The Cheap Vegetable Gardener

Catching garden pests in the darkness with OutbackCam night camera

13.4 years ago infrared, night cam, pests, product review 3 Comments

In the past I have had a few critters scale or crawl under my fence to snack on my tomatoes.  Without knowing what is going after my crops it is difficult to figure out how to attempt to prevent these attacks.  When Swann approached me to review their OutbackCam I decided this would be the perfect tool to answer this question.

The OutbackCam is a small device that holds a digital camera which with the help of motion sensor and an array of infrared LED lights can take quality pictures/videos of anything that moves within its range during the day or night.

Installation of the devices is very simple, you use the provided strap to attach the device to a fence post, tree, etc. and pull snuggly to keep it in place.  This is fine for catching animals in the act, but if humans are your target you may want to provide your own cable and lock or protected enclosure to prevent someone with a pocket knife walking away with your camera and evidence it may have captured.

The camera provided numerous settings to allow you to choose between taking photos and videos and also the amount of time you want to delay between photos to prevent using up the whole card while lets say you are mowing the lawn.  This configuration I would not call intuitive (meaning I actually had to look at the instructions) but I would consider no more difficult than setting a new digital watch.  Once you understand the settings and the flow it is very easy.

Though it is a few months before I will be able to catch any animals going after my tomatoes I did turn it on and captured some less threatening creatures to confirm the image quality and the number of false positives.

Overall the device was very accurate there were very few false triggers and after I was unable to catch any critters in my garden I decided to simulate a zebra attacking a seedling in my kitchen which was pitch black when the picture was taken. 

One things I did notice when taking the picture above the camera does make a mechanical noise when it takes the picture.  Which could scare away the trespasser (which in my case could be a good thing) but if you are looking to catch many pictures of Bigfoot in your back woods this may not be the camera for you.

The camera uses an SD memory card (same used for many digital cameras) which you can plug into the media slot of your computer to view as needed.

Overall I think this is a great gadget for capturing wildlife (wanted or unwanted) and is easy to setup is pretty effective at capturing photos based on movement in its range.  It is rugged we have had some pretty intense weather here over the past few months (hard rain, hail, snow) and the enclosure has stayed completely dry.  As for using for “human pests” I would recommend using this due to the internal storage of photos and the ease it is for the “pests” to walk off with your photos and your camera.  Though if you are able to install this in a location that is not easily reachable or visible it could work as a standard security camera.

Disclosure: I was given a free sample to review this product but not compensated or affiliated with Swann Communications Inc for this review.

Irrigating with Plastic Bottles

13.4 years ago cheap, guest post, recycle, water 3 Comments

When standing with the hose in hand watering the garden this growing season here’s something to contemplate:

The point of watering is feeding roots but in most cases excess water is wasted falling between and around plants. A watering can is better suited for the task but still lacks precision.

One way to ensure water reaches its target is through a delivery mechanism that takes into consideration low water usage. True, in the realm of eco-friendly gardening there are many types of specialized irrigations systems that direct water but most aren’t feasible devices for the general homeowner.

However, one that could be made at home with little cost involves reusing plastic bottles from water, soda, and other drinks. Any size will work but the 1.5 liter or 1 liter is the easiest to experiment with. All that’s needed besides the bottles are two to three foot thin but sturdy sticks that can fit through the spouts.

Now, there are different ways of setting up the watering system but the basic idea remains the same and can be adapted to fit any situation. 

For example, a simple approach may go something like this:

Simple Method

1. Cut off the bottom of the bottle about an inch up.

2. Making sure not to disturb the plant itself place and the bottle near the base of the plant with the spout down almost completely vertical. Then push the stick through the bottle into the ground so it’s holding the bottle upward. If it leans a bit that’s ok.

3. Pour water into the top (the cut off bottom) and see if it reaches the base of the plant. Adjust if necessary.

Advanced Method

1. From the spout use a marker to draw two lines 5 or 6 inches down each side (at a 180 degree angle) essentially dividing the bottle if you continued all the way around.

2. Connect the ends of the lines by circling around the bottle’s width creating two halves.

3. Carefully cut out one of the halves and remove the spout so you end up with a scoop-like shape.

4. If necessary spend some time trimming it so it has a pointy or shovel-like tip capable of sliding into the ground and resting in place.

5. Cut off the end (the bottom) of the bottle about an inch up.

6. Place the scoop side in the ground.

7. Test with some water and adjust the placement if necessary.

Either way you choose regulate water usage to less than a cup for each plant when possible and in the end this contraption will save on next month’s water bill.

Finally remember the bottles along with any scraps should be recycled when no longer in use or at the end of the season.  They’ll probably be worn from the elements so don’t hesitate to toss them out and use new ones the following year.

