I started out beekeeping on my own just the way I learned growing up. With foundation. I had heard the old saws: 1) “It takes twenty pounds of honey to make a pound of wax.” 2) “You can’t extract if you don’t have foundation”. 3) “You will end up with a hive full of drones”….
From Gerald in Cullowhee, NC So–I am now an organic beekeeper. But am cheating a bit–we have no other bees that we know of within a couple miles so no chance of catching something from other hives. Hi Gerald, Glad to hear you are interested in moving to a more beneficial environment for you bees. Regarding the distance…
There was a plea for help from our friend Bryan, over at askbryan.com: Dirt whisperer I am not. Compost pile thawed. It’s a big heaping stinking pile of rotten leaves at the bottom. Not compost at all. I need some cover and food for my garlic, I think. Thought I could use my compost, but…
I could barely sleep last night because of this. Manifesto alert, proceed at your own risk. Everything we post about here on Backyard Ecosystem. Everything underlying the movement toward greening our cites over the last several decades. The very title of the excellent book written by Erik and Kelly over at the blog formerly known as Homegrown…
Several years ago we acquired a shop-light with OTT fluorescent tubes to use for seed sprouting and growing seedlings. OTT lights were specifically developed to provide a more natural light spectrum and seemed like a good idea for seedlings. The fixture was incidentally installed next to the computer and was oftentimes my light source when I sat at the computer. I quickly realized sitting at…
We love having plants indoors, especially vegetables. They make the indoors a refuge in the darker winter months and whet the appetite for outdoor gardening in the spring. A lot of indoor greenery definitely improve our mood in the bleak, frozen winter. Beyond just starting seedlings indoors, there are several things we grow strictly indoors or longer term in pots…
We first met Hannah Crum of Kombucha Kamp through Twitter, and quickly entered the eternal bonds of Kombucha-hood. Soon, we were checking out her website KombucahKamp, trading tweets, and blog comments. So, when she announced the relaunch of her website and New Years ReVolution Event it was an easy decision to interview her about Kombucha and…
I have a confession to make. I have five cast iron skillets in my kitchen. At least one of them belonged to my grandmother, and one or two more to my mother. I use at least one of them almost every time I cook. I cook a lot. I cook a broad spectrum of dishes…
What I know about Kombucha: 1) It is the product of tea, sugar, and a Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY for short). 2) Moderate consumption of Kombucha has helped me personally reduce cravings for Coffee, Alcohol, and Carbohydrates. I feel better when I consume less of these, especially Carbohydrates. 3) While it is commercially available I like what…
Fun for everyone. Great family/school project. Use a shallow dish, the saucer from a house plant is perfect. Add rocks or sticks to keep the bees from drowning. Make a small jar of sugar water by filling the jar half full of White Cane Sugar. Only use White Cane Sugar, if it doesn’t say cane…
Backyard Ecosystem began as an expression of my determination to make a difference in our own backyard. Literally and metaphorically making a difference at the micro level of my yard and to operate at macro level of treating the entire planet as something I am an integral part of and whose destiny is shaped everyday by what I do in my corner of the world.
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