More on garden and outdoors
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Grow blackberry bushes and train them into a hedge along a fence.
They grow wild fast and can be managed by neighbors or kids picking berries.
- Requires training and management to prevent overgrowth.
one person who lived it
If boot laces become heavily infested with burrs, cut them off rather than trying to remove the burrs by hand.
Fingertips take a while to heal from the pain of removal.
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Mix saved bacon grease with dry oatmeal or bird seed, let it cool, and hang it in mesh bags from trees to feed birds in winter.
Birds will eat it.
- In hot climates like Phoenix, rendered animal grease may soften and drip if placed outside.
one person who lived it
Check if roots are too large for the container if the plant dries out quickly despite regular watering.
Root-binding causes the soil to dry out too fast.
one person who lived it
Hang wet clothes to dry overnight instead of storing them in your sleeping bag.
Dryness is more important than warmth.
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bees, feed, dry, bags24
Break the handles of plastic bags before throwing them away.
To prevent animals from getting caught in them.
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- Cut one side of plastic bags, chip packets, or fruit nets before disposal so they cannot trap animals.1
Attach pool noodles to kayak paddles so they float if dropped, preventing loss in the water.
To avoid losing paddles in the water.
one person who lived it
Prune crepe myrtles yourself and use the straight, hard limbs as stakes for tomato plants.
This avoids paying someone else to prune and provides useful garden supports.
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Store clothes in mesh bags while camping to allow airflow and prevent odors.
Mesh bags seal but breathe, so clothes won't stink.
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Build a solar dehydrator for drying produce.
It costs nothing to run, will never break, and works during power outages.
one person who lived it
Consider that ash may have made the soil acidic, which could explain why tomatoes performed better than other crops.
Ash can make soil acidic.
one person who lived it
Have the borrower demonstrate that an item like a hose works in front of you before handing it over.
This avoids disputes about pre-existing leaks or damage.
one person who lived it
Store essential small items like glasses and headlamps inside shoes placed next to your sleeping pad.
It prevents loss; one person avoided losing glasses between shelter cracks by doing this.
one person who lived it
Use white granulated sugar for bee rescue instead of brown sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Brown sugar can cause diarrhea in bees.
- Do not use artificial or diet sweeteners.
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Wash out open containers in recycling bins even if they are not checked, to keep bees away.
Bees can smell traces of food residue from far away.
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Feed leftover oat sludge from making homemade oat milk to chickens.
This results in zero waste.
one person who lived it
Feed new hives or hives during lean seasons granulated sugar instead of fruit.
Bees do not react aggressively to the scent of sugar.
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If confronted by an aggressive deer, create a larger presence by being loud and forceful to discourage attack.
Acting forcefully may cause the deer to run off, whereas passive behavior may make humans appear weak.
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Place bee hotels where southeast morning sun strikes them.
This attracts pollinating lone bees and helpful native wasps, whereas shade attracts wasps.
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Do not use construction fill dirt for planting without adding significant organic material, as it is mineral-heavy and rocky.
Fill dirt is designed for foundations and contains rocks or shale rather than topsoil.
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Use BBQ tongs instead of standard trash grabbers.
Standard devices are often heavy and unreliable.
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Plant honeysuckle to attract hummingbirds.
Hummingbirds love the flowers and return year after year.
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Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers for fruiting plants.
High nitrogen causes explosive vegetative growth but is not ideal for setting fruit.
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Hang Anaheim peppers to dry.
This enhances their flavor journey.
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Add shredded leaves to compost when adding cicada corpses to offset nitrogen levels.
To offset the nitrogen.
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Refill bee waterers daily or keep the water circulating to prevent mosquito breeding and ensure freshness.
Mosquito eggs cannot hatch that fast if refilled daily, and bees prefer fresh water over stagnant water.
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Grow Seminole pumpkins.
They are extremely prolific and have wonderful taste.
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Plant indeterminate vegetable varieties and harvest them regularly to ensure continuous production throughout the season.
Indeterminate growth continues producing if regularly harvested.
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water, waste10
Consider switching to a bidet to reduce environmental impact and protect septic systems.
If you keep cacti indoors, water mature plants about every other month and babies once a month.
Standard schedules suggesting more frequent watering will kill them.
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Use foaming soap to lather your hands before turning on the tap.
It saves water.
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Consider switching to a bidet to reduce environmental impact and protect septic systems.
This reduces paper waste, lowers energy and water use associated with paper production, and helps prevent clogs from wipes.
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Use potting soil appropriate for your plant type to help it retain moisture longer between waterings.
It slows the feeding of moisture to the plant.
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Consider avoiding melamine sponges if you are concerned about microplastics entering the water supply and food chain.
The sponges disintegrate into microplastics that go down the drain.
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Stop watering houseplants immediately if you suspect overwatering or root rot.
More houseplants die from overwatering than under watering. Root rot occurs when soil doesn't drain well and we water too much.
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When using a secondhand tent, apply seam sealer and water repellent spray, and wash it with appropriate soap to preserve waterproofing.
Detergents can remove waterproofing.
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Buy portable neon lights or an LED headlamp as a reusable alternative to disposable glow bracelets.
Disposable bracelets create waste.
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Discard aluminum foil covered in grease rather than recycling it, as it can contaminate the entire batch.
Recycling facilities may throw away the whole batch rather than removing contaminated foil.
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Recycle used metal safety razor blades to cut down on waste.
Unlike cartridges, the metal blades are almost fully recyclable, saving the environment.
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