Mix your own non-toxic weed killer......Maybe worth a try

Thistles suck and they resprout from a piece of root 1/8 of an inch long.  Learn how to get rid of them without going to the dark side (i.e. chemical killers).



We re-graded the yard a year ago and its green pelt has sprouted a crop of thistles that would repel Norwegian invaders (which is exactly what happened in Scotland in the 13th century and that’s why Scots made the thistle their official plant.  I hope they’re happy.)

Is it possible to eradicate the thorny infestation?  

Before you answer, here’s some trivia about Canada thistle, the over-muscled cousin of Scottish thistle:
•    Its seeds remain viable for up to 21 years
•    Its taproot can travel to a depth of 5.5 meters (18 feet)
•    Lateral roots can extend as much as 6 meters (20 feet) in a single season
•    Those lateral roots produce colonies of clones
•    New plants can erupt from root pieces as small as 3 mm (1/8-inch)

Thistles are the zombies of the weed world.

Dandelions aren’t much better.  They’re poking through my heavily mulched flowerbeds as if to say, “Nice try, but a 10-inch thick layer of mulch is like a 4 SPF sunscreen for us piss-a-beds.”  (Dandelions used to be called 'piss-a-beds' because of their strong diuretic properties.)

I’ve found three effective, natural weed-disciplining techniques.  One is cheap, one is easy and one is so much fun you’ll squeal.

1. Cheap Homemade Solution: Boil 1 pound of salt in one gallon of white vinegar until the salt dissolves.  Add a squirt of dish soap.  Pour the cooled mixture into a spray bottle.  Apply to weed foliage.  This concoction kills anything green in about 24 hours and that includes grass, so watch your aim.  Cost: About $4

2. Scotts EcoSense Weed B Gon - The kid-and-pet-safe EcoSense formulation exposes weeds to excessive amounts of iron (absorbed through their leaves and roots when you spray it on).  Oxidation damages the interior cell walls and the weed turns black and shrivels to nothing over the next five days. The beauty of EcoSense Weed B Gon is that it only attacks broadleaf weeds, not grass (iron is actually a nutrient for turf), so you can spray it all over your lawn and only the weeds will die.  Suck it, weeds.  Cost: $20 for 2 litres, available at most hardware and gardening centers.


3. Fiskars Stand-up Weed Puller - This is the squealy one. This tool rocks, literally and figuratively.  You don’t have to bend over at all to pull out weeds, even stubborn thistles.  At its business end, this lightweight implement has steel tines that grab the weed underneath the soil surface.  When you gently rock back on the handle (using the foot rest as a fulcrum) the weed comes out easily with roots intact.

 
There are two Fiskars models - the basic model is $30 but it’s a bit short for good leverage, so if you can spend $50 on the extendable-handle model, it’s worth it for the extra length.  TIP:  The smaller the weed, the shallower you press the tines.  This will limit the size of the resulting soil divot.  Available at Canadian Tire.

I collected a heaping bushel basket of thistles in under an hour using my Stand-Up Weed Puller.  It’s the most fun you can have while naked from the ankles down.

Dem darn mosquitoes.....

Get ready for summer

Plant lemongrass as a natural way to keep mosquitoes away

Eating Well in New England

It doesn't get any better than this!

Spring is finally here and all of us eagerly await the fresh foods and produce our gardens or in many cases local farmers cultivate.  A far cry from the cardboard tasting tomatoes and other produce sprayed with who knows what that we eat all year. 

Here is a list of some of great roadside stands and pick your own farms in Massachusetts.

We need to support these hard working people in order for them to survive and allow the “Green” “Organic” market continue to grow.  Besides, it’s healthy and taste great!

http://www.massfarmstands.com/

This may be a little early but who can wait!

Take Out The Papers and the Trash.... (Less Often)

February 9th, 2013

 

Back in the ” old days” (really not so long ago), garbage bins weren’t plastic, but steel and the garbage truck had a couple of guys hanging off the back who would empty the bins.

Today, garbage collection is a much more sterile affair in many parts of Australia. There are no “garbos”; just the driver. Various sensors and hydraulic equipment on the trucks pick up the bin, dump the contents into the truck’s garbage bay and places it back down. It’s every efficient – in some respects.

One of the benefits I’ve experienced in my green journey is I’m generating less waste and it takes weeks to fill a bin. But being a creature of habit, I was still dragging my bin to the kerb each week even though it wasn’t full.

On a recent bin day, I was watching as the truck approached and marvelling at how big these things are with all their whizz-bang gadgetry. Then it dawned on me that making this metallic monster stop for what is often a small bag of garbage was pretty dumb and not at all green.

The modern garbage truck weighs anything between 13 and 25 tonnes, without trash. Each time it stops, picks up a bin and moves away again, a lot of energy is required to do so. That energy is supplied by fossil fuels.

Nowadays, I wait until my bin is full before putting it out for collection. This means instead of 50 stops a year, the truck will only have to stop at my place 8 to 10 times a year. Families may not be able to reduce pickups to this level, but even if they can shave off a few stops a year; it all helps.

