Posted October 31st, 2007 by Biopact team
Hope everyone is enjoying the cooler weather the past few days. It finally feels like fall now that we've had our first frost. Yesterday I was out raking leaves with my toddler who spread them out as quickly as I could pile them up....we sure did have fun though!
I also cleaned up my front perennial bed, pulling out all the annuals and cutting back the frost nipped perennials. I debated pulling the sunflowers, but after noticing that all the seed heads were already empty, I yanked them. I still have lots of bulbs to plant along with some plants. Plus, there is topsoil and mulch to be put on the new bed above the new retaining wall. I'll call to order that tomorrow. I never got around to planting any dahlias this spring so the only tender bulb I'll need to dig and store is the enormous elephant ear in the back garden (photo above). I plan to do that over the weekend if time allows.
Have a wonderful Halloween!
Posted October 30th, 2007 by Biopact team
In a study published in the The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, researchers found that the level of one flavonoid in organically grown tomatoes was almost twice as high as that in tomatoes that were conventionally grown. This may give people who choose organic vegetables and fruits in order to avoid pesticides yet one more reason reason to spend the extra money on organic produce.
Posted October 27th, 2007 by Biopact team
Today I made a batch in the processor !
I moved 96 litres of Waste oil into the processor, heated to 55C and added the 21.5 litres of Methanol and NaOH. It then circulated for 2 hours and then settled for another hour. I then drained off from the bottom of the tank about 18 litres of dark red liquid (glycerin) until the liquid became a golden yellow/wheat colour.
Here's a sample:
It looks
pretty cloudy as there's still a few impurities in there. These will drop out (and be filtered out) once the left over methanol is removed. This is done through evaporation (from heating or
naturally to the
surrounding air). I heated this sample on
the hob and took it to about 70c (around 160F) for 5
mins. Once it had cooled a little I decanted it (there was a distinct puddle of dark "stuff" (liquid and a few lumps) in the bottom) and filtered it through a coffee filter (Google suggests a coffee filter is around 20 microns).
In this shot, you can see the line of the darker liquid and the line at the edge of the bio.
The resulting liquid is much clearer!
I also did a quick test known as the 3 in 27 or 3/27 test. You take 27ml of methanol and add 3ml of the biodiesel (ie the sample). once added, you shake/mix for 5 seconds and then look to see if there is any separation. If the process is incomplete, there will be a "bubble" (a bit like in a spirit level) under the methanol. if there is no bubble, it means the reaction is at or around 96% complete (which is good!). This batch had NO bubble!
Posted October 27th, 2007 by Biopact team
Hi earthly gardeners!
Just popping in to brag a bit about my tiny backyard garden. I placed cardboard from a moving box on top of scalped bermuda grass lawn, then layered on leaves, mulch, potting soil, etc. then planted green beans. Just a few months later, and they are up and producing quite nicely. I just picked about a pound of beans, which is more than enough for husband and I with some leftover. I also stuck a few beans here and there in some potted plants I have, and they are also producing a few beans at a time. It all adds up!
I usually garden one way or another throughout the winter here....this year I'll be working on getting in new beds for the spring. I'm planting natives (because they take so much less water and are not invasive and do well), focusing on bee, butterfly and bird plants.
I hope I can inspire at least one of you to grow some food in that wasteful lawn....good for you AND the earth!
happy trails,
bobbi c.
Leander, TX
Posted October 26th, 2007 by Biopact team
This is a mockorange called 'White Sensation' and it's one great plant. I told you in an earlier post about how I planted three of them behind my little waterfall and about how special they are because they bloom twice per year. Well, they've got several flowers on them right now and they are so sweetly scented....it's heavenly! What a great plant. I can't wait to see them in the spring.
We finally got some rain here, though not enough. The pond has lost a lot of water and we've been refilling it gradually with tap water. I feel like it's such an odd time of year to see a parched garden.
I made a lovely little garden bouquet a few days ago for a dinner guest. It was made from bright pink zinnias, roses, salvia and a few pink cosmos in a clear square vase. What a simple and sweet centerpiece. I almost went with the ubiquitous clump of funny looking gourds to center the table, but the bouquet was so much more charming...if unseasonal!