Jakob Barry writes for Networx.com, a growing community of homeowners and contractors sharing and monitoring home improvement projects together. He covers various home improvement topics including lawn irrigations tips and grounds maintenance

Encourage Green Fingers (of the Tiny Variety)

11.7 years ago cheap, guest post, kids, square foot gardening Leave a comment

There’s nothing quite like letting a child grow their own vegetables to encourage a fussy eater to try new foods. Kids love to get out in the garden and plant their own veggies (preferably getting as dirty as possible in the process). The only frustration that you might encounter is that seeing results can be a bit of a waiting game, especially for those kids who plant seeds in the morning and expect the fruits of their labor to be ready for consumption within just a few hours! Here’s our top tips for growing vegetables with kids.

What you’ll need …

• Seeds are the starting point for any green fingered adventure. No really! If money is tight, there are numerous ways to get your hands on free vegetable seeds. Just be sure to involve your kids as this will make the whole thing seem even more exciting.
• You’ll also want to get hold of some kid friendly gardening tools. The grown up versions are just too heavy for little hands, not to mention potentially very dangerous.
• A dedicated area of the garden just for them. That is unless you could live with tiny hands pulling up your prize radishes before they’re ready to go and tiny (but surprisingly heavy feet) stomping all over your baby lettuces.

What you should grow …

As mentioned kids like nothing better than instant gratification. There’s not a whole lot of that around in the pursuit of gardening. Although you might very well derive a sense of inner satisfaction from seeing a freshly laid row of seeds, kids often fail to see the attraction. The next best thing to instant gratification is perhaps continual gratification, so draw yourself up a schedule of what is going to ready first and plant accordingly. Once you’ve been going at it for a while, you should be able to come up with a schedule that yields regular results.

1. 1. Cress. We all know cress is not the most exciting thing in the world, but it grows super fast and because of that it’s always a great place to start. Nothing else is going to give you something that’s ready to eat in around a week, plus kids can grow funny cress hair in broken egg cups. What’s not to love?
2. 2. Beans. Another thing that gives kids those quick results they yearn for is beans. They’ll love making a little “tee pee” using bamboo stakes tied together in a pyramid shape. The vine will start to grow within about ten days. It can be fun for kids to watch how quickly the vine shoots up (measure every few days to monitor progress), not to mention the possibility of them starring in their very own version of Jack and the Beanstalk.
3. 3. Cherry tomatoes. Nothing says instant gratification than a food you can eat right off the plant. Go for a variety of different colors to up the fun stakes and without too much delay your kids can start enjoying these sweet, healthy snacks. Just don’t be under any kind of illusion that even one of the cherry tomatoes will reach the kitchen.
4. 4. Potatoes. Growing potatoes can be immense fun with children since when it comes to harvesting time it can rather feel like digging for buried treasure. “I don’t like digging for treasure” said no child ever! It’s undoubtedly a lot of fun, but you must always make sure that children don’t eat the toxic leaves, sprouts, and fruit stems of the plant. For this reason, unless supervision is guaranteed, save the potato growing for older children.
5. 5. Pumpkins. What child would ever pass up the chance of growing their very own Jack O Lantern? Not many, that’s for sure! We love the tip provided by Erica over at Northwest Edible Life who advises that a child’s name carved into the green skin of a softball sized pumpkin will scar over and retain the carving as it grows to maturity. The result is rather fabulous personalized pumpkins.
6. Why not try introducing your children to the delights of growing their own vegetables? It may or may not solve a fussy eating issue, but even if it doesn’t, at least you will have both had fun trying. Isn’t that what parenting is all about?

Author Bio
Linda Forshaw is mum to five year old Freya. As well as being a regular contributor to college resource site Degree Jungle, Linda is a full time writer and blogger specializing in education, social media, and entrepreneurship. Contact her on Twitter @seelindaplay

Pickled jalapeno peppers

15 years ago jalapeno, peppers, recipe 10 Comments

My jalapeno peppers did great this year.  So good I didn’t really know what to do with all of them.  After making some salsa and having several mature red ones as snacks in the garden, I still have about two pounds that I didn’t want to go to waste.  After a little thought I decided to make some pickled jalapeno peppers.

CVG Picked jalapeno pepper recipe

1 cup vinegar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp coriander (mine were still a little green from garden)

1/4 tsp mustard seed

1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:  Mix ingredients and bring brine to boil.  Either slice or leave the pepper whole.  If you choose to do whole peppers, be sure to poke them with a toothpick so they won’t collapse.  Fill jars with jalapeno peppers and then fill with hot brine up to 1/2 in from the top of jar.  Boil for 10 minutes and feel free to pick some pickled peppers as fast and as many times as you want this summer.

