There is something wonderfully charming about old terracotta pots. The mineral stains and verdant green algae creeping along their sides suggest they’ve been in use since Beatrix Potter was writing about Mr. McGregor’s rabbit issues. But who wants to wait that long for their terracotta pots to look aged and broken in?

Thankfully, the internet has provided us with several methods of achieving that wonderful patina in only a matter of weeks.

Or maybe not.

To tell you the truth, I started this article with the intention of showing you, step-by-step, how to age terracotta pots using several popular methods. But as the weeks passed, I was surprised to find that many of these “quick and easy” methods yielded less than desirable results.

Keep reading for the skinny on each method, and I’ll give you my thoughts about the best way to age terracotta pots at the end.

Why Age Terracotta Pots?

There’s a reason old terracotta pots look so great. It’s because they’re a classic gardening staple. Simple, inexpensive, and durable, they’re a great choice for many plants and gardening situations. Of course, using them does come with a bit of a learning curve. But once you know the basics, you’ll discover why seasoned gardeners reach for them time and again.

I suspect our desire to age terracotta pots has much to do with that learning curve. New pots seem to imply that those using them are noobs as well.

Aging terracotta pots gives the impression that the plant and pot have been together for a long time. And that the gardener tending them knows what they’re doing and hasn’t accidentally murdered and replaced the same plant on three previous occasions.

Not that I would know anything about this deceptive plot from personal experience.

The biggest reason I think most of us want to age our terracotta pots is that it looks good. While the classic orange of new terracotta possesses its own beauty, it can be quite garish in some decors. The rough, worn look of old terracotta fits better in certain aesthetics.

Even old broken terracotta pots can be made into something beautiful.

A quick Google search usually yields one of four ways to age terracotta quickly. Let’s look at how to do each one and discuss the pros and cons.

Getting Started

For the methods where you’ll be applying something to the surface, you’ll need to soak the pot for a few hours to a day before you start the aging process. This will help the different ingredients adhere better.

Yogurt

By far, this is the most popular way to turn new terracotta pots into something Mr. McGregor would be proud of. And it’s quite simple to do, if not a little messy.

What you’ll need:

• Plain yogurt (no fruit, unflavored). You want it to be runny, so Greek yogurt is a no-go, but if it’s all you can find, thin it with water.
• Clean, stiff paintbrush

The process:

Using the paintbrush, paint on a thin layer of yogurt. If you notice that you’re taking off yogurt when you pass over it again with the brush, you need to thin it out more. Let the first layer dry slightly and add another layer.

Place the yogurt-covered pot in the shade outside for a week or two to allow it dry and (ahem) age. You’re letting the yogurt rot and get a little funky.

The verdict:

I was quite pleased with the results if not a tad grossed out by the thought that the patina used to be something edible. The pot looks aged and has a nice patina. I can see why this method is so popular. But before you reach for your Chobani, keep reading to the end.

Baking Soda

I found two versions of this one. The first simply used baking soda and water to make a paste; the other used paint. I liked the look of only the baking soda, but it immediately rubbed off when it was dry.

And the other method I found was mixing the baking soda with white paint and brushing it on with a dry brush to get textured, aged streaks.

What you’ll need:

• Baking soda
• Water or paint
• Paintbrush

The process:

Make a thin paste using water and baking soda or water, baking soda and paint. Using a dry, stiff paintbrush, apply the mixture to your pot. Painting in long horizontal strokes and then stippling over top of them gives a nice look.

The verdict:

Unfortunately, water and baking soda alone is a miserable failure as it simply dries and is easily brushed off. One good rainy afternoon washed my entire pot clean.

While the paint and baking soda works, I feel this is less aging and more just painting the pot for a certain look. I wouldn’t look at it and think “aged terracotta”; I would think arts & crafts.

Buttermilk and Moss

Hoo boy, I don’t know about you, but I was the most excited about this one. A moss-covered terracotta pot – does it get any more charming than that?

Let’s be honest; moss growing on your terracotta is the holy grail of “I’ve been doing this for a while” gardening cred. It’s like you’ve got so many great old pots hanging about that you have to look for other ways to use them around the garden.

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup of live moss
• ½ cup of cultured buttermilk
• Water

Be sure to use cultured buttermilk as it will have active bacterial cultures (which the moss like), and it’s slightly acidic (which the moss also like).

Choosing moss

Think about the side of a terracotta pot. When choosing moss, look for a species growing on something similar. Don’t go yanking up moss off a decaying log or from your backyard if you’re hoping for it to grow on the side of your pot. Boulders, rocks, and stone buildings are a good source for a species of moss that should work.

The process:

Now comes the fun part. You get to make a moss milkshake with your blender. Yup.

To make it a little easier on your blender, rough-chop the moss with a knife first.

To your blender add the following:

• 1 cup of roughly chopped moss
• 1 cup of water
• ½ cup of buttermilk

Blend until it looks like…well, something highly unappetizing.

Then using a clean, dry paintbrush, stipple the mixture all over the surface of your pot.

Now comes the hard part.

You need to mist your moss-milkshake-covered pot daily, preferably with distilled water. (The mineral balance in tap water might prevent the moss from growing.) The pot must be kept in the shade in high humidity, someplace warm.

Theoretically, if you do this, moss will grow on the sides of your pot within a few weeks.

The Verdict:

With every article I read, scrounging for details on how to do this successfully, I noticed one thing absent from all of them – a photo of the finished (successful) pot with moss growing on it. When I read comment sections, they all seemed filled with people who had tried and failed. I even found a few websites dedicated to growing moss that said this method was almost always unsuccessful.

But I tried anyway.

And I failed. However, I did manage to grow some pretty cool mold.

Growing moss on a clay pot with buttermilk takes near-perfect conditions and constant attention. And at that point, my advice is to use your pot normally; it will age naturally in the amount of time it takes you to grow moss.

A Bucket & Sunshine

Another popular method is to let your pots sit in a bucketful of water in the sunshine. While this method does take the longest, the reward is a coating of green algae that gives your pottery that “I totes live in rural England, and I have an ancient greenhouse out back where I keep my pots” look.

What you’ll need:

• A five-gallon bucket
• Water
• A sunny spot

The process:

Add your pots to a five-gallon bucket and fill it with water. Place the bucket somewhere that receives direct sun for at least six to eight hours daily. Ignore the bucket entirely for ages letting it get good and manky.

The sun will cause a phenomenon that sends aquarium owners into fits – an algae bloom. The longer you let the pots sit in the water in the sun, the more algae you’ll get. Just ask anyone who’s ever made the mistake of setting up an aquarium near a window.

The verdict:

This is another great method. Once you dump your pots in the bucket, it’s very hands-off. You just check on your pots now and then. And for the tiny amount of actual work involved, the payoff is pretty great.

Chuck Your Pot Into a Decorative Pond

This idea was my own, and it was truly a stroke of genius on my part; it came to me in a flash.

I went to check the progress of my buttermilk and moss pot one afternoon. I had tucked it behind the stone wall next to our tiny decorative pond by the back door because it was a shady and damp spot. From what I could see, all I was growing so far was mold, so I picked up the pot to inspect the other side. In doing so, I dislodged a garter snake.

I scared him. He scared me. The pot went flying.

It landed in our dinky and woefully neglected decorative pond, where it quickly sank below a rather impressive growth of duckweed and settled into a thick, mushy layer of last fall’s leaves. I stared at it for a few moments as the billowing muck slowly settled around it, and the duckweed began to reclaim the surface of the water again, wondering if I wanted to stick my hand in there and fish it out.

“Nope.”

And there it stayed until it was time to write up this article.

What you’ll need:

• A water feature, pond, creek, river or any other body of water you have private access to.
• A garter snake.
• Just kidding.

The process:

Place your terracotta in the water. (No shouts of “Snake!” or flailing arms necessary.) Be patient and let nature do its thing.

Most any water feature will do. (Hmm, should this be reason number 14?) If you’re lucky enough to have access to a larger body of water or a moving stream, you may want to run a length of rope through the drainage holes of the pots and anchor the pots to a rock or something on shore. This will make it easier to fish them out later.

The verdict:

I liked the way this turned out. However, it only works if your pot gets sunshine while it’s in the water. There were also some leftover mossy bits stuck on mine for obvious reasons.

The Biggest Problem With Several of These Methods

Let’s say your yogurt-covered pot turns out perfect, or you painstakingly tend your buttermilk and moss mixture and manage to get moss to grow. You’re still faced with a problem in the end.

One of the most important steps in using terracotta pots is soaking them before you plant anything.

Because of terracotta clay’s porous nature, you need to soak the pot for several hours (days is better) before adding soil and a plant to them.

If you skip this step, the moment you put damp soil in the pot, it will wick all that moisture out of the soil and into the clay, ensuring your pot gets more water than your plant. And it will keep doing this each time you water your plants. Terracotta pots require more frequent watering because of their porous nature.

Now you take your perfectly “aged” pot and soak it in preparation for planting…and all your hard work is undone by the “universal solvent” – water.

