Alternative fuels > Bio-diesel Fuel
The rarely heard of, yet incredible SVO source
oldnslow:
ixtow, I appreciate trying to do something with nothing. By having virtually zero disposable income myself I feel your pain. It took a year to get the Listeroid cash. But it is important to live debt free. Its emotion and lack of self control that gets in my way, as you can see in my earlier dramatization a few posts up. May I make a few suggestions for scrounging?:
You can grow very well in 5 gallon pails with lava rock 3" in the bottom and a moderately draining top soil thereafter up to about 4" from the top. Drill 3 drain holes 120 deg apart about 4" up from the bottom. Do not drill a bottom center hole, unless you are growing shrubbery, which we are not doing here. Each pail now becomes a semi-hydroponic cell. You can get pails free from fast-food places, grocery stores or on the side of the road. Go around and ask, you will be suprised. (I have done this, I know it works) Get "food" pails, not "paint" pails if possible.
One very important thing. I have been thinking about this alot. You are very lucky to have a nearby tree. If you propagate cuttings, they will have the same attributes as the parent. What I mean is, they will behave like they are the same AGE as the parent. This means that as soon as they have enough biomass within them they will produce seeds in season. You will be way ahead.
Go on the web and search for "propagation of woody ornamentals from cuttings"
Keep the date on your notes too (daylength and temp matter alot). Nothing new here just that you can scrounge this stuff very cheaply.
Sources: Pails...Free from McDonalds (pickle pails) etc.
Lava Rock: Cheap (but not totally free) from wholesale landscape suppliers (where you load with a shovel yourself) little more in bags. you don't need that much
Soil: Try using your existing top soil. If not buy peat based soil and blend it with yours, etc.
Irrigation: This can be tough but shop around garage sales or thrift stores for irrigation clocks, drip heads and watering wands (intermatic timers work good, simple repairable) battery powered drip kits from Toro are pretty cheap at Ace hardware. (but not free)
Greenhouse: Too expensive. You can get by without one if you use the pails.
Nothing is perfect. stay small but take your time and you should at least be able to get a row of 5 pails growing within 3 months. Good luck.
ixtow:
--- Quote from: oldnslow on May 24, 2006, 05:19:30 PM ---ixtow, I appreciate trying to do something with nothing. By having virtually zero disposable income myself I feel your pain. It took a year to get the Listeroid cash. But it is important to live debt free. Its emotion and lack of self control that gets in my way, as you can see in my earlier dramatization a few posts up. May I make a few suggestions for scrounging?:
You can grow very well in 5 gallon pails with lava rock 3" in the bottom and a moderately draining top soil thereafter up to about 4" from the top. Drill 3 drain holes 120 deg apart about 4" up from the bottom. Do not drill a bottom center hole, unless you are growing shrubbery, which we are not doing here. Each pail now becomes a semi-hydroponic cell. You can get pails free from fast-food places, grocery stores or on the side of the road. Go around and ask, you will be suprised. (I have done this, I know it works) Get "food" pails, not "paint" pails if possible.
One very important thing. I have been thinking about this alot. You are very lucky to have a nearby tree. If you propagate cuttings, they will have the same attributes as the parent. What I mean is, they will behave like they are the same AGE as the parent. This means that as soon as they have enough biomass within them they will produce seeds in season. You will be way ahead.
Go on the web and search for "propagation of woody ornamentals from cuttings"
Keep the date on your notes too (daylength and temp matter alot). Nothing new here just that you can scrounge this stuff very cheaply.
Sources: Pails...Free from McDonalds (pickle pails) etc.
Lava Rock: Cheap (but not totally free) from wholesale landscape suppliers (where you load with a shovel yourself) little more in bags. you don't need that much
Soil: Try using your existing top soil. If not buy peat based soil and blend it with yours, etc.
Irrigation: This can be tough but shop around garage sales or thrift stores for irrigation clocks, drip heads and watering wands (intermatic timers work good, simple repairable) battery powered drip kits from Toro are pretty cheap at Ace hardware. (but not free)
Greenhouse: Too expensive. You can get by without one if you use the pails.
Nothing is perfect. stay small but take your time and you should at least be able to get a row of 5 pails growing within 3 months. Good luck.
--- End quote ---
Sadly, it would be illegal to grow Chinese Tallow, so I'll just have to propagate my Orange Trees instead... Golly, I wouldn't want to break any laws.
That's excellent help Old'. All these 5gal drywall compound buckets, from remodeling, are about to get used. As soon as the brass casings I keep picking up at the range are sorted and/or melted and thusly no longer occupying the 20 or so buckets.................. ;-) It's a habit I just can't break.
Doug:
Maybe its an urban legend, but I've heard Hemp can also produce a lot of oil.
Its a little hard to grow of feild of it though......
Doug
ixtow:
--- Quote from: Doug on June 24, 2006, 07:35:57 PM ---Maybe its an urban legend, but I've heard Hemp can also produce a lot of oil.
Its a little hard to grow of feild of it though......
Doug
--- End quote ---
Er, wouldn't know about that. But it makes great rope...
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