Another Hydroponics set up!

Here is an email I received not to long ago from the hydroponics guy.

Hey Peter,
I just wanted to shoot you an email, my wife and I dropped by to say hello Sunday at the Garden Show (if you can remember, HA). I'm also the guy who wrote you all the DIY hydroponic stuff for your blog last summer. 

Well.. long story short, my wife and I started a little home gardening business.  We are selling tomato and pepper transplants,and an auto-watering gardening container (which is why I'm writing you).  It's similar in size and shape to the "earthbox", but it has something that the earthbox hasn't thought of yet - a TRUE auto-watering container, no manual refilling required.  You attach the container to a garden hose, either supplied by a rain barrel or wall spigot, and a valve in the container shuts the water off automatically when it's full.  It also has a couple PVC tubes that run horizontally through the soil compartment (with holes in them) that help to aerate the soil and reduce water logged soil.  With a splitter at the supply end, and a few extra garden hoses you could do up to 4 (maybe more?) containers on one supply (rain barrel). 

I think what you are doing is great, for the environment and the economy, and I'd like to work with you to create some synergy to help both of us out.  I was thinking about adding a link to each others pages, maybe special deals (example: if someone bought a container they'd receive a coupon for a barrel and vice versa), or a joint venture at a flea/farmers market. Please email me back at grow@happynessgardening.com and we can talk about some of the specifics.

Oh and if you want to check out our site it's www.happynessgardening.com.

Talk to you soon,
Joseph Nestelroad

The President likes CARROTS!

I Promise to update soon! I have been swamped with WRB request lately and have also been working on a new variation of our standard rain barrel! Until then eats your carrots!

Spining composter redesigned.

After playing around with the original design, we have made some changes. We raised it up off the ground so a wheel barrow could be used under it. Here are the pics!
We are also looking at making one using a 35 gallon barrel for an apartment size spinning composter.......pics to follow soon.

The Rapid Composting Method The author is Robert D. Raabe, Professor of Plant Pathology, Berkeley. and new show dates

Hello everybody. Wichita Rain Barrels has been accepted to the Downtown farmers market! I will be setting up there for three Saturdays in July. The 4th, 11th and 18th abd then on the 25th will be at the Sedgwick County Extension Center for their annual TOMATO DAY FESTIVALE.

I will be introducing the SPINNING COMPOSTER and of course be selling and talking about the RAIN BARRELS.


The link( double click the title) that is attached to this article will direct you to a paper written at Berkley about RAPID COMPOSTING. It is a short read and VERY informative.

I have also remade the spinning composter, I will upload pictures later today so check back and I hope to see all of you at the DOWNTOWN FARMERS MARKET next Saterday.

Intorducing the Spinning Composter

Well everybody, here is the NEW Tumbling composter that many of you have asked for. It is made from the same barrels as we use on our Rain Barrels. The advantage to a tumbling composter is that is can complete a full cycle of composting in a little over 14 days.YES THAT IS 14 DAYS! The trick is that all you need to do is give it a turn every day and that allows the microbes to get sufficient air flow which encourages them to feed and make COMPOST . To the right is the pin that keeps the composter steady for when you are filling it, or when you want to make sure you have it in a different postion then the day before. More information will be forthcoming on our website so look for it soon. Check out Wichitarainbarrels.com!

Go Green with an ECO-FRIENDLY Lawn This Summer

Go Green with an Eco-friendly Lawn This Summer

Article By
Jessica Jensen

Summer is just around the corner, and this is the time of year when we really ramp up our lawn activities– watering, fertilizing, mowing, etc. And all of these can have major negative environmental consequences. Did you know that over 50 million Americans mow their lawns each weekend, and contribute as much as 5% of the country’s air pollution? And it’s staggering to realize that the average American grassy lawn can use over 20,000 gallons of water each summer! So, a major part of any green home strategy should be to embrace eco-friendly lawn and garden care.

Here are 12 ways you can make sure you have an eco-friendly lawn this summer

1. Collect rain water and use it for your plants. Getting a rain barrel or two for your yard is a simple way to collect and reuse Mother Nature’s water. Just put it under your gutter’s down spout and you’ll be amazed how fast it fills up. Check here for more info> wichitarainbarrels.com.

