RECYCLE & SAVE WORLD

Grow 100 lbs. Of Potatoes In 4 Square Feet

2014-12-11T09:33:00.002+05:30

If you have limited garden space or want to try some nifty gardening magic, this could be a great option for you. The potatoes are planted inside the box, the first row of boards is installed and the dirt or mulch can now be added to cover the seed potatoes. As the plant grows, more boards and dirt will be added.

You plant in one bottom layer, boarding up the sides of each layer and adding dirt as you go higher (you wait until the plants have grown a bit before adding a new layer). While new potatoes are growing in the top layers, remove the boards from the first layer at the bottom to carefully dig out any that are ready for harvesting. Fill the dirt back in and board up the box again. You move up the layers and harvest as they are ready.

I imagine the new potatoes in the first couple bottom layers would be somewhat awkward to get at but as you move higher–not so bad. Try it at your garden. (Source)

Grow Your Own Vegetables From Scraps

2014-12-01T12:56:00.000+05:30

Start mini vegetable garden in your own kitchen. It’s fast, eat the food you grow yourself in just a few weeks. It’s virtually free, just some water and a few toothpicks. It’s so easy that even if you have no green thumb at all you can do this way easier than growing seeds.

How to get started: For greens like lettuce and celery, take the bottom three inches or so, the stuff you would have probably thrown away, stick a bamboo stick or toothpicks through, so it can sit in a jar of water, and add fresh water daily.

You only have to wait 24 hours before you see your lettuce magically re-growing. Two weeks later you can chop enough greens from one plant for a sandwich. Look at this green gorgeousness. you can regrow from scraps include onions, potatoes, lemongrass, garlic, even pineapple. Once you’ve harvested your food, you can see if your base will regrow again.

You are doing Wrong Way - Peel Avocado

2014-11-26T10:36:00.000+05:30

You might have to sit down for this one. That convenient avocado bowl you’ve been eating out of is not giving you as much nutrients as you think. Although the spooning-out method is quite handy on-the-run, the best way to preserve those valuable antioxidants is to peel the skin off. This is especially important when adding it to a dish such as guacamole.

Fix Scratches In Wood Furniture

2014-10-29T11:30:00.002+05:30

I've tried furniture polish and orange oil, and nothing really makes it look much better. It was sitting forlornly in our garage waiting for me to decide if it was worth keeping, so I figured I'd give this magical trick a try as a last ditch effort.

Mix 3/4 cup of oil and 1/4 cup vinegar and had some to spare. Mix it, then take a kitchen rag and just dipped it in and rubbed it on. Keep going until the whole table and used almost all of the mixture. The scratches were fixed! Let's just do a little side by side comparison, shall we? I think this deserves it's own montage. Try and imagine Rocky music in your head for me as we watch the transformation.

That is a crazy difference! Not only does it look better but my table is now silky smooth and clean. Um, yeah, I'd say it worked! The best part is that now my precious table is a totally usable piece of furniture again, and has been restored to it's rightful place in our entry way hall. I think I can pretty obviously say that I recommend it as a successful scratch fix.

How To Grow An Avocado Tree

2014-10-21T12:41:00.000+05:30

Highly flavored and nutritious, avocados signal a healthy diet, whether we’re talking about guacamole or salad. If you like not having to make regular trips to the grocery for your daily supply of fresh avocados, try growing an avocado tree at home. It’s surprisingly easy. In 10 easy steps, you will see how you too can get a full-grown avocado tree from a little seed, making the whole process very educational and easy to remember.

STEP 1: Without cutting the pit from the avocado, remove and wash clean of all the avocado fruit. You might find it helpful to soak the pit for a few minutes in some water. But make sure you don’t remove the brown skin from the pit!

STEP 2: All avocado pits, despite not being perfect round shapes, have a top and bottom side. From the ‘bottom’, the future roots will grow, as for the ‘top’ the sprout will do the same. You can find which is which by looking after the slightly pointier end. When you noticed that, you found the top. In opposition, the bottom will have a flat end. It’s important to place the bottom in water, so the roots will begin to gently grow.