(All the mold and buttermilk dissolved from my pond pot within a day or two.)

This is another reason why chucking your pot in a bucket is probably the best way to go. Not only will you get a great patina, but your pot will be thoroughly saturated and ready to use when you remove it.

Ultimately, the best way to get that rustic patina is simply to use your pots. Using them outdoors is even better. And using them to grow a plant outdoors that enjoys a little shade is the best, as you’ll be well on your way to a perfectly aged pot.

Read Next:

8 Things You Need to Know Before Using Terracotta Pots

The post The Best Way To Age Terracotta Pots (& What Doesn’t Work) appeared first on Rural Sprout.

I’m of the mind that there are few landscaping problems that more plants can’t solve.

Need privacy, better drainage, weed displacement, or to cover up an ugly view? Well, there’s a plant for that.

So when vining weeds growing on my neighbor’s side of the fence kept poking through the panels, flowering, and scattering their seeds everywhere, I had to do something to stop the madness.

My planty solution was to build a lattice trellis along the fence and grow some handsome climbing vines. Not only should this do the trick and block encroaching weeds, it will create a beautiful living wall that I’ll enjoy for many years to come.

The Concept

I wanted the lattice trellis to look good and last a long time, but also be super simple to build.

Looking around the internet for tutorials that matched my vision had me coming up empty. I didn’t want a freestanding trellis with concrete footings, or decorative add-ons like cap molding, or for the project to require specialized tools. The overly complex builds just wouldn’t do – and besides, this lattice will be covered in vining plants anyway.

I’ve landed on a design that’s easy to make. The basic idea is to affix the lattice to the fence on top three horizontal lengths of strapping lumber. The wood strips will make sure the structure is sturdy while also keeping the lattice 1.5 inches off the fence. With this bit of space, the twining plants can grow over and under the slats of lattice.

It’s a two-person job that takes an afternoon to put together, and only cost me about $50 in materials.

Materials and Tools:

• (2) 4×8 lattice panels
• (3) 2x2x8 lumber
• Deck screws – 3” long
• Circular saw or hand saw
• Keyhole saw
• Cordless drill
• Measuring tape
• Level
• Pencil
• Scrap lumber for stakes

Step 1: Measuring and Marking

The first thing to do is grab your measuring tape and mark out the placement of the lattice along your fence or wall.

I’ll be using two 4 foot wide lattice panels and orienting them vertically for an 8-foot long lattice.

Figure out where you want to the lattice to be and drive two stakes into the ground to mark the position.

Next, measure the height of the fence and then subtract an inch so the lattice won’t sit directly on the ground.

The strapping will be a bit shorter than the lattice panels on each side. From each stake, measure 6-inches inward and mark these spots with a pencil.

Step 2: Cutting the Lumber to Your Measurements

If your wall or fence is taller than 8 feet, you won’t need to cut your lattice pieces. In my case, the fence is shorter than the panels so the height of each one will need to be cut to size.

Wood lattice is a pretty flimsy material so take care when sawing. I used a keyhole saw to lower the chances of the slats cracking and breaking as they are cut. Placing the lattice face up (with the heads of the staples on top) will make sawing by hand go a bit more smoothly.

Because the strapping is to be 6-inches shorter than the lattice on each side, the lumber will need to be cut to 7-foot lengths. A circular saw makes the task quick and easy but a hand saw would also work.

Step 3: Installing the Strapping

Drill pilot holes along each length of strapping. I started by pre-drilling holes 2-inches from each end and spacing the rest approximately 20-inches apart.

Find the best place to sink your screws on the wall. The fence here has three rails on the opposite side that are the perfect spot to drill into. If you’re installing the lattice trellis on vinyl siding, use the wall studs as your backstop. If it’s brick or concrete, simply space the strapping 12-inches down from top, 12-inches up from the bottom, with the last piece in between.

Place one length of strapping against the fence, 6 inches in from the stake. Drill a screw into one end, but keep it loose.

Use your level to determine the correct angle and then drill in a screw at the opposite end.

Now that it’s level and straight, go ahead and drill in the rest of the screws along the length of the strapping. Tighten up that first screw too.

Repeat until all three lengths of strapping are affixed.

Step 4: Attaching the Lattice Panels

One thing I wish I had known before embarking on this project was to pay closer attention to how the lattice panels were cut back at the lattice-making factory.

Ideally, the sheets of lattice would line up at the seam to create an uninterrupted span of little diamonds across both lattices. My lattice panels, however, were cut with partial edges. When the two panels are put together side-by-side, they look like this:

Although I think the double diamond effect still looks good, I wanted the two panels to appear somewhat seamless. The better route would have been to purchase lattice that had complete diamonds at each edge. Since mine did not, I ended up cutting 2.5” off the long edge of one panel so that the lattice would line up like this:

Once you’re happy with how your lattice looks lined up, it’s time to attach the panels to the strapping.

Using the ground stakes to guide you, keep the lattice panel straight and lifted an inch off the ground. Begin screwing in the first lattice panel, starting at the top.

Don’t overtighten the screws. Keep them a little loose so the lattice slats don’t split under pressure.  

After the screws are in the top rail of strapping, take a step back and make sure the lattice is level and straight before going ahead and drilling in the rest.

With the first panel hung, position the second lattice panel in the same way. Keep the sheets spaced at least a ¼ inch apart. This gap will give the lattice panels room to expand and prevent the sheets from bowing and buckling.

Scatter mulch along the bottom of the trellis to hide the lower gap – and it’s done!

All that’s left to do now is wait for these little morning glory seedlings to rise up and take hold of the lattice.  

The post How to Build a Simple Lattice Trellis for Climbing Plants appeared first on Rural Sprout.

Polytunnel, hoop house, row cover – whatever you want to call it, they’re dead useful in the garden. There are plenty of benefits to be gained by adding a polytunnel to your gardening space.

They’re surprisingly easy to make, and this one will last forever. If you don’t have one yet, let’s make one. This will be the year you say, “Now I get why everyone uses polytunnels!”

Why You Should Have at Least One Polytunnel In Your Garden

It’s such a simple thing, really, a bunch of hoops stuck in the ground with some sort of sheeting over the top. But they’re more than the sum of their parts, affording protection, bigger yields and longer seasons. I like to think of them as the gardener’s blanket fort.

And yes, I think everyone should have one, even a small one.  

1. Much Cheaper Than a Greenhouse

Most of us would love a greenhouse filled with moss-covered terracotta pots and well-loved gardening implements straight out of a Beatrix Potter story. Unfortunately, it’s not always in the cards. But you can still enjoy the benefits of having your own little “hothouse” by adding a polytunnel to your garden.

2. You Can Move It to Where You Need It

Unlike a greenhouse, you can move a polytunnel. Crop rotation is a natural way to ensure the nutrients in your soil remain balanced and can be replenished based on what you grow there. If you’re planting crops in a different location each year, having a moveable polytunnel makes the process easier.

3. Remove Pests from the Guest List

Japanese Beetles, Colorado Potato Beetles, Imported Cabbageworm, do any of these guys show up and make your growing season a nightmare? Sure, you could mix up all sorts of potions to spray on your vegetables or buy some nasty insecticide to wipe them out. But why go to all that fuss when you can grow your veggies undercover and remove certain pests from the guest list entirely.

4. Protect Your Plants

Even if nibbling insects aren’t a problem, polytunnels can keep rabbits, deer and kids out of your garden. If fencing in your garden isn’t an option, using polytunnels to protect your veg is the next best thing.

5. Extend Your Growing Season

Look, I’ll fess up if you will too. Gardeners are downright competitive. Oh, your prize tomatoes produced two bushels last year? That’s great; mine produced two and a half.

We’re always looking for that extra edge, even if the only person we compete with is ourselves. And getting plants in the ground as early as possible is a great way to make sure you’re the first one with ripe tomatoes. Depending on where you live and what type of poly sheeting you use, you could start your garden a month or two earlier than normal.

That also applies to the other end of the growing season.

There is something downright magical about walking out to the garden in a white, snow-covered landscape and lifting the cover of your tunnel to find dark brown soil and beautiful, crisp lettuce growing.

Pretty great, right? Let’s make a polytunnel that will last you ages. We’ll be skipping the traditional PVC pipes for this one.

Skip the PVC for a Sturdier Frame That’s Better for the Environment

For the longest time, it seemed everyone used PVC pipes as frames for their polytunnels. It’s cheap; it bends easily, and you can find it everywhere – why not?

PVC isn’t great for the environment to begin with, but also, it’s not a great building material for this kind of project. PVC is best reserved for projects where it won’t be exposed to light. Over the course of the season, the PVC becomes brittle from long-term sun exposure. Eventually, it will snap, and your veggie blanket fort will come tumbling down.

When it finally breaks, it will be in lots of sharp plastic shards that are now all over your garden. Yay!

For this project, we wanted something that was much more durable. We chose EMT or electrical metallic tubing, also known as electrical conduit. Normally, it’s used to house electrical wires in buildings.

