Off The Grid News Better Ideas For Off The Grid Living
Dear Editor,
We started our very first garden this year. Before planting, we tilled the soil and put manure and minerals in the ground to create a rich soil for our crops. Our plants are growing extremely well and already producing lots of fruit/vegetables. Unfortunately, our lettuce went bitter rather quickly, so we had to just turn them into the ground. While turning our lettuce over to prepare for a new crop, there were LOADS of grubs everywhere, as many as 50 in one square foot. We dug up the dirt around our other plants and have found more around each one. What do I do?
A Concerned Gardener
Dear Concerned,
The best treatment for grubs in your garden is to introduce natural predators. Grubs have a few of these: certain insects, birds, and predatory nematodes. Depending on what you have growing in your garden, you may not want to introduce birds or insects, so your best bet is to add nematodes. These are tiny microorganisms that prey on many insects (including grubs) and can be ordered from many online outlets. Simply mix them with water and add to your garden. This is the best time of year to treat gardens with nematodes, so don’t wait! One such supplier is Arbico Organics, and they not only have several selections to choose from, their website includes a lot of useful information on grubs. You can find them at https://www.arbico-organics.com/category/beneficial-nematodes.
The Editor
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Dear Editor,
I keep reading about how Mylar bags are the best for storing food, along with oxygen absorbers, but where do you find them? Are there specific characteristics to look for, like thickness, or some other specification?
Shopping for Storage
Dear Shopping,
There are dozens of places that sell Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers for food storage, including well-known and reputable sites like Amazon.com. Many even offer kits that pair both these items together for a discounted rate. In regard to the characteristics, you will want to make sure you are purchasing Mylar bags that are food grade and at least 3.5 mil thick to avoid holes and tears. The two most common sizes are one gallon (10” x 16”) and five gallon (20” x 30”). The one-gallon bags are ideal for storing spices or portioned quantities, while the five-gallon bags are best for items you will be storing in bulk.
The Editor
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