STEP 3: Next, stick 4 toothpicks into the top side of the avocado seed. Make sure the injections are made pointing down at a slight downward angle and are spaced evenly around the circumference. Wedge the toothpicks strongly because they will allow you to place your avocado base in the water but still have the fruit hanging over a glass.

STEP 4: Place the glass with the half-submerged avocado in a place with sunlight. Use a clear glass for this operation, so you can observe when the roots start to grow. It’s useful for warnings of mold, bacteria and fungus growth, so you can change the water when it’s needed. You can do the latter regularly every day, as many professionals recommend, but it’s better to change the water every 5-7 days.

STEP 5: Sprouting can take as long as 8 weeks, although many websites suggest only 2-4 weeks. The best advice is to be patient. And pay attention so the seed goes to the necessary stages of sprouting: the outer brown seed skin will slough off as the top of the avocado pit will dry out and form a crack; the crack will extend and to the bottom side of this, a tiny taproot will begin to emerge; this will grow longer and longer until a small sprout will peek through the top of the avocado pit. Don’t forget to maintain the taproot submerged, because not doing so will be synonymous to the death of your plant.

STEP 6: There are a few tricks when it comes to planting the newly born sprouts. When the stem reaches 6-7 inches in length, cut about 3 inches off it, as this will make the new part grow faster. Cut and put it in a rich humus soil pot, when it has reached 6-7 inches again. Use best with an 8-10inch diameter pot. Before placing in a sunny area, make sure that you leave the top half of the seed exposed.

STEP 7: In this stage of planting your own avocado, you need to know two things about its relationship with water: the soil should always be moist. If you start to see yellow leaves, it’s a sign you exaggerated and over-watered it. No need to panic though. Let the plant some time to absorb the water and continue after it has dried.

STEP 8: Encourage the plant to grow larger, by pinching out the top two sets of leaves. Do this when the stem has reached about 12 inches in height. Repeat the method when another 6 inches have grown additionally on the plant.

STEP 9: If you happen to come across some nasty bugs, like aphids, you will need to wash them off the avocado. You can do this by showering or gently hosing down your plant. When there are no more pests on it, spray the avocado tree with a solution of water mixed with a few drops of dishwashing liquid and one teaspoon of neem oil. Check in 4-5 days to see if it’s clean. If not, repeat the process until it is.

STEP 10: In the autumn or winter, if it gets cooler than 45 degrees F, you must bring the baby avocado tree indoor, so it won’t freeze to death. And there you have it. All you need to know about how to plant your own avocado tree from a seed. After a couple or so years, the tree will begin to give fruit. On some occasions, some trees take about 15 years to bear fruit, and some never do at all. Even if your commercial avocado – seed you used to plant the tree – is one of the tasteful fruit on Earth, don’t expect that yours should be the same. Naturally grown avocado are different. You can grow several avocado trees together to aid with pollination and ensure your fruits are good as well.

Upcycle An Old Tire Into a Jaw-Dropping Pond

2014-10-16T10:11:00.000+05:30

Creativity knows no boundaries. Nothing should stop us from enhancing our everyday life with something new, fresh, meant to reinvent us and refresh our desire to improve constantly. Here at Homesthetics we have featured dozens of projects worth considering but this Pond project that uses an old car or tractor tire is absolutely extraordinary. Mainly because it is a project that changes the landscape dramatically with little to no effort, nothing that you see in this short guide is hard, the entire job should not take more than 20 hours split into two days. Moreover this project will enhance the environment, it will bring more birds into your backyard, you can welcome their visit with even more amenities like small or large tree homes. Your pond can be as elaborate as you want it to be. You can use only one tractor tire, two, three combined with other old car tires or you can displace the tires with another recipient able to satisfy your needs in matter of size. An old jacuzzi tub or bathtub carefully camouflaged for example can replace the tires easily. You can use more of these to create a bigger swimming pond, possibilities are endless.

Small Urban Garden Design Idea

2014-10-03T12:02:00.002+05:30

For those of you who live in smaller spaces, but still want to indulge your green thumb, below are some great ideas for urban gardening. Give them a try!

There is a garden design to fit any space challenges, be it an alleyway lined with colorful pots of shade-loving hostas, pockets of woodland plants in an old brick wall, or even an open-air atrium transformed into a summer dining room. Take pictures of the site and talk with your local nursery or garden center to get ideas about how to transform it into a place of tranquility and functionality.

