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Old December 16, 2013   #16
Worth1
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How many jars do you want drilled?

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Old December 16, 2013   #17
tlintx
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Hehehe, I think I'll stick with plastic, at least until my toddler gets a little steadier and less destructive. We had a broken jar incident outside and it took an hour to get all the pieces up! And he loves to "help" by rearranging all the seedlings.

On a related note, has anyone embossed old spoons to use as tags?
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Old December 16, 2013   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tlintx View Post
Hehehe, I think I'll stick with plastic, at least until my toddler gets a little steadier and less destructive. We had a broken jar incident outside and it took an hour to get all the pieces up! And he loves to "help" by rearranging all the seedlings.

On a related note, has anyone embossed old spoons to use as tags?
I know what you mean.
Years ago we found our neice in the bathtub playing with the old school razor blades.
No real damage but it wasn't a pretty sight.

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Old December 16, 2013   #19
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I would have keeled over if I saw that. It's like they're trying to freak us out. Mine will find the only unprotected glass object for 100 yards and smash it. Last week he smashed some candlesticks I didn't even realize were part glass! And the way he goes through stemware, I may need to repurpose my mason jar stash sans holes.
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Old December 17, 2013   #20
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Here is my variation on Larry Hall's pop bottle garden. I used juice bottles since we don't drink pop. It worked great for my lettuce and greens. I was able to carry the lettuces inside this fall when frost was in the forecast. The totes are from big lots and were less than $3 each. Add a zip tie and some left over window screen.



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Old December 17, 2013   #21
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Told about this one before but will post it again.

Grease separator.

Big plastic or glass bottle.
Put drippings into bottle with funnel.

Put cap back on with hole in it.
Turn upside down the grease goes to the top the broth comes out the bottom through the hole in the cap.
Put good cap without hole on the bottle and toss in the trash.

Works great.

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Old December 17, 2013   #22
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Hamburger patty press.

Put hand formed patty in skillet.
Cook one side.
Flip over.
Fill sauce pan with water that will just cover the patty.
And place on patty while cooking the last side.
This will keep the patty from shrinking up and it will stay flat.
Adjust the weight of the pan by the amount of water you put in it.

The bottoms of my pans are clean by the way.

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Old December 17, 2013   #23
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I use scrap copper wire to hang bird feeders from tree limbs.
It mever rusts and they last practically forever.

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Old December 17, 2013   #24
tlintx
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rockyonekc View Post
Here is my variation on Larry Hall's pop bottle garden. I used juice bottles since we don't drink pop. It worked great for my lettuce and greens. I was able to carry the lettuces inside this fall when frost was in the forecast. The totes are from big lots and were less than $3 each. Add a zip tie and some left over window screen.
Any chance of a tutorial post over in the Workbench? I've been looking at the Kratky method but wasn't sure what to use in place of the net pots (not a huge market for hydroponics around here as far as I know). Bottles might work pretty well!

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Fill sauce pan with water that will just cover the patty.
And place on patty while cooking the last side.
This will keep the patty from shrinking up and it will stay flat.
Adjust the weight of the pan by the amount of water you put in it.
I saw a technique once that basically steamed the burger with cheese on top by adding a little water to the pan with the burger and putting a lid on it. Looked ridiculously moist and delicious.

I remembered another way I reuse. My MIL bought a cse of tiny bottles of water (yes, I stopped that practice immediately) for my toddler that were perfect, when wicked and inverted inside an old glass, for starting seeds.

You can also make pseudo-net cups out of the cups that Burger King ice cream comes in, as they have a nice lip and are a good size, but they break down really really quickly in sunlight (much quicker than beer cups anyway).
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Old December 19, 2013   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tlintx View Post
I love the yogurt cup idea, do you find they hold the marker well? I bought a box of craft sticks but they literally fell apart after three months in the ground. Was seriously considering buying a metal embosser and reusing some old spoons!

I tried plastic cups last season and the plants were very happy when I got it right, but I found drainage was a huge issue, both during setup and after. I'm going to look at the paper ones!

You'll have no trouble with plastic cups or yogurt cups either if you put the drainage hole in the side of the cup level with the bottom, instead of on the bottom. I use a moto tool with a small (1/4") grinding head to make the holes... about 3 each cup.

Last edited by Got Worms?; December 19, 2013 at 09:53 PM. Reason: add content
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Old December 20, 2013   #26
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Eh, I tried putting holes everywhere -- bottom, side, three, five, seven... turns out you'd need a really big hole to accommodate the fifty million gallons of water that fall in the first 30 seconds of a good Texas Rain. Then the cups drain but the plants -- and dirt -- have bounced out!
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Old December 20, 2013   #27
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Eh, I tried putting holes everywhere -- bottom, side, three, five, seven... turns out you'd need a really big hole to accommodate the fifty million gallons of water that fall in the first 30 seconds of a good Texas Rain. Then the cups drain but the plants -- and dirt -- have bounced out!
Don't you have eaves in TX? As long as your TX rain doesn't come in sideways, your seedlings would be protected. Then again, maybe your seedlings shouldn't be allowed out if you're not there to bring them in when it rains.

Linda
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Old December 20, 2013   #28
tlintx
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Hehehe, we have eaves, but c'mon, there's only room for like sixty seedlings under there! Some are going to be exposed, it's inevitable (because I'm a compulsive seed hoarder/starter). I usually start them outside if it's warm enough, too.

And sometimes it does come down sideways! I had a whole row of pots that were flush with the side of the house get swamped once. Fortunately they were bigger so just needed a little dirt added. And the tote I mix dirt in-- under the eaves AND under a table -- was full to the brim with peat-perlite soup!
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Old December 21, 2013   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tlintx View Post
Eh, I tried putting holes everywhere -- bottom, side, three, five, seven... turns out you'd need a really big hole to accommodate the fifty million gallons of water that fall in the first 30 seconds of a good Texas Rain. Then the cups drain but the plants -- and dirt -- have bounced out!
Fine print...The plastic-cup-drainage warranty is null and void when used in Texas-monsoon conditions.
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