2. Make sure you’re not over-watering. Most of us over-water our lawns. Do you have moss growing on your driveway or sidewalk or in your garden? That’s a sign you’re watering too much. Do you have pools of standing water anywhere? Another sign. You can buy a very inexpensive lawn moisture meter that will tell you if you’re over-watering. You might also consider getting an intelligent irrigation control system that attunes your watering to the weather and your lawn’s needs.

3. Don’t hose down your sidewalks and driveway. That water is a valuable resource and the water you send into the gutter is carrying oil and a host of chemicals out as run-off that go on to pollute our rivers, lakes and oceans.

4. Get a push mower for your lawn. Traditional gas mowers are horrible for our air quality and contribute to global warming. They are major environmental offenders. A good-ole push mower is the eco-friendly solution. (Or if you can’t go all the way to push style, get a plug-in electric model– better than gas.)

5. Say no to leaf-blowers! The gas-powered leaf blowers some people use are major carbon emissions culprits. Say yes to a broom! Your waist-line will thank you too.

6. And when you’re done mowing, leave your clippings on your yard. Those grass clippings make great mulch and will help you save water as well.

7. Be sure to compost your other yard waste. If your city doesn’t collect green waste for composting, please get a composter and do it yourself. It’s super easy and the composter will turn your waste into great mulch for use throughout your yard and garden. Find composters here.

8. Embrace native plants. Plants, flowers and grasses that are native to your region are the most atuned to soil, climate and water particularities. They are great water savers and will thrive with less care than tropical and other imported varieties. And they are gorgeous! Learn more about native landscaping here with our book collection. Or contact a green professional landscape designer or maintainance provider from our green services directory. We have eco-minded landscaping experts listed across the United States.

9. Are you addicted to the look of grass but live in a high-drought area? You may want to consider synthetic grass. It uses no water, lasts over ten years, and looks & feels surprisingly real. Learn more about synthetic grass.

10. Why not start your own organic food garden? Nothing could be better for the planet or your health. Learn how to get started with organic veggies, at Johnsonsgarden.com

11. Use non-toxic fertilizers and pest-control agents for your garden and lawn. Not only are these better for your plants (particularly any food you might eat), they reduce the amount of toxins that run-off into our waterways. Find safe alternatives here.

12. Use solar or LED lighting in your lawn. Solar lighting is obviously an energy-saver. If you don’t find solar lights bright enough, check out LED lights—they are very bright and use very little power. They will last 5-10 times as long as standard outdoor lights. Find energy-efficient lighting options here.

For more information visit Low Impact Living.

Getting Ready for spring

With spring quickly approaching now is the time to start planning any expansions or "renovations" to your existing gardens. This year here at Wichita Rain Barrels we will be putting together a short video demonstrating how to use one of our Rain Barrels to is fullest potential.

WHY HAVE A RAIN BARREL

WHY HAVE A RAIN BARREL?

· One-inch of rainfall on a 1,000 square-foot roof generates 623 gallons of runoff.

· In the summer, 40% of a typical household's water use goes to watering gardens and lawns.

· One barrel with a 125ft. of soaker hose attached will irrigate a flower/vegetable garden for over 6 hrs!

· Rain water is usually soft and free of dissolved minerals. This untreated water is great for indoor plans, your garden and lawn or washing your car.

· Neighbors will be jealous of your new garden toy.

· Once the water is collected IT’S FREE!

· According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, a rain barrel can potentially save most home owners about 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months.

For more information about purchasing a rain barrel, contact PETER DANIELS pmd1131@yahoo.com.

GARDEN PLANNING

Its never to early to start your garden planning. I have began to draw out a new plot for planting vegetables. I will use my rain barrel to irrigate it during the hot summer months. The plan will be to use a soaker hose baried in the dirt about 2 inches down. That way the roots will feed off of the natural rain water and the water will not evaporate and I will have less chance of having mildew grow on the leaves.