Posted October 19th, 2007 by Biopact team
My stinkin' lousy little dog dug up the tulips I planted! I could scream! I was walking around outside and found a bulb in the grass, then I noticed all the holes in the garden. Of course since I didn't catch her in the act, I couldn't do anything but silently fume at her. Plus what I wanted to say was not suitable for my two year old's ears. She's a great little dog, but boy, she really works us over. I managed to find most of the bulbs in the dirt piles she made and put them back into the holes. Gotta love doing the same job twice....
Posted October 18th, 2007 by Organic Minded
From the earliest times garlic has been used as a food. Garlic has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years, dating as far back as the time that the Egyptian pyramids were built. Here you can see that garlic can be used ornamentally as well
The leaves, stems(scape) and flowers(bulbils) on the head(spathe) are also edible and most often consumed while immature and still tender.
You can grow your own garlic and now is the time to get started. Garlic can be grown in spring as well, but to get the biggest and best bulbs the plant needs the winter time to set its' root system and begin to set its' bulb as well.
- Plant from October 1st through November 1st or anytime right after the first killing frost.
- Leave the outer skin on the bulbs and do not separate cloves from the bulbs until you are ready to plant.
- Plant cloves root end down, 4 to 6 inches apart in rows.
- Cover with 2 to 4 inches of soil. The best soil offers good drainage and ample organic matter. Be sure to prepare the area by working the soil with a garden fork and add some quality compost. Consider adding worm castings and some organic fertilizer that will supply balanced nutrients (e.g. 10-10-10). By applying the organic fertilizer in the fall the nutrients will be available in the spring when the garlic begins actively growing.
- Keep weeds under control. You can facilitate this by mulching with a quality mulching material. Garlic does not do well in competition with weeds.
- Once the growing season begins in the spring make sure the developing garlic has ample water while growing, but let the ground dry out a few weeks before harvest.
- Harvest when the tops start to die and fall over (usually in midsummer).
- When harvesting, shake the dirt off. Clip the roots and tops, leaving an inch of stem above the bulb, then place on screens to dry for four to six weeks. Obviously, if you want to do garlic braids such as those in the picture above, then you would want to leave the tops intact. If you can, find a screen to lay the garlic on which would allow the leaves to hang down straight.
Garlic is easy to grow and doesn't have a lot of problematic diseases or pests. As a matter of fact it is a great companion to grow to help protect the plants around it.
Organic gardeners know that diversity in the garden creates a healthy and beautiful environment. It's also believed that certain plants help enhance the growing environment for other plants. Garlic is one of these plants and is often paired up with roses, as garlic is said to ward off pests that attack roses.
Garlic is a great choice for fall planting.
Happy gardening, organically...
Christy
Mother Earth's Farm
Posted October 14th, 2007 by Biopact team
I was out this morning after the show and did some more clean-up chores. I pulled out some annuals and yanked the tomatoes and peppers (I know, I know, they still might ripen on the windowsill, but truthfully, I'm tired of tomatoes....). I also planted some tulips and daffs around the veggie garden fence. I only plant Darwin hybrid tulips anymore because I know they will come back year after year. I put in a bunch of orange ones called 'Daydream' and pink ones called 'Pink Impression'. Doug gave me a bag of 'Sir Winston Churchill' daffs, his personal favorite, so I also planted those too.
I still have lots more to go, especially out front. But that's a chore for another day. I hope the weather stays nice for a few more weeks...though we could really use some rain right now.
I'm hoping to get on the ball here soon and start putting some pictures up on this blog. Several folks have asked me via email to include them so they can see what the heck I'm talking about. I'm not very tech savvy, but my husband just showed me how it works so I'll give it a try later this week, promise!
Posted October 11th, 2007 by Biopact team
Since the amount of gardening chores still on my plate is incredibly overwhelming, I decided to get started on some of the clean-up related items. Yesterday I emptied all my pots and pitched the contents into the unofficial compost pile on the far side of the fence. It felt good to get the old wheelbarrow cranking again...it's been sitting in the shed idle since spring. I pulled out some spent cosmos and basil plants and thought about doing the same with more of the annuals that are planted where I want to nestle some bulbs. Notice I said I 'thought about it'....I didn't actually do it. I ran out of time.
I did, however, manage to get the pond and waterfall covered with that leaf netting. It was easier than I expected since I found all the cut-to-fit pieces from last winter. I think the fish don't know what hit them with this sudden cool weather. The dogs aren't complaining though, they are acting like a couple of puppies since the temps have dropped. Funny how they do that.