But it’s also cheap, bends easily, and you can find it everywhere. It’s only about $2 more per 10’ piece than PVC. Not to mention, if you ever decide you don’t want your polytunnel anymore, you can take your EMT to your local scrapyard and get cash for it or recycle it. All in all, it’s a much better alternative to PVC.

How to Make a Polytunnel

EMT comes in 10’ lengths making it the perfect size for polytunnels, whether your rows or raised beds are 4’ or 3’ wide. After the EMT is bent and inserted into the ground, you’re left with the perfect height and plenty of space for tall plants.

Materials

• ½” diameter EMT in 10’ lengths – you will need two pieces, one for each end of your row and one-piece every 4’ of the length of your row. For example, our 16’ long rows needed five pieces total.
• Sheeting – what you choose will depend on where you live, how long you want the sheeting to last and what you want to accomplish.
  • Poly sheeting is better at protecting from cold temperatures as it’s thicker and impermeable, so it’s great for extending the season. But it doesn’t breathe, so you may need to vent your tunnel occasionally if you use it for the entire season.
  • Row cover fabric is lighter, breathable and easier to manipulate. It’s great for keeping out pests. While it does offer some cold protection, it’s not as good a barrier as poly sheeting. Because it’s a fabric, it can also tear.
  • You may wish to use both at different times during the season.
• Sturdy clips – I chose these metal spring clips because they’re much easier to get on and off than other options. You’ll need five clips for each hoop.
• Two bricks or large rocks to hold down the ends of your sheeting.

Bending the Conduit

To form a (mostly) perfect arch, you will need to do some math. Okay, okay, I did it for you.

There are a few different ways to bend conduit, all of which require a tool. You may already have one of these tools, or you may want to build a jig. I’ve made a note about options for sourcing these tools as well.

Conduit Bender

A conduit bender is the most inexpensive option for bending your hoop frames. You can find them in your local hardware store or big box home improvement store, or you can even order one on Amazon. They also require the most elbow grease; although it’s not hard to use them, it’s only in comparison to the other two options.

(Once you have where you will be bending marked out on your EMT, place a mark every 4.2” (3.2” for 3’ wide beds). Use these marks for bending 10 degrees at a time with the conduit bender.)

Tubing Roller

Tubing rollers can make quick work of bending the conduit into the proper arch if you already have one. Even without the right size roller, it can be done if you’re careful.

Hoop Bender Jig

You can purchase a jig specifically for this purpose; they’re pretty easy to find on the internet. You can also make a jig with scraps you already have; it doesn’t have to be fancy to get the job done. Here is a YouTube tutorial showing you how.

Note: Sourcing These Tools

If you only need to bend a few pieces of conduit, it doesn’t make sense to purchase a tool. Unless, of course, you see yourself being able to use it again for other projects in the future.

• Ask family, friends or neighbors if they have a conduit bender or tubing roller; even better if they offer to help you use it.
• Call your local hardware store or equipment rental place and ask about renting the tool for the job. Most of these places rent out oddball hand tools as well as large equipment.
• Check Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or Freecycle and see if you can find the tool you need second-hand. Alternatively, I have often purchased specific tools new for projects and then resold them in these same outlets. Tools, in general, seem to get snatched up quickly, especially if they’ve only been used once or twice.

Once you’ve bent your hoops, they can be inserted into the ground. You should be able to do this by hand, but a rubber mallet can be helpful if your ground is hard.

After that, you cover the frames with your preferred sheeting material. Make sure you don’t stretch it out too tightly. You want a little give in between hoops so it can flex in the breeze without tearing.

Place five clips on each hoop to hold the sheeting in place snuggly – one at the top of the hoop, one at each base and one on each side about midway between the top and bottom clips.

Fold any excess sheeting on each end and secure it in place with a brick or a rock.

And that’s that. This is one of those projects that will take a couple of hours out of your Saturday, but you’ll have a great setup that you can use year after year.

The post How to Make a Polytunnel that Will Last Forever (& 5 Reasons You Need One) appeared first on Rural Sprout.

Are you tired of planning your garden on paper, only to find it’s a bit more difficult to transfer those neat lines and groups of veggies to the soil?

This simple planting grid is easy to make, lightweight, and packs away neatly for next year. It only takes about thirty minutes to make. And the best part is, it will cost you around $15. Probably less if you already have twine on hand.

Frustration and Swearing are the Mothers of Invention

When it comes time to plant the garden every spring, my palms sweat. You see, I am a perfectionist. I stand at the edge of our 4’x16’ beds, garden plans in hand and know that I’m absolute crap at putting in the ground what I’ve carefully plotted out on graph paper.

It never goes according to plan.

Nothing ever lines up, my rows or squares end up wonky, and I’ve made a mess of things before I know it. I’ve used too much space and do not have enough room for everything I need to plant. Or I plant everything so close together that I have a ton of space leftover and cramped plants.

Last year I tried to map out gridlines with string and landscaping pins, but I ended up in a tangled, sweaty, sweary mess.

Naturally, this was the time my sweetheart found me in the garden. He asked if I needed any help. I said no, I could do it myself. (Did I mention I’m also stubborn, too?) I explained what I was trying to do (with more swearing) and told him what I really needed was a solid grid, nothing too heavy though, that I could lay on top of the soil, plant my seeds and seedlings and then put it away for the season. I didn’t want goofy-looking gridlines to be a permanent fixture in my garden for the summer.  

He helped me up and suggested a trip to the hardware store.

My sweetheart is a Red Green fan and wholeheartedly embodies, “If the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.” Except he is handsome and an engineer. He’s very handy to have around.

This is the brilliant grid he came up with for me. It’s just what this lazy perfectionist gardener needed.

We initially made ours 4’ x 16’ as that’s how big our garden beds are, but it was kind of awkward to lift after everything was planted. So, this year, I reassembled it as a 4’ x 4’ square after I realized that one small square was all we needed. (Duh, Trace, the length of your garden beds is divisible by four.) I can flip it over to the next portion of the bed once I’m finished planting. This makes it much easier to use solo.

As most garden beds are usually 4’ wide, this square works for nearly any size garden. However, I’ve also included measurements for a 3’ x 3’ square for 3’ wide beds.

Here’s what you will need to make the grid:

Materials:

• 2 – 10’ lengths of ½” PVC pipe
• 4 – ½” PVC elbows
• Nylon string or heavy-duty twine

Tools:

• Something to cut the PVC pipe with – a bandsaw, hack saw or heavy-duty garden loppers
• Drill with ¼” drill bit
• Measuring tape
• Sharpie
• Large blunt sewing needle
• Scissors

To Make Your Planting Grid:

Measure and cut the PVC pipes into 4 lengths, each 47” long (35” long for 3’ beds). When we attach the elbow fitting, it will make up for the lost inch.

PCV is pretty easy to cut with various tools; use whatever you have on hand.

Measure and make three marks. We found it easiest to lay the pipe next to the measuring tape, centering the 47” long pipe between 48” on the tape, taking into account that it would be ½” shorter on both ends. (36” for 3’ beds) Now mark 12”, 24” and 36” on the pipe. (Mark 12” & 24” for 3’ version.)

Using a drill fitted with a ¼” drill bit, drill holes through the pipe at the markings. You might want to sand off any sharp edges if they’re especially ragged.

Assemble the square will all four lengths and all four elbows. Take care that the holes face inward in the same direction on each pipe, so the string will lie flat.

Using the needle and twine, lace the square to make your grid. Use the diagram below for help. Once you’ve laced the lines in one direction, you’ll need to pop off the nearest elbow and thread the needle through it, so the string lines up again to go in the opposite direction. Cut and tie the twine off securely.

Go plant a neat and tidy garden!

Project Notes:

If you want to make the grid longer to fit a specifically sized bed, and it’s a multiple of four, simply add a ‘T’ at two ends instead of elbows. Now, fit the ‘T’s with another 47” length of pipe, adding more ‘T’s and pipe until you have the correct size, at which you would use the elbows on the end.

But I Don’t Have Those Tools

Most of us have the tools to complete this little project at home. However, if you don’t or don’t want to mess with cutting and drilling, ask an employee at the store where you’re purchasing your materials if they can help you out. I know Home Depot and Lowes usually do this. P.S. It always helps to be super polite when asking.

Pick Up a Used Drill

As someone who went a long time without owning a power drill, I wouldn’t be without it now that I have one. Purchasing a new drill isn’t necessary; mine is second-hand and a beast. Check out Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist for a used power drill.

Yeah, I Know, PVC

I’m not super chuffed that it’s made out of PVC. It’s not the greatest choice for the planet. But it’s also not a piece of equipment that will be sitting out in the sun, leaching chemicals and growing brittle year after year. It sees a few days of use before it’s packed away for next season. I know it will last us forever.

If you want a more earth-friendly building material, consider using EMT conduit (electric metallic tube) and elbows. It’s more expensive, and you’ll need proper tools for cutting and drilling it, but it’s recyclable if you choose not to use it anymore.