I was talking to someone about this action recently and they expressed concern about the smell of garbage piling up over weeks. As part of living a greener life that includes actions such reducing food waste, composting veggie scraps or using them in a worm farm, it means garbage becomes “cleaner”, so smell isn’t a problem.

How much fuel, emissions and wear and tear this saves I have no idea and while this is certainly not going to save the world, it’s just another example of simple green actions that collectively can help significantly reduce our personal environmental impact.

Michael Bloch
Green Living Tips.com

Coming to a town near you! From the Norfolk Times

Norfolk Continues to Turn Green

The new solar array built atop the capped landfill off Medway Branch RD. is the latest solar project to go online in Norfolk. Already, the sun’s rays are being harvested into clean energy at MCI Norfolk and Massachusetts Audubon Stony Brook. The town is becoming a full participant in the green energy movement and is one of several Massachusetts municipalities turning capped landfills into energy producing facilities. “This project has turned an old landfill into a producer of clean, domestic electricity,” says Norfolk Selectman Rob Garrity. “We're not using energy derived from foreign natural gas or coal supplies.”
The new solar array went online June 20th and is the result of a partnership between the town and Constellation New England. In this arrangement, the town is the landlord and purchaser of power, while Constellation develops and operates the solar array. Other towns to enter similar arrangements include Canton, Scituate, Easton Duxbury and Holbrook. One of the key factors driving this trend is the positive impact local leaders hope it will have on budgets.
This is true in Norfolk’s case. “The panels will provide the town with a benefit of $230-250,000 per year, at very little upfront cost to the town,” Garrity explains. “We were responsible for clearing and grading some of the land, but we didn't have to front a large amount of money."
The town’s investment was less than $100,000. “We had to invest, $70,000 to clear those trees to prepare the land,” says Town Administrator Jack Hathaway.
The town also had to set aside some additional land to protect the habitats of native Eastern Box Turtles.
The investment has the potential for long term savings. If energy prices go up, the savings could be greater than the projected $230,000 to $250,000. The town has a fixed price for energy purchase from Constellation that goes up slightly over the next 20 years.
The Norfolk solar array project faced typical difficulties but according to Garrity nothing major. “For Norfolk the difficulties were similar to the difficulties any time you do something for the first time,” he explained.
The main issues the town faced dealt with procurement policies, understanding the necessary permits needed, and crafting the request for proposal that would attract the company that would develop, own and operate the solar arrays. One issue Garrity feared never materialized. “It wasn't as hard a sell at Town Meeting as I thought it would be,” he says. “There have been so many very supportive people in town. Folks like Jack [Hathaway], Bob Bullock, Bob MacGhee, the Advisory Board, the other two selectmen, and particularly the Energy Committee which bird-dogged the project throughout the process.”
Now that the project has moved from a concept to reality, town officials are happy with the results. “I am thoroughly pleased with the project,” Garrity says. “On a personal level it's so fulfilling to be able to do something, to see something through to completion, particularly something that will benefit the town.”

Natural and helps everyone

Ever though of raising your own honey bees?  From what I'm told it's an interesting hobby that also provides you with delicious honey.

There are a few of my clients that raise bees and the honey from those hives is nothing like what you purchase in the stores.  Raw and unfiltered it has a clean fresh flaver that's great on anything...including just a spoon.  In fact I'm thinking of starting my own hives once I learn more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2pQ4YklToc

Are You Going Green Yet?

An interesting article from Constructech..change is slow but coming

Buyers Want Green Homes

Homebuyers want energy-efficient homes. More precisely, nine out of 10 buyers prefer to purchase a home with green features, according to a survey released last week from the NAHB (National Assn. of Homebuilders), www.nahb.org, Washington, D.C. Technology in the home, such as energy monitors and controls, can provide buyers with an eco-friendly home.

The survey from NAHB, “What Home Buyers Really Want,” unveils top concerns and priorities among homebuyers today, one of which is the desire to have energy-efficient homes. This is partly due to the fact these homes have permanently lower utility bills.

Home-automation technology can help by providing homebuyers with controls to better monitor and manage energy consumption. These days, homebuilders are more often including technology in homes to meet the desires of homebuyers.

In response to the survey, Destiny Homes, www.destiny-homes.com, Deephaven, Minn., also identifies a wish list of features home renovators and buyers are typically looking for in homes today. One of the top five is the desire to have wireless home security systems and whole-house electronics features offering entertainment, ease, and enjoyment.

These types of home-automation systems can also provide green features. For example, with space heating eating up roughly 45% of a homeowner’s utility bills, home energy controls can help save energy and reduce utility costs. More homebuilders, such as Destiny Homes, are offering technology such as this as a value-added, energy-efficient feature in the home.

Destiny Homes also suggests daylighting—or the practice of using natural light rather than internal lighting—as a way to reduce energy consumption in a home as well. While homes can be designed to take advantage of daylighting by placing windows in optimal positions, home controls can also assist by sensing lighting and then automatically turning lights on or off.

As more homebuyers want green features in homes, home-automation technology will inevitably find its way into more residences as a way to provide owners with controls to manage energy consumption throughout the home