Spoon Garden Hooks

2014-10-02T09:02:00.000+05:30

You can create garden hooks for hanging indoor or outdoor plants by using your old spoons as well. Just bend them and flatten the spoon like you would do for the coat racks only instead of screwing them to a board, simply put them wherever you want to hang a planter. Use smaller spoons for the small plants and larger spoons or ladles for larger plants.

Concrete Block Garden

2014-09-30T14:06:00.002+05:30

The things around you just need a visionary and sharp focus to reuse them in home garnishing projects. The concrete blocks have been filled up with potting soil and a lovely self made garden is ready to make your home look beautiful and shiny with desired nature of plants in them.

Garden Planter from Pallets

2014-09-30T14:01:00.002+05:30

You know you just love planting those summer gardens. Even if you don’t have a relatively large space for your garden, you can still plant your favorites this summer by making your own garden planter. This planter made from an old shipping pallet is great and it is very easy to make; not to mention cheap. Doing your own gardening is great. It gives you the opportunity to save money and to ensure that you are not feeding your family products that have chemicals in them. You can grow your own vegetables and ensure that they are completely free from pesticides and other harmful chemicals. You can use the pallet planter for vegetables, flowers, herbs or anything that you want to grow and it’s so easy to make that you can do several of them so that you have one available for every type of plant that you want to grow.

Button Bracelet

2014-09-30T13:19:00.000+05:30

It's funny how inspiration comes when you least expect it. Me something in the last vrime visited more frequently than usual. How else can you justify the fact that I finally after one year made 4 bracelets ?! Ha! Here they are in their rustling colorful release!

Candle Out of Citrus Fruits

2014-09-26T11:29:00.003+05:30

First remove the meat of the fruit, making sure to leave the middle stem in tact. If you have time, let the fruit dry for 1-2 hours. Then fill the fruit with olive oil to just below the center stem. Now light your citrus wick and you have a fully functioning candle!

Bottle Plant Moisture Retaining

2014-09-22T14:00:00.001+05:30

Fix the plastic bottles just close to the root hairs of your lovely fruit plants and make some random holes. Now use the bottle mouth to add water and it will reach directly to the root hairs to maintain necessary moisture for synthesis of plant growth compounds. The idea is terrific and splendid as one out of thousand.

Half Cut Bottle Planter

2014-09-22T13:52:00.002+05:30

Change the behavior of your old disk and bottles to make a planter set up in beautiful glittered appearance. Cut he bottles in halves and fix the upper part on the disk with inverted position and leave the lower part as it is, and here are your tow beautiful planter for table and table garnishing plans.

Bottle Jewelry Stand Idea

2014-09-16T16:23:00.000+05:30

Cut the three bottom flowers of the plastic bottles and fix a metallic rod in them and then see the magic which will turn into a beautiful jewelry organizer. The idea is different from other bottle recycled plans and is parallel to modern trait.

Phone Charger Holder

2014-09-16T16:04:00.001+05:30

Old shampoo bottle can do a lot supporting and helpful but it depends upon whether you are going to throw it in your home garbage or making it a target to apply some ingenious techniques and ideas. If you have the 2nd opinion then choose this idea to hold up you phone charger protectively.

Here is another odd and ends idea to support your mobile while it is on charging. Creativity and modern recycling provides the worth to unworthy home bits and pieces. It will just take a few mints to have a supporting setup for you phone through reclaiming of plastic can.

Plastic Bottles Garden

2014-09-16T16:00:00.001+05:30

Style up your outdoor with plastic bottle garden plan. The cultivation of any vegetable or herb can be done in this potting an planting plan. You can change the number to any figure and depending on the area of your home porch or garden.

Incredible Plastic Bottle Toys

2014-09-16T15:51:00.001+05:30

There are various aspects and perspectives to use the empty milk cans and plastic cans make something honorable and also a material and toy to play with for our children. You copy the following idea to make ravishing and chic doll houses for your girl baby kid.

Creative Bottle Recycling Plan

2014-09-16T15:30:00.000+05:30

Mess a little bit with the old cola cans and bottles and take them home as a beautiful gifts of book holder, candle holder for dining, bird food feeder, and more relating to plants and gardening.