The post Make This Easy $15 Planting Grid in Under 30 Minutes appeared first on Rural Sprout.

There’s something uniquely special about trees.

Trees give us cool shade in summertime and spectacular color in fall. They help take the dullness out of the winter landscape and are among the first plants to signal spring is on its way.

But more than this, the slow but steady growth of trees marks the passage of time and many of life’s milestones. Perhaps your favorite tree is the one you climbed as a child or spent countless afternoons beneath its boughs with a book.

It’s no wonder we often form a deep emotional attachment to our trees.

Our trees become such a fixture of the home and garden that it can be hard to see them go. When a tree dies or needs to be cut down, it can vastly alter the look and feel of your landscape and leave some mighty big shoes to fill.

All the more reason to plant more trees!

After a tree is taken down, the stump left behind can be an eyesore and a tripping hazard – and not to mention a somber reminder of your bygone tree.

Stump removal takes a bit of work. You can rent a stump grinder or dig it out by hand. You can even pee on it to rot it away faster.

The path of least resistance, however, would be to leave that tree stump right where it is in the ground. Like subtraction by addition, a plain tree stump can be given renewed purpose as a one-of-a-kind lawn ornament, piece of furniture, or work of art.

So when life hands you a tree stump, it can be an excellent opportunity to let your creativity blossom. Here are 10 fantastic ideas for making an ordinary tree stump into something incredible.

1. Tree Stump Planter

It’s a dull old tree stump one day and a beautiful garden focal point the next!

A tree stump planter – filled with a mix of annuals, spring bulbs, trailing plants, and creeping ground covers – is a super clever way to bring your dead tree stump back into the land of the living.

To make your tree stump into a wooden plant pot, you’ll need to hollow out the center to create a planting nook in the middle of the trunk.

Leaving a couple of inches around the edge to serve as the rim, use a drill or saw to clear away bits of wood from the middle of the stump. You’ll want to make it deep and wide to comfortably house the plants’ roots.

For better drainage, drill some holes along the bottom of the bowl or add an inch or two of gravel.

When you’re satisfied with the size and shape of the planter, fill it up with compost and plant your plants.

Make the tree stump planter an eye-catching statement piece by adding a variety of flowers around the base of the trunk. Here are some gorgeous tree stump planter ideas to inspire your own design.

2. Mossy Tree Stump

If your tree stump is situated in a damp and shady spot where other plants refuse to grow, creating a woodlands look with moss could be the right solution for you.

Live tree mosses are low-maintenance plants that can be purchased by the bag from most plant nurseries. Look for moss species native to your region that grow specifically on trees.

To get moss started on a tree stump, slather wet mud over the surface. Nestle the moss onto the top and sides of the stump to adhere it to the wood, and gently mist the area.

Keep the tree stump moist at first with daily spritzing until the moss is established and starts to colonize new parts of the trunk. Then, simply water your mossy stump at the same time you would irrigate the rest of your garden.

3. Tree Stump Mushrooms

Growing mushrooms is a weird and wonderful departure from your typical leafy greens.

You probably already know you can use cut hardwood logs to grow an array of delicious gourmet mushrooms. There’s not much to stop you from giving your tree stump the same mushroom-inoculation treatment.

For the best results, your stump would need to be in a shady to dappled sunlight location. It’s also best if the stump comes from a hardwood tree. As long as yours meets these requirements, a tree stump is a great option as a fungi-growing medium.

The steps for growing mushrooms on a tree stump are the same as wooden logs. Drill holes in the wood in a checkerboard pattern and plug them up with shiitake, oyster, lion’s mane, reishi, maitake, or some other wood-loving mushroom spawn. Seal the plugs with wax and keep the wood moist.

There’s another added bonus for growing mushrooms on tree stumps. As the mushrooms develop, they absorb nutrients from the decaying wood. This will help rot down that tree stump much more quickly.

4. Wildlife Waterer

A tree stump is fairly boring and uninteresting on its own. But you can slap a watering station on top to instantly transform it into a lively creature feature for your yard.

A sturdy and flat-topped stump is the perfect natural pedestal for setting out birdbaths and other wildlife watering stations.

It’s about as no-fuss as DIYs go. If you have an old birdbath basin, great! If not, set out a shallow 2-inch deep dish, pan, or bowl on top of the tree stump and fill it up with water. Once the birds have discovered it, it’ll be a delight to watch their frolicking bath time routine.

Pile up some pebbles on one side to make it a welcoming (and safe!) spot for bees and butterflies to indulge in as well.

5. Sundial Mount

Before watches, clocks, and smartphones, sundials were the simple technology used to indicate the time of day.

Using sun and shadow to track the passage of time, sundials aren’t always precise in their time-telling and are totally useless at night. Still, they’re pretty neat.

Sundials will add interest to your garden décor and can come in handy when you need a gist of the hour – especially if you often lose track of time working in the garden.

A tree stump that’s located in a sunny and open area is an ideal spot for mounting a sundial. For the most accurate time reading, the top of the stump should be perfectly flat and horizontal. If your tree stump isn’t exactly even, use a level and sander to smooth out the surface.

If you don’t have a ready-made sundial squirreled away in your shed, you can make your own from a flat rock.

6. Gnome Home

An absolutely adorable use for a tree stump, a gnome home is sure to add a touch of whimsy and magic to your outdoor spaces.

A gnome home is better suited for larger stumps, at least 4 to 5 feet tall. The top of the trunk is cut at opposite angles to accommodate a pitched roof. With a plywood frame attached to the top, cedar shakes are glued together to create rustic shingles. Use a chainsaw and chisel to cut out a set of stairs, the doorway, and window openings.

Get the basic gnome house structure down, and then it’s all about the fun little details. Carved doors, stained glass windows, tiny wind chimes, twinkling lights, and a wee garden filled with low-growing and colorful blooms are some decorative elements that any imaginary elf would love.

Shorter and narrower tree stumps can become a centerpiece for an equally enchanting fairy garden, too.

7. Tree Stump Tables

It’s not hard to see a table in a tree stump.

These are nature’s tabletops, after all. And when you use your tree stump as the table base, the job’s already halfway done.

The natural beauty of a tree stump table – with its unique markings, knots, and textures – means no two will look alike. If your stump happens to be in a spot that’s ideal for outdoor entertaining, it can readily become a charming and functional piece of furniture.

Smaller stumps can instantly become simple side tables and stools without any special treatment.

For a bigger table to gather round, a wide and sturdy stump can be topped with a large wood slab. Or you can make your own table topper from pallets, barn boards, or other reclaimed materials. Another option is to upcycle a glass or wood top from an old set.

Apply a few coats of wood sealer so your bucolic patio set will last a long time.

8. Games Table

Another brilliant idea for a flat-topped tree stump is to make it into a permanent outdoor gaming table.

Pull up some lawn chairs and keep the little ones entertained with garden-themed tic tac toe. Instead of the usual X’s and O’s, river rocks are painted into cute bumblebees and ladybugs.

For the older kiddos, a stump can be remade into a chess and checkers board with some black paint and masking tape.

9. Treehouse

Who says treehouses can only be built around living trees?

In this DIY, a kids’ playhouse is taken apart and reassembled on top of a tree stump:

Here’s an example of a more elaborate stump house, replete with a suspended bridge, spiral tube slide, screened windows, and a skylight.

Unlike a treehouse constructed in and around a live tree, tree stumps will rot eventually. It can take a decade or more for a stump from a mature tree to begin to deteriorate and render the treehouse structurally unsafe.

By that time, your kids may have already aged out of their love of epic treehouse adventures. You can play it safe by sealing up the stump surface with a coat of household paint or wood preservative to keep moisture and insects out.

10. Tree Stump Sculpture

Where some see an unsightly stump, others see a blank canvas for creating a truly extraordinary masterpiece.

From simple carvings to intricate works of art, a tree stump sculpture will pay proper homage to your old tree’s many years of service.

Hardwood stumps with a good bit of girth and height are the best candidates for sculpting. Bears, eagles, fish, serpents, totems, angels, and mermaids are just some of the forms a stump sculpture can take.

Stump carvings start with a chainsaw to remove the outer bark and give the trunk some basic shaping. Then a hammer and chisel is used to refine the shape and add detail.

Here’s a time-lapse of a wood spirit carved from an 8-foot tall oak stump:

If you’re not comfortable wielding a chainsaw, there’s no shame in hiring this project out. There are plenty of professional tree sculptors out there with the skill and know-how to make your tree stump vision into a reality.

The post 10 Creative Things You Can Do With a Tree Stump appeared first on Rural Sprout.

The act of decorating your home for the holidays, particularly your front door, has been around since time began. Or at least for several hundred years prior to today.

If you look into the history of wreaths, you’ll find at least two answers to where they originated from. Some thoughts speculate that ancient Romans and Greeks used them first, in honoring their most esteemed citizens. Wreaths denoted your occupation and status as a citizen. Wreaths of laurel were used to crown the victorious players in the first Olympic Games.

