The Gardeners' Knowledge Hub

Golden retriever resting on grass by a stone path and raised cedar bed of sunflowers, rosemary and calendula in a backyard

Simple Pet-friendly Garden Design and Maintenance Tips

garden designChristopher McDonald
How to build a yard that is safe for dogs and cats: which plants are non-toxic and which common ones are not, surfaces that stay cool, layouts that follow how pets move, and low-chemical maintenance.
Golden retriever resting on grass by a stone path and raised cedar bed of sunflowers, rosemary and calendula in a backyard

Simple Pet-friendly Garden Design and Maintenance Tips

garden designChristopher McDonald
How to build a yard that is safe for dogs and cats: which plants are non-toxic and which common ones are not, surfaces that stay cool, layouts that follow how pets move, and low-chemical maintenance.
Home freeze dryer and stacking food dehydrator on a kitchen counter with mylar pouches, jars of dried fruit and fresh produce

Moisture Is Why Dehydrated Food Keeps for a Year and Freeze Dried Food Keeps for 25

Buyers GuideChristopher McDonald
A dehydrator is built to stop at 10 to 20 percent moisture. A freeze dryer is built to keep going. What that one number decides about shelf life, what you can preserve, batch times, circuits and running cost.
Dry sift pollen tumbler with the lid open showing its mesh drum, and a tray of fine sift on a stainless steel bench

Pollen Tumbler Sizes Are Grams Per Cycle, and the Screen Micron Is a Separate Choice

bubble magicChristopher McDonald
The 150, 500 and 1500 on a dry sift tumbler are grams per 15 minute cycle, not screen micron. How to pick the machine size, why the 125, 145 or 185 micron screen matters more, and when a trim tray or ice water washer is the better buy.

Bubble Magic 5 Gallon vs 20 Gallon: Most Home Growers Only Need the 5

Bubble MagicChristopher McDonald
DL Wholesale rates the 20 gallon Bubble Magic at four times the load of the 5 gallon, but most home harvests never fill it. What each machine takes per run, where each one has to sit, what the bag sets add, and when stepping up is actually worth the money.

What comes in every AutoPot system, by model

AutoPotHappy Hydro
Check every part in your AutoPot box by model, and see what you still need to buy before setup.

Biochar Belongs in a Soil Mix at 8 Percent Because 10 Percent Costs You Peak Nitrate

biocharChristopher McDonald
Living Soil Biochar Belongs in a Soil Mix at 8 Percent Because 10 Percent Costs You Peak Nitrate What Black Owl biochar does inside a wate...

Why your AutoPot tray isn't cycling, and how to fix it

AQUAvalveHappy Hydro
Tray not filling, filling slowly, or flooding? Find the cause by symptom and fix it.

Feeding an AutoPot: what to run, and what to keep out of the reservoir

AutoPotHappy Hydro
Pick a feeding method and a strength that won't burn: reservoir, pot, or tray feeding.

Why your AutoPot reservoir pH drifts, and how to stop chasing it

AutoPotHappy Hydro
Stop chasing pH every day. Measure the reservoir, find the cause, and fix it once.

Stopping fungus gnats in a bottom-fed AutoPot

AutoPotHappy Hydro
Why gnats still show up when the top stays dry, and how to stop them without top watering.

How to size an AutoPot reservoir

AutoPotHappy Hydro
Measure your own daily draw and pick a tank that lasts as long as you want between refills.

Keeping your AutoPot clean between runs

AutoPotHappy Hydro
Tear down, clean, and store your AutoPot so the next run starts without sticky valves.

Finishing an AutoPot run without top watering

AutoPotHappy Hydro
Switch to plain water the AutoPot way for the last 10 to 14 days, and never pour through the top.

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