1600 years ago from the location where it was first discovered in Epsom Common, Surrey, England. It is most commonly marketed as bath products: powder, granules, crystal, flakes, and bath bombs. Although similar to common table salt in color and texture, Epsom salt and table salt are distinctly different. Epsom […]
Growing Lionโs Mane Mushrooms
Hericium erinaceus, or lionโs mane, is among the commonly cultivated mushrooms on the market. Its distinctive fuzzy texture resembles a lionโs mane or pom-pom. Not only are these mushrooms prized in cooking, theyโre used as medicinal mushrooms worldwide. Lionโs mane is used to treat inflammation, digestive issues, depression, anxiety, and more. Lionโs mane grows in […]
8 Beautiful, Drought Tolerant Plants For Dry Landscapes
Youโve heard the rain. All that free water falling from the sky, keeping the hills and valleys green. But if you live in a drought-prone area that cooling summer rain may seem more like a fever dream than reality, and all the lush, beautiful vegetation associated with rain — as far away as the clouds that […]
10 Summer Flowers to Make Your Garden Pop With Color
Summer is a time of bold barbecue flavors, bright sunlight, vivid green on the fully-leafed trees, and hot temperatures. The garden would be remiss if it didn’t have colorful flowers to match the intensity of the season! Move aside, you pale pastel spring flowers, these eye-zinging blossoms are here to fill the garden beds with […]