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Greening CPs

  • Thread starter Colieo
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Colieo

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Hey guys!

I recently had to do a sustainablility project for class, and it got me thinking about my sustainability (and lack thereof) in my CP hobby. I'd say in general we all tend to be a bit more aware of the environment in this hobby, so what do you guys do to limit your impact on the environment? Or where do you need to pick up the slack? For instance, I used to buy distilled water in 1-gal jugs... that was a lot of jugs over time, and my house did not have recycling at the time. Now I use a 5-gal refillable jug with RO water from the local grocery store... less plastic, waste, and carbon... and it's more convenient! Who knows, maybe we could green everything, from our sourse for peat moss to the energy it takes to run the forums that make this hobby so much easier...

Cole
 
I wish I had an RO unit. I do a variety of things. I get free expired pure water at work on occasion. I buy distilled water from Walmart. I collect creek and bog water for the mini-bog buckets. I also collect rain water in a tote. I sure wish I knew of a grocery store around here that would allow me to fill up jugs!
 
I re-use my water jugs to hold my RO water and when possible rather then waste the un-pure water from the filter I collect it and use it on house hold plants or for cooking.
I read a while back about coconut coir to potentially replace peat moss in order to conserve the already diminishing bogs but there's apparently debatable results as to how reliable it is since it is high in potassium and phosphorus. Has anyone on here tried it out?
 
I have had a fly trap in coco for about a year and a half till early this season when I had a fungus gnat problem with it and my pepper seedlings. It grew the same as the other VFTs just needed a little bit more water every once in a while compared to those in pure peat.
 
Green everything? What?

Being a bit more reasonable in my expectations.... (And totally reserved concerning our impact on the environment...) I will try to limit my response to How do I live "green" in my hobby....

While I would love an R.O. unit for convenience sake, I am not sure from the "Green" standpoint that it qualifies by itself, (who is recycling old filters and broken units?) although as pointed out, it is sometimes better than some alternatives. Being "green" is to measured by degrees, and is not a black and white viewpoint. So as I say, I am glad that someone found a better way of doing something.

So what do I do that could be considered some degree of "green"....?
I collect enough rain water from one gutter to fill all my CP needs, with a little left over at times for my other plant hobbies and needs (I don't collect enough for everything at all times, but could if I didn't mind making my entire yard/house look like a hodge-podge farm of sorts). (I'm Married!)
Rain water is collected off a gutter using a couple of recycled 55 gal. barrels (To be safe, make sure you use barrels that were from non-toxic/food grade products. There are some that are produced for toxic/caustic chemical use, and reuse can be risky). I also reuse old kitty litter bins and containers to store the water in my greenhouse over the winter, which sits in a sunny position to help create residual thermal mass to hold the days heat, and release it during the night. (Something I picked up from Mother Earth News about 40 years ago.) :water:

I use the natural sunlight for way over half my plants (in a greenhouse and growing outdoors), and supplement my indoor lighting needs with sunlight, by having the plants I have under lights, in front of windows. By receiving sunlight for part of the day, I am able to have the lights on for less time. :water:

I reuse all the old potting medium, dead plants and other used components, to plant up other new plants, Non-CP plants... or whatever won't be of use there, the remains goes into the garden or compost heap for conversion. (Anything diseased does not.) :water:

As an old long time advocate of organic gardening (thanks to an amazing, down to earth Uncle) long before it became a "trend", making the most of things and reusing everything you could was the logical thing to do. (Anyone here remember Mother Earth News?)
A few guys I know laugh when we see some "new "Green" way" of doing something, as it is usually something we had been doing all along! Seems if you are around here long enough, you will find that people like to "re-discover" things and call them new! (Usually for prestige or money!) :glare:

Well, that is about all I can think of for the moment. I would love to say I am doing something admirable and complex, and costly, like having an expensive windmill generator or an array of solar panels on my roof to supply all my electrical needs. That really makes others envy you, when you have lots of cash to blow in the name of some worthy cause.
But to be honest, it is people with little or no money who come up with the good "green" ideas. Like the college kids here, who can't afford the water or electricity, and so find ways to be "green" without spending "green"! These are the people I admire! Besides, what do you do with a solar panel when it is busted and the sun has cooked the crap out of it and the parts are brittle and of no use? I wonder! ???

