Luxury Container Homes

The ‘Oslo Lux’ is a new container home from Konbuild.com They are best known for their affordable container homes, but have since branched out to include modular homes. The ‘Oslo Lux’ combines the two in a reasonably priced package.

A foldable and expandable shipping container home.
Luxury expandable shipping container home.
Luxury shipping container home. Clean and simple. Grey, white and timber finishes.

GROWING AN AVOCADO TREE FROM SEED

Hass Avocao

Some Fun Fact about Avocados

Call them ahuacatl, avocaat, abogado, avocatier, agovago pears or alligator pear, from guacamole to sushi, the world over has enjoyed avocados in a variety of ways. Once considered to have an aphrodisiac effect in many cultures, avocado growers put a lot of effort into dispelling this reputation to increase its popularity. From guacamole to sushi, avocados have been enjoyed for centuries by all cultures. The fruit of the avocado has been reported to have healthy cardiovascular effects. Avocado oil is now used for many dermatological applications. It has also been reported to have beneficial effects against osteoarthritis

Most of all – they taste good!

Nutritional Benefits of Avocados

Nutritionally, each 3.5 oz. avocado averages 160 calories, 2 grams of protein, 15 grams of healthy fats and only 2 “net” carbs (9grams of carbs with 7 from fibre), making them a friendly low-carb food.

5 Easy Steps to start your avocado tree

Things you will need:

The Set-Up

  1. Cut the avocado lengthwise, being careful not to cut through the seed. Twist the two halves, exposing the seed – remove the pit
  2. Wash the pit carefully-do not use soap, only warm water. Be careful not to remove seed cover. Wash until pit is no longer slippery
  3. Hold the pit with the narrow end up and insert 4 toothpicks about midway – these will support the pit when placed in the glass of water
  4. Make sure your tumbler is wide enough for your pit – set your pit, rounded end down, in the glass and fill it to rim with water
  5. Set in a well-lit, temperate area where it will be undisturbed

Tips:

Time to Pot your Tree

If your climate zone does not get below 50ºF (10ºC)at any time during the year, you can consider growing your avocado tree outdoors.

Things you will need:

  • Potting soil
  • Some river rock
  • A terra cotta or clay pot – 20-25cm (8-10”) diameter-makes sure pot is deep enough to accommodate the roots without injury
Avocado Fruit Buds

Place some river rock in the bottom of your clay pot for drainage. Hold your avocado seedling centred inside the pot, being careful not to break the roots and fill the pot with potting soil, gently packing the soil, leaving the top ½ portion of the seed exposed-this will prevent the roots from rotting.

Tips:

Mature Avocado Tree

Tend to your tree regularly; within a few years (3-4), you will have a beautiful, low-maintenance tree.  However, avocado trees are slow to bear fruit (5-13 years) so you need to be patient.

Plants That Clean the Air

Did you know that plants can help you lead a healthier life? Man has lived with plants since the dawn of time – in jungles and forests, by watering holes, on the savannah and even deep in the ocean.  Plants can help us lead healthier on many levels – environmentally and psychologically. Here’s how!

Every man-made item in your home emits some type of toxic compound in small quantities. However, if you have enough of them at the same time, they can become overwhelming, leading to headaches, nausea, and more. If you have ever gone to a carpet store, lumber yard or new bedding store and started to feel light-headed, more than likely it was the formaldehyde and other toxins you were experiencing.

Rather than spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars purchasing air-cleansing devices, you can purify you’re the air in your home naturally, while bringing color, fragrance and beauty through plants.  Plants help absorb the particulates in the air and turn carbon dioxide into pure oxygen; this helps cleanse the air in your home to help you breathe better.

Fortunately, nature has a way of keeping itself clean. There are many powerful air-purifying plants that naturally remove pollutants from the air. Instead of scattering single plants, create groups and displays in each room for a great look and maximum air quality. For example, a 2000sf homerequires approximately 15-20 plants.

Pop Quiz: Do you know what these six plants have in common?