The word wreath, by itself, literally means “a thing bound around”. It also represents eternal life.

The very first Christmas wreaths came from the pagan tradition of celebrating Yule, in which evergreens were twisted into a circle to symbolize the eternal seasonal cycle. The greenery served as a reminder of spring and green growing things in the coldest and darkest months of the year.

And it was a Lutheran pastor who gave Christians their Advent wreath in the mid-1800s. Pastor Johann Hinrich Wichern made a wreath using the wheel from a cart to help children count down the time of advent until Christmas. He added candles to mark the weekday and larger colored candles to mark each Saturday in the season of Advent.

While we can’t know the exact beginnings of this tradition, hanging a wreath is a beautiful symbol of meaning and belief for many.

What we do know, however, is how a well-decorated door makes us feel. A wreath offers happiness and hominess upon arrival for family and friends alike. It makes us feel welcome as it invites us into the warm spaces of inner peace (hopefully).

You might even say that wreaths have their own right to be created, and exist, simply because they are beautiful.

Gather up some energy to go for a walk and head out into the hills, or your backyard, to collect some wreath-making materials.

Natural Materials For Making Wreaths

When you keep your eyes open, you are bound to find something in nature to add to a decorative wreath.

Here are some natural materials to look out for when you take a countryside or urban hike:

• evergreen branches (pine, spruce, cedar, juniper, holly, ivy)
• berries (rose hips, viburnum, hawthorn, winterberry)
• pinecones
• other interesting branches, such as twigs with catkins from hazel bushes
• mistletoe – if not for the wreath, then for kissing underneath

Check out 9 Plants to Forage For Natural Christmas Decorations for more ideas.

Once you’ve collected your natural materials, and plenty of them, so you don’t have to head out in the cold again, you are ready to choose a frame for your festive wreath.

Choosing A Wreath Frame + Other Tools Needed For Wreath-Making

In this pictorial, we have used grapevines as a base material, though you can replace this with willow or hazel twigs, or any other vining material (wisteria, honeysuckle, etc.) that lends itself to weaving.

To make our wreath making even easier, we’ve used the grapevine wreath that already hangs on our door. You’ll see that we’ve spruced it up to add more winter cheer.

You can also start with a wire wreath frame should you have one.

Always challenge yourself to be creative, thrifty and self-reliant whenever possible. Not only will your projects turn out beautiful, but you also have the potential to save some money. This wreath cost us nothing to make. Only time, attention and collected materials went into it.

After a short hike in the hills, armed with only a pair of pruners, we came back with a bag of greens, twigs and berries. The pine cones we collected on a previous trip to a city park.

To make a wreath, in addition to your natural materials, you’ll also need:

• pruners
• scissors
• florist wire or twine

And that’s it.

There’s no need for hot glue, you don’t even need to use wire if you don’t want to. A nice thick hemp or jute twine will be strong enough.

You might also want to wear gloves, as certain evergreen branches can be quite poky, even causing a rash if you have sensitive skin.

Putting Your Wreath Together

You don’t need to decide at the beginning if you want your greens to wrap all the way around, or just partway around the wreath.

Simply choose a starting point and prepare a small bundle of greens, always looking for the best proportion.

For example, in each bundle, we used 2 or 3 European spruce (Picea abies) branches, cut to size. On top of this, we laid either one branch of ivy (Hedera helix), a branch of hazel catkins, or a branch of red berries from a European cranberry bush (Viburnum opulus).

To increase your love for the Earth – and for foraging, it’s always good to get to know the plants you are harvesting and to recognize them by their Latin names too.

Tie the bundle firmly together with twine. Then tie it onto your wreath frame, pulling as tightly as you can. Once the branches begin to dry, they will shrink a bit and become loose, so now is the time to use your strength.

Adding More Bundles To The Wreath

Systematically, you’ll want to tie additional bundles and overlap each bundle on the wreath.

Some people choose to tie one straight, followed by the next one tipped to the outside, followed by the third leaning in. We’ve laid all bundles directly over the previous one. It all depends on the material you are working with.

Once you’ve tied a few bundles on your wreath frame, hang it up and take a step back to check your progress. If you aren’t happy with the way they are tied on, now is the time to change it.

If you love it, continue going around until you run out of materials or you find a nice balance to the wreath.

Another thing you may need to consider is weight. The more bundles you add, the heavier your wreath will grow.

A word on tying…

Most wreath-making tutorials tell you to wrap that twine or wire all the way around from first to final bundle, with no stops in between.

We’ve chosen to tie each bundle on individually and the end result came out fantastic.

Finishing and Tidying Up Your Wreath

In the end, you can trim up the unruly bits with a quick snip of your pruners. Be sure to hang the wreath in its set location before cutting off too much, if any at all.

If your wreath calls for more berries, tie the individual stems in.

Last, but not least, come the pine cones.

You can also tie them on one-by-one. Take a long piece of twine, fold it in half to find the center, and push it under the flaps near the base of the cone. From here you can tie a knot to secure it, then tie it in place on the wreath.

Add as many as you like, being sure to find a harmonious balance between size and shape.

In the end, if you have leftover materials, go ahead and make a mini-wreath, to bring some festive greenery to the inside of your home.

See, all it takes is a few trimmed branches from an evergreen to fill your home with holiday cheer. Wishing many Happy Holidays to you and yours!

The post Make a Beautiful Wreath With Greenery From Your Own Backyard appeared first on Rural Sprout.

Caring for a compost pile is much like tending a garden. We feed it, we water it, we give it good airflow. And in return, we get to see the magic of our kitchen scraps and yard waste transform into rich and loamy humus before our very eyes.

Compost is ready to harvest when it has a dark and crumbly texture and an earthy scent. The particles should be mostly indiscernible, but it doesn’t need to be perfect. Stringy, sticky, and lumpy compost is fine for the taking too.

Sifting the compost will help keep larger pieces – like sticks, stones, and bones – out of the final product.

It’s not an imperative to sift and you can certainly use less than pristine compost right away. But sifting does create a most wonderfully light and fluffy compost that is easier to spread around the garden.

Materials:

• 4 lengths of 2×4 lumber, cut to size                         
• Hardware cloth, 1” or 1/2” mesh
• Deck screws, 3” long
• Fence staples, 3/4″

Assemble the Sifter Frame

The size of the compost sifter will entirely depend on what you’ll be sifting the compost into. Whether it’s a plastic tote, a garden cart, or a wheelbarrow, you can make the sifter any dimensions you like.

In general, a 36” x 24” sifter will provide a good surface area for processing the compost.

I’ll be sifting my compost into a wheelbarrow, and this particular wheelbarrow has rounded sides. I want the sifter frame to sit flat so I measured the size of the tub, then added a few inches to length and subtracted a few inches from the width.

I ended up with a finished frame size of 36” x 18.5”.

Once you’ve measured twice and cut once, position the wood pieces into a frame shape with the wide sides facing out.

Then drill 2 deck screws in each corner to hold it all together.  

Attach the Hardware Cloth

The mesh size of the hardware cloth will determine how fine or coarse the finished compost will be.

I’m using 1/2” x 1/2” mesh to make a finer compost, but a larger 1”x 1” gauge would make processing go faster by allowing bigger materials through the screen.

Roll out the hardware cloth over the frame. Start in one corner and hammer in a fence staple.

Working your way outwards, keep the screen taut while affixing staples to the mesh every 3 inches or so.

After you’ve finished stapling the last side, use wire cutters to snip off the remaining hardware cloth.

The cut ends of the hardware cloth are very sharp. Use a hammer all around the edges of the frame to tamp down the tines so you don’t get snagged.

Using the Compost Sifter

Flip the sifter over so the screen runs along the bottom of the frame.

Dump 2 to 3 shovelfuls of compost to the sieve. Take care not to toss in too much at a time, as it’ll only make it trickier to sift without spilling it over the sides.

Spread the compost out over the sifter with your hands. Breaking up clumps as you go, push the compost all around the screen. Use back-and-forth and circular motions to work it through the squares.

The smaller particles will fall into the tub and the larger debris will stay on top of the screen.

The undigested bits will go right back into the compost heap to continue breaking down. For now, I’ll put them aside and toss them back into the pile once the bin has been emptied and all the compost has been sifted.

Running your hands through sifted compost is oddly satisfying – it’s so soft and luxurious!

Use your freshly harvested compost right away to make new garden beds or recharge the soil in existing ones. It’s a top notch ingredient in potting soil and seed starting mixes, too.

You can also set some aside for later use by bagging it up and stowing it in a cool, dry place. Leave the tops of the bags open and exposed to air. Every so often, check to make sure the compost is still slightly moist.

Homemade compost is teeming with microbial life and a broad spectrum of nutrients. It will be at its best for 3 to 6 months post-harvesting so make sure to use it up as soon as you can.

Read Next:

13 Common Things You Should Never Compost

The post How to Easily Make a Compost Sifter – No DIY Skills Required appeared first on Rural Sprout.