How to make a self watering planter with a 5 gallon bucket

11.3 years ago Uncategorized 2 Comments

Container gardening can be an excellent way to take advantage of normally unusable space on your patio or garden.  The main problem I have with container gardens is they can dry out very quickly and for plants like tomatoes and cucumbers this can be a quick death for your plants, my solution to this was to build a self watering planter using just a few tools and a 5-gallon bucket and lid.

Materials for 5-gallon bucket self watering planter:

• 5 gallon bucket with lid
• Another 5 gallon bucket busted one like mine is fine (optional)
• 1.5 feet of 3/4 in PVC pipe (other sizes are ok but aim will have to be better for smaller sizes when watering)
• Utility knife
• 4 inch net pot
• cheese cloth
• Jig-saw (optional but speeds things up)

 

Construction for 5-gallon bucket self watering planter:

Step 1: Make hole for net pot.  I started by tracing the pot on the bottom of my broken bucket.

Obviously if I cut on this line I drew the net would fall right in so a freehanded a line inside with about 1/4 inch in and cut it out with a utility knife.  I chose a square net pot since straight lines are much easier with a knife but if I would going to make a half dozen of these things I probably would get a good hole saw and use some round net pots.

Step 2: Cut bucket to size.  For the desired height of the net pot in the reservoir I found that cutting the bottom of the bucket to 2.5 inches was perfect for me.  Now you can definitely to this with a utility knife, but a jig saw can make the job much quicker.

 

Step 3: Put some pieces together.  Now place the recently cut bucket bottom side up into the other bucket and push down until it is firmly in place.  Then drop in the net pot.

Step 4: Add watering tube.  I decided to cut the bottom of the tube at an angle to ensure that water flow was not blocked when pushed to the bottom (especially if some sediments starts to build up on the bottom.  I also used a hole saw to make sure I had a nice clean circle though this could be done with a utility knife as well with a little patience.

Drop the filling tube in the hole and you are almost ready to start filling the planter with soil.

Step 5: Finishing touches.  I decided to add extra holes to enable some additional aeration from below.

To reduce soil from sneaking into the reservoir I lined the bottom with a couple layers of cheese cloth as a bit of a filter.

Finally I added a overfill hole approximately 1/4 of an inch below the top of the net pot.  This will prevent the plant from getting too much water and also allows a gap of air to exist between the water and the plant for additional aeration.

Step 6: Getting planter ready for plants.  Now it is time to to fill the planter with potting mix.  If you are using organic fertilizer like myself I added some to the mix and combined well in the bucket.  If you are using conventional fertilizer you will want to add a ring on the top of the soil around the perimeter of the planter.  This will ensure you do not shock/burn the newly added plants when they are added.

Next you should top the planter with some plastic.  This will keep weeds from getting in your soil but also help prevent water loss from evaporation.  You can use a dark color to provide some additional heat for something like peppers, but given I was planning on planting some cucumbers I went with white plastic which I conveniently reused from the bag the potting mix came in.  And secure it in place with the bucket lid where I removed the middle quickly with a utility knife.  Note: Don’t throw away the middle if you don’t have an extra bucket to sacrifice for a planter, with some minimal support (PVC pipe and zip ties this could be used as the bottom of a planter.

Step 7: Time to plant.  Start by cutting an X in the plastic to allow enough room to add you plant to you planter.

Finally drop in your plant and add water till you see water coming out of the overflow and enjoy your harvest to come with out having to worry about watering your container plants a couple times a day.

Just for fun when watering I did get some water on the plastic and poked a small hole where the water was piling up.  This will prevent having some standing water when it rains but also provide some free water to the reservoir.

So if you have little/no ground to plant or more like me and just get absent minded to water frequently for about $5-6 in parts and about 15-20 minutes of work you can make your own self-watering planter.

Protecting your seedlings when your weather does not cooperate

15.6 years ago cold season crops, outdoor seed starting, sieve 6 Comments

I like to push the envelope my luck when I decide to start seeds outdoors and this year is not an exception.  Just yesterday I posted about planting the rest of my outdoor seeds where karma responded with a freak snow storm and freezing temperatures.

I am not too worried about about the new seeds I planted since many have been sitting dormant in the refrigerator for almost 12 months so few more days in about the same temperature shouldn’t be too traumatic for the lettuce, carrots, and cilantro.

The plants I have concerns with are the spinach seedlings which have just started to break through the soil.  Fortunately spinach are pretty cold tolerant but weight of the snow on top of them is not a great way for them to start their time in the world.

After a quick search through the garage I found a great solution, a plastic storage tub, which fit perfectly over the irregular rectangular space I planted them.

Tada.   If I wanted to get all fancy, I would add some holes for venting/etc but I chose to set a small cinder block on top and call it good.  After a couple days, I should be able to remove it until the next freak storms comes our way.

Stupid groundhog…

Update: This is what the tub looked like after a few minutes in the sun (instant humidome)