Boston FernBoston ferns need a cool place with high humidity and indirect light -make sure that the fern’s soil remains damp

Peace LilyThe peace lily thrives in both low and bright light. Keep the soil slightly moist and feed monthly during spring and summer with an all-purpose liquid fertilizer. Low-light conditions inhibit flower production.

Garden MumPlace the chrysanthemum in bright, indirect light. Check the soil’s moisture every other day, and keep it damp. Don’t bother with fertilizer, as it won’t re-bloom.

AnthuriumAnthurium plants can tolerate all levels of indirect light; in low light will produce fewer flowers and grow slower. Anthuriums cannot tolerate direct light; this can burn the leaves. They grow best in bright, indirect light.Also, they require the soil be free draining but hold some water

DracaenaKeep the soil damp but not soggy. A pot sitting in a water-filled saucer is the kiss of death for this plant. Feed monthly during spring and summer with an all-purpose liquid fertilizer

SansevieriaIf you have a tendency to forget to water you plants, this is the perfect plant for you! Sansevieria can be neglected for weeks at a timeand still look fresh. Additionally, they can survive low light levels, drought and have few insect problems

Answer: They all remove formaldehyde from the air!

Additionally, they remove toluene, benzene, xylene, trichloroethylene and ammonia.  Plants naturally “scrub” our environment of these chemicals that are introduced into our atmosphere primarily by cars and the manufacturing industry. Other natural irritants come from pollens, bacterial and moulds.

Going green and living healthier is more than recycling water bottles – using something as simple as plants to keep the air in your home fresh and allergen-free is smart living.

Share your “Getting Green” tips and trivia with us!

HOW TO CARE FOR INDOOR PLANTS

When it comes to taking care of indoor plants, sometimes, even your best intentions can go awry!  Too much water and they drown. Too little water and they wither and die. Too strong a fertilizer, to weak a fertilizer, too little sun, too much light – the lists of do’s and don’ts goes on endlessly.

How is one to know what to do?

One of the best things you can do as a plant-lover is to arm yourself with information.  Where once you had to buy volumes of books and read through all the boring stuff to get to what you needed to know, now the internet has become your best friend.  Having a beautiful coffee-table version of the best plant book on earth is wonderful. You can browse it at your leisure.  But when you want answers, the quickest, most efficient way is to search the internet.

One of the most recommended products for organic pest control is Neem oil.

Uses for Neem Oil

Neem oil is a naturally occurring oil that helps control:

Neem oil is a popular choice in organic gardens, indoors and outdoors because it is:

Tips for your plants

Remember, each plant is special and has specific needs. Once you get comfortable with a care routine, you can sit back and enjoy all your beautiful, healthy plants.

Do you have some favourite houseplant, perhaps a spider plant, Bird of Paradise or African violet? Tell us about it and how you care for it:

10 OF THE EASIEST HERBS TO GROW INDOORS

Nothing beats cooking with fresh herbs. The flavour cannot be compared to dry herbs, unless of course you dried them yourself! With a little effort and a few simple supplies, no matter where you live, whether it is an apartment or house, you can have an indoor herb garden year round! Place them in a sunny window of you kitchen and enjoy fresh herbs every day!

Here is a list of the 10 most popular herbs, their characteristics and some uses; follow the easy potting directions for a hassle-free indoor herb garden.

Things you need:

Herb Characteristics and Uses How to start Best locatio
Basil Sunny flavour, sweet. Use ongreen beans, potatoes, peas, tomato sauces,chicken dishes, salads. Add on prepared dishor at end of cooking time Basil is best started from seed. Sow seeds generously in pots-don’t plant too deep- 1/4-1/2” Basil needs lots of humidity and sun – cut the bottom off a litre bottle of pop and put over basil to create a “terrarium” effect- keep moist but not wet
Bay Leaf Mint like, pungent Used in gumbos,sauces, stews Bay Laurel is a tree and will grow best if purchased as a seedling. Plant in a pot that will allow for a tap root-transfer when roots come out the bottom Water deeply; allow soil to dry out slightly in between.Bring indoors before the hard frost and put outside after the frost period. Mine does best in my cold kitchen next to a window.
Chives Mild onion flavour. Use as final flavour or at end of cooking or garnish. Chop, snip Great with potatoes dishes, eggs, poultry,salads, sauces Dig up clumps at end of season – let all leaves die back Bring indoors in early winter-place in coolest part of house for a few days, then move to sunny spot
Dill Dominating- tangy & pungent Seeds have strong flavour. Salmon, cucumber yogurt sauces,peas, salads, picklingeggplant, cabbage Start from seed or clumps -best time to plant dill inside is between October and early spring. Fern leaf dill is ideal or indoors Fertilize every 6 weeks with a ½ strength liquid fertilizer or fish fertilizer. Dill is drought resistant; it will grow better if watered regularly. Water until soil is moist-do not water again until soil is dry.
Mint Sweet and strong Peppermint and spearmint Teas, lamb, fish, desserts, salads. Start from seed or buy a small plant from organic grocer Needs full sun plenty of water – watch them grow!
Oregano Adds an earthy flavour Lamb, tomato sauces, seafood,chicken, pork, eggplant Start from seed or buy a small plant from organic grocer Oregano likes bright light 6-8 hrs, medium watering
Parsley/Cilantro
(Italian Parsley)
Bright, clean flavour Chicken, seafood, beef, sauces,potatoes, soups, salads Startfrom seed; plant 1/4 to ½ deep; water deeply Full sun-Keep soil moist as the seeds germinate Establish a watering schedule, allowing to dry some between watering
Rosemary Pungent, piney can overpower other flavours Chop finely Add to poultry, lamb,, fruit saladspotatoes, white beans, breads Propagate from a healthy mother plant: Snip several 2 1/2” (6 1/3cm) stems.Remove bottom set of leaves from your cuttings.Dip the bottom of each cutting in water, thendip the bottom of each cutting into a rooting compound.Fix each cutting into its own container.Mist your plant. In 2-4 weeks, once rooted, you can transfer to a larger pot. Pinch the top bud to increase the likelihood of your rosemary branching. Use neem oil to treat any pests. If powdery mildew develops, clean leaves with mild soapy water and place in front of a fan to circulate the air
Sage Slightly bitter- mint-like Overpowers easily Add whole stems to stews and soups-discard when done. Pork, sausages, veal, stuffing,poultry, sauces.
Dried sage has a different flavour
Start from seed or buy a small plant from organic grocer Sage needs six to eight hours of full sun daily. If your sunny window does not provide this much daily sun, use fluorescent lighting when growing sage indoors.
Tarragon Liquorice flavour; strong. Use alone or combine with parsley -tomato dishes, vinaigrettesveal, chicken, potatoes, mushrooms Best started from root stock that has been separated Tarragon seems to perform best in a lower or diffused light situation-does not perform well when exposed to winter chill.

With these herbs in your cooking collection you are off to a GREAT start and some wonderful seasoning.

Do you have some tips you would like to share with us on these or other herbs?  Let us know your thoughts!

Artillery Sidewinder X1 3D Printer

So I decided to upgrade to a larger printer. My Ender-2 is a fantastic little machine, but the print area is rather small. This is not a review and I simply sharing my experience. The printer was paid for by myself.

I wanted something, open source, direct drive for TPU printing and a large printing area.

not)

These photos below are ones I took.

Really, the packaging was great, no complaints here! Also the postage was decently fast enough for China.

Good to have spares. However a part removal tool and a spare nozzle would also be great to include.
They included a genuine Australian plug, which was nice.
This 3D printed part that came with the machine was warped.
The nozzle showed a test print had been done on my printer. However, the nozzle was inserted incorrectly, allowing this mess.
The part cooling duct that came with the machine wasn’t attached properly on mine, so I had to glue it back in place. I ended up designing my own version.

A strain relief was one the first things needed to made.