Oh, if you are interested in people who lived their entire lives nearly as "Green" as possible, get yourself 60 or 70 years worth of old National Geographic magazines, and just look at the pictures. In the oldest ones you will see small societies of people who once lived "green", with very low, negative impact on the natural world. :clap: "Modern, civilized society" however used to look down on those people and call them "savages"! Ironic! :thumbdown: :lac:

I am not sure if any of this is what you are asking for, but this is all I got.

Oh, coir! Yes, use it, like it. Haven't been using it for long enough to know the long term results however. And yes, it doesn't absorb waster like peat does. It holds it by its structure, but in a different way than peat. Nothing a little extra watering won't solve.
 
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I wonder if fallen pine needles would be a good substitute. I know it's an additive, but would it be good to replace peat?
 
most publix supermarkets allow you to buy a jug of water (one of those huge ones that are made for water dispensing units) and u just return it when ur out of water and u grab another one (u only have to pay for the water and not the container the 2nd time around, if u return the container that is). Ive only just recently found this out and they have drinking water and distilled water its really convenient. i know walmart, target and other big name stores also sell the large jugs of water but im not sure if they also do the same trade in thing as publix.
 
Do we need "text messaging" speak on a international forum where some people my be struggling with English to begin with?

I buy my purified water from reverse osmosis vending machines. I recycle the one gallon water bottles that my neighbor leaves out for the homeless to retrieve the recycle deposit on the bottles. I use the bottles until they crack or get too beat up to hold water safely then I collect the deposit on them.

Old peat moss goes into the compost heap or spread into the garden. Sand I recycle out of the peat moss by letting it dry out the rinsing out the peat when watering the garden.

Pots get recycled - sterilized first in a bleach solution and rinsed with very hot water. If the pot is too cracked or deteriorated from ultraviolet exposure they go into the blue recycle bin.

Sarracenia flower stalks are dried and used as stakes for floppy pitchers before going into the compost heap.
 
Well, that is about all I can think of for the moment. I would love to say I am doing something admirable and complex, and costly, like having an expensive windmill generator or an array of solar panels on my roof to supply all my electrical needs. That really makes others envy you, when you have lots of cash to blow in the name of some worthy cause.
But to be honest, it is people with little or no money who come up with the good "green" ideas. Like the college kids here, who can't afford the water or electricity, and so find ways to be "green" without spending "green"! These are the people I admire! Besides, what do you do with a solar panel when it is busted and the sun has cooked the crap out of it and the parts are brittle and of no use? I wonder! ???

Look up "pvcdrom" online to see that new solar wafers are made out of industrial silicon scrap, and I'm sure that the housing on your solar modules is some sort of re-melt-and-moldable plastic or metal. I've contemplated setting up some solar modules to use for powering some lights inside for when the plants aren't in the sun, but given my current living situation (renting, don't own) I don't think it's too good an idea to set up something as complicated as that because I'm sure it would scare the neighbors ATM.

... that my neighbor leaves out for the homeless to retrieve the recycle deposit on the bottles. I use the bottles until they crack or get too beat up to hold water safely then I collect the deposit on them.

That makes me feel uneasy...I would put them back out for the homeless (speaking as a formerly very poor person).
 
  • #10
That makes me feel uneasy...I would put them back out for the homeless (speaking as a formerly very poor person).

I tell you I haven't really had a job since last year and over $5000 in medical bills. Guess who is a couple months away from being homeless too.

She leaves out 3-5 bottles a week. I've taken 10 and have to replace 1 or two every 8 months or so. No big loss for the homeless of 10 cents every 8 months.
 
  • #11
I tell you I haven't really had a job since last year and over $5000 in medical bills. Guess who is a couple months away from being homeless too.

She leaves out 3-5 bottles a week. I've taken 10 and have to replace 1 or two every 8 months or so. No big loss for the homeless of 10 cents every 8 months.

Oh...:blush:

:crap: well I suppose I should have a doctor pull my foot out of my mouth with how far down my throat I've shoved it. My sincerest of apologies. If we meet up at a LACPS I so owe you a drink or something...
 
  • #12
Not a #,

I understand MORE than I will explain!

Hang in there, all there is to do sometimes!
 
  • #13
I feed my neps by recycling livestock from my aquarium and use tapwater for all my plants.(it's rlly pure here)
If you mean in general, i insulated my whole house, buy only the most energy efficient appliances, bring my own shopping bag, do 95% of my travelling by bicycle, separate all my garbage etc...
 
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