Because chickens have a narrow intestinal tract, they like to eat often but in small portions. This means that chickens are almost always hungry and food obsessed. Keep them well-fed with a DIY chicken feeder.

Egg-laying hens require a balanced diet that includes energy, protein, and calcium. The best egg production occurs when chickens receive at least 16% protein in their feeds, as well as access to fresh, clean water at all times.

Egg production stops or slows when hens run out of feed or water for several hours at a time. The amount of decline in egg-making is directly related to the amount of time the flock went without.

Clearly, keeping your hens well-fed and watered is vital for healthy, happy, and productive chickens!

Considerations When Choosing a Chicken Feeder Design

Not all chicken feeders are created equal and should be adapted to fit your coop’s specific needs.

Before committing to a design, consider:

The Flock

How many chickens you keep will determine the size of the chicken feeder you build. Each egg-laying hen needs roughly ¾ of a cup of food per day, or about a ¼ pound.

The size of the feeding vessel(s) should hold enough food for all your chickens. It should be large enough not to need constant refilling, but small enough that the feed doesn’t spoil before it has a chance to be eaten.

Another thing to bear in mind is how the chickens access the feed. As a very general guideline, each chicken should have about 2 inches of feeding space.

The character of your hens will have an impact on the size and style of the chicken feeder too. Dominant birds may prevent those lower in the pecking order from feeding, curious hens may knock over the container, and some chickens just like to make a mess of the whole thing.

An unruly or large flock would benefit from two or more medium-sized feeders to ensure all chickens get their due.

Observe your hens at feeding times after introducing a new feeder system to the brood. If some chickens aren’t receiving enough food, add more chicken feeders to the coop.

Chicken Feeder Placement

Do you plan on keeping the chicken feeder inside the coop or outside in the run? Each has its advantages and drawbacks, and the design of the feeder should be planned accordingly.

Indoor feeders have the benefit of keeping the food dry in rainy or snowy conditions. Wet feed will become moldy and spoil quickly.

However, if your coop is on the smaller side, an indoor chicken feeder takes up precious space. It also encourages your chickens to spend less time outdoors, which means the litter in the coop will need to be cleaned more often.

Outdoor feeders free up space in the coop and get the hens outside and into the fresh air. And free-range chickens produce the tastiest, most nutritious eggs.

But outdoor feeders need to be waterproofed or otherwise sheltered from the elements. Chicken feed kept outside is also more prone to pilfering by birds and rodents, and can even attract poultry predators like raccoons and weasels.

Some chicken keepers prefer to place feeders indoors for more control, while others build a sheltered spot with a dedicated run for outdoor feeding. Another option is to move chicken feeders indoors overnight and place them back outside during the day.

Chicken Feeder Capacity

The size of the chicken feeder should reflect the amount of time and commitment you have for your birds.

A chicken feeder that holds enough feed for 24 hours will require the hopper to be refilled each day. This can be a welcome chore as daily check-ins with your flock means you’ll be able to better monitor them, bond with them, and keep up with the latest pecking order drama.

A larger feeder capacity will reduce some of the upkeep and allow you to take a weekend away without worrying about feeding the hens. It is generally recommended to keep the capacity to an absolute maximum of 10 days – any longer than that increases the likelihood of food spoiling or the feeder itself becoming clogged.

15 DIY Chicken Feeders

1. 5-Gallon Bucket Chicken Feeder

A thrifty project for the frugal chicken keeper, this automatic feeder requires a couple of 90-degree PVC elbows, aluminum rivets, and a 5-gallon bucket.

One is perfect for smaller flocks, or make a few for larger broods. It’s easily transportable around the enclosure too.

2. 5-Gallon Bucket Chicken Waterer

With a few drilled holes, a 5-gallon bucket can also become an automatic waterer – in just five minutes!

3. PVC Chicken Feeder

Here are three really simple ways to turn a PVC pipe and fittings into gravity-fed chicken feeders.

4. No Drill PVC Chicken Feeder

There’s no need for drills or other tools in this DIY – PVC pipes are simply screwed together into a J-shape. Easy to disassemble and easy to clean, the feeding holes can be capped off each night with a cleanout plug. Zip-tie them to a fence to keep them upright.

Get the tutorial here.

5. Outdoor Chicken Feeder

Made entirely from PVC pipe, this automatic feeder design isn’t difficult to put together thanks to the in-depth instructions. It has so many neat features: a hood for water resistance, a spill guard to avoid wastage, and it can be capped off at night to keep rats and mice out.

Get the tutorial here.

6. No Waste Chicken Feeder

This automatic feeder is made with a large storage bin that is fitted with numerous PVC elbows as “feeding holes”. Designed to prevent chickens from scratching their feed out, it reduces waste since hens need to stick their heads pretty far into the hole to eat.

Get the tutorial here.

7. Treadle Chicken Feeder

A treadle feeder is essentially a feeding box with a platform mechanism that chickens stand on to open the lid and access the feed. Since the lid remains shut when hens aren’t feeding, it protects the food from rain and rodents. This treadle DIY is made from plywood and costs less than $40 to make.

Get the tutorial here.

8. Zero Waste Chicken Feeder

Another zero-waste woodworking project, this gravity-fed feeder features a long opening along the bottom so that several birds can eat at once. It also has a little roof over the trough that helps keep rain and snow out.

9. Hanging Chicken Feeder

All that’s needed to make this suspended chicken feeder is a bucket with a handle and tight-fitting lid, a stainless steel eye bolt, and a small square scrap of untreated wood. Drill a hole in the bottom of the bucket, insert the eye bolt, and screw on the wood piece so it’s dangling outside the bottom. This acts as a toggle to release feed when pecked.

10. Trough Chicken Feeder

For a feeder that will provide for many birds at once, this simple, trough-style DIY is constructed from various lengths of wood to create a rectangular feeding box. Add some wire mesh over the top to designate individual pecking zones.

11. Vinyl Gutter Chicken Feeder

This cheap and super easy project costs less than $25 to build and will create about 200 inches of feeding space. You’ll need two 10-foot long gutters, 4 cinder blocks, and optional end caps for the gutters to keep feed from spilling out of the sides.

Get the tutorial here.

12. Garbage Can Chicken Feeder

Larger flocks would do well with a garbage can feeder that can hold up to 150 pounds of feed. The bottom of the bin can be drilled with up to 4 feeding holes made from PVC pipe. Scratch-proof and low waste, the feeding holes can be plugged up each night with tin cans to keep out rodents. The locking lid makes this setup pretty weather-resistant, even in heavy rain.

13. Metal Duct Chicken Feeder

Made with 7-inch metal air ducting, this automatic chicken feeder can hold many pounds of feed. It’s designed so that feed is dropped into a container inside the chicken coop, while the input for filling is outside the coop – a great option when the chicken enclosure has a low ceiling and is difficult to human-sized bodies to enter.

Get the tutorial here.

14. Baby Chick Feeder and Waterer

An itty bitty feeder and waterer for your baby chicks, this tutorial repurposes old plastic food containers (like a clean and empty peanut butter jar) for a quick and cheap DIY. Using the powers of gravity, all you need to do is cut holes in the bottom of the container and set it in a larger dish (in this case, a lid), and fill it up with feed or water.

Get the tutorial here.

15. Suspended Baby Chick Feeder

Similarly, this hanging chick feeder is made from upcycled plastic bottles. The bottom of a 2-liter bottle becomes a tray and the top half of a 500 ml bottle becomes a hopper. Add holes to the smaller bottle and glue both pieces together. After filling with feed, it can be strung up and suspended over the enclosure so it can’t be knocked over.   

Get the tutorial here.

The post 15 DIY Chicken Feeder Ideas appeared first on Rural Sprout.

I’m not typically one to tackle DIY projects. Anything that requires a power tool is largely out of my wheelhouse. That was until I found pictures online of a glass cabinet greenhouse I simply had to have.

I do have an outdoor greenhouse that gets plenty of use in my garden. However, no matter how much I prepare myself, I always find bundling up and heading outdoors in the cold of winter quite unpleasant. While I’ll do it for my plants, I much prefer sunny summer weather.

An indoor greenhouse not only eliminates that problem, but it also comes with a host of other benefits.

From healthy houseplants to quickly sprouting seedlings, you can use an indoor greenhouse for almost anything. On top of that, they make a wonderful indoor feature that adds something different to your interior design.

This DIY is incredibly easy to complete – trust me, if I can do it, you can too. But, it also packs in the benefits and aesthetic value. If you’re looking for a fun project, you can’t go wrong.

The Benefits of an Indoor Greenhouse

Protection from the cold

The most obvious benefit of an indoor greenhouse is cold protection. For those that live in zones with frosty fall and winter weather, some plants are simply out of reach for planting outdoors.

However, bring them indoors and the world of plant possibilities opens up. Tropical plants, seedlings, and even vegetables that are out of season all suddenly become options when you have the power of an indoor greenhouse at your disposal.