Glass Bottles Home Decorating Idea

2014-09-16T15:22:00.000+05:30

Here is a cluster of ideas which have been intelligently and cautiously supervised to do a favor in home table adornments by taking use of old and worthless glass bottles. They can be pass though through wooden piece to serve as both the tables legs and decorative source for beauteous and engrossing charm.

Ten Things To Save The Environment

2012-10-30T21:58:00.001+05:30

Save the environment. But how? Well, this is not as complicated a task as it seems to be. There are a few simple things that you can do for the same.

Start cutting down on the amount of waste that you create. Whether it is food, packing, making something or any other thing, make sure that you have minimum waste to look after.

Reduce the amount of water you use. There are so many simple ways of doing so like closing the taps each time, using water sprinklers instead of hosepipe or washing the car weekly instead of doing it daily.

Think carefully before using paper. Do you really need to print that mail? Do you really need sticky notes for everything? Do you need to write down everything on paper? Perhaps not!

Stop using plastic. There is no reason for you to use plastic bags when you have environment friendly options like jute bags and paper bags. Take your bag along every time you go shopping and do not ask for plastic bags.

Rely more on technology. You could opt for a video conference instead of spending fuel to travel all the way for a meeting. You could make your diary on your PC instead of writing down everything on paper. This way you will be able to save a lot on natural resources.

Give your car a break. There is no need for you to take your car everywhere. You can switch to public transport or even consider walking if you need to travel a short distance. This will not just save the environment but your money too.

Recycle is the word if you wish to save the environment. No matter what it is, try to recycle it in the best manner possible. You can recycle glass, paper, cans, cardboard, cloth and everything else. This reduces wastage and helps save the environment.

Stop putting your electrical appliances on standby. It is always better to switch off the appliances when they are not in use. Even when your electrical appliances are on standby, they do consume some energy. This goes for your television, computer, video game consoles and everything else.

You can minimize the use of the heater during the winter season. Cover yourself up with more warm clothes and you will not find the need to switch on the heater so often. Put on the jumper suit or wear more layers of cloths and you are sure to stay warm.

There are others ways of entertainment and recreation than watching TV or playing videogames. You can go for a walk, play an outdoor sport or simply read a book. This way you will not just save electricity but will also be able to do something more productive.

Try these simple and easy things and you will surely do a great deal in saving the environment.

Plant More Trees

2012-10-30T21:53:00.000+05:30

There is no denying the importance of trees. They are important to maintain the ecological balance and an important source of energy. But over the years, several commercial activities have lead to deforestation at a massive scale. The result, we all know, is less forest cover and a poor ecological balance. So, if you wish to save the earth and the environment, it is high time you start planting more trees right away.

Plants and trees are intimately connected with our life and well-being. It boons and benefits derived from them are too many to count. They provide shelter, food, fruits, fodder, wood, timber, medicine, oxygen; check soil- erosion, pollution and floods. They also check very effectively the spread of the desert and landslides. They are essential to maintain ecological balance and preservation of fauna. "Plant More Trees ' should not remain a mere slogan but become a religion and creed with all to us. We all should plant and grow more and more trees, and protect them. Social forestry should be taken on a large scale, and trees grown all around where there is space to them. Trees add to the quality to our life and living. Without trees and forests there would be deserts and desolation all around us.

Start recycling in the garden

2010-12-19T21:19:00.000+05:30

1. Going greener in the garden

Millions of tonnes of garden waste, such as grass cuttings, prunings and leaves, are sent to landfill sites each year – in fact it equates to filling the Royal Albert Hall with grass, twigs and leaves more than 70 times over!

Yet they’re a valuable source of nutrients which could be turned into something altogether more useful – COMPOST!

2. Things You can do

You could be...

setting up your new compost bin, or
breathing life into your borders with your own home-made compost, or
using peat-free compost containing recycled materials, or maybe
treating yourself to patio furniture made from recycled materials.

Whatever you are doing, you won't want to keep your garden a secret!

3. Start Composting

A third of the average household bin can be composted. This includes:

fruit and vegetable peelings;
teabags;
cardboard and newspaper; and
your garden waste.

Best of all, it’s easy to do it yourself in a home composting bin.