Time to bend the strain relief bracket into shape.
Fits nicely!
Safety first!
The 90 degree bend on this sheet metal was done differently on each side, so it’s impossible to have them line up correctly. This means that spools of filament do not roll smoothly. I have asked the company for a replacement.
First prints were rubbish.
I  was eventually able to get better prints, but they are not up to the standard of my Ender yet.
Not all the cables were pushed into their sockets correctly.
A bolt was missing from the filament spool holder.
This bolt was loose on mine, make sure you tighten it in the correct direction. It needs to be nice and firm so that filament is gripped by the direct drive extruder.
The hot glue on everything, is great to keep things wired in. However hot glue was on one of the stepper drivers, so I haven’t been able to remove it.
This little guy was the culprit, the cause of my Z axis movement issues!
Here is my custom part cooling duct that I’m working on. This was printed on my Ender-2 (ssshhh…)

My part cooling duct is available on thingiverse. I was working on this before my Z axis movement decided to go full retard. Once I receive new stepper drivers to get my printer running again, I’ll continue to develop it. At the moment, it’s not blowing air in the exact centre and evenly from each side. Also, in my test, I think I had it a tiny bit to low, as the air is blown down on an angle.The other thing I’ll change out is the volcano nozzles with a clean brand new one.

AIR PLANTS – BEAUTIFUL AND VIRTUALLY CARE FREE

No green thumb? No worries! Now you can enjoy plants that don’t need water – or dirt? No such thing, right? Well…not exactly- check out these little gems affectionately referred to as Air Plants! Want to know more? Read on… With over 730 species in the Tillandsia genus, these air plants (epiphytes) are in the Bromeliad family. Ok, enough botanical talk- let us move onto more interesting facts. These plants are native to the jungles and forests of Central America, South America, and the southern United States. Typically, they grow without soil while attached to other plants. They get almost all their nutrients through their leaf structures from such things as dust, insect matter, and decaying leaves. New plants can be propagated from their offshoots. Some species produce vibrant colourful blooms and others produce fragrant flowers. A few varieties bloom only once before dying and their leaf colour will change from green to red (blushing) when getting ready to flower.

Growing and Caring For Your Air Plants• With a little imagination and about 15 minutes, you can dress up the dreariest corner, an empty spot on your wall, or add a splash of colour to your kitchen counter, bathroom, or desk! Let your imagination run wild on the possibilities – these precious little plants never demand much attention. They fit perfectly into teacups, conch shells, small glass-bowl terrariums, hanging globes, small ceramic pots, etc. Research the type of air plant you plan to buy and its natural habitat will help you understand its care.Common to all air plants is the fact that they all need constant air circulation. Other factors to consider:

  • Mist your air plant daily – they need some moisture –if located in a humid environment, such as a bathroom,
  • misting is not necessary. Mist only once or twice a week during the winter
  • Fertilize with a weak solution monthly during spring and summer-mix a low-nitrogen liquid fertilizer at ¼ strength
  • Protect from full sun-if it grows wild on trees, provide partial shade and keep it in moist•Ground types will do
  • well indoors in bright, filtered light or outdoors in partial shade
  • Air plants will not survive temperatures below 45 degrees

How about you, is an air plant something you would decorate your home with?


Share this infographic on your site.Infographic by www.desima.co

COMERCIAL AQUAPONICS

So you want to get started with your own commercial scale Aquaponics. I’ve teamed up with Andrew Dezsery an expert in the field for the last 20 years.He’s offering for free, Report On Aquaculture & Horticulture Integration (Aquaponics).

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN LITTLE HOME AQUAPONICS SET UP

On the weekend having moved into a new apartment and having to get rid of my old aquaponics set up. It was time to build a new one. So I decided to go with something decorative.

What you need

  • A large net pot
  • A large glass fish bowl or vase
  • decorative rocks to hold the plant in place (larger rocks are better, as they are easy to move when you need to feed the fish)
  • Small air pump to keep the tank oxygenated
  • Peace Lily
  • Small Fish

MANOR WOODEN VILLA – 01

The Manor Wooden Villa – 01 is another new product from konbuild. Details are still a little scarce, but it certainly beautiful.