Yes, I suppose bringing the plants indoors adds some level of protection already. But even areas near windows or in front of an accidentally open door can quickly kill your plants in winter. A closed greenhouse keeps temperatures consistent and limits stress, giving you the ideal environment for growth.

Better environment for your plants

Temperature is not the only environmental factor that an indoor greenhouse can help with. Since the cabinet is closed and contained, you can recreate the perfect environment with very little effort.

Adjustable grow lights give you strict control over light levels, whether you are growing sun-dependent succulents or shady houseplants. Throw in a humidifier and any tropical beauties will be much happier than they would be exposed to the dry air. Pests also have limited access to the plants, preventing any unwanted bug damage.

For so-called ‘black thumbs’ who can’t seem to keep any plants alive, this control over plant care makes the process much simpler.

Saves money

This benefit is reserved for those who use their indoor greenhouse to grow veggies, fruits and herbs. With plenty of space for produce, you’ll be saving money on groceries week after week by growing your own food.

You also avoid trips to the grocery store for any fresh items, with your movement limited to wherever you decide to place the greenhouse (as a tip, leave it in the kitchen for the easiest access possible).

This option is also great for those who really want to grow their own produce, but simply don’t have the outdoor space. This leads to our next benefit…

Dedicated space to garden

An indoor greenhouse marks out a space in your home exclusively reserved for plants. Rather than having houseplants dotted around various rooms – leading you to forget about a few of them – an indoor greenhouse makes easy access and care a priority.

For those with small gardens or perhaps no outdoor garden space at all, an indoor greenhouse will make a world of difference. Depending on the size of your cabinet, you can grow almost anything without needing a single square foot of outdoor space. From microgreens to cacti and more, the options are endless.

Interesting décor feature

And lastly, we can’t ignore the aesthetic value of a bright and thriving indoor greenhouse. This is by far my favorite benefit and the reason I chose to tackle this DIY project in the first place.

With over 50 houseplants under my care, I’m always looking for new and interesting ways to display them. This cabinet was specially designed for placement in low-light areas of my home where houseplants struggle to grow without extra lighting support. It fits seamlessly into my interior design and makes the plants the highlight of the room in the process.

To maximize this benefit, make sure you choose a good-looking, high-quality cabinet that fits with the rest of your interior. There are certainly cheaper options that don’t require much adjusting, but they may not look as good as a DIY cabinet perfectly tailored to the spot it’s in.

How To Build A DIY Indoor Greenhouse

Now that you’re convinced, it’s time to get into the details of this DIY project.

Keep in mind, there are hundreds of ways to put an indoor greenhouse together. This is how I built mine, with a focus on houseplant growth and design, but you may find other options that work better for you based on your needs and what you want to grow.

Step 1: Find a cabinet

The first task was to find a cabinet to turn into the greenhouse. There are a number of ready-made indoor greenhouse options available to buy online, but I wanted one that would fit with the rest of my furniture.

Collected over many years, my house is filled with vintage second-hand furniture (mostly solid wood) so that is the goal I started with. Conveniently, thrifted furniture is also the cheaper option if you can find what you’re looking for.

The only real requirement for an indoor greenhouse cabinet is a glass front. You don’t want your plants locked away in a dark cabinet without being able to see them. Other than that, materials, colors and shapes are all up to your personal preference.

After a week or two of scrolling online second-hand marketplaces, I found this solid wood cabinet listed on Facebook Marketplace for $45. I immediately knew it was the one and jumped at the listing.

While the cabinet was a bargain, I unfortunately didn’t save much money because I impulse bought a chair and side table set at the same time. Luckily they all match so I have a small excuse (this time).

Thrifting is always recommended for a DIY project like this. However, if you can’t manage to find the right cabinet after weeks of searching, you can try these alternative options:

• Ikea Glass Door Cabinet
• Black Storage Cabinet
• Display Cabinet

Step 2: Gather your materials

Next, you’ll need to look for all the other technical items to put in your cabinet. This will depend on which plants you want to grow and how decorative you want your cabinet to be.

The first thing to look for is a grow light. If your cabinet is in a bright area and you’re only filling it with low-light-friendly houseplants, you can skip this step. However, if you want to grow anything else, a grow light in a dark cabinet is essential.

This not only maintains strong growth in whatever plants you choose to grow, but also makes the cabinet look good too.

Opt for adjustable grow lights that can be suited to a range of plants. Houseplants won’t need much extra light, but seedlings or veg certainly will, and succulents and cacti require even more.

I used an old second-hand grow light from a neighbor. But, due to the heat it produces, I angled it away from my houseplants and will likely only keep it on for an hour or two per day.

Related Reading: LED Grow Lights: Everything You Need To Know

The next item on my shopping list was a humidifier. Although the humidity is already relatively high where I live, I wanted to up the humidity levels as much as possible to replicate the jungle habitat of my tropical houseplants.

I found two cute humidifiers online, one for the top shelf and one for the bottom, to really fill the space. One is shaped like a lightbulb, while the other has a wood finish matching the interior of the cabinet. While they aren’t adjustable, they also weren’t expensive and add a décor element to the cabinet too.

You can also add a few decorative objects, as long as they can withstand high humidity levels. I’ve chosen a statue I got in Italy a few years ago – perfect for the romantic, roman-inspired garden trend gaining popularity at the moment – a letterboard for my terrible puns, and a light-up letter to add to the moody atmosphere.

Step 3: Varnish and seal

This optional step will depend on the type of cabinet you have and the materials it is made out of. Wooden cabinets may need sanding and varnishing before use to make sure they look tidy and will last for years to come.

The interiors may also require sealing due to the high levels of humidity that may build up inside. If the shelves are not also made of glass, you’ll need to consider sealing any wooden pieces inside that may get droplets of water on them when watering your plants.

Ultimately, the amount of prep you do before placing your plants is up to you and the materials you’ve chosen. Even though it can be tedious, this step can help prevent the deterioration of your indoor greenhouse down the line.

Step 4: Make space for cables

Grow lights and humidifiers, unless run on batteries, will likely need to be plugged in somewhere permanent in order to work. Considering the cabinet remains closed most of the time (and that you don’t want unsightly cables hanging out of slightly open doors), you’ll need to drill a hole to run the cables to the nearest plug.

I drilled a hole in the back corner of the cabinet, as out of sight as possible, with enough space to fit three cables. The ends of the cables for the humidifiers were quite thin so getting them through the gap wasn’t an issue.

However, I did need to cut and rewire the plug for the grow light to avoid drilling a massive hole in the back of the cabinet.

Try to keep the hole as small as possible. This will also stop any moisture from the humidifier from escaping.

Run the cables through the hole to the nearest plug point. You can also use cable clips or glue to keep the wires to the sides of the cabinet, so they look tidy.

Step 5: Fill with plants

Now for the fun part – filling the cabinet with plants!

I picked a few of my existing houseplants that needed a bit more light and attention while also buying a few more to add to the collection (can you tell I have a problem?).

Adjust your grow lights to the levels required by the plants. For example, light intensities designed to grow vegetables indoors will be far too high for houseplants, leading to burning. Also, make sure your plants are a good distance away from the lights if they are harsh, as heat can build up quickly in these areas.

Don’t feel like you need to stick to one set of plants over time. The beauty of an indoor greenhouse is that you can adjust it as needed!

Although mine is packed with houseplants now, I am going to switch them out for seedling trays in late winter to prepare for quick spring planting. Maybe I’ll turn it into a succulent garden in the future, notoriously tricky plants to grow indoors. What you choose at what time of year is completely up to you.

Just a word of warning though if you do plan on moving plants often – make sure the change in conditions in their new home isn’t too drastically different from what they were used to in the greenhouse.

Sudden changes can stress plants and lead to several problems with growth. If you need them to adapt to a new environment, introduce them slowly to prevent any chances of shock.

Step 6: Close it up

Finally, with everything placed, all you need to do is close up the doors. Here, you can enjoy the look of your wonderful plants every day without worrying about their environments or how they are growing.

If humidity builds up too much inside the cabinet, make sure to open the doors for an hour or so each day to improve airflow and limit your risks of disease.

When watering, it’s best to take the plants out of the cabinet to water over the sink. Allow the excess to drain completely from the drainage holes before moving them back. Also, make sure the pots are placed on trays or in covers to avoid any water damage on the shelves.

Add a few plants to the area around the cabinet to blend in with the overall design. Then, don’t forget to invite a bunch of guests over to oh and ah at how stunning your DIY indoor greenhouse is.

The post How To Build A DIY Indoor Greenhouse (& Why You Need One) appeared first on Rural Sprout.

Your home life is more wasteful than you realize.

The average American household consumes more than 900-kilowatt hours every month. Assuming you’re powering your home with coal or petroleum, this puts nearly 1,935 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Don’t assume you’re doing much better if your home relies on natural gas instead. This “cleaner” fuel still generates close to 900 pounds of CO2 waste.

Finding ways to reduce your energy use should be a top priority for every household, as should seeking out less-polluting forms of energy production.

