Olden Oasis

Growing Lettuce in Hydroponic Trays Year Round Introduction Hey there! Today, we're going to talk about how you can grow lettuce in hydroponic trays all year round. It's a cool way to have fresh veggies whenever you want! What You'll Need Materials: - Hydroponic trays - Lettuce seeds - Water - Nutrient solution - Grow lights Equipment: - pH meter - EC meter - Thermometer Setting Up Your Hydroponic System First, you'll need to set up your hydroponic trays. Fill them with water and add the nutrient solution according to the instructions. Make sure the pH and EC levels are right by using the meters. Planting Your Lettuces Next, it's time to plant your lettuce seeds in the trays. Make sure to space them out evenly and cover them with a thin layer of growing medium. Keep the trays under the grow lights for about 12-16 hours a day. Caring for Your Lettuces Check the water levels in the trays regularly and top up if needed. Keep an eye on the temperature and ad...

Growing Vegetable Plants in Rockwool Cubes Hey there, fellow gardeners! Today we're going to talk about a cool way to grow your own vegetables using rockwool cubes. It may sound fancy, but it's actually pretty simple and fun. Let's dive in! What You'll Need: First things first, you'll need some rockwool cubes . These are like little sponges that help your plants grow strong and healthy. You'll also need some vegetable seeds, a tray to hold the cubes, and water. I personally use these hydroponic grow trays with dome lids. Step 1: Soak the Cubes Before you plant your seeds, you'll need to soak the rockwool cubes in water. This helps them absorb moisture and provides a good environment for your plants to grow. Step 2: Plant Your Seeds Once your cubes are nice and soaked, it's time to plant your seeds. Make a little hole in the top of each cube and drop a couple of seeds in. Some seeds are so tiny and I generally end up planting more than two in...

Image by Sydney Swann from Pixabay How to Protect Your Property from Flooding with Levees What are Levees? Levees are barriers built to prevent flooding by holding back water. They are usually made of dirt, sand, or concrete and are built along rivers, lakes, or coastlines. Why Build Levees? Levees are important because they help protect homes, buildings, and farmland from being damaged by floods. By diverting water away from these areas, levees can prevent costly repairs and keep people safe. How to Build Levees Building levees requires careful planning and construction. First, you need to determine the height and length of the levee needed to protect your property. Then, you will need to gather materials like dirt or sand to build the barrier. Make sure to compact the materials tightly to prevent water from seeping through. Additional Tips: Consider hiring a professional to help design and build the levee. Regularly inspect and maintain the levee to ensure it remains effective. Be a...

Foraging dandelion greens Now is the perfect time to forage for the perfect greens that commonly grow naturally in your own backyard. Yes, I am referring to dandelion greens. The dandelion plant is known as a common weed, but it is chalk full of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Dandelions are what some people call a lawn nuisance, but I like to think of them as free health food. These jagged, saw-toothed plants are edible from root to flower, and they are actually known as a superfood. If you don't have a lawn full of dandelions, they are also available as a tea, supplements, and in some grocery stores, fresh dandelions can be purchased in the produce aisle. Dandelion greens can be picked, rinsed, and cleaned, then eaten raw or cooked just like any other type of green that you may buy or grow in your home garden. So why would you want to eat dandelions? For one thing, dandelions are free food. They grow organically on the lawns of most residential homes, and for another...

Old-fashioned tin-can bread So, you'd like to make a loaf of homemade bread, but you don't have a bread pan. That's not a problem! Today, allow me to show you how I make basic mini loaves of bread quickly and simply by using clean, empty tin cans. Yes, it can be done easily. No pun intended. Just make sure that you grease the inside of your tin cans well with cooking spray. Ingredients: 3 cups of self-rising flour 2-1/4 cups of milk cooking spray for greasing your tin cans Instructions: For this recipe, you can use 15-ounce cans or 28-ounce cans. Only fill the cans about halfway with the dough. Today I am using two 15-ounce cans and one 28-ounce can. (The larger cans will need a little more baking time.) In a bowl, add the self-rising flour. Slowly pour in the milk. Mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon or spatula until they're combined. This is supposed to be a wet, unkneaded dough, but it should not be overly wet. Add extra flour if needed. Grease your tin cans with...

Tips on purchasing pork If you are a fan of pork steak, pork chops, pork ribs, bacon, and pulled pork, today I will be sharing some guides to help you save money, as well as tips on what cuts you might want to start buying instead of buying pre-cut and pre-cured selections.  Instead of buying pork that is already pre-cut and pre-cured, it generally saves money by purchasing pork roasts, or pork shoulders, and curing and slicing the meat yourself. While shopping for pork can sometimes be confusing, hopefully my article today will help you better understand the difference between the two different hams, pork roast, ribs, and Boston butt. Boston butt (pork shoulder): is the upper portion of a hog's FRONT shoulder. Not only does it make a really good cut for barbecuing, making pulled pork, but it's also a good cut to use for slicing pork chops, and making homemade country-style bacon. Boston butt has always been fairly inexpensive to buy, which is why it's often a go-to choice....

Wild edibles to forage If you're interested in foraging for free healthy food then today's article might be right up your alley. Every year during spring, summer, and fall, I enjoy going foraging for wild edibles. I believe that there's a better way of living through foraging. For one, it's an enjoyable experience just being outside and for another it's a way to learn about different plants that grow in the wild, and the third reason that I enjoy it so much are the natural health benefits of eating what I find. First I'd like to stress to you: when foraging, if you aren't familiar with a wild plant leave it alone. There's several that are indeed very poisonous. If you are new to foraging, take someone who's knowledgeable about wild edibles along with you at least for the first couple of times that you go out to forage.  Never take more from nature than you actually need. Remember that animals in the wild also need these wild edibles to survive. Wild ...