Visit the Home Composting area to find out how to get started and some top tips for getting the best results. Within 6-9 months you’ll have top quality compost to dig into your soil and give your borders a boost!
Watch Diarmuid Gavin's video on how you can combat climate change in your own garden.

4. Save water

We can all do our bit to reduce the amount of water we use in our homes and gardens, yet maintain moisture levels in our soil.

Fit a nozzle on your hosepipe so you can control how much you use.
Grey water (such as dishwater or water from washing vegetables) can be used to water plants as long as it’s allowed to cool, contains no chemicals and isn’t used on plants you intend to eat!
Collect rainwater in a water butt.
Use a soil conditioner or home made compost to aid moisture retention.
Choose plants which like dry conditions, such as grasses, herbs and succulents.

5. Get creative

There’s not much in our homes that can’t be put to a good use in the garden!

Empty plastic drinks bottles cut in half make great planters or bird feeders
Seedlings can be planted in empty yoghurt pots, egg cartons or cardboard toilet roll tubes.
String old CD's or milk bottle tops together to scare the birds away.
Fill in gaps in your lawn by using grass seeds sowed on used tea-bags!

What shall I do next?

There are lots of different options for recycling in your garden. Why not take a look at these:

Buying peat-free and reduced-peat compost
Recycled seed pots
Using peat-free soil conditioner
and the Home Composting website

Can It Be Recycled ?

2010-12-19T21:03:00.000+05:30

Shredded Paper
Yes, in many cases. Some local authorities will accept shredded paper with your regular kerbside collections or at your nearest paper bank.

How should I recycle it?
Some local authorities will accept shredded paper together with your other paper items via your local authority’s kerbside collections or at your nearest paper bank. If so:

Make sure it is free of plastic.
Don't put it loose into open recycling boxes as it will blow away!

Other local authorities ask for shredded paper to be recycled in the cardboard recycling banks only. Check your local authority’s website, or give them a ring to make sure.

If your local authority does not accept shredded paper, then either don't shred it (if appropriate) or give it to a private company to dispose of.

Understanding shredded paper issues

Some local authorities will not collect shredded paper. This is because although, technically, shredded paper can be recycled, some paper mills cannot take it. There are two main reasons for this;

the average fibre length paper has decreases with shredding, and thus paper made from it will be weaker, and
shredded paper can be difficult to handle at the mill and depending on the equipment there, it can cause maintenance problems and fire hazards.

What else can I do with it ?
Avoid it!

Avoid shredding your papers - unless you are worried about confidential information getting into the wrong hands. This will make the paper more easily recyclable.

Recycling at Work

2010-12-19T20:54:00.000+05:30

01. Benefit your business

People like to be able to recycle at work - just as they can at home. There are lots of benefits to recycling at work too, such as:

It's easy to set-up and run;
It saves space and can reduce clutter;
It's cost effective and can save your company money;
It reduces waste going to landfill, saves energy and helps tackle climate change.

02. Find a Local Recycling Service Provider

Before you can get started you will need to find a recycling service provider in your local area and get a list of companies with services to suit your needs.

03. Setting up a Recycling Scheme

Consider hosting a recycling day or event to launch the new recycling scheme. For example, hold a desk recycling amnesty to encourage staff to recycle as much as they can from their desks.
TOP TIPS

Promote your recycling scheme around the workplace. A range of posters to help you do this are available to download free of charge at www.recyclenowpartners.org.uk.
Remember to position recycling containers in a convenient place, so it’s as easy to recycle as it is to throw things away.
Collect for charity too! Old mobile phones, computer equipment, stamps and printer cartridges can all help to raise precious funds for charities.

04. What else can you do ?

Businesses can cut costs and reduce waste by becoming resource efficient. Waste costs money - not only through the cost of disposal but also through the value of wasted materials.
There are free online training initiatives to help small to medium sized businesses on their way to resource efficiency:

The Rethink Waste initiative to help manufacturing businesses reduce waste; and
The Rippleffect initiative to help businesses cut their water costs.

The closing dates to sign up for the Rethink Waste initiative is Tuesday 28 September 2010 and 15 October 2010 for the Rippleffect initiative, so don’t miss your chance and register your interest today!