A cheap soil moisture sensor - GardenBot. The Soil Moisture Sensor You are building a cheap soil moisture sensor so the brain can read the amount of moisture in the soil. The version we are building is very low tech, but it is also very cheap and easy to build. It consists of a block of packing foam with a couple of wires shoved into it. And the great thing is that it's possible to use reclaimed materials in much of it's construction.
Making a Mosquito Trap. To keep mosquitoes from ruining a picnic or camping trip, it is nice to have an enticing trap to lure them away from you.
Build a Homemade Mosquito Trap. Mosquitoes are more than just annoying pests in your yard or garden.
Mosquitoes carry many diseases including West Nile, encephalitis and malaria. There are many commercial products to rid your landscape of these dangerous insects. Most of these products are quite expensive, however. A homemade mosquito trap is a simple, cost effective way to protect your yard and family from unsafe mosquitoes. How it WorksMosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide (CO2) that we exhale. Bee safe wasp trap. How to make your own wasp trap for free « Completegarden’s Weblog. Wasp killed in trap Wasps can be a pest, especially if you’re eating or drinking in the garden and the wasps want to join in.
You can make your own bee safe wasp trap without attracting and killing bees in the process. Recycle plastic container. Cut the top off to make a funnel Cut a plastic bottle and turn the funnel up-side-down so it fits inside the container. This makes easy access for wasps to enter the narrow hole yet difficult to escape. Sweet and sour attractant attracts wasps but not bees Add a mixture of vinegar, sugar and salt. Keep the wasp trap out of the rain as it will quickly fill with rainwater. Global Buckets: Q/A. Helpful Resources 1) Excellent instruction guides for planting, fertilization and other topics are found here (look under Product Info on the right). 2) Excellent group of experienced helpful growers is found in this Users' Forums Cord Locks Mike Noel of Lewiston, Idaho writes: I tried some synthetic bailing twine (any cord or twine will work) with a loop and cord lock closure.
These were cheaper than the big wire ties and are reusable as well as removable. The cord locks can be found on eBay for about than 15 cents each including shipping. This idea seems to of worked very well. Overflow/Air Hole Location Mr. How to Build a Copper Trellis for Your Garden. Step 1: Overview Copper is an ideal outdoor material for garden structures.
It has a warm, natural look, whether shiny or tarnished. It lasts for years without upkeep. And it's easy to work with and relatively inexpensive. Soil Moisture Sensor - HappyFarming.com. Update 2011-09-05: I have created a new blog about electronics only – check it out here: Electronic measurements, NSLU2 and soil moisture sensor In the middle of the picture you can see the moisture meter board from hobby-boards.com and on the right the Watermark soil moisture sensor.
When the moisture sensor gets wet its electrical resistance goes down, and when it dries up the resistance goes up. The sensor is connected as a part of the moisture meter circuit, which has a 1-wire interface to the rest of the system. The board needs a separate 9 to 24 volt DC power supply. I have placed the power supply indoors and the power supply current is running in the Ethernet cable as well as the 1-wire data signal, but only to the moisture meter board and not further into the 1-wire network.
As the other sensors in my 1-wire network this board is also accessed through owfs software (one wire file system) and I’m using the Current Register of the onboard DS2760 1-wire monitor IC to read out data. New Soil Moisture Sensor - HappyFarming.com. Plant Watering Watcher - Version II - RED - Page18. Circuit diagram: Parts: R1,R4________470K 1/4W Resistors R2____________47K 1/2W Trimmer Cermet or Carbon R3___________100K 1/4W Resistor R5_____________3K3 1/4W Resistor R6____________15K 1/4W Resistor R7___________100R 1/4W Resistor C1_____________1nF 63V Polyester Capacitor C2___________330nF 63V Polyester Capacitor C3,C4_________10µF 25V Electrolytic Capacitors D1__________1N4148 75V 150mA Diode D2_____________5mm.
Red LED IC1___________4093 Quad 2 input Schmitt NAND Gate IC Q1___________BC557 45V 100mA PNP Transistor P1,P2_______Probes (See Notes) B1______________3V Battery (2xAA, N or AAA 1.5V Cells in series) Soil Moisture Sensor Circuit Explained - HappyFarming.com. Update 2011-09-05: I have created a new blog about electronics only – check it out here: Electronic measurements, NSLU2 and soil moisture sensor The 1-wire soil moisture sensor circuit I use in my garden is designed by Eric Vickery from (c) 2006 Hobby Boards Designed by Eric Vickery Title: Moisture Meter 3 Rev: 3 Date: 10/27/2006 06:11:30p (Click the picture for a larger version.)
Here’s a bit of explanation on how the humidity sensor circuit works. How to make a cheap soil moisture sensor – Heavy Duty Version. A cheap soil moisture sensor - GardenBot. Science. Brief Wood-cell Physics Reaction Wood – The experts tell us that the reaction-wood subject relates to the fact that the tiny cells (~20 nanometers) that make up the wood are influenced by the stress that they endure during their formation.
For example, trees of the conifer family (or other soft-woods) that are regularly stressed by a strong prevailing wind "react" and develop compression-wood on the downwind side of the trunk. A tree that is leaning (due to avalanche or other upset) will do the same, and all branches at some large angle to the trunk will be expected to exhibit similar characteristics because gravity forces are stressing the branch as they grow.
Dividing up heather - Heaths & Heathers Forum. I'm not really familiar with what kind of plant exactly an "English heather" might be, but I'm assuming it's a Calluna vulgaris variety, as these are the most common on the English isles, especially in Scotland and Ireland.
It would also go by "Scotch heather" or "ling" (from the Anglo-Saxon root for "fire"). Maybe someone can set me straight on the English heather I.D.? Anyway, heather is reputedly easy to propagate from cuttings, but cuttings need to be overwintered in their pots through their first season. Where growing conditions are favorable, they can however be planted out their first spring, but closer together than if they were more established plants. This and the information that follows is based upon instructions in "Heathers" by Andrew Mikolajski. Cuttings should be taken around or just after mid-summer. The medium should be about equal parts of milled peat (not the much rougher sphagnum peat) and sharp sand. They should root by late summer to early autumn. Affordable Quality Lighting. B & C True Value > Sale > Store Coupons. Fire Pits. Summer is just around the corner. Do you intend to spend more time outside in the garden after work?
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