The good news is that there are lots of ways to produce your own renewable energy at home. Whether you’re looking for a simple strategy to charge your phone battery or want to forgo your oven in favor of cooking with sunlight outside, every step you take to utilize renewable energy is a benefit for the planet.

Check out these DIY projects for familiarizing yourself with renewable energy options on the home scale. They are designed to inspire you so you can start taking steps to reduce your reliance on fossil fuels.

26 Top Ways To Produce Your Own Renewable Energy At Home

There are ample opportunities for experimenting with renewable energy at home. Your first step should be choosing the energy production method that most interests you and then finding a project that fits your capabilities.

Solar Power

In the world of alternative energy production, solar power gets a lot of credit. The sun puts out an estimated 174 quadrillion watts of power in each given moment, and just two minutes of the light that reaches earth contains enough energy to power all human activity for a year.

Suffice it to say, there’s a lot to gain from harnessing the sun as an alternative energy source. Though the most efficient way currently to reap its benefits is by installing solar panels on your roof, there are plenty of DIY projects that will let you utilize the sun’s rays on a smaller scale to produce your own renewable energy at home.

1. Green Solar Powered Water Barrel

Water your plants without requiring extra energy with this twin 85-gallon barrel system. The solar charger works to pump the water even in low-pressure circumstances, and the water stays warm enough that it won’t shock your plants when they are exposed to it. Best of all, it can easily be hooked up to your gutters to collect rainwater.

2. Solar Powered Pump (for Filling Water Barrels)

Get water into your garden effortlessly (even uphill!) with this solar-powered water pump. This project should give you enough water access for a 2,500-square-foot garden.

3. DIY Solar Powered Greenhouse Watering System

Make your greenhouse more low maintenance this year with a solar-powered automatic watering system. You can add irrigation timers to ensure the water runs without your monitoring so that it’s even possible to leave the homestead for a few days at a time.

4. DIY Drainback Solar Water Heating System

Use the power of the sun to heat your home’s water supply with recycled domestic hot water collectors. If you have supplies on hand, this simple project will save you money quickly.

5. Homemade Solar Panels

Making a DIY solar panel is more straightforward than many think. The solar cells can be purchased online for a fraction of the cost of purchasing pre-assembled units, and the finished product offers a stellar option to power your home’s standby electronics.

6. Solar-Powered Electric Mower

If you have a DC motor, 12-volt batteries, and a basic solar panel setup, you can transform your gas-guzzling mower into a free-energy sun-powered unit. As running a traditional mower for an hour is the equivalent of driving your car 100 miles, this project offers an option to make a serious difference from a sustainability perspective.

7. DIY Solar Ovens

Though previously considered a science fair novelty, solar ovens have come a long way and can now take over many duties of your traditional range. This DIY oven requires little more than an insulated box lined with aluminum foil and an old window to concentrate the heat. With the right weather conditions, you can use this type of oven to boil pasta, bake bread, and even cook meat. Best of all, these oven’s relatively low temperatures make it nearly impossible to overcook your meals.

8. DIY Parabolic Solar Oven

Ramp up the heat while you cook with a parabolic oven. The curved disc design concentrates heat right where your food is, which makes these ovens capable of extremely high temperatures that can sear meat quickly. They offer an excellent option for someone who wants to get serious about backyard cooking.

9. Turn a Mason Jar into a Solar Cooker

There’s no need to overcomplicate solar cooking—even a basic mason jar can be used for the purpose. This DIY offers a great way to pasteurize water, especially in a survival situation.

10. Simple Solar Water Heater

Enjoy scalding hot water at home without guilt about your fossil fuel consumption by installing a homemade solar water heater. These instructions let you walk you through the process of choosing the appropriate size for your project scale and building it from the base up. Once finished, you should get enough hot water for a shower within two hours of summer weather.

11. DIY Solar Phone Charger

Power your cell phone with a renewable energy charging station that offers off-grid power whenever you have sunlight. Expect to get a full charge for the 12-volt battery within eight hours.

12. Mounted Solar Charging Station

If you want to build a more permanent solar charging station, these instructions offer plans to build a mounted unit that can offer charging options in remote places, such as the middle of a hiking trail.

13. Solar Food Dehydrator

Dehydrating food is an age-old practice for preservation, but it’s a major energy suck to run a traditional dehydrator for hours on end. These instructions let you harness the sun’s power to accomplish the same goal of preserving food at home.

14. Homemade Solar Water Distiller

Freshwater is a resource you never want to have become scarce, so having access to a solar water distiller can solve this problem. These instructions walk you through the process of purifying water to ensure you have a way to access some whenever necessary.

Geothermal Heat

The earth’s core maintains a consistent temperature throughout the year, and it’s possible to tap into this natural energy for an alternative to traditional heating and cooling systems.

You can go large-scale by installing a geothermal heating system to maintain a comfortable ambient temperature while using about a quarter of the electricity of traditional heating methods.

Alternatively, start smaller with these DIY projects that rely on geothermal principles.

15. Homemade Electricity-Free Fridge

Keeping food cool 24/7 takes up a significant amount of household energy, but you can create an “ambient air fridge” to dramatically cut down on your usage, at least for small amounts of food. The key to this design is using terra cotta pots that allow gasses to escape without compromising your food’s safety.

16. DIY Ground Source Heat Pump

This innovative heating style pulls energy from the ground and uses it to heat your home or keep it cool, depending on the time of year. You can make your own unit by following these (admittedly ambitious) plans from Build It Solar.

17. DIY Basement Root Cellar

Protect your garden produce this winter in a passively cooled basement space with this simple root cellar project. The plan will walk you through the two-vent system that provides the appropriate amount of airflow to keep everything fresh.

Wind Turbines                                       

Massive wind farms rarely fail to impress, and when positioned in optimal areas, they can produce a tremendous amount of power with few drawbacks from an environmental perspective.

It’s somewhat difficult to scale down wind power for personal use, and a wind turbine capable of powering your whole house might cost $50k or more.

However, there are plenty of smaller projects that let you experiment with wind power in order to produce your own renewable energy at home.   

18. DIY Wind Turbine from Scrap Metal

If you have the materials on hand, this is an easy weekend project for generating electricity from wind. You can use it to charge a bank of batteries that can be used for powering any household appliances.  

19. DIY Car Alternator Wind Turbine

Here’s another option for harnessing wind power for your electrical needs. It uses more standardized equipment, which might be a more comfortable option for those who are newer to DIY projects.

Kinetic Energy

When it comes to generating renewable energy at home, never discount the potential of your own body to create power.

There are lots of projects that make it possible to convert the energy from your daily commute or other activities into stored energy to power electronics without relying on fossil fuels.

20. Energy-Free Washing Machine

Keep your clothing clean even when off-grid with this basic washing machine. You’ll use a bucket and plunger to agitate your clothing and remove the dirt, giving you clean clothes within half an hour.

21. Bike Generator

Let your daily commute do double duty by using your bike to charge AA batteries as you cycle. These instructions also offer an option to install a standard 12v power outlet so you can charge a cell phone at the same time.

22. Human-Powered Phone Charger

Ensure your phone is also ready in emergency circumstances with this kinetic phone charger. With a few modifications, you can also attach this charger to a manual sewing machine for even easier charging.

23. DIY Portable Bellows System

If you’re the kind of person who often wishes you had a way to direct extreme heat in specific directions, then the Firecharger might be a dream come true. This portable bellows system lets you accelerate the heat in a wood fire to get temperatures hot enough to demolish backyard stumps or possibly even power some blacksmithing projects. 

Biogas

It’s easier than most people think to convert waste products into sources of renewable energy. After all, when you convert manure and food scraps into methane, you are essentially speeding up the process of creating oil and natural gas.

It’s possible to use biofuels for a variety of home uses, including heating and cooking. Just take care to scale up slowly, as it takes a lot of material to produce enough gasses for basic tasks.

24. DIY Medium-Sized Biogas Plant

Turn cow patties and food scraps into a power source with this biogas plant that transforms waste products into methane gas that can power a small stove for cooking.

Here’s another plan for a similar, smaller model that can help boost your confidence in home gas production.

25. Turn Garden Weeds Into Energy

Every gardener has an excess of weeds to deal with, and transforming them into compost can be a tedious process. It’s also ineffective once the weeds have gone to seed. Put this plant material to a different use through anaerobic digestion. With this plan, you can convert this waste material into methane for cooking and other projects.  

Take Steps to Produce Your Own Renewable Energy at Home Today

You don’t have to fill your roof with solar panels or convert your property into a windmill farm to reap the rewards of renewable energy. For the project inclined, there are ample opportunities to experiment with fossil fuel-free forms of energy without breaking the bank.  

These projects are meant to expose you to what’s possible and should be viewed as a launching point for further projects. So, do your own research, and you’ll likely find dozens of more ways to start living a more sustainable life at home through renewable energy.

The post 26 Ways To Produce Your Own Renewable Energy At Home appeared first on Rural Sprout.