Propagate your own succulents

Our earlier post, Succulents Save, described the use of succulents as versatile landscape option. Here is an environmentally conscious, inexpensive way you can propagate them yourself.

1.
Pull the leaf off neatly
If using a knife, clean the knife thoroughly before slicing.

2.
Allow to dry out for 3-5 days
Place on dry soil and in indirect sunlight.

3.
Water lightly when soil is dry
Overwatering can cause these succulents to rot.

4.
Replant
After establishing a good root system you can replant to your hearts content!


Find more reasons to have a green thumb on the Landscape Impact website

4 Tips to Create a PNW Backyard Paradise

Out here in the Pacific Northwest, we are lucky enough to be in such an amazing climate. Best of all, you can replicate this natural beauty in your own backyard!

1.
Plant in fall or spring

September-March are the rainiest months. The warmest part of this rainy season creates an ideal environment for native species.

2.
Remove Non-native plants

These invasive species tend to crowd out native plants, limiting sun exposure, and absorbing necessary water and nutrients.

3.
Avoid pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.)

These are all harmful to wildlife. Even when you decide to go the “green” route, do your due diligence and check the labels.

4.
Sun lovers in the sun and shade lovers in the shade

Although the plant is native to your region, it may not be right for your yard. Pick another one, there are plenty more to choose from!

Download your full guide from OregonMetro.com

The Power of Natural

Homemade Pesticides

Using chemical sprays to control pests has proven to have many seriously harmful damages on the natural environment and human health. Reversing damages to ecosystems, plant and animal species, water contamination, crop loss, and human health has cost billions.

However, there was a time when products like Roundup did not exist and people used more natural methods to control pests. Biological Control is the practice of using natural means to maintain pests and plants. There are natural ingredients that can be used as effectively as chemical pesticides but lack the harmful side affects. Using these alternatives can lower your contribution to environmental pollution and economic cost by decreasing the dependency on chemical pesticides.

 Here are a few of the many many mixes you can make to use for pest control. These options won't harm your family or pets! You can find more here

Pesticide	Ingredients	Instructions
Oil spray	Combine 1 tablespoon dish soap + 1 cup cooking oil, add 4 tsp soap and oil mix to 1 pint of water	Spray generously once every 7 days to control aphids, thrips, spider mites, and whiteflies
Baby shampoo spray	Combine 2 tablespoons baby shampoo with 1 gallon water	Spray generously and let sit for several hours before rinsing off with water. Do use the spray in the sun of on plants with hairy leaves
Garlic Spray	10-12 garlic cloves with 1 quart of water in a blender, allow to sit for 24 hours, then strain mixture through a cheesecloth into a jar and add 1 cup cooking oil. When ready to use combine ½ cup of garlic mix with 1 gallon water	Apply liberally to plants. The scent of garlic keeps many little pests away
Red pepper spray	Combine 1 tablespoon of red pepper powder, 6 drops of dish soap and 1 gallon of water. Mix thoroughly	Spray generously on plants for control of pests like leafhoppers, spittlebugs, beetles, and loopers
Salt spray	Combine 2 tablespoons salt with 1.5 gallons of warm water, allow to come to room temperature	Spray generously to control spider mites, caterpillars, cabbage worms, and chewing insects
Citrus spray	Boil 4 cups water, remove from heat, add 2 cups orange or lemon peel, let cool and strain.	Spray to repel white flies
Peppermint tea spray	Mix together 1 tablespoon peppermint essential oil with 1 quart water	Spray liberally, repels ants
Chrysanthemum flower tea	Boil 100 grams of dried chrysanthemum slower in 1 liter water for 20 minutes, strain and let cool	Spray generously. Chrysanthemum has a chemical component that attacks insect’s nervous system. Add organic neem oil for enhanced effectiveness.

DIY Approach to Resist Planned Obsolescence

by Eliot Woodrich

From http://tech-kid.com/iphone-4-vs-iphone-5-vs-iphone-6.html

As smartphones, laptops, and tablets have become increasingly common, the rate at which new products are released has also increased. This has changed the focus from durability and maintainability of electronics to flashy features and short-term planning that result in a form of planned obsolescence. The manufacturers' expectation is that a device has a short life, and therefore would be replaced within one or two years, not last a lifetime. With that mindset, through hardware many devices have built-in planned obsolescence.

So what options are available for an average consumer faced with these challenges, and who wants to resist the obsolescence of their purchases?  

Often times, planned obsolescence in electronics can be most easily seen in the construction of the hardware on the device. The latest trends have resulted in fragile, glass-paneled, aesthetically driven products that are nowhere as durable as a Palm Pilot would have been a decade ago. Fortunately, for most devices, and with a bit of research and effort, nearly any issue with a device can be repaired by the consumer (although this would break the warranty, so generally is only necessary after the industry-standard 1-yr warranty has ended).

By Dezertscorpion (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

For instance, the website iFixit lists repair guides for nearly every component in the latest iPhone 6 -- a device that to many people appears to be an impenetrable block of plastic and glass. Common failures like the Home button on iPhones can be easily repaired by following these, or similar guides, and may result in needing to purchasing a ten dollar button instead of a 500 dollar phone as a replacement. The site also contains guides for Android, Windows Phone, and many other electronics.

There are an abundance of tutorials and guides for nearly any device and type of hardware failure online, but the manufacturers of devices with planned obsolescence have managed to convince most consumers that there is no way to repair it yourself. To resist the trend of obsolescence,  keeping the device you already have and learning to repair it can guarantee many additional years of use than the manufacturer's planned.